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Learning to Snowboard with The Handlebar from Burton
The Handlebar from Burton is an educational tool that is specifically designed to help kids learn balance and gain confidence on a snowboard—all while standing sideways. Similar to bicycle training wheels, parents can easily add The Handlebar to a child’s snowboard and then simply remove it when it’s no longer needed. Because of its flexibility and low-cost, The Handlebar has become a go-to learning solution for snowboarding families around the world.
A Brief History of The Handlebar from Burton
Burton fundamentally believes in making snowboarding accessible to everyone and has dedicated significant resources to youth snowboarding since the beginning. Over the years, Burton has produced all sorts of learning tools for children, but The Handlebar is the unique result of internal research and development based on feedback from Burton employees, ambassadors, and partner resorts that were teaching kids to snowboard. These parents and instructors agreed that the “standing sideways” part of the sport was a major hurdle to accessibility and so the engineers set out to create a learning tool that required very little interaction.
A few iterations later, The Handlebar as we know it was born and one of the hardest parts of learning to snowboard suddenly got much easier.
An Overview of the Burton Handlebar
One of the best learning tools ever created, The Handlebar allows kids to easily try snowboarding, no matter the season or the footwear. The Handlebar is a grab bar that promotes proper body positioning and attaches to a snowboard using the standard binding mounting holes. A primary benefit of The Handlebar is that it is extremely versatile—it can be used on virtually any Burton kids' snowboard (sizes 80cm-110cm), indoors or outdoors, any time of the year—but there are several additional benefits that parents should consider.
Benefits of The Handlebar
The Handlebar was designed to provide years of fun for kids of all ages and incorporates some industry-leading functionality that delivers excellent utility for the cost.
- Adjustable height. Adjust the height of The Handlebar to fit a range of young riders by depressing the metal push-buttons on either side and sliding the crossbar up or down to the desired height.
- Padded grab bar. The crossbar is padded to keep little hands warm and soften bumpy rides.
- Low weight construction. The entire unit comes in at less than two pounds (4 kilograms), providing young riders a realistic experience without extra bulk.
- Lots of compatibility. The Handlebar can be mounted on any youth snowboard sized 80cm-110cm so there’s plenty of room to grow and progress.
- No bindings needed. The Handlebar is designed to be used without bindings, so if your kid can stand, they can start snowboarding.
How to Mount The Handlebar
To mount The Handlebar to a snowboard, simply line up the slots on the base pads of the bar and use the included screws to set the bar in place; then hand-tighten the screws. Once the bar is mounted to the board, adjust the height of the crossbar. Have your kid stand on the board with their arms at a 90-degree angle and set the height to meet their hands; this angle provides stability while still allowing them to pivot their upper body.
Note: Do not use power tools when mounting The Handlebar.
Getting Started with The Handlebar from Burton
The Handlebar is an accessible training tool, allowing kids to hop on a snowboard, grab onto the bar, and start riding. But following a few key steps will ensure that kids build the confidence they need to succeed in the future.
Step 1: Start Kids on The Handlebar Inside
If you want to get your kiddos feeling confident while staying warm, before you even take them on the snow, start them with The Handlebar indoors. Attach The Handlebar to your kid’s snowboard and have them practice standing, leaning, and crouching while holding onto the bar.
Step 2: Increase the Speed
Using the Burton Riglet Reel, pull your kid around while they hang on to The Handlebar. Slowly increase the speed as your kid gets more comfortable with the feeling of sliding. For more ways to build skills, try building an indoor Riglet park.
Step 3: Take it to the Snow
Once kids are feeling good and having fun, it is time to take it to the snow. Start in the backyard and practice standing in place and then being pulled around. Kids should immediately notice the difference in how the board moves underneath their feet.
Step 4: Add in Some Downhill
Once kids are comfortable sliding on snow on flat ground, find a small slope and help them ride down it. As they progress and build confidence, add in obstacles to increase the difficulty and keep them engaged. Once you have a true Handlebar expert on your hands, have them practice riding switch as well.
Step 5: Remove The Handlebar
Now that your kiddos are off and sliding, it’s time to shred sans Handlebar. To graduate them to the next level, remove the bar and add bindings. Now, they should have all the skills necessary to take their riding to the magic carpet, rope tow, sledding hill, or chairlift.
Pro tip: For best results, we recommend signing up your little shredder for a kids snowboarding lesson at your local resort.
Content provided by Burton
https://www.burton.com/discover/s/article/burton-handlebar