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Your kid is curious about snowboarding, mountain biking, skateboarding or surfing. Here’s where to begin, sport by sport, with clubs near you.

The order that works

Every sport starts the same way

  1. 1

    Just go ride

    For fun, with you or with friends. Love of the sport comes first.

  2. 2

    Get a little coaching

    A few lessons or a clinic save a lot of frustration.

  3. 3

    Get the right gear

    Gear that fits and works, not the most expensive.

  4. 4

    Find a club or team

    Coaches, friends, and a reason to keep showing up.

  5. 5

    Try a contest

    When she wants to. Every sport has a friendly first rung.

Snowboarding

Big Bear, Mountain High and Snow Valley are a day trip from most of Southern California, and Mammoth is a weekend away.

First steps

  1. 1

    Take lessons first

    A few kids’ lessons at a local mountain will save a lot of frustration. Rent gear until you know she’s hooked.

  2. 2

    Ride as much as you can

    Progress comes from days on snow. A season pass at your closest mountain usually pays for itself in a handful of days.

  3. 3

    Try a park clinic or youth program

    Once she can ride the whole mountain, a terrain park clinic or a weekend youth program teaches jumps and rails safely.

  4. 4

    Enter a rail jam or local contest

    When she’s ready, a USASA contest at her home mountain is the first rung. There are divisions for every age.

Go deeper

Snowboard/SkiLearning to ride

Teach your toddler to snowboard

Our family’s seven steps, from wearing the gear at home to the first chairlift and letting go of the leash. Plus toddler gear and FAQs.

9 min read→

Snowboard/SkiHow contests work

Snowboarding

USASA, the Futures Tour, the Rev Tour, the U.S. Team. What each one is and how kids climb from one to the next.

10 min read→

Snowboard/SkiBuying guide

Snowboards

Why boots come first, how to size a board, park versus all-mountain shapes, and leasing versus buying for kids who grow every season.

4 min read→

Club finder

Clubs, teams and programs near you

Snowboarding clubs, leagues, contest series and girls’ programs in Southern California.

Find one ↓

Mountain biking

The easiest action sport to start at home, and the one with the friendliest team structure for kids.

First steps

  1. 1

    Ride at home

    Start in the neighborhood, at a local pump track, and on easy dirt trails nearby. Ride together, and keep it fun.

  2. 2

    Take a skills clinic

    A kids’ skills clinic or group ride teaches braking, cornering and getting over obstacles, and builds a lot of confidence.

  3. 3

    Join the school league team

    For 5th through 12th graders, the school leagues are the best way in: coaches, practices, friends and a season of races.

  4. 4

    Line up for a first race

    League races put beginners in entry-level girls’ fields with short laps. Open races offer a $15 one-day license.

Go deeper

Mountain BikeHow contests work

Mountain biking

The SoCal League, NICA, USA Cycling and the World Cup. How the races work and how riders move up.

9 min read→

Mountain BikeBuying guide

Mountain bikes

Wheel sizes, weight, hardtail or full suspension, and what’s worth paying for. Plus trade-in programs and buying used.

7 min read→

Club finder

Clubs, teams and programs near you

Mountain biking clubs, leagues, contest series and girls’ programs in Southern California.

Find one ↓

Skateboarding

All it takes is a real board, a helmet and a skatepark, and Southern California has one in nearly every town.

First steps

  1. 1

    Get a real board

    A complete from a skate shop, not a toy-store board. It’s the single biggest difference for a beginner.

  2. 2

    Go to the skatepark when it’s quiet

    Weekday mornings and early evenings are the least crowded. Start on the flat and the small ramps, with a helmet and pads.

  3. 3

    Find a lesson or a girls’ session

    A few lessons or a girls’ skate session help a lot. Skate Rising runs free sessions for girls 4 to 16 in San Diego County.

  4. 4

    Enter a local contest

    CASL contests have divisions starting at 7 and under, and a girls’ division at every contest.

Go deeper

SkateHow contests work

Skateboarding

CASL, Exposure, Tampa Am, USA Skateboarding and LA28. The contest ladder, and the other road through video parts.

8 min read→

SkateBuying guide

Skateboards

Complete or custom, deck width, trucks, wheels and bearings, explained in plain English. Plus the helmet and pads California requires.

3 min read→

Club finder

Clubs, teams and programs near you

Skateboarding clubs, leagues, contest series and girls’ programs in Southern California.

Find one ↓

Surfing

Start with the ocean itself. Comfort in the water comes before anything else.

First steps

  1. 1

    Build ocean confidence

    Swim lessons, boogie boarding and Junior Lifeguards programs on the coast teach kids to read the water and stay safe.

  2. 2

    Learn on a foam board

    A surf school or camp on a soft-top foam board is the easiest way to stand up on a first wave.

  3. 3

    Surf with someone experienced

    Surf small days at a beginner-friendly beach with an adult who surfs, and learn the etiquette of who goes on which wave.

  4. 4

    Try a first contest

    WSA contests start with a Micro Grom division for kids 9 and under, where a parent or coach can push them into waves.

Go deeper

SurfHow contests work

Surfing

WSA, NSSA, Prime, the WSL and LA28. How heats are judged and how surfers move up, starting at the beach down the street.

7 min read→

SurfBuying guide

Surfboards

Soft-tops, volume, fins and leashes, wetsuit thickness for SoCal seasons, local shapers versus off the rack, and buying used.

4 min read→

Club finder

Clubs, teams and programs near you

Surfing clubs, leagues, contest series and girls’ programs in Southern California.

Find one ↓

Club finder

Find a club, team or program

Clubs, school leagues, contest series, camps and girls’ programs in Southern California. Pick a sport and what you’re looking for.

19 places in Southern California

See it in person

The best way to learn is to go watch one.

Our events calendar lists contests and races near you, every sport, every level.

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