Gifts for snowboarders: ideas for beginners, kids and experienced riders

Gift ideas for snowboarders: the key points

The best gift idea for a snowboarder depends on whether they are just starting out or already ride confidently. For beginners, a snowboard course is the best gift: at the Learn2Ride snowboard school on the Fallbachhang in Oberhof in the Thuringian Forest, the full-day basic course costs 149 € (as of October 2026), and by the end of the day most people are riding controlled turns on their own. Riders who already know the ropes will enjoy a private lesson with a goal of their own, or accessories that don’t need to be tried on. A snowboard, boots and bindings, on the other hand, rarely work as a surprise.

• For beginners: a snowboard course voucher, plus waterproof gloves, wrist guards or ski goggles.
• For children: a value voucher for the Mini Boarder course from age 3, or a course voucher for the basic course from age 8, plus warm ski socks.
• For advanced riders: a private lesson, a waxing kit, a board bag or a back protector.
• Small gifts up to 25 €: ski socks, a Buff, wax or a value voucher from 25 €, ideal for St Nicholas’ Day (6 December) and Secret Santa.
• Better not as a surprise: a snowboard, boots and bindings.

Gift ideas by budget

Budget	Gift idea	Good to know
up to 25 €	Ski socks, a Buff, wax, an anti-fog cloth or a value voucher from 25 €	Fits folded into a St Nicholas boot.
around 110 €	Snowboard beginner course, about 2.5 hours: 109 €	Can be upgraded on site to the full basic course for 40 €, or 50 € during the school holidays.
around 150 €	Snowboard basic course, a full day: 149 €	The course voucher also covers the 10 € school-holiday surcharge.
around 190 €	Basic course 149 € plus rental package 40 €	Board with bindings, boots and helmet for the course day, instead of 55 € separately.
around 350 €	Private lesson, 2.5 hours: 349 € for one person, 498 € as a voucher for two	Lift pass and helmet radio system included; the voucher also covers the school-holiday surcharge.

Course prices of the Learn2Ride snowboard school Oberhof per person, as of 9 October 2026.

What should I give a snowboard beginner?

The best gift for a snowboard beginner is a snowboard course, because a board, boots and helmet can be hired for the first few winters. At the Learn2Ride snowboard school on the Fallbachhang in Oberhof in the Thuringian Forest, the full-day basic course costs 149 €, and the rental package of board with bindings, boots and helmet costs 40 € instead of 55 € per person and course day when booked with the course (as of October 2026). Waterproof gloves and good ski socks go well with it.

Snowboard course voucher

A course really does make getting started easier. In the full-day snowboard basic course, beginners learn their stance, how to get up, how to fall safely and how to brake, followed by turns and first runs in the afternoon. At Learn2Ride the basic course costs 149 €, or 159 € during the school holidays, and the half-day beginner course costs 109 € (as of October 2026). A course voucher for the basic course also covers the school-holiday surcharge, so the recipient pays nothing extra. If things haven’t gone the way they hoped by the end of the course day, they can join again on another course day in the same season, by arrangement with the coach, at no extra course fee and subject to availability.

What we see in Oberhof every winter

We have been teaching in Oberhof, on the Fallbachhang, since 2010, following the guidelines of the German Ski Instructors’ Association (DSLV). A little nervousness before the first time is normal and no obstacle: the course starts on a gentle slope and on the magic carpet, without a lift. What often spoils the first day is wet hands, not missing gear. That’s why we recommend waterproof gloves and good ski socks rather than a board of your own.

Waterproof gloves

Snowboarders spend a lot of time sitting and kneeling in the snow. Woollen gloves are wet after twenty minutes. Waterproof ski or snowboard gloves keep your hands warm all day.

Wrist guards

Beginners fall often and catch themselves with their hands. Wrist guards worn under the gloves are therefore a sensible small gift for the first season.

Ski goggles

Ski goggles protect against wind, snow and sun and fit well with a helmet. In the low mountains the light is often dull, so lenses with a light tint are practical there.

What should I give children who want to learn to snowboard?

Children learn quickly through play, but they need lessons that suit their age.

• From age 3: The Mini Boarder course at Learn2Ride in Oberhof lasts one hour, is built around play and costs 99 €, or 109 € during the school holidays. The school provides the children’s equipment itself, complete for 25 €, as most rental shops don’t have boards this small (as of October 2026). One accompanying adult, usually a parent, stays the whole time and actively helps.
• Between Mini Boarder and basic course: The private lesson has no minimum age; the coach decides case by case what is possible.
• From age 8: Beginner course and basic course in a group.
• Goes well with it: warm ski socks, a neck gaiter instead of a scarf, and gloves with long cuffs.

There is no dedicated course voucher for the Mini Boarder course, but a value voucher works well. 124 € covers a regular course day including children’s equipment, 134 € a school-holiday day. A voucher is redeemed in a single booking and any remaining balance is lost, so choose the amount carefully.

What should I give someone who already snowboards?

People who already ride confidently usually have their own gear and specific goals: cleaner carving, their first jumps in the fun park, more confidence on hard-packed slopes.

Private lesson

A private snowboard lesson is tailored to the rider’s personal goal. At Learn2Ride it lasts 2.5 hours, can be booked on any day of the season and includes the lift pass for the course day. The coach talks to the student while riding via a helmet radio system. One person pays 349 €, two people pay 249 € each, three or four people 199 € each (as of October 2026). During the school holidays there is a one-off surcharge of 50 € per booking, which a private lesson voucher also covers.

Waxing kit

A freshly waxed board glides better. A kit with wax, an iron and a scraper is a gift for anyone who looks after their own board. How to do it is explained in our guide How to look after your snowboard gear.

Board bag and back protector

A padded board bag protects the edges and base on the journey. A back protector is worthwhile for anyone heading into the fun park. For both, all you need to know is the board length or the person’s height.

Which small gifts up to 25 euros suit St Nicholas’ Day and Secret Santa?

• Ski socks made of merino or technical fibre
• A Buff or neck gaiter against wind and cold
• Wax to apply yourself
• An anti-fog cloth for ski goggles
• a value voucher from 25 €, which can later be put towards a course

Printed out and folded, a voucher also fits into a St Nicholas boot.

Should you give a snowboard, boots or bindings as a gift?

Better not as a surprise. Board length depends on height, weight and riding style. Boots have to be tried on. Bindings have to match the board and boots. Anyone still learning should hire gear for the first few times and only buy once it’s clear that snowboarding is here to stay. If you still want to give gear, give a voucher from a specialist shop and go to try things on together. More on this in our guide How to choose the right snowboard as a beginner.

Christmas, St Nicholas’ Day, birthday: which gift suits which occasion?

If you want to give an experience rather than an object for Christmas, a snowboard course is the right choice: a whole day in the snow with a coach, without the recipient needing to own anything. During the Christmas holidays there are extra course days in Oberhof; the booking calendar shows available dates. All courses pause on these days: 24, 25, 26 and 31 December and 1 January.

Occasion	Suitable gift	Keep in mind
Christmas	Course voucher for the basic course or beginner course	Arrives as a PDF within minutes with PayPal, card, Apple Pay or Google Pay, even shortly before Christmas Eve.
St Nicholas’ Day	Value voucher from 25 € or ski socks	Fits folded into the boot.
Birthday	Course voucher for up to four people, price per person	Valid until the end of the third year after purchase, so it works for summer birthdays too.
Jugendweihe (the secular coming-of-age celebration common in eastern Germany) and confirmation	Basic course voucher from age 8	Redeemable from the next season, from November to March.
Couples and friends	Course voucher for two or a private lesson for two	Each person can get their own code.

Christmas parties, team building, stag and hen dos or school classes are not handled via a voucher but through an enquiry to the Learn2Ride team.

Frequently asked questions about gifts for snowboarders

What do you give someone who wants to learn to snowboard?

A snowboard course helps most, because with instruction most people are riding controlled turns on their own after just one day. A course voucher from the Learn2Ride snowboard school in Oberhof costs the same as the course, so 149 € for the basic course or 109 € for the beginner course (as of October 2026), and isn’t tied to a date.

What do you give a snowboarder who already has everything?

A private lesson with a goal of their own, because they already have the gear, and technique can always be improved. At Learn2Ride in Oberhof the private lesson lasts 2.5 hours, can be booked on any day of the season and includes the lift pass and helmet radio system. It costs 349 € for one person or 249 € per person for two (as of October 2026), and the Fallbachhang has a fun park for first jumps.

What experience can I give for a Jugendweihe or confirmation?

A snowboard course voucher from Learn2Ride in Oberhof is an experience rather than money in an envelope. The full-day basic course is for ages 8 and up, costs 149 € (the voucher also covers the school-holiday surcharge, as of October 2026) and can be redeemed from the next season between November and March on the Fallbachhang in the Thuringian Forest, valid until the end of the third year after purchase. A course voucher is valid for up to four people, with the price per person, so the Jugendweihe teenager can ride with friends.

Where in Thuringia can you give a snowboard course as a gift?

The Learn2Ride snowboard school has been teaching since 2010 in Oberhof in the Thuringian Forest, on the Fallbachhang right next to the bobsleigh and luge track, following DSLV guidelines and teaching snowboarding only. Vouchers are available for the beginner course (109 €), the basic course (149 €), the private lesson (349 € for one person, from 199 € per person in a group) and as a value voucher for any amount you choose from 25 € (as of October 2026).

How long is a snowboard course voucher valid?

A Learn2Ride voucher is valid until 31 December of the third year after purchase. So a voucher bought in 2026 is valid until the end of 2029.

Is a snowboard course a good last-minute Christmas present?

Yes, because it gives an experience rather than an object and still arrives in time on Christmas Eve. The voucher from the Learn2Ride snowboard school Oberhof arrives as a PDF by email as soon as payment is confirmed: with PayPal, credit card, Apple Pay or Google Pay a few minutes after purchase, with bank transfer only once the payment has been received (as of October 2026). Printed out, it can go under the tree, and the recipient chooses the date themselves later on.

Can I give a snowboard course to children?

Yes. From age 8, a course voucher for the beginner or basic course is a good fit. For children from age 3, give a value voucher for the Mini Boarder course: at Learn2Ride it costs 99 €, or 109 € during the school holidays, plus 25 € for the school’s children’s equipment (as of October 2026). Any remaining balance is lost, so choose the amount carefully.

Is there a ski course voucher too?

Not from us, as Learn2Ride teaches snowboarding only. For ski lessons we refer you to a local partner, just ask the team.

Is rental equipment included in the voucher?

Not automatically. With a course voucher you can give the rental package of board with bindings, boots and helmet for 40 € per person as part of the gift (as of October 2026). A value voucher can cover the rental fee when it is redeemed.

Prices and course details: Learn2Ride snowboard school Oberhof, as of 9 October 2026. Prices may change for the season; the price in the booking calendar is binding.