Is this a good Christmas gift?

December 23, 2007 5:24 PM

Is this a good Christmas gift idea or a disaster in the making?

I just started seeing my new boyfriend about a month ago and I'm trying to come up with something to get him for Christmas.

I have lift tickets and equipment for snowboarding so I was thinking of taking him up to Tahoe for a day.

He has never been snowboarding and I'm not very good, so the "gift" would be a two-hour lesson at the beginning of the day.

He's never really expressed any interest in snowboarding, so I am just wondering if this seems like a good idea.

That's pretty much it.

posted by brynna to human relations (29 comments total)

Sounds great to me. Besides, if the snowboarding is a bust, you might be able to find a place to go tubing, which requires no skill but is still fun.
posted by 4ster at 5:31 PM on December 23, 2007

If he's never expressed any interest, it might appear to him that his brand new gf is trying to mold him.

It could work.. but I'm thinking it would be a better idea to get him something he has expressed interest in.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 5:32 PM on December 23, 2007

If you and or he hate it, there's a lot to do on or near the mountains that don't involve snow boarding. If he and you love it, terrific! Either way, consider a visit to a place with hot tubs afterwards to loosen up.
posted by plinth at 5:33 PM on December 23, 2007

I think that's an awesome gift. If he doesn't like it, I'd ditch him.
posted by Camofrog at 5:34 PM on December 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

I have never snowboarded and have ZERO interest in it....but if my new GF gave me this for XMas, I'd be thrilled and think it was awesome.
posted by tristeza at 5:35 PM on December 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

I've never been into sports, and before I went snowboarding my first time I knew nothing about it, but I absolutely loved it. I don't see it as a sport, just a whole lotta fun. I'd bet it would turn out alright.
posted by Sufi at 5:36 PM on December 23, 2007

good gift, but have a back up plan in case he ain't having a good time?
posted by gavtaylor at 5:41 PM on December 23, 2007

I'll take "Sounds like fun to me!" for 100, Alex.
posted by cashman at 5:42 PM on December 23, 2007

I had a girlfriend who took me to a rodeo once. I couldn't care less about the rodeo.

It was fun. I would have never gone to a rodeo unless she'd taken me. I won't go again, but now I can say I've been to a rodeo. And though we broke up, she'll always be "the girlfriend that took me to the rodeo".

I think it's a good gift. Unless he's somehow so woefully self-conscious about trying new things in public that he probably isn't great boyfriend material to begin with.

Now, it would have been a different story if she had asked to compete in a rodeo...
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:42 PM on December 23, 2007 [2 favorites]

asked me to compete, that is
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:43 PM on December 23, 2007

Actually, that would be even more awesome - "Happy birthday, I entered you in a rodeo, try not to die!" That would be a hell of a shock, but OH the stories you could tell after that!
posted by cashman at 5:52 PM on December 23, 2007 [1 favorite]

So yeah, brynna, not only take him snowboarding, enter him in a beginners competition. Or not. Maybe I'm just a really good sport about stuff like that.
posted by cashman at 5:53 PM on December 23, 2007

He may have never explicitly expressed interest in snowboarding because it hasn't come up in conversation or because it's not something he feels compelled to mention. But, if he's open to new things or somewhat athletic or likes the outdoors or likes spending time with his new girlfriend or whatever, I'm sure he'd love the idea.

Sounds fun to me. I've never been snowboarding and don't feel the need to try it, but I'd think it was an awesome gift.

Also, consider playfully throwing a snowball or two at him, and when you guys inevitably fall in your quest to snowboard, make sure you fall on top of each other.
posted by mathlete at 6:05 PM on December 23, 2007

What if he doesn't dig it, and he hurts himself? I twisted my knee five years ago on a snowboarding simulator at the arcade, and it still gets stiff and pops sometimes. I can only blame myself for overdoing it, but if my new boyfriend at the time had come up with the idea and popped the quarter in, I'd curse him to this day with every knee pop. Just sayin'...
posted by Scram at 6:08 PM on December 23, 2007

Do it! If he tries it and is miserable, he can just go start the après-ski early.
posted by The corpse in the library at 6:26 PM on December 23, 2007

Surely there are instruction-based versions of gift cards these days. Maybe call and find out if you can do an either/or ski/board option (or maybe snowshoe, which is cool and different). But if he's relatively adventurous, and it's just an interesting thing to do, I don't think you'll go terribly wrong with snowboarding.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:30 PM on December 23, 2007

Is he remotely athletic? I'd say if you answer with at least a 'kinda' then you're safe. If he seems a bit clutzy, this could turn into an insurance problem. ;) Personally I think it's an awesome idea!
posted by CwgrlUp at 6:39 PM on December 23, 2007

You can look at it as sort of a litmus test of how open your new bf is to try new things, how willing and flexible his is in trying to have a good time in out of comfort zone situations.
posted by edgeways at 6:54 PM on December 23, 2007

Lessons are pretty expensive for a gift for someone you've only known for a month, especially when you don't know for sure he'll even enjoy it.

Unless you mean you're giving him the lessons, but since you said you're beginner I assume you mean a private lesson with a coach for the two of you.
posted by slow graffiti at 7:17 PM on December 23, 2007

Sounds like a good gift, as long as he isn't a skier already (then you'll really look like you are trying to mold him).
posted by ssg at 7:20 PM on December 23, 2007

If I were said boyfriend, I would be thrilled. It's a nice romantic gift and a chance to learn something new.
posted by Pants! at 7:59 PM on December 23, 2007

Hey if I had to suffer through square dancing he can suffer through snowboarding. It's only a couple of hours. Besides it is a chance for each of you to get to better understand how each reacts in these potentially awkward situations.
posted by Gungho at 8:11 PM on December 23, 2007

Great idea, even if he ends up not liking the snowboarding part.
posted by rokusan at 10:22 PM on December 23, 2007

I think the factor that makes this a good or bad idea is your fella's existing level of athleticism/outdoorsiness. If he likes to get out and get physical, this is a GREAT present, whether or not he's ever expressed any interest, desire, or ability to do downhill or winter sports specifically. If that's not his thing, ask first.
posted by Cricket at 12:53 AM on December 24, 2007

I am not especially sporty, but if someone gave me this as a gift, I'd be delighted and would want to try it.

I think his reaction to the gift - enthusiasm or meh - will tell you a lot about whether he's adventurous or cautious in life. So give him the gift, because you'll learn something from it that's worth more than the value of the gift itself.
posted by essexjan at 3:32 AM on December 24, 2007

I think his reaction to the gift - enthusiasm or meh - will tell you a lot about whether he's adventurous or cautious in life. So give him the gift, because you'll learn something from it that's worth more than the value of the gift itself.

Oh please don't do this. You'd have just as much luck with reading tea leaves or consulting a magic eight ball. Certain people like certain things, and it has nothing to do with how adventurous they are, it has to do with how good they are at doing things. I am an uncoordinated, stiff-assed, unable-to-follow-simple-steps motherfucker, and if someone got me this as a gift, I'd have to grin and bear it. I might not even grin, actually, because I'd spend too much time falling down, being in pain, and doing something I had no interest in doing in order to make a new girlfriend think she hadn't gotten me a gift that has nothing to do with me at all. Gifts are personal things, even experience gifts: there's no one-size-fits-all awesome gift for everyone.

It's a good gift if you think "Hmmmm, I bet NewBoyfriend would like snowboarding based on something I know about him" and a bad idea if it's closer to "Well, I like snowboarding and he's my boyfriend so that's what we're gonna do together."
posted by 23skidoo at 4:00 AM on December 24, 2007 [3 favorites]

Instead of spending money, why not create your own "Gift Certificate" using Microsoft Word or something similar which says "Good for 1 day of Snowboarding with your favourite Snow Bunny" or something like that.

If he likes it, then you buy it. If he doesn't like it, then you have to think of something else, but at least you didn't blow your cash.

Good luck!
posted by bitteroldman at 6:45 AM on December 24, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'm with bitteroldman and 23skidoo.
posted by philfromhavelock at 7:09 AM on December 24, 2007

Bitteroldman and 23skidoo have it right, but I will say this: my wife surprised me with tickets to Chicago (the musical) once, and led me down to the theater under the guise of going to a party downtown.

I like musicals, but had never liked that one; if she had asked, I would have discouraged it in favor of another show, or just generally.

But since she surprised me, I couldn't say no, and there was something really nice about being led down there as a surprise. And, lo and behold, I really enjoyed the show!

Similarly, she once surprised me with a flight to another state to see a band play, one we'd both started digging. Now, she knew it was going to be a band we both liked, but again if she's called it out ahead of time I would have found tons of reasons not to go.

But she didn't, and so I didn't, and I had a great time.

So if you've already bought the tickets and you're worred that it was a mistake, don't worry! Just maintain your enthusiasm, point out that it's something you're not good at but enjoy so thought he might too, and let him know that you're aware it might be a complete bust -- but everybody should try something new once in a while, and if it turns into a disaster at least you'll have the story to tell.
posted by davejay at 1:14 PM on December 24, 2007