Shredding this winter with my 3-year-old has been so rewarding.

Not only have I loved seeing her improve each time we go but it has been a great way to spend time together without her little sister.

Her success in learning to board slide is attributed to her mad skill BUT also to the Lil’ Ripper Gripper snowboard and ski harness.

Want to know what board we used when our kiddos were little?

We used the After School Special Snowboard when our kids were little. It is still around and they keep making improvements. It is the best snowboard for the wee little ones.

Update: We have been snowboarding with our two little kids for now 9 years! Yes… they are some serious snowboarders now.

Disclaimer: I have included affiliate links in this post. Consider purchasing the harness through my Amazon account and support our family pizza fund!

The Lil’ Ripper Gripper

I first heard about the Lil’ Ripper Gripper from friends that raved about the product. I knew I had to try it while snowboarding with my little girl and see why people loved using the harness for their Lil’ Rippers. The Lil’ Ripper Gripper came as a life saver after my daughter had her first hard fall which can be read on the blog post “Parenting through Challenging Lessons”. I think that it is a great tool if you want to take your very little ones snowboarding or skiing and prevent them from having the harder falls that can happen. *while this is a sponsored post all opinions are my own

Why use a harness with a toddler while skiing or snowboard?

Taking a toddler snowboarding or skiing without a harness is either going to break your back as you try to hold them OR your going to be chasing after your lil’ ripper to keep them from falling too hard or hitting other people. When my toddler fell too hard because I was not holding her I knew I needed the Lil’ Ripper Gripper snowboard and ski harness.

Why use the Lil’ Ripper Gripper snowboard and ski harnesses?

Skiers and Snowboarders

The Lil’ Ripper Gripper is made for skiers AND snowboarders which means you don’t need to buy a separate harness for each activity.

Safety

The Harness has a retractable harness with storage pockets for the handles. This means that the harness will not be dragging on the ground or get attached to the chair lift potentially causing a dangerous situation while getting off.
There is a rear safety handle to hold onto the child while going up the chairlift. Also helps lift the lil’ ripper if they fall

Well designed

The designer of the Lil’ Ripper Harness took into account everything. There is/are:

storage pockets for handles
a retractable harness for safety
a retractable harness up to 12 FT of adjusting depending on how far or close you want to be to your little ripper
a rear safety handle
various clips to attach the straps depending on whether they are learning to boardslide, carve while snowboarding OR for skiers
They’ve included a Tip Gripper making it easier for little skiers to snowplow

Multiple Snowboard Specific Features

Beginner Toddler Lil’ Rippers: Use one of the retractable handles and clip it into the back of the harness. This allows you to:

help your toddler to boardslide
prevent a hard forward fall
cushion backwards falls
slow them down

Intermediate Toddler Lil’ Rippers: Use two of the retractable handles and clip one into the front of the harness and one on the back. This allows you to:

practice going down the mountain straight
help them with the turning motion
let them carve themselves on both edges
slow them down

*Please note that our toddler is not yet at the Intermediate Toddler Lil’ Rippers stage.

What do you need to know?

Check out the instructional videos on Lil’ Ripper Gripper website before taking your Lil’ Ripper. They have one for snowboarders and one for skiers.
Adults should go up without a snowboard when they are first using the Lil’ Ripper. This will help you learn how to use the harness.
I recommend starting about .5 meter away from your Lil’ Ripper. This will help you more easily catch them when they fall forward or backward.
To take your Lil’ Rippers jacket off you need to take off the harness. Keep this in mind for the Lil’ Rippers that are potty trained and the snow suit they are wearing.
Try it on at home first! Our Lil’ Ripper had lots of fun trying it on and we even practiced using the retractable harness which provided some entertainment in the evening.
More expensive then some skier harnesses on the market but has more features that make the product more useful. It should be noted that it is less expensive then other snowboard harnesses on the market and this harness is for both skiers and snowboarders and includes a Tip Gripper.

Purchase the Lil’ Ripper Gripper here.

I have been writing about snowboarding with kids for a few years now! Check out our other snowboarding resources and make sure to check out our snowboarding videos on TikTok and Instagram @borntobeadventurous.