In the ‘80s, you didn’t see many snowboarders on the mountain—let alone a whole family. The sport was so fringe that most riders were lone wolves at the resort. That wasn’t the case for Dieter Krebernik. The Austrian discovered snowboarding in 1985 after experiencing issues with his knees and was immediately hooked. Dieter married a fellow snowboarder, and their kids took up the family pastime, despite being told by naysayers that it was a “fad”. At one point a close friend described them as “a snowboarding family,” and it’s stuck with them ever since.
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One of Dieter’s kids, Lilo Krebernik, now has a family of his own. He and his wife Kathi wasted no time getting their three kids on boards. Their now-seven-year-old Wally was a mere 17 months when she first learned and now she’s a stylish ripper. Now, The Snowboarding Family encompasses three generations of Kreberniks ranging from ages five to 77—and it’s growing. Their most recent addition, baby Stani, is still getting used to his gear but should be good to go for next winter. Considering it’s such a family affair, Lilo’s kids were eager to learn. But as their kids were learning, Lilo and Kathi often found themselves being approached by other parents. Their questions were all the same: How are you doing this? Recognizing a need, Lilo and Kathi started a blog and Instagram account to be a resource for other snowboarding parents.
It’s not every day that all three generations can ride together, but when it happens it’s an experience the whole family cherishes. We reached out to Lilo to learn more about his family’s passion for riding, and what advice he has for parents wanting to introduce their kids to the sport. Here’s what he had to say:
Why does snowboarding run so deep in your DNA compared to other sports?
LK: The grandparents—Dieter and Ingeborg—were winter sports addicts, so my brother Mac and I spent every spare minute on snow. Snowboarding added a totally new thing to it, in the mid/late ‘80s it was really rare and special, so it dragged you into the whole scene. Being part of a young sport you participate in a different way, we went to contest not to compete, but to meet other riders. That was the only way to get in touch. It was the start of the first national associations, so somehow we got more into networking with other snowboarders, helping to organize events, helping to shape pipes, etc. As a result, these early years shaped the whole family.
Over the years I saw pretty much every angle of it, from competing to working for magazines, designing boards and more. In the ‘90s we were really part of the scene, Dieter worked as judge and head judge (up to European Masterships) in the’90s, and we all organized or worked for events worked at summer camps as coaches for a while. But even now we’re still connected to the industry, for example by designing products.
How did your father Dieter and mother Ingeborg become introduced to the sport? What hooked them about it?
LK: Both of them worked as ski instructors during winters, Dieter also worked for the local mountain rescue. But he had troubles with his knees and started looking for something that felt more natural to him. At the time snowboarding was on TV occasionally, but it was actually referred to as “snow surfing“. When Dieter saw it he wanted one immediately and loved it from the first ride. All the local people called him crazy and said that it was a fad, but he was already in his early forties and stuck with it.
How did your parents share the sport with you?
From day one they were supportive and open to do things, like going to new resorts to find better powder runs. Dieter even started to build DIY equipment for my brothers Mac and Philipp. The youngest one was 2 years when he started, but the shortest “kids” boards were 132cm. So Dieter cut down a piece of plastic and shaped it, used old skiing boots to build bindings.
He also was one of the first official snowboard instructors back then and attended the first national course to become licensed. And helped with local competitions pretty soon, so he was a bit like the “old man” in snowboarding in Austria for a while, but drove us to all the events as he loved the scene just as we did.
What's the main goal of your blog/Instagram account?
LK: When our kids started at a young age, we realized how many people were biased when it comes to what age to start, or that kids need to ski first. Almost every run someone would stop us and ask if they can take pictures of the kids, the whole family, how old everyone is, etc.
And even a lot of friends from the scene didn't know there is kids equipment for early ages. So Instagram/Facebook was and still are a great way to show other parents how much fun family activities are—and snowboarding is definitely one of them.
But there’s also a second reason to collect all these images and videos and post them. When we started digging in our archives, we couldn’t find anything from days we remember that stood out to us. Our pictures of certain boards we loved, or certain competitions. I remember we had a lot of VHS tapes etc., but after a while you dump them.
So having media online seems to be a plus at the moment, it’s easier than ever and you have access to your memories all the time as well.
Your three adorable kids started snowboarding at a fairly young age, was it challenging teaching them?
LK: Anything you do with the kids is time-consuming, and you need to adapt to a new flow. So once you are cool with that and also stop pushing (there’s powder, let’s go) it gets a lot easier. And we still remember their first days on a board, the first turns, the first little butter on snow, etc., so all these memories are amazing.
To be a parent and see your kid's progress is quite rewarding, and worth the effort. And to be honest, our kids dragged us back into snowboarding, we’re deeper in it than ever. Mostly because the way they ride is so pure and genuine. When they start it’s not about winning something or stomping the newest trick—it’s all about smiles and giggles.
How have they grown to love the mountains?
LK: The earlier you let them discover nature the faster they’ll fall in love with it. But what counts a lot is, of course, parents as role models. As we are all actively into it, it’s probably totally different to when trying something because of hype, or because it’s time to do something new etc. Nothing wrong with that, but of course the kids realize how important the mountains are to our whole family, so they naturally grow into it. It’s amazing to see how much motivation Hedi already has at age eight, especially when you tell her we want to hike a summit—she’s usually the first one ready for it because she genuinely loves it up there.
Do you all (all three generations) go snowboarding together often? How rewarding is that experience?
LK: Unfortunately, it rarely happens that all of us get to ride together. This is due to where everyone lives, jobs, the grandparents are divorced etc. It’s also turning into an age and health issue. Dieter had knee surgery two years ago, so to see him ride again after this was special. Ingeborg has troubles with her shoulder and that limits her to ride more, so she usually only goes during the offseason when the snow is softer.
So you can imagine why it’s so special for us to have days with the whole gang. Not really sure who is more stoked about these days, the kids to have the grandparents around, or the grandparents to have a session with the grandchildren. Or us as the 2nd generation to see everyone ride together and pass on the stoke!
What advice do you have for parents who want to introduce a sport like snowboarding to their little ones?
LK: We think it’s really important to be patient and let the kids enjoy. Young kids pick up things really fast if they can discover it at their pace.
Be sure to have the right equipment. We made the mistake of letting Hedi ride a board that was too stiff and wide the first season, and you could tell how much faster Wally improved with a perfectly sized one. We bought everything 2nd hand or on sale, which worked well but tried our best to find the right things. Seeing kids who have to learn to turn with a snowboard that’s 10-20cm too long breaks our heart. Imagine swapping your setup for a board that’s 30cm longer—that’ll change your riding a lot.
The great thing now is that there is so much momentum in kids snowboarding, so it’s easier to find suitable gear, second hand as well as in stores. Plus, there’s always someone looking for used gear in case you change for the next setup.
About The Author
stash member Katie Lozancich
TGR Staff Writer and photographer. Fond of bikes, pow, and dogs. Originally from Northern CA, home for me has ranged from the PNW to a teepee in Grand Teton National Park.