I'm the other way Tux. Got my young bloke a 9'1" Bic longboard when he was 9. Ran it as a single fin, so he learned how to move up and down the board. He also rode his short board on the punchier days. He now can ride anything! Still rides all different types of boards 17 years later and it takes him no time to adapt. I understand that Julian Wilson rode both from a young age and look at him. Check out some of the videos of him longboarding, he is brilliant. Get him to watch videos of some of the young guns, riding logs. Go a mal, he will love it, particularly his first nose ride!!!!!