What to cover a balance beam with

I am going to build a balance beam for my 5 year old daughter...just one that sits a couple inches off of the floor.

I was going to just cover it with a heavy duty vinyl but all of the ones I see on line are covered in suede or leather....does it really matter (especially for someone who has only been in gymnastics for about 7 months?

Would the vinyl be to slippery?

Depending on your location and how much you want to spend I found a relatively cheap practice beam. This one is covered in suede so I would stick with that. The company below also has vinyl covered beams so I guess it really doesnt matter.

http://www.thebeamstore.com/servlet/the-18/balance-beam/Detail