My nine year old daughter started skiing when we got her into a group lesson at Nashoba in 2004 and quite frankly thought she'd think it was too cold and wouldn't be into it. Umm, in her first lesson she was zipping all around while all the other kids were falling/couldn't even stand and she was having an absolute blast. I never skiied and my wife hadn't in 15 years so there was pretty much no history with us...we just thought it would be something fun for her to try. Within two weeks we supplemented the group lessons with a private lesson and the instructor took her right to the lift as we continued to be, quite frankly, stunned by how quickly she took to it.
So the next year I figured I better learn quick as she wouldn't be able to go off by herself being so young so at 40 I took my first group lessons and within a couple of weeks, her and I were hitting Gunstock, Sunapee, Bretton Woods, Pats Peak, etc. Must have skiied 35 times my first year. I just picked it up real easy too and couldn't believe I hadn't done this years ago...I feel like I wasted half my life as this is so much fun! I truly can see her and I doing this together for years.
So basically last year in her 3rd year skiing, she started racing (GS suit and the whole bit) and will continue it this year. And my wife and I think back to when she first put the skis on, never thinking that she'd take to it so easily and have so much fun.
Last Saturday we got the bindings mounted on her Rossi Power 9 race skis, turned in her old Rossi Bandit rec skis she skiied and raced on last year (we're still learning and she basically raced on "my first skis" last year!), and picked up her back up/bum around pair, new Volkl Race Tigers, plus new Nordica boots. Plus I picked up an early Christmas present, new Rossi Zenith/Z5s. We're hooked!
At present I'm mapping out our winter, from her weekly practices and races, to just time for her and I to bum around various areas, some we've been to in the past and hopefully target one or two we haven't as we try to get to a new one each year. Seeing also about getting to Sugarbush for the first time over holiday for a race camp for her. And looking forward to the big Boston Ski Show to see what freebies we can score this year.
So we're basically having a blast and really appreciate forums like this to help learn the ropes!
Welcome! I started skiing three years ago at age 26. At first I thought I wasted half of my life by not skiing. Then I realized that I have more than half of my life ahead of me to get my ski on. I'm not a Dad yet, but I'm sure all the Aline Zone parents starting there kids on the slopes this year hope their kids take to the sport like your daughter.