Families

[Brettski]

I've looked in to most Ski Clubs, and they ar very sans families...well here in Joisey anyway.

Anyhow...I was thinking that I might try and start one for familes where my kids go to school(s)...

Anyone ever entertained such a notion?

Is it a major pain?

What about the different levels of ability, ect..

I want to spend most of my time on the snow when I get where ever I'm going, not be playing tour director...

I figure if I get enough people together we can zone in on some deals....

This is for next season obviously, but I figure I'd better strat now...

Any thoughts?

 

[Vortex]

Tough one to pull off. I am an every weekender at Loon and find it hard to keep the kids interested all the time. Groups getting together might help. I'll think on it and try to help. Good topic. K chat talked about how it was hard to get shares with kids. That might be a start is to get a house that could swap out times as a family groups.

 

[thetrailboss]

Could work. Ski Clubs for families are usually oriented around racing.

My experience has been, at least down here, that kids are stretched too thin so geting a commitment is tougher... :-?

 

[Brettski]

commitment

Well that certainly is the word...We have quite paid out dues...so that now the kids know what's up, what to expect, what we expect from them...

They're 12, 9 and 7...they all have their own boot bags, their carry all their own, gear....they know to head for the least crowded sections in the lodge to make "camp", they know to single out their skis, or mispair them with their brother or sister...

This took years...

I was sitting with another family discussing skiing, and the wife was amazed that we are out the door at 6:00am to go hit hunter...

I get a sense that some people would be glad to get there by 10...gear up...back in at 12 for lunch and ski till 2...

I would probably have a stroke...

Skiing is a life style...is it not?

My kids ski hard and are always out cold on the ride home...and they don't easily get bored...when they're bored I push them into something harder...which is great for me....

But it would be fun to have other families we know on mountain...only problem is, we probably wouldn't be in the same places...

commitment

 

[ChileMass]

My hometown recreation dept has had an after-school program for several years for kids 6-12. We are very fortunate to have a dinky ski hill with night skiing right in our town (Ski Ward), but it's perfect for kids. Both of my girls made their first runs there and took lesons thru the town program. 5 Mondays after school with rental equipment is $150, without rental was $90. Eash kid gets an hour lesson and one hour of free-skiing starting at 4PM. Many towns in my area do this, and many towns contract with the other ski areas (Wachusett, Blue Hill, Nashoba, etc). See if your town offers anything similar thru a local ski hill down there in Joisey.

 

[thetrailboss]

My hometown recreation dept has had an after-school program for several years for kids 6-12. We are very fortunate to have a dinky ski hill with night skiing right in our town (Ski Ward), but it's perfect for kids. Both of my girls made their first runs there and took lesons thru the town program. 5 Mondays after school with rental equipment is $150, without rental was $90. Eash kid gets an hour lesson and one hour of free-skiing starting at 4PM. Many towns in my area do this, and many towns contract with the other ski areas (Wachusett, Blue Hill, Nashoba, etc). See if your town offers anything similar thru a local ski hill down there in Joisey.

Yes, lots of school programs up north in VT. God Bless Burke...$5 lesson and $5 tix made it possible for me to learn the sport. They also have Kingdom Kids which helps those less fortunate to get out and ski/ride. www.skiburke.com

Again, if your kids are into it (my compliments...hope my kids someday are like that), why not look to starting a jr racing program?

 

[Brettski]

Just sent the rec dept a note...

How would you start a junior race program...sound like something I should get certified for....

I should get some certs..take some instructor training...Seems like Windham has a serious program

And yes, it's very cool to be a skiing family...I would say there's quite a bit more of them bean town and north

 

[trackbiker]

All of the schools around here (SE PA) have a ski club. I would suggest that you contact several local areas with night skiing. They have marketing departments with all of the info you need to get started. Not sure where you are in Jersey but Blue Mt., Camelback, and Shawnee in PA have programs with lessons and rentals, and try to balance out the clubs so that everyone isn't there the same night.
My son is a member at his Jr. High. I purposely did not go (except the first night). That way he got to ski with his friends and I think improved more than if he was just skiing with me. Plus, that's what they should be doing at that age, and the boredom factor is less. They have fun with their peers and then we ski on the weekend and have a different kind of fun. The club also sponsors a few weekend trips for families. And the best thing is, the sponsor gets a few free lift tickets for the effort. Good luck! Here's to introducing a few more kids to skiing/boarding.

 

[Brettski]

Thanks for the advice..The Jr. High thing is a good idea...my oldest will be in 7th next season..

Night trips will have to be local...I like Blue a lot...very good mt for the pokes...not too crazy about Shawnee

I'd really like to set up some ski trips the coincide with the time the kids have off (which is not a lot anymore in the winter...they eliminated winter break and oushed the spring break to the first week of April)...

Ran a couple of bus trips to Lake Placid...which was a blast...but it may be too much mountain for beginners...I don't know....

Anyway, Thanks

 

[MsMtSnow]

Race Programs

I would suggest a developement team, such as the one I coach at at Mt. Snow. We have the same kids every weekend from the beginning of December through the end of March. We run every weekend, the kids make friends and have an instructor they get to know.

DO NOT enroll kids on race teams until they can ski the whole mountain and want to do nothing all day but ski, ski and possibly ski some more. We get kids on the Mt. SNow whose parents just want them in an all day program, but they have no idea about what racing is really about. Mt. Snow's race team now screens all their kids before they are accepted. Most of the kids come out of the developement program, and new families have a try-out before they are accepted. Kids who are not accepted are encouraged to join Developement to improve their skills and try out again next season.

My 2 cents,
Jess