Instant Skiers

[Sparky]

I have two nieces (actually I have several) that recently got a chance to come try skiing. They are 8 and 10 and both are active athletic kids, not a lot of video games going on in that household. They are also instant skiers. After years of offering to teach them to ski their parents took me up it. The 8 year old got to the mountain first that day, after getting her geared up I took her for a couple of runs down the beginners slope with her in a wedge hanging on to my ski poles. This was just to give her the feeling of moving on skies and for me to see what kind of balance she had. After these two runs I let her go by herself for very short distances and she had no problems at all. So on the next run I skied backwards in front of her and as I turned I just called to her to come over to me and she did. With no instruction on how to turn she had a smooth balanced wedge turn as if she had been doing all season. The next run she was making linked wedge turns controlling her speed with turn shape and ready for greater challenges. This was great, my only concern was that if her sister didn’t catch on as quickly… well any parent can tell you the effects of something like that. Turned out my fears were groundless. I used the same technique with the 10 year old, and now we have two more skiers in our family.
Which means of course that my brother-in-law will now have to get a second job and give up hunting, fishing his ATV, eating on a daily bases etc., but that’s his problem. I now have two more reasons to get out and ski.
As much as I would like to say this was because of my superior teaching skills it’s just not the case. There is a certain amount of naturally athletic ability in the family which is more likely the bases of my niece’s success.
I have seen a lot of discussion on this topic on this and other sites concerning the best age to start kids skiing. Most seem to take the position that younger is better and to a certain extent I agree. However this experience and discussions with my daughter, who has taught kids for 10 years now, has lead to think that my not be the right course. As far as just getting them out and showing them that winter and skiing is fun, I agree, but as far as moving on to actually skiing I’m unsure. I know course that every kid is deferent, developmentally, but it would be interesting to hear from others with similar experiences. What age was your kid, niece, nephew, grandkid, etc. have their first successful “skiing” experience?

 

[JimG.]

I started my 2 oldest boys (now 12 and 10) before they were 3 years old. My youngest (now 3 1/2) started at the beginning of this season. The 12 and 10 year olds are both experts now, and my youngest can link turns and stop.

That said, all 3 of my boys have a powerful desire to ski because they want to be with me as much as possible. That's a beautiful thing, and I used it to get them going early on. They literally beg me to take them skiing.

Not all kids are that way. It depends on the child. A good rule of thumb before the age of 5 is that you shouldn't force them to ski, and take them only if they are begging you to go. After 5, try them out and see if they like it. If they don't like it, wait a while and try again. NEVER FORCE KIDS TO LEARN TO SKI. When they are ready to do it, they will.

And maybe they just won't like it ever. As hard as it is for us to believe, some folks just don't like skiing.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

What age was your kid, niece, nephew, grandkid, etc. have their first successful “skiing” experience?

I started all 3 when they where 5 years old. I felt they were not ready before that, but I know of parents who started their's younger and it worked out well. They are all avid skiers now so it worked out pretty well.

 

[Greg]

My oldest daughter will turn 4 next January so I will start her in December. We'll see how it goes and I have no intention of forcing her. The brainwashing began this season with me constantly talking about skiing with her in the car, showing her pictures, letting her know every time I was going out and where. She already has her gear picked out - purple helmet, blue goggles, pink boots... She would always ask me as soon as I walked in the door, "how was skiing?". She also sometimes asked out of the blue, "are you going skiing today?" She also asks me often to pull up this shot of Sugarloaf on the computer. She calls it the blue one.

She loves that pic. I think she gets it. At the bare minimum, she understands it's part of our lifestyle and hopefully she'll want to participate.

 

[skibum1321]

And maybe they just won't like it ever. As hard as it is for us to believe, some folks just don't like skiing.

Not like skiing? I'm sorry I just don't understand.

 

[JimG.]

Not like skiing? I'm sorry I just don't understand.

Neither do I, but it happens.

Some folks are really weird.

 

[Paul]

Started my daughter at 4 last year. She didn't do too much, took 3 lessons and barely held herself upright.

We started this season with her holding on to my poles in a wedge. About 20 outings later, she is doing linked wedge turns, and will try just about any terrain in front of her. Its amazing to watch them as the "light" goes on, and they begin to get it.

 

[SKIQUATTRO]

we started ours at 2.5 with the kid-ski system....went to smaller hills (Thunder Ridge, Butternut etc) last year.,,,,,this past Jan (shes now 3.5) we put her in the Smuggs Ski School for 5 days and now she is skiing all by her self,,,,no leash, no tip lock, nothing,,,its a rip to watch...last trip up to Catamount with her we came to a steeper section and I was prepared to pick her up and ski her down till it got flatter, she'd had no part of it,,,,"I CAN DO IT!!!!!" she belted and off she went,,,turning and everything,,,,,was amazing

 

[Sky]

Well...we were strapped for cash and did nothing all winter for years, except for the occasional trip to a local hill for sledding.

Middle boy was 10 (5th grade) and had a best pal who was going to join the newly formed ski club @ the school. I hadn't skied in about 13 years...and during the parent info night (we were just feeling this out to see what the costs would be)...and was aksed if I could chapperone (ski for free).

For relatively short cash, we signed #2 boy up. #1 had no interest. We went the six times per year with the club for the next few years...and I occasionally paid for #2 to attend the end-o-year trip ($50)...but couldn't spare the cash for the both of us to go.

Things got a bit better (slowly) and when #3 son was in the 5th grade (10), he joined. We did the same routine, six trips, maybe we did the end-of-year thing.

By now #2 boy wants to snowboard. We buy him a decent setup. #3 continues to rent skis.

When Wachusett started their Century Pass deal ($149 to ski seven nights a week)...we bailed on the club and started hitting the slope more often. It all grew from there.

Wife started skiing again. #1 son (as a HS Senior) wanted to try boarding so we set him up. #3 son converted to boarding. All three continue with the sport to this day.

Daughter was 8 that season (98)...not an athlete. We started her with Wa's Get Started program (three tix, lessons, rentals...and they gave out coups to keep coming back for very short $). She was catching on.

The two older boys could have started a earlier (if we could have afforded it). But 8 was the right age for my daughter. Any later and I think she would have been too timid. Any sooner and she would not have had the muscle strenght/control. She is still a very tentative skier...but she stays within her speed limit, and that limit is building gradually.

On her second season we bought her Junior Atomics and boots (end of year deal). That was an ego boost for her. She loved those skis. She stayed on them too long...but we were hesitant to upgrade her as her interest was minimal. We broke down this year and bought her RX4's. She loves them. Still a tentative skier...but a more confident and smilier skier.

I was 22 when I first skied (stationed in Italy for three years). It was fun, but I had no qualms giving it up when we moved to Kentucky. I was 38 when I got back into it (six times a year as a chaperone)...and about 46 when I upgraded my gear. So I'm a late-comer and a converted zealot since then.

 

[GGreen]

its so great to hear that story. my parents never skied and had little interest in it but I had an aunt and uncle that were hard-core. whenever we'd go to their house they'd let my brother and i try on the goggles, boots, etc. i even remember one time when they actually took out the skis in the living room and let me click in. i was about 5 years old at the time and this is something i'll always remember.

when i was about 6 and my bro was 9, my aunt finally talked my folks into letting us go skiing with her. your story is exactly how i remember it! she'd ski nice and slow and we'd follow her around the slopes. my uncle was more the type to just take us to the top and throw us down the hill. i think the combo of those styles worked well, like good-cop / bad-cop.

anyway, i've been skiing aggressively ever sinse (21 years) and can't imagine what would have happened if i hadn't started skiing. your doing a great thing by teaching them to ski. its something they'll remember for their whole lives. I'm actually excited for them because they still have so much to see and learn and explore.

great story, thanks for the nastolgia!

 

[Sparky]

its so great to hear that story. my parents never skied and had little interest in it but I had an aunt and uncle that were hard-core. whenever we'd go to their house they'd let my brother and i try on the goggles, boots, etc. i even remember one time when they actually took out the skis in the living room and let me click in. i was about 5 years old at the time and this is something i'll always remember.

when i was about 6 and my bro was 9, my aunt finally talked my folks into letting us go skiing with her. your story is exactly how i remember it! she'd ski nice and slow and we'd follow her around the slopes. my uncle was more the type to just take us to the top and throw us down the hill. i think the combo of those styles worked well, like good-cop / bad-cop.

anyway, i've been skiing aggressively ever sinse (21 years) and can't imagine what would have happened if i hadn't started skiing. your doing a great thing by teaching them to ski. its something they'll remember for their whole lives. I'm actually excited for them because they still have so much to see and learn and explore.

great story, thanks for the nastolgia!

Glad you liked the story. It was great to see them take to it. I think if we can get them out early next year they will be hooked.