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Need some child skier advice

tree_skier

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Put him in group lessons. Most ski area's have a learn to ski package that is great. The group lesson is ideal as it has 3 great things going for it for your situation. First he will be with a pro that knows how to enbolden the little tykes to be master thier fears and second he will be with a group of other 7, 8, 9 y/o who generally support each other as they master the new experiences and thirdly they will be away from parents/grandparents who are more likely to enable thier fears.
 

drjeff

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Get him started. You'd be amazed sometimes how if he finds he likes the sport that he'll want to go higher on the hill above where the magic carpets/tows can take him.
 

hammer

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My soon to be 8 year old grandson wants to learn to ski but has a fear of the chairlift. He does have a fear of heights. How he acquired this fear I have no idea but it is almost overwhelming. Do I spend the money on lessons knowing he will right now never leave a surface lift right now? Is there a way to get him accustom to the height of a ski-lift without completely overwhelming him in fear?
My daughter had a fear of chairlifts for at least one season...finally got over it a bit when we got her to go on the double at Gunstock. Even then, it took some time to get her to go on a HSQ and it was only the last time we went this past season that she was willing to go on the peak triple at Pats Peak.

One idea would be to take him to a place that has a real easy, low chairlift. Three places that I know of that would be candidates are Wachusett, Bretton Woods, and Ragged.

Even if he just won't go on a chairlift, I'm sure he could have a good time on the bunny slopes at Pats or Crotched...the magic carpets there are a decent size.
 

JimG.

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I never had this issue with any of my 3 boys...if anything, they seemed extremely comfortable and somewhat careless on the lifts as far as sitting on the edge goes, at least until they were 5 or 6. They used to scare me sometimes and I would grab them, usually followed by an incensed "Daaaad!".

Putting him in a group lesson might be best, or you take him without his parents and take a family lesson if your hill offers them. Parents are notorious for enabling fearful behaviour like this and it may be subconscious. Stick to slow fixed grip chairs to start; usually beginner chairs don't get too high up off the terrain.

Most of all, don't let him get bored or let his mind wander. Ski/snowboard alot and keep encouraging him to get better and faster. Once he's ripping around on the snow those lift rides will become old hat.
 

hammer

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One other thought...does his school offer a ski program? Taking the lessons with the ski program helped my daughter with her fear of lifts, especially since the parents were not around...
 

RISkier

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I think the low and slow beginner lifts that are isolated and serve beginner terrain is a good idea. As Hammer suggested, lifts that come to mind are at Wachusett, Bretton Woods, & Gunstock. Though I've not ridden them I seem to recall the beginner lifts at Wachusett and BW never getting more than a few feet off the ground. I also think group lessons, as was suggested, might be a good idea.
 

WWF-VT

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Another vote for the low, slow lifts that serve beginner areas. You'll get a lot of help getting him on the lift, they usually are not too high off the ground as you go up the mountain and usually do not cover a lot of vertical.
 

jack97

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Though I've not ridden them I seem to recall the beginner lifts at Wachusett and BW never getting more than a few feet off the ground.

I have ridden them, they are low and they are slow, which is a good thing if beginneres are unsure about their footing while walking to the line. If you go on a weekend, the lines can be long given they have to stop the lift peroidically.
 

threecy

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I agree with low and slow. Also, if you're able to get that far, don't push the 'now its time to go up alone' or 'go up with friends' or 'time for the big chairlift' issue. Unless they're still riding the bunny lift with you when they're 17, odds are that they'll grow bored with being on the bunny slope chair on their own.

Other useful things - see if the lift op can slow the lift down even more for you (beyond the normal slow pace of a novice lift). Remind them that you won't let them fall. Put the safety bar down as soon as possible. Have conversation planned that will get their mind off the height. Even consider taking them to a nearby ski area this off season and have them pretend to load on the chair at the base terminal. Hike with them to the top of the bunny slope or even the mountain in the summer too, as being on top of the slope and/or mountain for the first time can be just as scary for someone with a fear of heights as the chairlift ride up.
 

threecy

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Oh ya, and don't ride with them with your snowboard :) Get yourself a pair of skis (or blades if you must) because snowboards get in the way of novice skiers loading a small double!
 

ctenidae

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Tell him it's not the height he should be scared of, or even falling.
It's the landing that gets you.
 

skier90

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Another vote for the the slow beginnier chairs. Pats valley double isnt that bad. You almost touch the ground in the middle of it when theirs a good amount of snow. Only deterint is it can be a pain for a begginer to load as the chairs shoot off if the lift isnt slowed down.
 

L2RAFO

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One of my friends kids had this problem until they convinced him to try the gondola instead of an open chair. First minute was definitely dicey, but after a dozen or so trips the kid himself asked to try a chair ride up, and they never had the problem again.
 
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threecy

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Maybe even consider bringing him to a mountain with an alpine slide this summer/early fall - the attraction of riding the alpine slide might be enough to convince him to ride the lift and to keep his mind off the height.
 
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