The kid thread

[drjeff]

What will potentially be interesting about our kids picking up and learning to race is that I'm trying to learn how to race at the same time. I was a casual USSA bump skier in highschool. I had no interest in racing. My senior year the Alpine coach convinced me to join the team and I had a bad wreck one month into the season, broke my neck and dislocated my shoulder and was done for the year.

Outside of that experience, I did a handful of ski bum races in Stowe 20 + years ago as an alternate on a local bar's team.

Fast forward to this year and a friend convinced me to join a beer league team. I completely suck at it and have gained a whole new level of respect for the discipline. There are guys in their 60s in the league who are former college racers and they smoke me. I'm determined to see just how good I can get at racing later in life. Super fun and just a new way to push myself. I look forward to doing the beer league every year moving forward and doing a lot of Nastar.

I won't push the kids into racing, but will support them doing so if it's what they really want. I'm not sure at this point if my son is just wanting to be like dad or has his own drive to do it. He took his first Nastar runs two weekends ago and loved it. We will be spending Saturday doing more Nastar at Gunstock. I look forward to the day he beats me for the first time.

Well *if* your kids take to the sport, and they get involved with a mountain program, here's a couple of great things about it.

#1 - they're going to get a great technical core ski edeucation/training that will set them up for being able to ski most anything they want, even if it doesn't just involve red gates and blue gates and narrow skis, firm snow and race suits

#2 - if they do compete in mountain race programs that travel around to other mountains to race, you, as a parent, also get to travel around and ski a bunch of different mountains (almost always at a racer parent dicsount amount) so it adds variety to your season, even if your kids train at their "home" mountain most of the time

#3 - your kids, and likely you and your wife as well, will meet other kids (and their parents) and form some great ski relationships, with like minded ski enthusiasts, that can last for decades - honestly this is how my wife and I have met so many people who we have become great friends with at Mount Snow, through our kids and their involvment with the season long competition programs

#4 - if your kids do get involved in race programs, and your home mountain club is hosting a race, and they need parent volunteers to help run the race, let me know and I will tell you which jobs you do and don't want to sign up for At this stage of my involvement with youth racing, with the exception of being a race official (might pursue that certification process next season) there basically isn't a job that is involved with putting on a ski race, that I haven't done over the years, and trust me when I say that some are WAY more enjoyable than others, especially if it's a cold day and there's a couple of hundred kids on the start list!!

 

[Smellytele]

This thread is bittersweet to me and brings back memories of going as a family to many ski areas across northern New England and out west. Actually tearing up right now.
My youngest is 18 (19 on the 21st) and I also have a 20 (21 in March) and 23 year old. Been skiing with them since my oldest was 3. They still all love skiing and actually still ski with me. Well they still ride up the lift with me and meet me at the bottom. They do keep me young still as I follow them into the woods and down bump run after bump run.

 

[Apple Country]

We tried to get out of skiing before our first kid came. All of the insanity we know of, expense, saving for a house, etc. But once the first turned 3 or 4 we realized we couldn't be inside all winter.

We are in the midst of it with two little kids. One is close to being a solid intermediate, the other is just learning as a tot.

A lot of blood, sweat and tears but also family time, being outside in winter and occasional proud dad moments.

 

[drjeff]

Got to ski with my youngest in his first torchlight parade tonight! Such a cool experience for both of us!

 

[Mum skier]

Here is my son having a great time on our recent trip to Park City.
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[Mum skier]

There are meant to be three videos in the above post, but maybe the technology defeated me!

 

[thebigo]

Our five year old made it in the woods, first time.

 

[deadheadskier]

Final day of the season yesterday for my 3 year old and it was a success. Finished the day with her finally making her first linked turns on her own. Looking forward to next season and watching her skills take off with stronger legs and one season under her belt.

Still have a couple more days planned with my 7 year old.

 

[djd66]

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Final day of the season yesterday for my 3 year old and it was a success. Finished the day with her finally making her first linked turns on her own. Looking forward to next season and watching her skills take off with stronger legs and one season under her belt.

Still have a couple more days planned with my 7 year old.

What a cutie!! Enjoy these years - it goes by way too fast.

 

[drjeff]

While not of skiing related nature, my oldest at her Highschool Graduation last weekend (she's off to Holy Cross in the Fall with a planned Chemistry/Pre Med major and will be racing for their ski team) with her proud younger brother who will be starting his Senior year of Highschool in the Fall, and is fully up to living up to the sizable shoes his sister left at their Highschool.

This parenting thing can be rewarding for sure at times... Even when my son inevitably finally beats me on the golf course at some point this Summer! He just dropped his handicap index below 10 for the 1st time and I'm currently a 5.7... Won't be long now, although he does feel the pressure of trying to beat me for the 1st time still when we're on the back 9 in a close match

 

[ss20]

From this past winter... my seasonal ski kids thank you cards get a little bit of time on the fridge each year! Always super cool seeing the ski world through "their eyes". Bittersweetly I expect this coming season will be my last season with the "littles" before I gain enough seniority out here to move on. Oh well, level 6-9 teens/adults are pretty cool too . Not to say these kids couldn't rip. It was AMAZINGLY fun having 6 and 7yo's ripping through trees, streambeds, doing all the blues and some of the blacks! One of my favorite memories in my nearly a decade of instructing was a powder day this year with this group. It's 4"-6" of blower and I'm leading these kids through the easier trees. All I can hear behind me is the "yippees", "yahoos", and laughing that you hear on a powder day from adults! Super cool!

 

[deadheadskier]

Change of seasons.....

Our daughter is typically up by 7:30 at the latest, but today for some reason she was zonked and my wife had to drag her out of bed in her PJs at 8-45 to meet me up at the lake. I was traveling in separately having gone to a Phish concert with some college buddies last night.

Fantastic day on the water, which typically ends with a 45 minute cruise for her afternoon nap. Today was extra precious though. "Mommy, Daddy, I want to put my PJs back on and nap in my brother's lap "

At aged 7 and 3, I don't have too much time left with these little cute kid moments. They'll be teenagers stealing my beers before I know it. I feel like the luckiest man alive when I'm ripping up the lake in my boat and look down to see this:

 

[djd66]

Change of seasons.....

Our daughter is typically up by 7:30 at the latest, but today for some reason she was zonked and my wife had to drag her out of bed in her PJs at 8-45 to meet me up at the lake. I was traveling in separately having gone to a Phish concert with some college buddies last night.

Fantastic day on the water, which typically ends with a 45 minute cruise for her afternoon nap. Today was extra precious though. "Mommy, Daddy, I want to put my PJs back on and nap in my brother's lap "

At aged 7 and 3, I don't have too much time left with these little cute kid moments. They'll be teenagers stealing my beers before I know it. I feel like the luckiest man alive when I'm ripping up the lake in my boat and look down to see this:

Awesome post! Enjoy every moment,… my kids are 16&18 it goes by way too quick!

 

[jimk]

This is a happy thread!
I got to ski with two of my adult children for a few days in March 2022 at Snowbird, UT. Skiing is one of those great family activities that, God willing, you can keep enjoying with your kids into your senior years.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

First got my twin girls on skis 9 years ago and we have had countless great Dad Daughter days out and excursions since then. I ski half my weekends with them and half my weekends solo. They are wonderful ski companions. Still have a slight edge on them as a skier but probably more due to bravery/stupidity than skills. Will treasure the 3 remaining seasons til they are off to college and only occasionally making time to ski with dad.

 

[jaytrem]

Must be twin in the tram day...

 

[NYDB]

 

[deadheadskier]

So Gunstock has a resident porcupine. He lives in the Birch trees at the top of the RamRod chair. I see him almost every time I'm there.

My daughter graduated from the beginner lift to RamRod this week, so she got to see him for the first time. Very exciting for a four year old. He's up in the tree behind her.

 

[Ski2LiveLive2Ski]

Just counted today that I have taken each of my 15 yo twins skiing 118x (on probably 124 days as not all included both) since starting in Dec 2013

 

[witch hobble]

I’m at the tail end of this process, with young adult children. I think, I hope, I’ve created a couple life long skiers. Good luck and have fun y’all. Savor the small moments and think like a kid.