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The kid thread

thebigo

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Cool video, teaching kids to ski is simultaneously the most frustrating and rewarding part of parenting.
 

deadheadskier

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6 year old son and 3 year old daughter here. My son is finally making tremendous strides this season. Still power wedging, but has lost a lot of fear and wants to ski bumps and trees and I've had him on some terrain I never thought I would last year. More than that though, he's obsessed with racing. So next year I'll be putting him on the Gunstock racing team vs MTN Devo team

Daughter is having fun in first year. If I can get her skiing independently by the end of the season, that'll be a win. She's into it big time though. And apparently knows how to snowboard and told me she is going to teach me how while on our way home from Gunstock today. IMG_20220109_092911981_HDR.jpg
 

pinion

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Great to see young kids be passionate about the sport.

My daughter is 13 and though she has the technical skill to do whatever, her focus is now on gymnastics and she doesn’t get as many days on the slopes. The boy is 9 and likes skiing but not as technically sound as his sister. Work in progress.

teaching kids to ski is simultaneously the most frustrating and rewarding part of parenting.
Truth. Après-ski beers are for both “I’m celebrating because I’m proud of you kids” and “Dad needs to take the edge off”.
 
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ss20

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Fun seeing this thread as an instructor through the eyes of parents! I have no offspring of my own, but my "legacy" will hopefully be a few dozen skiers I taught as kids who go on to have as much fun skiing as I did, and go on the same crazy journey through this sport as myself! Some of my favorite stories from instructors are those where it's "full circle".... where they can remember who coached them as a youth and were able to grow up and enter the industry and thank those who were so influential in giving them a love for skiing.
 

Cornhead

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My son and I both kinda learned to ski together. I had skied 15 years earlier a handful of times. I almost bought a snowboard instead of skis, but I thought I would be more useful to him on skis since I could at least stay upright. He started on skis, we did the mountains of fun program for several years, he went to the dark side after two years on skis. I then got us both equipment and started buying us season passes. He's lived in CO for the last 8 years. Hit struck a tree at Keystone about 4 years ago. Thankfully hit hit it with the back of his thigh, probably the best possible place to hit a tree hard. No serious injuries. It scared the shit out of him, and he abandoned snowboarding for several years after. I know I shouldn't, but I think Id've felt responsible had he gotten seriously injured or worse for introducing, and encouraging him to board. Last time I visited him I tried to get him to go to Abasin with me. I told him we would stay on the lower, easier terrain and just enjoy being out. He wanted nothing to do with it. Since then he has returned to the slopes. He met a girl who skis, doh!
 

ceo

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My older kid loved skiing for several years but lost interest in their early teens. Younger kid (11) is all over it, but we don't actually get out skiing all that often so he's progressed slowly, plus he missed last season because of COVID. I ended up getting him a private lesson at Cannon yesterday (because on Wednesday it was the only lesson option for Sunday to be had within day-trip range) and it made a huge difference, and the instructor declared him ready for poles (so I promptly bought him some). I may well splurge for private lessons from now on; he's a kid who does a lot better with one-on-one instruction in general.
 

djd66

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This is a very cool thread, thanks for starting! I love seeing all the pics and stories you have all shared.

I have said this many times and I truly believe it - there are not many (or any) other sports that you as an adult can have so much fun with a 4 year old kid - and your kids have fun too!

I'm at the tail end of skiing with my kids. I started them both at age 3 and they took to it right away. As a ski fanatic - there is no greater joy on the slopes than teaching your kids to ski and watching them blossom. They both went through the blazer program at Sugarbush and now are blazer coaches - talk about full circle!

In my opinion, there is no better family sport than skiing. Enjoy the days when they are young - it flies by!
 

pinion

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My kids completely reinvigorated my interest in skiing and riding. I was kind of burnt out on east coast mountains and usually icy freezing conditions. But sharing the sport with the family and seeing the kids get so much better has fed my stoke level and now I'm back chasing powder days.
Similar experience here. I wasn’t so much burnt out on Ice Coast skiing as I was just getting lazy. Casually ski a few times a year, stick to groomers to keep it safe, send it out West once or twice a year.

Kids came along and got interested in skiing so re-engaged me as well. I’m healthier and less lazy for it. Funny how that works.

Great vid btw.
 

drjeff

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My 2 at the oldest's Senior Day tonight for their Highschool team tonight at Mount Southington. The tiara worked for her on Senior Day as she had a season's best 2nd tonight, after qualifying yesterday for Team CT for the Eastern Highschool Championships up at Attitash the first weekend in March.

Guess I get to experience what's going on at Attitash firsthand now in a few weeks for what will be her last Highschool races, and potentially her last races until maybe adult beer league racing as she's not sure if she does or doesn't want to race in college...

I'm probably going to need a tissue or 2 when she crosses the finish line at Attitash for her last race after watching her race for the last 10yrs since she was a 1st year U10
 

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deadheadskier

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My 2 at the oldest's Senior Day tonight for their Highschool team tonight at Mount Southington. The tiara worked for her on Senior Day as she had a season's best 2nd tonight, after qualifying yesterday for Team CT for the Eastern Highschool Championships up at Attitash the first weekend in March.

Guess I get to experience what's going on at Attitash firsthand now in a few weeks for what will be her last Highschool races, and potentially her last races until maybe adult beer league racing as she's not sure if she does or doesn't want to race in college...

I'm probably going to need a tissue or 2 when she crosses the finish line at Attitash for her last race after watching her race for the last 10yrs since she was a 1st year U10

Good job dad!

I may be starting on a similar journey with my kids next year with my 6 year old wanting to be on the Gunstock ski team and his baby sister wanting to follow along.
 

BenedictGomez

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Cuteness overload in this thread. Needs more pictures!
About to embark on this journey, 2.5 years old and she loves playing in the snow. It's already February, so we'll wait till next year to start, but looking forward to it!
 

drjeff

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Cuteness overload in this thread. Needs more pictures!
About to embark on this journey, 2.5 years old and she loves playing in the snow. It's already February, so we'll wait till next year to start, but looking forward to it!

Savor every moment as the time flys by! I can so vividly remember the day almost 16yrs ago when my now 18yr old daughter was 2 and took her 1st lesson and turns on the magic carpet outside the Ramshead lodge at Killington!
 

drjeff

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Good job dad!

I may be starting on a similar journey with my kids next year with my 6 year old wanting to be on the Gunstock ski team and his baby sister wanting to follow along.

Thanks!

It's been such a blast watching my 2 go through the youth ski racing programs like I did.

And should yours follow in your racing footsteps as well, I'm guessing you'll have just as much fun, pride, and nervous excitement watching them slide into the starting gate in the coming years!
 

deadheadskier

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Thanks!

It's been such a blast watching my 2 go through the youth ski racing programs like I did.

And should yours follow in your racing footsteps as well, I'm guessing you'll have just as much fun, pride, and nervous excitement watching them slide into the starting gate in the coming years!

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.
 
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