My 10 year old first time try.....

[bxroads]

Man this is good stuff. If anyone has read my post you know that I'm new to skiing. I got into because I wanted to start a hobby that involved my family and I had access to a private lake. Skiing seemed like the best answer. I've not forced my kids to ski (7 and 10 year old girls) and they've not really wanted to. They just love swimming at the lake, and yes, tubing. The 10 year old has skied on two a lot but she only did it because I made her. The other day the course had me discouraged and I said out loud that I was just going to quit. My 10 year old heard me and said, "No daddy. You're good at it and I want to learn". I can't tell you how good that made me feel. She appears to be a natural. The video is of her first pull and her 7th pull. It only took her 7 times to start skiing!!!! She wanted to quit after that but said she'd ski around the lake the next time we're out there. And I don't doubt it! The first attempt is hilarious, I saw her in the mirror and told her this is skiing not basketball, it doesn't do any good to flop. Listen to her sister squealing in the background after she got up and fell. Here's to many good days on the water!!!

 

 

 

 

[ktm300]

Go Bx Go ! I had quit skiing for a few years. Last year my then 9 y.o. learned to slalom and started skiing the course some. Now she is my favorite skiing partner and as any parent can attest, having your kids love the same thing you do is a dream come true. Now in her second year on the course, she can literally coach me if I tell her what I'm working on that day. Calls out the boat path at every set of boat guides. Driving is next. Yeah!

[Chef23]

I just came in from pulling both my kids at lunch time and it is the best part of skiing.

 

BX I would go a little slower when you first get her up and let her get a little more steady. She looks fairly light so at first you don't need to be going more than about 13-14mph then as she gets settled speed her up.

[bxroads]

Chef, after watching the video I thought the same thing regarding speed. I was going about 18. She looked pretty steady in the 13-14 range as you suggested. As I got faster she lost her balance. Heck, I didn't know you could pull a slalom skier that slow, regarless of their weight. We'll go slower next time. BTW, she weighs 60 lbs and is strong as an ox.

[jimbrake]

Hey - that is great stuff. Agreed - skiing with your kids is the best thing about the sport.

 

Re: skiing and/or/vs. tubing. Funny thing - both of my boys (12 and 14) have turned into pretty serious slalom (and now trick and jump, too) skiers and don't need any pushing from me to practice or compete. As I like to say, the pump has been primed and they are into it all on their own now. However, some friends of ours have a house at a mountain lake and just an old family boat and a tube. Both of my boys were so psyched to go up there this past weekend and just get slung around on the tube. On the way home I asked them if they were ready to get back to skiing and they were all "yes!!" Not sure what my point is - I guess you just have to let them have some good old simple kid fun and not turn skiing into a grind. Something like that.

[bxroads]

Jim, I understand what you're saying and agree. They have fun tubing and thats fine with me. I'm meeting the ultimate objective of memorable days with dad. Its killing my 7 year old that she hasnt worked up the courage to ski. Saturday on the way home from the lake we were all exhausted and it had been silent for about 10 minutes. Out of the blue she said "Dad, I'm going to ski but you know I have to do stuff like that on my own time". She'll try it before long. The 10 year old is strong and extremely inflexible. The 7 year old is not so strong but is like a rubber band. It will be interesting to see how the contrasting styles progress (hopefully)!

[Chef23]

We had a rule when my kids were little that they had to ski before they could tube. It still stands today (they are 12 & 13 now). I don't have to push them to ski particularly my 12 year old son who three events. That said they still like an occasional afternoon of tubing.

 

BX your 7 year old doesn't need to be super strong. At that age and size it doesn't take much strength to ski. Just keep encouraging her and she will get there. Don't force her into the course but I would encourage her to ski and not just tube.

[bxroads]

chef, the 7 year old won't tube either. She had a nasty fall that she hasn't forgotten. She rides the trainer ski often. She's coming around, it wont be long. On the other hand, the 10 year old wants the tube to go as fast and high as possible. That said, she is excited about slalom.

 

I need some advise on skis. The one in the video is a cheap combo trainer with a plastic fin. A friend gave me a hand-me-down HO Grifter. When should I get her on it? What bindings should I go with? The boy that used it before was a good skier (Boys 1 Nationals 1st place last year) and used double Wiley's and thats whats on there now but i don't think its what she needs.

[Than_Bogan]

The squeeling thing is hilarious. I grew up in a family that was all boys, so I didn't realize it was standard procedure for girls to squeel on both success and failure, and also on *watching* both success and failure. Very off-putting at first, but I'm almost used to it now! :)

 

My two girls, currently 6 and 10, started out pretty darned uninterested, but this season they've been going a lot. Actually hard to find enough time for them! The younger just completed a deep water start, but never quite got settled on top of the water and fell after a 100 feet or so. Nevertheless, she was pretty psyched! Especially since it took her a little time to work up the courage to try it, even though she loved the trainer skis.

 

The older one really wants to push to one ski, even though she really just started on 2 and I am trying to get her to learn a few more things on 2 first. She also keeps cracking me up because 95% of all the skiing she has seen is at -28 off and shorter, and she keep hammering her turns on 2 skis and then kinda scaring herself with the speed she generates. She gets a good laugh out of me telling her she doesn't need to do "35 off turns" quite yet.

[Chef23]

If she can get up on the Grifter I would put her on it right now. My kids both use a RTP and get up with one foot in so the double Wileys wouldn't work. I don't see a problem with a front Wiley and an RTP though. If your daughter gets up with both feet in you could try her in the Wileys.

 

My kids are a little bigger so when they were starting out in the course I had them on an HO Odyssey which is a 63" wide ride ski which took my son up to 30 mph. In fact last year he ran 1 @22 off in an INT wide ride event on it.