More kid skiing advice

[kpickett]

So, my five-year-old has really got the bug. He'll ski all day up and down the lake on his trainers. Right now, they're still tied together at the front and back, and the rope goes to the skis.

 

Any suggestions on how to transition so that he's being pulled directly by the boat to his handle? We tried a couple times, but he's used to the pull coming from the ski, so it just pulled him right out the front.

 

Thanks so much.

Kyle

[Bdecker]

Just went through this with my 6 year old nephew. The barefoot boom is the way to go. Twice holding onto the boom, twice on a shortline off the boom, then back behind the boat and he was good. Actually progressed to having the skis unbolted this past weekend. My 4 year old is still on the trainers - seems he can ski forever.

[LeonL]

He's probably just standing there on the skis. With the pull coming at his feet that'll work. He'll have to squat and bend his knees. Put him on the bank in the grass and demonstrate what he has to do. Pull on the rope by hand.

[Bulldog]

Just spent last week teaching an entire family aged 12 to 45 all how to ski for the first time. Boom to short rope on boom then long line behind the boat. That progression worked perfectly and they all had a blast. Ski Brain - Nice Picture!!

[Wish]

Some things I've done.

 

1.Fashioned weights (2lbs or so) on the back of the skies (top side) so they do not float so high when skier is waiting for pull. They spend to much time trying to keep them straight and balanced. Skies won't flop around.

 

2. Use a 7"x14" or so rubber (cut to size) matt and screw the four corners of it to the skis (screwing skis together) between tips and boots. Keeping skies a normal distance apart. Keeps skis from crossing, doing the splits, or one going forward while the other goes back. But still flexible enough that the skier can move back and forth (somewhat)

 

3. Once rubber matt is mastered remove and tie skies together with small rope leaving normal distance between skis.

 

4. Progress to removing string and the weights.

 

Soooooo easy.

 

I do this with Adult size skis as well. Giant trainer skis. I also have a very small pair of trainer SHAPED skis, medium shaped and adult size shaped with super wide tips. Very easy to get up on.

 

In the past few yrs I've seen weighted trainer skis as well as bars and strings to keep the skies together. Don't waist your $$. Modify what u have.

[kpickett]

Thanks, guys. I should mention - I've been dragging him up and down the lawn since he could stand (literally). He started skiing when he was 3. Did it a little last year, and then this summer, after he learned it was fun to get your head underwater, I can't get him to stop skiing.

 

He's got good form, and he desperately wants to turn and go around buoys. But with the skis tied together, he can't turn very much.

 

I like the idea of working off the boom. That's actually how we got him up in the first place. I think he'll get it pretty fast. Good idea to work off the short line on the boom.

 

I hope we can try it this weekend.

 

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[WBLskier]

My just turned 5 year old is behind the boat on two untied and ready to slalom. She also started when she was 3 but really didn't get into it this year. This is what we did that worked great. She has progressed really fast this summer and has not gotten frustrated along the way. This is probably what others are saying but I haven't read them all.

 

(1) Skis hooked together but rope not hooked to it--on boom

(2) same but on short rope; practice getting a number of times (with someone in the water helping them get the skis pointed in the right direction.

(3) Same but with no help in the water.

(4) Long line with someone helping her get started from shallow water.

(5) same but with very little help

(6) same with no help

(7) boom with skis not hooked together; then immediately to short rope same with a little help controlling skis; then with no help holding skis; then practice turns on short line

(8) long line with someone helping get started (enforce knees bent with arms around knees to help keep skis from shooting apart when boat starts)

(9) long line with no help; then in and out of wake

(10) slalom on boom (this is where we are currently at);

 

Oh and we have the big wide trainers, which seem to make it much easier. We started last year with some older narrower ones and the new ones are worth every penny.

 

Seems like a lot but we just do it a little different every time we go out and she learns something new every time. We' ve had very little frustration and going like this she has had success every time, which seems to keep her coming back; She will have skied 5 days this week. Good luck.

[WBLskier]

Oh--a couple other thoughts. Let them float around by the dock with the skis on for 10 minutes some day and let them get used to controlling the skis. Also, it really helped to tell my daughter to keep her body upright in the water (not on her back) to help her control her skis. I didn't use any weights and she has no problem at all controlling them now.

[Chef23]

I put my kids behind the boat on the knee board to get them used to holding onto the handle. After that it is just a matter of getting them to try it. For my kids we started behind the boat at about 28 off with someone in the water to help hold them steady. My son (who is 12 now) never really learned to control the skis on his own he went from doing dock starts on two with the bar on the skis to getting up on one ski.