Kids Ski

[SpartanSki]

Anyone have a kids slalom ski that they want to part with? My son is turning 6 in a few weeks and is bound and determined to get up on one this season, but his combos don't have a toe plate. He's a big kid and is mid 50ish pounds. Obrien makes the jr pro tour at 58" and I know KD used to make a 59" 7000 but I don't know what else is in that size range. I'm thinking much longer than that might get too unwieldy for him but I default to whoever has experience teaching someone this young.

 

Thanks

[Chef23]

When my kids were just starting I just put non skid on the back of one of their combos and didn't worry about a RTP. My kids do both get up with 1 foot in as a result.

[markchilcutt]

let me look in the garage tonight. pretty sure i have a 58" obrien that my daughter out grew yrs ago.

[SpartanSki]

Not a bad idea @Chef23, but the combos he's on aren't shaped at all and have a pretty cheesy binding. I'd rather get him something that he could use for a few years and be better for crossing wakes.

 

Thanks @markchilcutt I really appreciate it.

[Chef23]

My son skied the course on an HO Blast 59" combo at slow speeds before I got him on something else. It worked up to about 21 mph. To teach your son to get up I think what you have would be fine.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

You have to keep in mind that he will only be going12-15mph and a 59" ski is way too small. Best ski will be one of the wide shaped skis, second choice is a 64-65" traditional slalom. You should be able to find one on ski it again for a few hundred $.

 

You want to make it easy. If the ski is too small, it will be difficult for a deep water start, sink in the turns and will throw him OTF over those huge wakes.

[Hallpass]

I'm not a course expert @Bruce_Butterfield, though I hope to get my daughter interested. She is currently 8 years old, 4'8" (tall) and about 80 lbs. No problem skiing a 59" O'Brien from 15 to 26 mph. I've never tried 12 mph as she skied the doubles faster than that. Really no problem popping up. Sounds like @SpartanSki might have a kid who is even smaller. FWIW. Maybe you have direct experience in the course that leads you to believe otherwise.

[JWebSki]

I skied on an HO blast combo all the way up to 30 mph

[elr]

A shaped Jr ski like the Obrien Jr Vortex (think it used to be called Amigo) ($150 for a pair) would be best - easy to get up on and kids can run the course into the high 20s on it. A lot of B1/G1 kids in the SCR on these a few years ago. I've donated mine to the next set of little ones . . .

[MrJones]

I will 2nd Bruce. Get a larger size of a traditional shaped ski while they are learning. The first time our oldest daughter skied regionals on a slalom was on a 65" D3 X5. As she got a little better and the speed increased she went down to a 63" Z7, then as she grew a 64" Z7, and yesterday we mounted up that same old 65" X5 she rode 4 years ago. She went out and tied her PB on it first set. Kind of nice to recycle skis...

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@Hallpass, just as a reference, I do have a little direct experience that I base my recommendation on. I've seen many kids struggle on short skis and the ones that start out on the longer or shaped skis learn much faster and stay with it. JMO. If the short ski works for you, that's great.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ALPJr]

Our daughter learned to slalom on a Blast 63". She was 14 and about 110 pounds. She used it for two seasons up to about 24 mph then got a 65 Siren/Triumph. I think the Blast combos come in 59, 63 and 67. A nice set to have in the shed.

[GOODESkier]

 

My son was 5 when he got up on an old WILEY combo slalom ski. Then I tried to get him on a wide ski, but it never worked for him. He went straight to a GOODE 9800SL and runs 15/17/19/and working on 21.......... The 9800 is a 62" and the flextail he was rocking was a 63.75"

 

Agree with above needing a longer ski for the slower speeds.

 

[ntx]

@Bruce_Butterfield. Lol I think that is twice in the last few days that @Hallpass has shown his butt here. He is new here and should learn soon. Welcome to the forum Hallpass. Take advantage of some of the knowledge that is shared here. It is a great place to get info from people that have been doing this stuff for a long time with a high success rate. The Butterfield kids are two of the best in the country both on and off the water.

[Chef23]

Having seen the Butterfield kids ski at Nationals last year if I was looking for advice on teaching a kid to ski @Bruce_Butterfield is one of the guys I would run to. His kids are great skiers with excellent technique.

 

When my son was small I put him on a 63" HO wide ride to keep him from sinking at slower speeds. He skied that until he was running 30 mph.

[Hallpass]

@Bruce_Butterfield. Thank you. That's why I read these forums. Just watching my daughter and without benefit of experience of others in competitive sphere, I would not have thought to try her on a 65" ski. Regards.

[Hallpass]

P.S. I've got thick skin. You guys can have some fun with me. Keeps it light :)

 

[SpartanSki]

Wow, thanks guys, completely changed my ski search. Great pic btw @GOODESkier, hoping to get my little guy carving like that soon.

[Hallpass]

Hi @Bruce_Butterfield. Probably makes no difference to you, but I did take the time to do some research and read some articles written by you. I particularly enjoyed the article comparing snow skiing and water skiing. There is a point here: I thought I was done skiing 10 years ago. Even 2 months ago when I bought a new ski, I thought I would never try to ski a course again. But the more I think about skiing, the more I wonder . . . maybe I could do that. Every time I head off on a tangent reading about skiing, the more I think about it. So, you did me a favor above. Made me go out and think about skiing. I had already decided to pay someone to teach my daughter. Maybe I'll go to ski camp as well. Regards.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@Hallpass welcome to the skier's addiction! You can now state with pride "My name is Hallpass and I am a skiaholic"

 

And yes, it does make a difference. One of the great things about the skier community is how freely information and advice is shared and how it helps us all to improve. We are all students of this crazy sport.

 

Cheers!

[phatty5693]

Since others are posting here, if anyone has a 63"/64" jr ski they are looking to unload. My kids are light (14 and only 100lbs) and is getting up on one after being on combos. Likely not running the course anytime soon, but just want something that will give them more confidence going across the wake.

[Chef23]

Depending on level there are some good deals on Ski-it-again.

 

For the little ripper.

http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Slalom&postid=33432

 

For a little better skier:

http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Slalom&postid=33394

 

There are some other skis in the 64-66" range under $500 depending on budget. If you buy something used you can sell it when your child outgrows it and recoup most of your money.

[phatty5693]

Both those look great, but I'm trying to keep the whole package to $250 or less if possible. Hoping to buy one from someone who's kids are moving up to the next size.

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Try this one. IMO D3s are the best kid's ski since they are very stable and easy to ride. You'll need bindings, but I don't think you'll find a better value.

 

http://www.ski-it-again.com/php/skiitagain.php?endless=summer&topic=Search&category=Jr_Equip&postid=33023

[SpartanSki]

@Bruce_Butterfield what do you recommend for binding placement? Keep them close or is a little space beneficial? Also with the long ski and the little guy is it advantageous to put the bindings a little farther forward to make the ski easier to handle ie not flopping to its side when sitting in the water?

[Bruce_Butterfield]

@SpartanSki I would pit the front binding at the manufacturer's recommended location and put the rear toe piece so there is 1/2 to 1" between the rear toes and heel of the front binding. From there you just have to watch and see how the ski is riding before moving anything. For just getting up and basic cutting, that should work fine.

 

Good luck!

[DavidP]

@phatty5693 I have the 63.5 D3 X5 on SIA mentioned in Bruce's recommendation. I have a XXS front Wiley binding (Mens size 4 to 6) and a XS back toe piece I can include with the ski for $300 and I will pay for the shipping. If interested, please respond to the SIA listing. Thanks, David

[SpartanSki]

Well, he made his first attempt this weekend on 63" Radar Senate we're demoing from our local shop (I got hosed by a guy on ski it again...) While he wasn't successful, I was proud of him because he was all grit and kept trying. The ski is floating up on him though, floats up and then falls to the side and we have to reset before we put line tension on him. Any tips?

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Just the basics- knees to chest and arms straight. Kids seem to get up easier with both feet in. Does he have both in or dragging a foot?

[SpartanSki]

Both feet in

[Bruce_Butterfield]

Can he get up on 2 then drop a ski? He should be able to do that and ski comfortably all the way down the lake a few times before attempting a deep water slalom start.

 

If he can do that already just stick with it - it shouldn't take long.

[Chef23]

@Bruce_Butterfield we have had some success teaching kids to get up on one without dropping. My daughter learned the traditional way by dropping. My son was younger and too small to control the combos in the water without the bar but wanted to ski on 1 like his big sister so I let him try to get up on 1 and after 4 or 5 tries he got out of the water. My friend taught both his kids to get up on 1 without dropping.

 

My kids both seemed more comfortable dragging (they were 6 and 7). That said it took over two years before my daughter was consistent getting up although she could run the course on 1. I think they are the only kids on the lake that drag though.

[davemac]

I keep one in the boat, and have had great success with newbies using one of these "deep Vee" training handles...that help to keep the ski straight during pull up.

I've also found that some of the "newer" style bindings have a lot of "floatation" properties in them, that can be detrimental for those learning the deep water start.

overtons.com/modperl/product/details.cgi?pdesc=Gladiator-Slalom-Trainer-Ski-Rope&i=839424&r=view

[Chef23]

@davemac good advice on the EZ Up handle. My kids used that to learn and for probably the first year they were doing deep water starts. If you child is tipping to the side definitely get one of the EZ up handles.