What age did your LO start skiing?

[h2orider]

We all started skiing the same year, kids were 4, 6, 8, and then the youngest started the next year at 4, as well. Started with normal boots, bindings, and skis. First we tried group lessons, which weren't very satisfactory. Still snow plowing and not enough control. Next step was to put them on ski team, and boy did they learn to ski! They all have great control at all speeds. So proud of them!

Ski team is the way to go to get them ride on rails and get good training, my 7 yr old has come millions of miles forward because of that..and with the right technique and friends to train with vs. lessons...not so fun..Last year at 6 he skied all of Vail with me, all the way back to Blue Sky, any terrain, bowls, steeps, bumps, terrain park, powder, tree (the fave in Blue Sky) everything, I can't give enough praises to racing..

 

[deannatoby]

Yes, h2orider, I feel the same. We were also fortunate to join a team with a few coaches who were really passionate about taking the younger ones and giving them good solid skiing skills above the racing skills. They did run gates, but not at the expense of learning balance, weight, control, etc. Once the foundation was there they moved into more race training.

Had the wonderful pleasure of skiing with MaineSkiLady this Sunday (love it when she comes to visit my mountain!) and my youngest takes off with her hubby and they hit everything on the mountain they can. You sound like you can keep up with your guy. I just started skiing 5 years ago and he's way beyond me! Older two are still on team and #3 loves the park. But Mr. MaineSkiLady is my youngest's dream ski partner!

 

[h2orider]

It's great we keep up with each other! I used to race in HS and college so he's taking in my footsteps I did show him I can do jumps the other day (I've been hiding that!) as he does love the park and can do tricks I can't. He thought it was so funny, a Mom in the park doing jumps! My knees felt it the next day! The program out here is great, they do tons of technical, fundamental work/drills in addition to running gates. It's really fun to take him into new terrain and teach him how to ski it though aside from racing, we don't have a lot of serious steeps, bumps or trees by me so going out West for us is a huge learning experience for him. How old is your youngest Deanna?

 

[deannatoby]

My youngest is now 8. He didn't want to be on team this year and is doing park lessons, which is fine with me! His fundamentals are good, park is fun, and park is CHEAPER!! And, they only need one pair of skis for park!

It's wonderful that you can ski the tough stuff with you guy. He's a lucky man! Not many parents can keep up with race kids.

 

[h2orider]

Nice, doesn't matter if you can keep up or not, just a great family activity regardless! My 7 year old would LOVE park lessons if they had them out here but for now...he's really enjoying racing. Yes and the twin tips and race skis, a lot to keep track of and keep up with tuning, along with mine, one pair would be MUCH easier!

 

[AnnKH]

My twins sons were 3 when we first took them out. We live far away from skiing, so we didn't go often - one or two times a year. And the boys grew VERY fast, so they were uncoordinated about everything - they would just figure out how to make their bodies work, and they would hit another growth spurt, and throw them off again.

Anyway, they loved skiing, in spite of slow progress. I'll never forget the day it clicked for both of them - I think they were 8. My mom was with us, and in the morning Grandma waited at the bottom of the hill for the boys - and in the afternoon, they were waiting for Grandma! It was one of the last times my Mom skied, and we are both so grateful that she was able to spend that time with her grandsons. Now they always want me to shoot video of them, to show Grandma.

 

[Ringrat]

I started skiing in the mountains at age 4, but mom & dad had spent some time with me the previous year carrying me to the top of hills and letting me glide down. Real gear.

I'd also spent a few years getting acquainted with skiing, falling, and the lifts on my dad's back. But that was the 80s and I'm pretty sure this wouldn't be allowed anymore:



At Jasper, guessing spring 1988. My sister, dad, and me.

 

[geargrrl]

Surprisingly, it is permitted still at least at some places. Based on the wrecks we've seen on the mountain, I wouldn't advise it.

 

[Ringrat]

Yah, it seems like a lousy idea. My dad only fell with me a few times, but one of them was a collision with a skier in less than perfect control of herself.

 

[skimamma]

We started skiing weekly as a family when my twins were 6 and my youngest was 2. Our goal at the time was family vacations out west...we were living in Michigan at the time. I remember the tantrums pulling them OFF the hill. Now...we are living in UT. The twins spend their weekends hiking into shoots, etc (with a coach, and safety equipment) and the younger one is a passionate racer. My how things change! I just wanted to have fun on family trips....I unintentionally created a life style! No regrets.

 

[soliloquy72]

My two younger kids started at age 3 and 4. They started out in real skis. I bought a tip connected (Wedgease) for the youngest by my 4-year-old didn't need it.

My 4-year-old had two lessons (90 minutes each) and that was enough for her to get the hang of "pizza slice" and turning. I took it from there and she's progressed beautifully. I plan to get her back into ski school when she turns 6 (the price goes down significantly). She's 5 this year and does the easier blue runs and smaller jumps.

When my 3-year-old started it was pretty frustrating (for me). He didn't grasp the idea that he had to use his muscles. He wouldn't go to a lesson, either, so I spent a lot of time walking around the carpet while he "skied." That was last winter. This winter, it clicked and he's progressed nicely.

I have all 4 of my kids in Roces Idea adjustable ski boots. Love them, great value.

 

[P.O.W.D.E.R]

My kids all started at different ages. My husband is a patroller and couldn't wait to get our first child on the hill. She was 18months and only skied one run each day we took her that season. My husband just snow plowed while holding her between his legs for that season and the following. The third season she was 3 1/2yrs and snow plowing so we kept her on the leash for most the season because she was fearless and scared the tat out of me! The following season we stuck her in lessons. I haven't wanted my kids in lessons until I knew they could plow and keep control of themselves. Being at a smaller resort and having inside knowledge of the ski school instruction we used them more for on hill babysitters and extra practice in the afternoons. I had them learn by following me for the mornings. My oldest spent 3 seasons doing this.

I didn't put my second child on skies until 3yrs. He skied once a week that whole season plowing between my husband legs. My husband didn't hold him up like he did with our oldest. Instead my son just wrapped his arms around dad's legs. Now he seems to have the best posture out of all three of my kids. He started lessons at 4yrs and did two seasons of lessons after which i had him follow his sister around skiing for half the day and me for the other half.

My youngest started at 2 1/2yrs. He just went through his second season skiing this year. Last year my husband tried both a harness (no leash) and just holding our son between his legs but couldn't get him to stand up at all on his own. I don't think his legs were strong enough yet. This year i knew his legs were strong enough but he still wanted my husband to hold him up so we used the hula hoop for one day just to get him to rely on something other then dad. The next week went back to the harness and used it with the leash. My son was plowing standing straight up and immediately started turning on his own but didn't want to go slow for the first half of the season. The last three weeks he was plowing, turning, and stopping by himself. Next year I'll put him in lessons. My husband and I have figured out he's better at the early years while I'm better at the verbal instruction when they're older and gauging when to challenge them more. They all have learned with normal ski equipment.

This year my oldest (11 now) skied Womens Start with me at Snow Basin and did her first double black there two. My son (now 8) skied his first black this year.