This year, they're 5 and 7.
The Big Kid has been out once before this season, for a lesson. Litttle Dude, not yet. So Thursday evening, we picked them up right after school, and away we went. Little Dude was incredibly stoked. He's been looking forward to ski season for months, and here in Boise, it got a terribly late start!
We had a three grown up to two kid ratio, which turned out to be a really good thing. DH disappeared for a little while, he made his first run a "grown up run" while my daughter and I shepherded the two kids up the bunny hill chair for warm ups. They had specified two "coach" runs on the way up.
The Big Kid is FAST. Totally in control, making beautiful turns, but FAST. Stay with the group means nothing when the Little Dude is tooling along at Little Dude speed, remembering how he did things last season. When LD fell and his ski came off half way down the run, I went to tell 7. We stood around a bit, and I told him that we could continue to wait, or he and I could ride up together again, and do our second run without them. He chose to wait (it was to be his turn to ride with mom)
Second run, now we've got DH. LD wants to go the easy way, BK wants to go the not quite so easy way. DH and Mom went with BK. I went with LD. We're headed to the quad, on the way over to the "three person" chair, so we're going to need some good momentum at the bottom. His ski came off again, really close to the bottom, and yes, he fell.
DH didn't wait, yet again. BK is speedy on the flat, and I had to have him slow down a bit so that LD could catch up for the chair. Well, then we were going TOO slowly, doodling around or something, and missed the chair LD and mom went on.
LD, now in a more tentative mode, is going too slowly yet to even remotely keep up with BK. LD needs someone to follow to be happy when he's in this mode (methinks he didn't eat a good pre-ski meal on the way). He also needs someone skiing "clean up" to pick up his pieces and get him going again. (which saves the leader trekking up) BK wants to ski like he wants to ski.
a flash of brilliance since DH was missing, and BK couldn't have an adult: Okay, kiddo, here's the plan. See that clump of trees and the "up" next to them? You can go ahead to there, and wait for us to catch up, and then we'll pick a new spot. I want to be sure we can see where you are.
That kid skiied to there like a flash! I felt sad for him, having to wait for so blasted long for his brother, who will be more confident next time, I'm sure. When we got to BK, he and I set up a new point. During this part of the run, DH caught up, and took over BK. (Thank you dear, it's about time you changed the D)
LD's ski fell off yet again, twice that run. The first time, I said to him, you know what? I'm going to take your skis to the ski dudes and get those bindings checked. They're coming off way too easy! One of the times his bindings released, he was being a little silly on the run out to the lift line, and got a little criss-crossed, but it was still NOT a fall where he should have ejected.
Fortunately, DH stayed with the group from then on, and we had someone to ski with BK, so that BK could ski for real -- LD was losing confidence fast! It was sad to see this little guy who had been standing on top of his skis and in control early last season, doing that back seat in the pizza wedge thing so much of the evening.
(I hate back seat pizza wedge mode -- especially when I get myself stuck in it!)
So, testing indicated that the bindings were set WAY light on the heels, and I was amazed how much discussion it took to convince the guy to set them where they should have been in the first place! Things should be better tomorrow!
The Big Kid has been out once before this season, for a lesson. Litttle Dude, not yet. So Thursday evening, we picked them up right after school, and away we went. Little Dude was incredibly stoked. He's been looking forward to ski season for months, and here in Boise, it got a terribly late start!
We had a three grown up to two kid ratio, which turned out to be a really good thing. DH disappeared for a little while, he made his first run a "grown up run" while my daughter and I shepherded the two kids up the bunny hill chair for warm ups. They had specified two "coach" runs on the way up.
The Big Kid is FAST. Totally in control, making beautiful turns, but FAST. Stay with the group means nothing when the Little Dude is tooling along at Little Dude speed, remembering how he did things last season. When LD fell and his ski came off half way down the run, I went to tell 7. We stood around a bit, and I told him that we could continue to wait, or he and I could ride up together again, and do our second run without them. He chose to wait (it was to be his turn to ride with mom)
Second run, now we've got DH. LD wants to go the easy way, BK wants to go the not quite so easy way. DH and Mom went with BK. I went with LD. We're headed to the quad, on the way over to the "three person" chair, so we're going to need some good momentum at the bottom. His ski came off again, really close to the bottom, and yes, he fell.
DH didn't wait, yet again. BK is speedy on the flat, and I had to have him slow down a bit so that LD could catch up for the chair. Well, then we were going TOO slowly, doodling around or something, and missed the chair LD and mom went on.
LD, now in a more tentative mode, is going too slowly yet to even remotely keep up with BK. LD needs someone to follow to be happy when he's in this mode (methinks he didn't eat a good pre-ski meal on the way). He also needs someone skiing "clean up" to pick up his pieces and get him going again. (which saves the leader trekking up) BK wants to ski like he wants to ski.
a flash of brilliance since DH was missing, and BK couldn't have an adult: Okay, kiddo, here's the plan. See that clump of trees and the "up" next to them? You can go ahead to there, and wait for us to catch up, and then we'll pick a new spot. I want to be sure we can see where you are.
That kid skiied to there like a flash! I felt sad for him, having to wait for so blasted long for his brother, who will be more confident next time, I'm sure. When we got to BK, he and I set up a new point. During this part of the run, DH caught up, and took over BK. (Thank you dear, it's about time you changed the D)
LD's ski fell off yet again, twice that run. The first time, I said to him, you know what? I'm going to take your skis to the ski dudes and get those bindings checked. They're coming off way too easy! One of the times his bindings released, he was being a little silly on the run out to the lift line, and got a little criss-crossed, but it was still NOT a fall where he should have ejected.
Fortunately, DH stayed with the group from then on, and we had someone to ski with BK, so that BK could ski for real -- LD was losing confidence fast! It was sad to see this little guy who had been standing on top of his skis and in control early last season, doing that back seat in the pizza wedge thing so much of the evening.
(I hate back seat pizza wedge mode -- especially when I get myself stuck in it!)
So, testing indicated that the bindings were set WAY light on the heels, and I was amazed how much discussion it took to convince the guy to set them where they should have been in the first place! Things should be better tomorrow!