6 year old has trouble getting skis on

[xxs_skier]

My family just took up the sport last year so our knowledge of ski equipment is lacking. We bought our kids used ski gear and while my 9 year old can manage fine clicking in, my 6 year old son cannot for the life of him get his skis to click in. My husband or I need to push his boot down in order for it to click in. Is it because he's small and lightweight (37 pounds) or does his binding need to be adjusted? He's taken to skiing quite quickly and I think we already need to increase his DIN setting as he wants to do all the side hits and one of his skis came off when he was trying to go over a big bump.

 

[TrixieRuby]

well, I would have a shop check his binding settings. but, it is hard for little kids to use enough force to put on their skiis. I would practice at home on a carpet until he can do it. Then move to the snow, on the flats. Then on the slopes. Make sure he is getting his toe all the way forward and in. bit by bit!

 

[Jilly]

Some kids just don't have the muscle strength. Find something he doesn't like....spiders, worms, zucchini..."it's under your heel...squash it, kill it!" Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't.

Also get a shop to look at the binding and the boots.

 

[marzNC]

He's taken to skiing quite quickly and I think we already need to increase his DIN setting as he wants to do all the side hits and one of his skis came off when he was trying to go over a big bump.

Since you aren't experienced skiers, please don't start messing with DIN settings. Much better for skis to come off than risk injury by trying to keep skis on. Just as true for kids of any age as adult beginners. While you may think it's the fault of the equipment that the ski came off, it more likely that he hit something the wrong way and the binding saved him from an injury.

 

[marzNC]

Assuming your 6yo is taking lessons, ask the instructor for suggestions about stepping into the bindings. Much easier for someone to provide advice when they can see what a kid in doing.

I spent a little time over near the Taos Children's Ski School last weekend just because I like checking all the areas of a resort. The youngest group was probably ages 4-5. All the kids knew how to put on their skis without any help. Watched one of the smallest boys work his way into his skis. He had to move them around a bit but clearly knew exactly what he was doing. The instructors would carry skis out onto the snow for some of the youngest kids. But the instructors didn't need to help beyond setting the skis on the snow.

I vaguely remember helping my daughter get into her skis at age 4. She was tiny at that age. By the next season, she didn't need help. I started her with full-day ski school. Usually two days out of a 4-day long weekend. I was a confident intermediate. Many of the parents of the kids in our home hill's ski school didn't ski at all. So the kids had to learn how to get into their skis from their instructors.

 

[xxs_skier]

Since you aren't experienced skiers, please don't start messing with DIN settings. Much better for skis to come off than risk injury by trying to keep skis on. Just as true for kids of any age as adult beginners. While you may think it's the fault of the equipment that the ski came off, it more likely that he hit something the wrong way and the binding saved him from an injury.

Thanks, I'll keep an eye out for how often it's releasing since it was just one time. From experience, my daughter had her skis releasing several times during a lesson and with friends. When I checked her settings it was set up with a beginner setting and she's definitely not a beginner.

 

[Jilly]

He's taken to skiing quite quickly and I think we already need to increase his DIN setting as he wants to do all the side hits and one of his skis came off when he was trying to go over a big bump.

Did you adjust the bindings yourself? Do you know how to check the forward pressure? If not, get the skis and the boots to a ski shop and get them adjusted.

 

[xxs_skier]

Did you adjust the bindings yourself? Do you know how to check the forward pressure? If not, get the skis and the boots to a ski shop and get them adjusted.

No, the shop set everything up for him. At the time he was a true beginner so they were fine. I have to pick up my ski boots from there anyway so I might as well have them check his bindings. He's putting his boot in the right way, but even I have to push down pretty hard for it to click in.

 

[xxs_skier]

Assuming your 6yo is taking lessons, ask the instructor for suggestions about stepping into the bindings. Much easier for someone to provide advice when they can see what a kid in doing.

I spent a little time over near the Taos Children's Ski School last weekend just because I like checking all the areas of a resort. The youngest group was probably ages 4-5. All the kids knew how to put on their skis without any help. Watched one of the smallest boys work his way into his skis. He had to move them around a bit but clearly knew exactly what he was doing. The instructors would carry skis out onto the snow for some of the youngest kids. But the instructors didn't need to help beyond setting the skis on the snow.

I vaguely remember helping my daughter get into her skis at age 4. She was tiny at that age. By the next season, she didn't need help. I started her with full-day ski school. Usually two days out of a 4-day long weekend. I was a confident intermediate. Many of the parents of the kids in our home hill's ski school didn't ski at all. So the kids had to learn how to get into their skis from their instructors.

He just finished lessons, but has a day long lesson in Whistler during March break. I'll definitely bring it up with them. Thanks.

 

[marzNC]

No, the shop set everything up for him. At the time he was a true beginner so they were fine. I have to pick up my ski boots from there anyway so I might as well have them check his bindings. He's putting his boot in the right way, but even I have to push down pretty hard for it to click in.

Are you thinking of Type I/II/III in terms of the binding setting? Do you know factors into choosing the proper DIN setting? Boys that age can grow in spurts. Height and weight are key factors in a DIN table.

There are cautious adults who are intermediates but use the DIN setting for Type I instead of Type II. There are also aggressive intermediates who want to say Type III. Then there are skiers over 50 who end up signing off on a different setting than the DIN table states because that's the somewhat arbitrary cut off age to try to provide more protection for an older skier.

 

[xxs_skier]

Are you thinking of Type I/II/III in terms of the binding setting? Do you know factors into choosing the proper DIN setting? Boys that age can grow in spurts. Height and weight are key factors in a DIN table.

There are cautious adults who are intermediates but use the DIN setting for Type I instead of Type II. There are also aggressive intermediates who want to say Type III. Then there are skiers over 50 who end up signing off on a different setting than the DIN table states because that's the somewhat arbitrary cut off age to try to provide more protection for an older skier.

Yes, I'm thinking of the Type I/II/III setting. I checked his skis and they put him at 0.75 and he's 42" and 37 pounds. He's definitely on the smaller side of being 6 years old (takes after Mom for now). Cautious on steep new terrain (thankfully!), but if it's familiar to him, he's looking for all the jumps and side hits.

 

[floatingyardsale]

Don't mess with the DIN. Source: my knee. At under 40lbs you likely can't go lighter anyway.

If you think about it, you don't actually stomp straight down - you kick your foot the tiniest bit forward, which seats the heel and toe.

My 6yo has been able to clip in herself for a couple of years. Our cue is "dip your toe and... stomp!". What did it though was her best friend getting it so I'd recommend finding a proud 5yo that can clip in. When she was little, she learned to squat and pull up the binding if it didn't click.

 

[floatingyardsale]

0.75 is right for a 37 pound kid who is new. For comparison. My 42 pound kid might be at a 1. My 57 pound kid who is a solid type 2+ (skiing blacks, powder) is a 1.5.

You want the skis to pop off when they wipe out. That's so much better than the alternative.

 

[scandium]

It might just be that he's 37lb and doesn't quite generate the force needed to pop up the heel piece. Some bindings are stiffer and need more force to click into than others, I distinctly recall my younger sibling needing to pull up on his heel piece when he was younger. Changing the DIN doesn't help you click in, and it sounds like even though he likes side hits you should be checking in with a shop for any potential adjustments anyway. Better to have skis that come off than a twisted knee!

 

[xxs_skier]

It might just be that he's 37lb and doesn't quite generate the force needed to pop up the heel piece. Some bindings are stiffer and need more force to click into than others, I distinctly recall my younger sibling needing to pull up on his heel piece when he was younger. Changing the DIN doesn't help you click in, and it sounds like even though he likes side hits you should be checking in with a shop for any potential adjustments anyway. Better to have skis that come off than a twisted knee!

I wasn't planning on changing the DIN to get his skis on easier, I was worried it wasn't set correctly for the way he is skiing now. It's all good, I'm not changing it as we're going to look into having his bindings checked anyway. He was able to get into his rental skis fairly easily so maybe he just has a stiffer binding for this one.

 

[Jilly]

What ski and binding is he on?

 

[xxs_skier]

What ski and binding is he on?

I didn't know there are different bindings, so I took a pic. Hope this helps.

He's skiing on a Volkl RTM jr-100