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Am I super uptight?

snoWYmonkey

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well, yes, there's that. So right. Straight is sometimes just fine.

SO a nice big sign in the middle of some lower pitch trails saying "No Straight-lining" needs to be put up where the kids tend to head downhill in a power wedge, and patrol needs to enforce it.
We definitely have tons of signs in all green zones and most busy low angle slopes that read "whoa zone" or "slow" zone, and many of my ripping colleagues (of duty) and racer kids have been singled out equally to those who look out of control. Slow is slow no matter how the person is skier. If they loose it they will hurt someone, even the best skier in the world can go down in the wrong place.
 

liquidfeet

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
At Wachusett, back when I went every Wed night for night league racing, there would be ski patrol at those slow signs with red blinking lights attached to their helmets. They would stop people who looked out of control. Traffic police.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
For me it’s this. Parents are looking for their “time off” too. Unless you have already laid the foundation and expectations kids are not going to know the boundaries. As my MIL is prone to say “If having good kids was easy everyone would have them.” It takes a lot of work and in our fast paced instant gratification cultures things that are a lot of work don’t necessarily happen.

Great point. And because kids are kids, I did set minimal expectations with my higher risk tolerance child.
1) know how to stop/steer - assessed both by me and an instructor
2) be able to stand up and reinsert into skis (we did this on the side of an icy sledding hill to make the most adverse conditions possible. *evil laugh* But you know he’s used this skill)
3) safely ride lift
4) Fall over is better than crash into

It’s not a lot of rules. Like you can’t do this or can’t do that.
 

elemmac

Angel Diva
This thread reminds me of a scenario from this past weekend.

DH and I were cruising a pretty good clip just before a fairly steep section of a black trail at Sunday River. There was a family (two parents and two little kids) stopped just before the trail rolls over to steepen. They were on the side of the trail, at a very appropriate location to stop. The littlest child started to pizza out into the middle of the trail, right before my husband got to them, cutting him off. A few feet closer and he would have annihilated that child. This was a complete disregard for the general rule of "look uphill before starting". Point being, some parents are oblivious to the general safety rules, which is probably why some kids never learn it.

DH and I reach the bottom, exchange a few words about "glad you/I didn't hit that child", and get on the chair. About 1/2 way up the lift ride, the lift goes over an ungroomed section of trail (one of the steepest runs at Sunday River), and there is that same family camped out in the middle of the trail trying to get the 2nd little's skis back on. Our chair was right over them when we heard the littlest one exclaim, "this was a BAD idea". Hope those parents are taking some lessons from their littlest.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
The Summit at Snoqualmie has an online "test" to use the terrain parks. I do notice that while it used to be mandatory, it now is "highly recommended" (it also says you need to renew it every year, so ???). Anyway, I wish they'd have this for anyone under 18 skiing without parents. Actually I wish they'd have this for males up to the age of 50. I'm sure someone will bring up an example of a woman skiing irresponsibly so fine, maybe we should all take it. (But especially men, and kids skiing alone).

http://mypeepspass.com/summitatsnoqualmie#1
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
Our chair was right over them when we heard the littlest one exclaim, "this was a BAD idea". Hope those parents are taking some lessons from their littlest.

WHHYYYYYYYY are people not as smart as their kids?

Well, @Iwannaski, from what I read, I'd be fine sharing the trails with your kids, joining them for some runs. Your husband's kids ...not so much.

LOL... IKR!?!?! makes us a good team, I guess. Thank goodness they have the chill parent to keep their less chill parent grounded. :wink:

Getting my kids skiing this winter has been super fun and very rewarding, though. They’re a hoot. DD (“I’m never skiing, ever” after the first fail) wants us to go tomorrow after early dismissal from school. The high will be 13. So, I guess I made even the resistant one a skier.
 

floatingyardsale

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Am I uptight about this? DH says I need to chill. I told my friends who have 3rd graders to make sure they learned how to ski before the peer environment of middle school turned them into deadly weapons. I would love some perspective.

I don't think you are, with the caveat that even a kid who is generally pretty good about being safe can get egged on by friends, so it's not, I think, simply a matter of inadequate parenting or training. My kids are little (7 & 4) and I'm on them all the time about being aware, about being responsible for where they're going and who is below them on the hill, not stopping in blind spots. And for tiny kids, I think they have pretty good situational awareness.

But I know from biking with my oldest that if he's with a friend his natural sense of self-preservation turns into competition over speed, and I can't imagine that he's going to be less competitive as a pre-teen. And if he buzzes too close to someone five years from now, they're not going to be reassured by the fact that 95% of the time, he's an exceedingly responsible skier. They'll just be (rightly) annoyed.
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
Oh, totally. I’m honestly fine with those kids. (Like, I get annoyed, but I’m not BOTHERED, if that makes sense)... Most of the time, the fast buzzers know what they’re doing.

It’s the wildly out of control ones who scare me. Screaming and telling people downhill of them to move... That’s some bs.

The kids having fun and seeking some thrills? Honestly, as my daughter said tonight when she was “bombing” down a green (as much as you can), “I LIKE GOING FAST!”
 

Ski and run

Diva in Training
I don’t think you are too uptight at all. I think your thoughts are spot-on.

This is my thought.
1) skiing is an inherently dangerous activity. So Is driving. You would not (or should not) drive a car without taking a lesson first, and the same goes for skiing. Put value on your life and take the lesson. You’ll enjoy it more when you know how to control yourself.
2) skiing is an expensive sport. You (the general “You”, not anyone in particular on this thread) need to acknowledge and accept this before engaging. Equipment, gear, lift passes, travel.... none of it is cheap. To get the best experience invest in lessons and learn how to get the most out of your day on the mountain.
3) putting the kid in lessons is good for the entire family. Parents get time to ski at their level, the kid gets to make friends and ski at his/her level. When the kid is strong enough, head out with the parent and tear it up together. It’s great family time. We’ve spent TONS of money on lessons for our kids. Yes it was expensive. We've hit the lessons hard since they were 4 years old. But I don’t miss any of that money now and have no regrets bc they are strong and capable skiers and we can all be together on the mountain enjoying the day.
I hope that helps
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
Love the driving analogy.

And lessons to me are just a non-negotiable.
Because it *IS* expensive, but it’s also too expensive to not have fun doing it, and having fun means having a clue.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
3) putting the kid in lessons is good for the entire family. Parents get time to ski at their level, the kid gets to make friends and ski at his/her level. When the kid is strong enough, head out with the parent and tear it up together.
I wish all parents at my home hill were skiers of some sort. Haven't really figured out why total non-skiers who have no interest in learning themselves spend money on getting their young children on skis. When the kids are under 8, usually the parents or grandparents make them leave the slopes when ski school is over. But there are always a few tweens under age 12 on the slopes with absolutely no adult supervision at all. Most are skiing solo. Some of the parents/grandparents haven't even seen where the blue slopes are since they can't be seen from the lodge, only from the parking lots.

I have no problem with tweens skiing with a friend for a little while since the slopes are short and there is only one base lodge. Especially in the age of the cell phone. That's one of the reason I chose the resort as our home hill.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I have torn MCL from a 'toddler' that cut me off and sent me into the brush spring skiing. The parent apologized but doesn't have to deal with my wrecked knee. My After thought I should have just picked the kid up and skied off with him/her- I have done that before- we have kids let loose on the MT that take jumps from the side INTO Traffic.

Some of our ski patrol are good at policing and making them walk back UP on the Double Black they shouldn't be on and All of our instructors have management's permission to scold and correct the violators. We now carry the "Skier Code" to hand out. I'm amazed how many parents are clueless.
One Dad on the slope was going to chew me out as I was informing his out of control son he had to STOP and not hit me and my student. I gave Dad the Code and he said " We normally ski on the top not down here!" I explained politely that the CODE Is Universal
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
@marzNC .... I think it’s fear.

I didn’t learn as a child because my parents were from a tropical climate. This year, when there was a unique opportunity for us to ski as a family and my husband (primary athletic parent) was not available for skiing... I had a few choices when my kids needed to learn.

I could:
1) not have them do it - potentially impairing their ability to hang out with friends when older...we live in a cold climate and skiing is a fun, social activity.
2) suck it up and get better myself so that I could be have fun with them while they did it. (Ding ding ding!!!)
3) send them and avoid it because I was mediocre to start - fear of embarrassment, fear of falling, fear of failing, etc.

I have a friend who is from a flat state and does not ski. For social reasons, her daughter wants to ski ... see reason 1 above. My friend doesn’t like being not good at things, so she is unlikely to go. I get it ... I think it’s just a different mindset than I have. In some ways, it’s a way in which I’m *NOT* uptight... I don’t care if I’m terrible at something, I feel like with work and application, I can probably get better.

Luckily for my friend, several of her friends will be happy to stand in as ski parents, and her husband MAY be into it. But I think she’s pretty normal. Most of us who have taken up new things in middle-adulthood are probably out of the norm...

:beer:

I do feel strongly, though, that if I’m going to preach to my kids about growth mindset in school, sports, life, but then I don’t model it myself, the words are pretty hollow. And the same fear that parents use to keep themselves off the slopes is the fear that their kids will absorb about new, uncharted territory when they experience it.

Forward and commit, right?
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I teach a lot of timid ladies, mostly are the moms Like you @Iwannaski the kids are advancing and no longer on the slope for moms to watch, so now I'm getting the moms tuned up so they can ski the top too. We're trying to run a 4wk program in March for Moms just like you! Wish you were closer!
The Summit at Snoqualmie has an online "test" to use the terrain parks. I do notice that while it used to be mandatory, it now is "highly recommended" (it also says you need to renew it every year, so ???). Anyway, I wish they'd have this for anyone under 18 skiing without parents. Actually I wish they'd have this for males up to the age of 50. I'm sure someone will bring up an example of a woman skiing irresponsibly so fine, maybe we should all take it. (But especially men, and kids skiing alone).

http://mypeepspass.com/summitatsnoqualmie#1

Okemo used to have the test to play on the park trails! More should have it. the signs are great but many ski right by them clueless they are skiing in a danger zone
 

Iwannaski

Angel Diva
I love it.... both the women’s clinic (closest to us is THREE hours away) and a qualification test. I make my kids recite the safety rules in the car on the way to the slope. While they may not practice, I figure repetition is the little angel on their shoulder. Hormones will be the devil.

I would LOVE to be closer to a big skiing area... on the other hand, our cost of living is fairly low, so we can budget for travel to ski areas... ;)

Part of my obsessive focus this year is to be ABSOLUTELY confident on our blues (I’m about 75% there) by the end of this year so that next year can be confident on more challenging terrain. I.e., EITHER mountain blues or local black diamonds.

Y’all are a real inspiration.
 

alr

Certified Ski Diva
So, DH thinks I overreact at parents who I think have failed their kids before putting them on skis (an inherently risky activity that does require some training and rule-following to be safe).

As my kids have been learning, I’ve seen so many middle schoolers who have been put on the slopes without lessons, basic skills and the tools for responsibility or survival around other skiers/snowboarders.

I’m sad for these kids, because they’re not getting the best experience or exposure to the sport, and I’m scared for my kids (especially the smaller, more cautious one, who is still working her way off the green).

In the last month, I’ve seen an out of control girl ski up a hill/onto a patio (!!!), I’ve seen another who cannot control her speed scream “MOVE” at people in a line because she couldn’t stop or turn, and then the same girl fall halfway down a green and have NO IDEA how to get her skis back on to get down the hill (she shouldered them and walked down after failing to get back in). I recognize my privilege in at least understanding skiing before taking my kids for lessons, and that not everyone has that. But I also wouldn’t have sent my son with friends if I didn’t think he could make safe choices. He’s 12, not an adult, and still my responsibility, right?

Where does the responsibility for not putting 100ish lbs of out of control human on two rails at 35 mph belong? The resort that needs money? The parents who may not know anything about skiing? NO way it belongs with a middle schooler.

Am I uptight about this? DH says I need to chill. I told my friends who have 3rd graders to make sure they learned how to ski before the peer environment of middle school turned them into deadly weapons. I would love some perspective.
I’m uptight about any behavior on the mountain that’s dangerous and could hurt me, my kid or my husband. My son is 8 and knows the rules and how to ski in control. He’s had years of lessons thankfully so we are able to ski together this year where the group lesson programs have been cancelled.
 

nopoleskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I’m uptight about any behavior on the mountain that’s dangerous and could hurt me, my kid or my husband. My son is 8 and knows the rules and how to ski in control. He’s had years of lessons thankfully so we are able to ski together this year where the group lesson programs have been cancelled.

Awesome!! I teach "Keep your OWL HEAD" on especially when it's busy == look -look- and look uphill again. Combat skiing is the worst! Happy skiing!
 

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