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Best Tips for Making Skiing Fun
- Thread starter tika55
- Start date
tika55
Certified Ski Diva
She does enjoy the mini terrain parks. Great call! And we ski with her best buddy some but probably not often enough.
As a tween, my daughter would happily ski with anyone except me (father is a non-skier). Best if it was another tween or young teen, but an adult she liked was okay too. We did trips to our home mountain (4-hr drive one-way) over weekends, so would often invite a friend and the friend's mother.
perma-grin
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I think first I’d find out why she is a reluctant skier and work my way back from there. Is she’s not having fun because she’s not proficient in technique and feels she can’t keep up or is she’s bored skiing with the family? Does she find it less fun because she’s cold? Sometimes just a buddy to ski with, a fun lesson program, or an intro park maybe a novice class to doing a rail jam. And sometimes just finding a cute new ski outfit does the trick. I divide my 3 hour development team time up between gates, terrain park, and supervised free skiing so that none of the kids feel bored or left out. All of the the kids are given a chance at leadership by getting to pick a run and a drill. It can be as simple as hand claps through the brushes or as complicated as a 180 off the flat box. All of the kids love the terrain park even if they just hit the lip on the side of the feature. Don’t have access to gates? NASTAR is fun and available at most hills. Get the kids hopping and jumping over natural features. Go to safe gentle slope and challenge them and yourself with skiing backwards and 360’s. This type of skiing fostered a sense of belonging, and confidence building! You can do the same thing within a family group. Kids learn best through play and challenge. Skiing shouldn’t always be structured and it should never be rigid, but it should be fun!!!
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tika55
Certified Ski Diva
This is amazing advice, thank you! I asked her to name the top 10 reasons she doesn't love skiing and it boiled down to: cold fingers/toes and not being able to keep up with the family, with a side of being scared on harder terrain.
Well she does have important reasons/complaints.
Cold fingers and toes could be ill fitting boots or wrong type of socks. Big heavy socks are not the answer for warmth. Make sure her boots are dry after each time out. Even remove the liner to make sure.
Swany makes a mitt (and glove) that you can put a hand warmer in. And you can buy chemical hand warmers in bulk at Costco. (like a case lot) Now it the time!!
Keeping up with the family - maybe try to find some friends that ski similar to her to ski with. Or would she be interested in a confidence lesson? Or even a weekly lesson group to meet some kids her age?
Bribes don't always work.
Cold fingers and toes could be ill fitting boots or wrong type of socks. Big heavy socks are not the answer for warmth. Make sure her boots are dry after each time out. Even remove the liner to make sure.
Swany makes a mitt (and glove) that you can put a hand warmer in. And you can buy chemical hand warmers in bulk at Costco. (like a case lot) Now it the time!!
Keeping up with the family - maybe try to find some friends that ski similar to her to ski with. Or would she be interested in a confidence lesson? Or even a weekly lesson group to meet some kids her age?
Bribes don't always work.
perma-grin
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Well all of those things a valid in my book. I would address the cold first . Which tends to amplify the other issues by adding being miserable to feelings of fear and lack of proficiency. It’s simply no fun being cold! If her fingers and toes are cold, that is 9 times out of 10 because she is inadequately insulated through her torso. It may sound counter intuitive but her head and neck generate the most heat loss then her organs. Both areas need adequate covers to keep them warm and optimally performing. The brain instinctively shunt blood from fingers and toes to keep the organs warm. As a ski instructor 40 + years, and Ski Patrol trainer. I’m just as guilty as the next person for choosing to look cute over dressing properly with lots of layers. Lol! But now that I’m past the age of being cute lol! My go to dressing for patrolling is lightweight base layer then a mid weight wool zip base layer then a sweater or fleece over that. I always wear a light weight vest either fleece, boiled wool, my Patagonia down sweater Gortex shell, Patrol vest. Always a low profile neck gaiter or balaclava then helmet. If that sounds like a lot it’s because it is! Lol! But I am out on the hill for longer than most of our guest are. And if I’m working on an accident I’m out for even longer. I can’t just come in. I wear mittens vs gloves. The added warmth of a mitten is worth what ever dexterity I lose from not having fat fingers of a glove. There are lots of cute things from last season on sale right now! May a fun shopping trip is in order!
HuntersEmma57
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
A private or small group lesson is a nice way to introduce reluctant skiers. No one else that she cares about will be watching. Public embarrassment and sibling/family taunts is a major buzz kill. Buy finger and toe warmer packs and show her how they work. Promise her you will never force her onto terrain before she's ready. Tell the instructor in private about her fears and reservations and ask them to make it as fun and playful as possible. A big thumbs up for a vest. Too many arm layers can feel restrictive and mittens over gloves.
LucieCZ
Certified Ski Diva
The weather's starting to change here near our local mountains! We've already started hyping it up for our kids. Granted they're 5 & 7, not 11. Having them try on some ski stuff or put some ski stickers on some of their things is planting the seeds early.
Just casually mentioning how fun and or exciting it's going to be to spend time up in the mountains, play in the snow, go on a trip, visit so and so, etc etc. with them.
Does she like anything about it? You could focus on those things. You could try having her go with you to the store and choose a new baclava, gloves, helmet or other ski/snow related item of her own. Maybe new snow boots?
We haven't had much push back, since our kids are younger, but with other things, we try to include them in the planning process a bit to get more buy in. Like, do you like resort A or B better? Do you like restaurant A or B better? Should we include A or B activity when we go?
Anyways, good luck! Have fun!
tika55
Certified Ski Diva
I really had not thought of the body layers until a few people mentioned it. She usually goes fairly light on body layers but we will definitely try to layer up more this year. Her mother (aka me) regularly wears about the same # of layers you do (lightweight long underwear, thin fleece, thin patagonia vest, 850 fill down jacket, gore tex shell). And team mitten 1000%! I got her the gore tex alti mitts, which is what I wear, and the ONLY gloves that have ever kept my hands from turning into ice cubes.
brooksnow
Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Yes to all the suggestions here about keeping warm. The torso is key. Does she have one of those big fleece over helmet hoods?
She says she doesn't like having to keep up with the family. What terrain is she comfortable on vs. the rest of the family? Is there any comparison/competition going on? Everyone in the family was once at her current level.
Chasing people all day on the slopes is no fun and skiing faster than one is comfortable with is a sure way to develop and reinforce defensive habits. It's great that she loves the terrain parks - there is so much to learn there that transfers to other trails and everyone in the family can play in the park at their own level. Skiing terrain that is too challenging also leads to defensive skiing. Our ski school has a sign that says, "It's not the trail you ski, it's how you ski it."
I'll second (third?) lessons to meet her at her level and help her build skills and confidence. A good instructor can help her attain her goals while having lots of fun on the slopes.
And because this is SkiDiva, I have to ask how her boots fit
Well, that got long-winded. I am so looking forward to the beginning of ski season! Countdown for me is at 5 weeks
She says she doesn't like having to keep up with the family. What terrain is she comfortable on vs. the rest of the family? Is there any comparison/competition going on? Everyone in the family was once at her current level.
Chasing people all day on the slopes is no fun and skiing faster than one is comfortable with is a sure way to develop and reinforce defensive habits. It's great that she loves the terrain parks - there is so much to learn there that transfers to other trails and everyone in the family can play in the park at their own level. Skiing terrain that is too challenging also leads to defensive skiing. Our ski school has a sign that says, "It's not the trail you ski, it's how you ski it."
I'll second (third?) lessons to meet her at her level and help her build skills and confidence. A good instructor can help her attain her goals while having lots of fun on the slopes.
And because this is SkiDiva, I have to ask how her boots fit
Well, that got long-winded. I am so looking forward to the beginning of ski season! Countdown for me is at 5 weeks
Here's a trip report from the midwest by a grandfather who clearly knows how to start a grandchild on the path to enjoy being on skis. He go this grandson started in the most frugal way possible. The boy is 10 and has two younger siblings. Grandpa is in no hurry.
First lesson at Timber Ridge in Michigan, January 31, 2026
Timber Ridge Mi 1/31/26 with Grandson # 4 Isaac
Been 4 years since I was to Timber Ridge in the small but mighty burg of Alamo Mich.( burb of Kzoo) I had a Mt Bohemia no blackout reciprocal to burn and I was several years late getting my 10 year grandson # 4 Isaac in his first lesson.Recalling McDonalds has sponsored a never ever $60 newby...
nyskiblog.com
