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How to Teach My Son to Ski

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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
NS,

This thread has been a long time coming, and it's an understatement to say I'm excited for it. My son is turning 3 in February, but he's strong and speaking well enough that I am ready to get his feet on snow next week when we finally move back to the mountains after a 3 year stint in the desert (not a total loss, he's a hell of a swimmer now at the age of 2!). I know many of my OG NS friends have kids of their own or have taught youngin's at the local (probably Vail owned now...) hill.

What's the best way to get him going at such a young age? We will be living in North Ogden, Utah and frequenting Snowbasin, so he'll get lots of reps each week and have easy access to a magic carpet and a small lift-accessed beginner section. I obviously want to do it like we did with swimming: lots of exposure, but lots of fun. I think we want a harness for him with a handle on it to help pick him up or grab on to if he gets moving too fast, but we've never done this before.

What have you guys got for me? How do I win at this?
Dec 28 2020 12:48PM
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TRVP_ANGEL
Posts: 12506 - Karma: 116,127
it all starts with a little nudge... off the edge of a black diamond. Give your kid a fastrack to pro status today!
Dec 28 2020 12:50PM
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Obama_care
Posts: 581 - Karma: 2,759
I don’t got advice but reaching your kid to ski literally looks like the best part of being a parent.
Dec 28 2020 12:58PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37390 - Karma: 120,134
Snowbasin is awesome, really great stuff for families.

Get everyone involved, make it a fun day for him and other family members too if possible. I think kids interacting with different people while learning to ski sometimes can be a really positive thing, especially with gradparents or aunts or uncles, close friends with kids also, etc. Heck even sometimes instructors who are familiar with young kids can be helpful too, could even give you some tips to work with as well as others. Dont be scared to ask for help from others ya know. Make going to the ski hill something hes gonna look forward to even more as he gets older. Maybe one day he'll join their Freeride team and the rest will be history lol.
Dec 28 2020 1:08PM
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9352 - Karma: 68,309
If its anything like teaching your significant other to ski, you'll want to go up on a warm spring day, bring lots of snacks and fun stuff and prepare for a lot of bunny hill action.
Dec 28 2020 1:13PM
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mountaindewgirl
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 20,798
Take a bunch of cute pictures and frame em and hang em all over the house! Especially when he has certain achievements. Then he'll kind of see himself doing it and guests will talk to him about it and it'll engrain into his identity, so he'll be more lucid during his time on the hill. As soon as he is out of the bumbling little ski wee phase, he'll have somewhat of a sense of progression and sentiment towards the sport because he can look back at the photos and be proud of them.

Cheers!



Maybe even go so far as to decorate his new bedroom as a wintery ski theme. Hang some cool skiing posters up and stuff. Look for opportunities to get him little medals and trophies and stuff.

**This post was edited on Dec 28th 2020 at 2:00:49pm
Dec 28 2020 1:49PM
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ASAPCarter
Posts: 918 - Karma: 10,356
larilinesignTake a bunch of cute pictures and frame em and hang em all over the house! Especially when he has certain achievements. Then he'll kind of see himself doing it and guests will talk to him about it and it'll engrain into his identity, so he'll be more lucid during his time on the hill. As soon as he is out of the bumbling little ski wee phase, he'll have somewhat of a sense of progression and sentiment towards the sport because he can look back at the photos and be proud of them.

Cheers!



Maybe even go so far as to decorate his new bedroom as a wintery ski theme. Hang some cool skiing posters up and stuff. Look for opportunities to get him little medals and trophies and stuff.

**This post was edited on Dec 28th 2020 at 2:00:49pm


This x1000

I still have the pics of me learning to ski and protect them with my life.

Dec 28 2020 2:14PM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4809 - Karma: 17,050
BigPurpleSkiSuitIf its anything like teaching your significant other to ski, you'll want to go up on a warm spring day, bring lots of snacks and fun stuff and prepare for a lot of bunny hill action.


It's different, your kids can't just up and leave like an SO.

Get some ski blades or short skis if possible, you're going to spend a lot of time wedging with a small child between your knees. The harnesses are cool for holding, picking up, and strapping after a while. Really it comes down to reps and comfort level.

One big tip: if you have a big rug or carpet have the kid put all the gear on at home and walk around in skis on the carpet. Get familiarwith stepping in and out of bindings, putting boots on, all that stuff so there will be less new when you're starting on the hill. There will be plenty to learn already
Dec 28 2020 2:35PM
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mountaindewgirl
Posts: 2285 - Karma: 20,798
ASAPCarterThis x1000

I still have the pics of me learning to ski and protect them with my life.



OMG YOU WERE THE CUTEST KID!!!!!!!
😭😭😭😭😭
Dec 28 2020 2:49PM
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Segsxi
Posts: 457 - Karma: 1,675
TRVP_ANGELit all starts with a little nudge... off the edge of a black diamond. Give your kid a fastrack to pro status today!

Call me a terrible friend but I took my friend off one of Upper Bowl’s steep faces at Skibowl; it was a black but just a groomed run the mf slid like 3/4 of the way down after he took a spill the funny thing is you can see all the way to the top and the bottom of run gets Super Mellow I watched him sliding down arms spread board in the air
Dec 28 2020 2:57PM
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drifts
Posts: 591 - Karma: 4,340
I don’t fully remember it but I know my dad and mom took me to the hill a bunch before they even opened and took turns carrying me up the hill a bit and sliding me down to the other parent so that on opening day they could skip that part of teaching.

My dad used ski blades and a hula hoop to take me to other parts of the mountain when I was good enough (he says hula hoop teaches better form than the leash since the kid leans against it vs the leash pulling them into a back seat form)

also I remember watching lots of warren miller movies in the lodge when I was having snacks and hot cocoa, there was a tight knit group of parents who took turns keeping an eye on the kids in the lodge so other parents could get out and ski
Dec 28 2020 3:08PM
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teamdummy
Posts: 1188 - Karma: 2,604
I started my daughter at 3. Here’s my experience....
PATIENCE! They’re gonna whine. They’re gonna cry. You’re going to have to push, pull, and carry them everywhere! It’s going to be frustrating sometimes. The second you lose your cool, the day is over. You have to take a breath, remember they are little. And keep smiling and have fun. Easier said than done some days.

Do your best to pick good weather days. Not always possible. But I’ve seen parents drag their little one out there in single digit weather and you can just see them freezing. Adults have the ability to adjust and be comfortable when it’s that cold. A 3 year old just doesn’t know how yet.

There were some days she just wanted to play in the snow. Crawl around and make snowballs. Make time for that. Let them do it. Kids just like to play sometimes.

Have zero expectations! I’m a good skier, and figured I’d have her hitting rails by her 4th birthday. Nope. I spent two seasons holding her between my legs snowplowing down every green and blue run at the resort. But one day, when she was 5. She pushed off from me and took over.

I had the luxury of living 15 minutes from our ski area. So some ski days were only and hour or so long. You can’t force a 3 year old to go 9 am to 4. But some sunny days you might get 4 hours from them. Again, have realistic expectations.
Sorry, I could probably write a hundred more paragraphs on the subject! Haha
Dec 28 2020 3:18PM
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.Roockley.
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 4,078
Make it more of a game than a lesson, eg, get them moving around in ski boots first, then 1 ski 1 boot pushing like a scooter and finally on to 2 skis. Try get them to walk to you or try chase you.

Then it's trying to get them to make the plough shape in boots then on skis and holding them while they try do that.

If you want any more help/ideas just shoot me a PM, I've taught kids for a fair few years now
Dec 28 2020 3:21PM
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.Roockley.
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 4,078
Also to add, don't get the harness that goes around the upper body, try the one for the boots. Having it fastened to the upper body it will ruin their balance and get them leaning back (doesn't affect their skiing now, but later that's a bad habit that can be hard to shake)
Dec 28 2020 3:23PM
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doomquasar
Posts: 145 - Karma: 945
ASAPCarterThis x1000

I still have the pics of me learning to ski and protect them with my life.


This is the cutest shit I’ve ever seen 😩
Dec 28 2020 3:34PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6981 - Karma: 60,976
As a former instructor, I can say it’s all about fun. Seriously, make sure your kid is having fun or else they will fight you tooth and nail every time you want to go skiing. Take it slow. Bring snacks and treats. Play games.

Like others mentioned, having others to interact with helps too. I’ve seen many kids do great in the class and then lose it when the parents arrive.


I can’t stress enough how important it is that your son has fun and you don’t push him too much in the beginning.
Dec 28 2020 3:46PM
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Charliehermens1
Posts: 107 - Karma: 806
Hi to all the other NS instructors I just wanted to share this tiny nugget of wisdom

Some call it cheating, I call it winning. Throw that bad boy on for a few runs so they get that wedge then take it off and your cookin.

and it really is all about fun that's what we call making ✨lifetime customers✨
Dec 28 2020 4:13PM
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,965
this

and this
Dec 28 2020 4:54PM
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Grom
Posts: 310 - Karma: 2,104
i think patience when your kid is young leads to much better results as they get earlier. My dad was always super kind and happy to ski with me on the bunny slope when I was little even when it was a powder day. Now we can share those powder days together, and ski hard terrain all day
Dec 28 2020 5:57PM
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,578
BigPurpleSkiSuitIf its anything like teaching your significant other to ski, you'll want to go up on a warm spring day, bring lots of snacks and fun stuff and prepare for a lot of bunny hill action.


The snacks are very important to kids. Had a kid a week ago who went to frozen in nerves on top of the carpet to overjoyed about skiing thanks to grandmas cookies. Super important. Let the kid decide when its time for a break too. Just 10 minutes of making snow angles will turn things around.
Dec 28 2020 7:32PM
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,578
icedthis

and this


Funny but DO NOT buy one of those atulid harnesses. More than likely will make the kid dependant on it as they promote backseat posture and they learn nothing on their own. The habits these things form are hard to break.
Dec 28 2020 7:34PM
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Static
Posts: 8553 - Karma: 4,089
#1 ski dad here, use a wedgie tip connector thing, don't use a harness. If your kid can't stop on their own its too steep.
Dec 28 2020 7:43PM
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edai
Posts: 4988 - Karma: 4,655
Well, congrats Dustin, I've seen you post here through the years and it's pretty cool the older dudes are teaching their kids to ski now.

What the other folks said about fun is the key. You remember learning to ski on cold, snowy, flat light days? I think the only reason we loved it was because we could get a little bit of air and go fast. I also really liked having other kids around, maybe ask the other dads if their kids are learning too? I used to go with my cousins when I was a kid and it was sick, gave me the love of summer camp skiing, skiing with my friends through college, etc.

Also, set some goals for the little man maybe? Just to keep him engaged. I expect you're not a nut job, but I bet it would get him FIRED up if you said "if you want to ski that black diamond over there *points to black diamond*, you gotta learn to pizza first!"
Dec 28 2020 7:51PM
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TOAST.
Posts: 7482 - Karma: 36,055
@MikeUrich
Dec 28 2020 7:57PM
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dshiland
Posts: 214 - Karma: 1,369
I'm a former instructor and it's so sick your kids old enough to ski that's awesome I cant wait until I have a little one room bomb around with! Like others said it's all about fun. I dont know about the harness I've never used one but it seems to be a good idea so hes not crashing into gates or non expecting humans on the trail. Also dont shy away from lessons. A lot of great instructors out there who will make his time great and you'll get to ski how you want. When I worked I loved getting young kids on a random week day afternoon. Typically the group lessons are cheaper and less busy during that time. All and all enjoy it. He'll only get to learn once
Dec 28 2020 8:09PM
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MikeUrich
Posts: 288 - Karma: 1,997
Hey Dustin! Congrats on moving back to snow and getting your son into skiing. I have been teaching my 3 yr old son and just got my 2yr old daughter on skis this winter. The harness is the way to go. Its all about letting him get the feel and having fun doing it. I am on my 3 season now if doing a webisode series call Laps With Dad. That will best show you how I went about teaching my kids. Get the skis on his feet and let him just stand their and move around( stomp, step, shuffle,etc) on flat ground to get the feel of skis being on his feet. For the first few times you may have to hold him between your legs to go down the hill. The harness w/ straps would be the next step. My son used the straps all last season and on his last day, he was able to do some solo skiing(Very cool moment!) But anyways I hope that helps. Shoot me a message with any questions and check out some of my videos to get a visual. Take care and have fun!!
Dec 28 2020 8:32PM
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iced
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 17,965
r00kieFunny but DO NOT buy one of those atulid harnesses. More than likely will make the kid dependant on it as they promote backseat posture and they learn nothing on their own. The habits these things form are hard to break.


real shit a bamboo pole or ski pole is best if they can't use an edge wedgie on their own. keeps hands out front and can have them climb it while you send on their skis to get back up. it makes the put in some work so they don't feel like falling over whenever they feel tired
Dec 28 2020 8:44PM
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Brule.
Posts: 3920 - Karma: 6,206
Fellow ski instructor here. I can't stress this enough but make sure he's having fun while learning at the same time!!

Definitely get him comfortable in his ski boots before getting on skis for the first time. A lot of movement on snow is based on weight shifting from the heels to the toes so it's definitely best to get used to the feeling of the boots right from the start. It also helps with building muscle memory when learning how to turn so he's out of the habit of looking at his own feet when learning how to ski.

Definitely bring your poles when teaching your son on the bunny hill bc it might be more effective to use your poles as an object to keep his center of gravity over his feet instead of behind them. Above the magic carpet is totally based on your judgement.

Lastly, definitely do some research on using a harness and finding the right harness to use with your son on the mountain. Harnesses were once extremely frowned upon by PSIA-certified instructors when it comes to teaching skiing because it would keep a child's center of gravity over the tails instead of directly over the heels. Now it's starting to be looked at differently when used the right way and it'll help prevent bad habits from developing and will make it an easier climb up the ladder of progression.

Hope this helps, OP.
Dec 28 2020 8:54PM
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shawk
Posts: 473 - Karma: 41
Dustin, I am in a similar situation as you; my daughter just turned four and we are on year two of trying to ski. I do not live as close to a hill than when I learned to ski so not able to get in as many reps as I would like. I noticed a huge jump from last year to this year with using the edgie wedgie. To echo what everyone above said, my goal is to make it fun. We bring snacks and when she says I want to play in the snow, we go play in the snow. Also a massive difference was me ditching the harness and just skiing switch in front of her. I also get to see her smiling and laughing which is a win. I know some have success with the harness, I didn't. It is super rad to see people getting their kids involved in the outdoors regardless of the activity.

*Last piece is to not get frustrated. I am embarrassed to say I was somewhat frustrated on her first day last year. I was convinced that if we would try "one more time" it would click and she would fall in love with it. There was no anger or yelling, just me trying to convince her to go once more. She cried. I felt like a total asshole (rightfully so). We now have a blast whether we go down the hill once or five times. It has been great to see her grow and have fun.

*Another tip is there is a thread on TGR to keep kids skiing. Lots of great deals on gear.
Dec 29 2020 10:12AM
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OregonDead
Posts: 6891 - Karma: 24,559
Let your kid pick themselves up once they know how to click on etc. when I see parents just ski away from yard sales 100% I see the little kid collect their skis click in and they ski faster to catch up. one time coming down stump garden there was a 3-4 year old hiking up. only soul on an ungroomed black his ski was at the top. I scooped it up and carried it to him. Once he clicked in his dad popped out of the woods. Dad was actually hiding from the kid behind a tree watching the whole thing
Dec 29 2020 10:51AM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
This is all really good info guys, please keep it coming! I took a similar approach to swimming by just getting him in the pool as much as possible and playing fun games with him. On some days he was suddenly super motivated to push himself to try new things, on others he just wanted to pour water from a cup over and over. I am anticipating skiing will be similar, and since we live 30 minutes away and aren't going to fall apart if we miss some laps I think we can get him lots of fun time running around in boots, putting on skis, and hell...maybe even sliding down a hill on them!
Dec 29 2020 11:26AM
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Young_patty
Posts: 3280 - Karma: 37,930
Kids only 3 so don’t worry about him being good right away- make sure he is fun so he’ll want to keep skiing.


oh and just take him to a hill with a good youth lesson program, you probably don’t teach as well as a professional instructor
Dec 29 2020 2:42PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
Dustin.NS,

This thread has been a long time coming, and it's an understatement to say I'm excited for it. My son is turning 3 in February, but he's strong and speaking well enough that I am ready to get his feet on snow next week when we finally move back to the mountains after a 3 year stint in the desert (not a total loss, he's a hell of a swimmer now at the age of 2!). I know many of my OG NS friends have kids of their own or have taught youngin's at the local (probably Vail owned now...) hill.

What's the best way to get him going at such a young age? We will be living in North Ogden, Utah and frequenting Snowbasin, so he'll get lots of reps each week and have easy access to a magic carpet and a small lift-accessed beginner section. I obviously want to do it like we did with swimming: lots of exposure, but lots of fun. I think we want a harness for him with a handle on it to help pick him up or grab on to if he gets moving too fast, but we've never done this before.

What have you guys got for me? How do I win at this?


I've got three kids on skis now, I'll give you the best points I have.

1) Each kid will have their own timeline. Just because you were ripping at 3 doesn't mean they will. It is totally normal for a kid to take until 4 or 5 before they're competently on their own.

2) Make it fun above all else. If you go out to the hill and they're cold after one run? Fuck it, pack it in and let them watch their favorite show on your phone on the way home for the effort. Personally, I let all kind of bad behaviour slide under the branding "mountain rules". I also have driven out to the hill only to do 1/2 of a run, carry them back to the car and drive home... four weeks in a row.

3) Ski lessons. The amount of progress that gets made, even if you're just doing an hour of private lessons once a week is amazing. By my 3rd I didn't even try to teach myself, and he was skiing on his own insanely quickly. Instructors know what they are doing.

4) The harness is magic. I tried old-school with my first two doing poles across and a snowplow with them in between my legs. Terrible. That harness where you can clip onto them with the webbing that you can hold from behind? Amazing. IMy two older kids can ski on their own, so we can all go as a family and my youngest (4 now, was 3 last season) could actually ski around with us like he was part of the crew. It even allowed us to go up to steeper and larger runs, because I can help control his speed and he gets to feel like he's doing it on his own.

Good luck man! It does take time, and man are some of those days hard as they are learning. However, when you're ripping around the mountain with your 9-year old kid and they're actually starting to shred... or just out for a bunch of laps as a family... there is no experience more satisfying in this sport.
Dec 29 2020 3:19PM
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vbiletsky
Posts: 80 - Karma: 289
my only advice is don't force your kid into competitions. even if they're small comps let him make that decision.
Dec 29 2020 4:18PM
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ColoradoDogfart
Posts: 2443 - Karma: 29,002
I’m still a teen at the moment but realize that I remember learning to ski pretty vividly and it may help you from seeing a kids perspective. The first thing that is key is get them skiing with other kids that are learning. Even though there are young being able to ski and talk and laugh with friends all day were some of the best memories I ever made while skiing. Another think is group lessons in particular. Being able to have a little freedom from your parents and skiing basically with your friends with a chaperone made it feel very freeing rather than being stuck with my parents all day. Just some insight on my experience, hope this helps
Dec 29 2020 4:39PM
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WisconsinDogfart
Posts: 675 - Karma: 5,525
idfk how to teach somebody how to ski but make sure u get him some friends who ski too or skiing gets boring and you hate it (happened to me until my friends started snowboarding)
Dec 29 2020 10:58PM
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D_Mezz
Posts: 1382 - Karma: 16
Your goal for the first couple times is to just make sure they’re having fun and want to go back for more. I just took my 17 mo old daughter out for the first time last weekend. It was great. Here are a few tips

Get them their skis & boots a week or two before hand. Leave them around the house and let them get familiar with them. Ski boots are weird and uncomfortable. The more they can get used to it beforehand, the better.


The first couple runs up the magic carpet and down the bunny hill, I just held her in my arms. I let her watch the other skiers and understand what was going on. At this point we still didn’t have ski boots on her


After a few runs holding her, we put on the ski boots and skis. She took a second to get used to it so I held her for a bit while I skied down (with her skis and boots on). Then half way down the hill, I put her between my legs and let her feel the snow under her skis.


We did 4-5 runs with her between my legs and went in for lunch. Came back out and did a few more runs and called it. We made sure to leave having her want more.


For the last couple days she keeps grabbing her boots and skis wanting to go again. I’d say the first time was a success!
https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/986541/trim-058B253F-0ECA-49CB-A58D-8B33F0F649EB-MOV
Dec 30 2020 3:59PM
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Dan-Man
Posts: 7488 - Karma: 3,621
tell him you'll disown him and make him sleep outside unless he succeeds.
Dec 31 2020 12:32AM
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Non_State_Actor
Posts: 4809 - Karma: 17,050
A decent backpack with ability to carry skis can be of huge assistance getting from the car to the lift with small kids. Strap kids skis, your poles and/or skis, to the sides. Keep layers, snacks, and water inside and stash it somewhere close if you don't like skiing with a pack.
Dec 31 2020 12:45AM
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Twinjibber77
Posts: 6239 - Karma: 2,354
I used to instruct lots of kids and there's literally nothing I can add to this thread, so much good info. It's awesome so many of us are at this point in our lives AND still on here posting!
Dec 31 2020 11:58AM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Twinjibber77I used to instruct lots of kids and there's literally nothing I can add to this thread, so much good info. It's awesome so many of us are at this point in our lives AND still on here posting!


Ya man this thread has been a gold mine for us already! We are both pretty good at letting him push himself at his own pace, so that part I think will be pretty easy after teaching him to swim this summer. I think we will tag team at the magic carpet area for a good while until he asks us to go on the "big lift" again, I plan on carrying him down a small section after we go up a real, but very short lift just so he can see it. He's been on a gondola in the summer too, so if he's stoked to go I may take him up that and carry him down or something. He learned most stuff in the pool by seeing me do it and eventually asking to try.
Dec 31 2020 12:34PM
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doomquasar
Posts: 145 - Karma: 945
Dustin.Ya man this thread has been a gold mine for us already! We are both pretty good at letting him push himself at his own pace, so that part I think will be pretty easy after teaching him to swim this summer. I think we will tag team at the magic carpet area for a good while until he asks us to go on the "big lift" again, I plan on carrying him down a small section after we go up a real, but very short lift just so he can see it. He's been on a gondola in the summer too, so if he's stoked to go I may take him up that and carry him down or something. He learned most stuff in the pool by seeing me do it and eventually asking to try.

Keep us posted on how it goes!
Dec 31 2020 2:38PM
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reeski
Posts: 1024 - Karma: 1,591
So awesome man!! I’m constantly yelling pizza!!! And sometimes French fry. It’s easier for me to take my skis off and walk up and meet him at the top of carpet. Leave ur poles somewhere they’ll get in the way. CANDY and PBJ in ur pocket. I leave a backpack cooler with snacks and a few beers for the big guy
Dec 31 2020 3:33PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
Day 1 was an incredible success. He loves it! We took the same approach as we did with swimming, he leads the way on what he wants to do and we just happen to let him see us doing stuff that looks pretty fun haha. Sure enough, he wanted to copy-cat us and was getting on the magic carpet by himself after a couple times of helping (he demanded to do it himself as toddlers do or course). Pretty stoked, thanks for the advice guys!
Jan 6 2021 4:15PM
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9352 - Karma: 68,309
I look forward to this experience one day
Dustin.Day 1 was an incredible success. He loves it! We took the same approach as we did with swimming, he leads the way on what he wants to do and we just happen to let him see us doing stuff that looks pretty fun haha. Sure enough, he wanted to copy-cat us and was getting on the magic carpet by himself after a couple times of helping (he demanded to do it himself as toddlers do or course). Pretty stoked, thanks for the advice guys!
Jan 7 2021 5:08PM
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wyld_stallyns
Posts: 475 - Karma: 4,629
Dustin.Day 1 was an incredible success. He loves it! We took the same approach as we did with swimming, he leads the way on what he wants to do and we just happen to let him see us doing stuff that looks pretty fun haha. Sure enough, he wanted to copy-cat us and was getting on the magic carpet by himself after a couple times of helping (he demanded to do it himself as toddlers do or course). Pretty stoked, thanks for the advice guys!


I've never wanted kids but the opportunity to give someone else the gift of skiing might almost be worth it. Can't imagine a much better feeling than seeing your child smiling as he carves his first couple turns
Jan 7 2021 6:50PM
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Dustin.
Posts: 13839 - Karma: 7,704
NS fam!

Thanks so much for the advice this year guys, we wrapped up our last two days of the year with a huge break through. My son decided he wanted to try to ski by himself without Mom or Dad helping him (we had the most success letting him hold our ski pole horizontally in front of him and practicing pizza-french fry all season). I have to be honest, I didn't really think he was quite there yet and could only go a few feet before stopping. I was wrong, he skied the entire way down the ~1/3 mile bunny hill without help and followed my turns along the way. After doing that one time he asked to go to the top of a real lift (he's barely 3 so at first we said no). Every run he kept asking, so we gave it a try and while it was definitely hard for him, he had a lot of fun and was stoked that he tried it.

Hopefully this helps anyone else out there looking to start your kids out! It took us almost exactly 1 season going 2-3 times a week, where he would ski a few runs and then hang out with cocoa and snacks. Mom and I tag teamed a few laps at a time when we wanted to ski ourselves. He really enjoyed it and we just let him dictate the pace. It takes patience on your end, but if your kids are like my son, they'll let you know when they are ready and go for it. He doesn't respond well to being pushed, he just shuts down and gives up entirely. When it's his idea, I won't stop until he is tired because he learns a ton at those times and has a great attitude. Again, hope that helps. I know the advice in this thread helped us tremendously, there's not much better than skiing a whole run with your kid for the first time with no falls or tears, or having them wake you up and ask to go skiing (even if I knew perfectly well he just wanted cocoa that day).
Apr 26 2021 9:27PM
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dogfartstaint
Posts: 342 - Karma: 1,991
Dustin.NS,

This thread has been a long time coming, and it's an understatement to say I'm excited for it. My son is turning 3 in February, but he's strong and speaking well enough that I am ready to get his feet on snow next week when we finally move back to the mountains after a 3 year stint in the desert (not a total loss, he's a hell of a swimmer now at the age of 2!). I know many of my OG NS friends have kids of their own or have taught youngin's at the local (probably Vail owned now...) hill.

What's the best way to get him going at such a young age? We will be living in North Ogden, Utah and frequenting Snowbasin, so he'll get lots of reps each week and have easy access to a magic carpet and a small lift-accessed beginner section. I obviously want to do it like we did with swimming: lots of exposure, but lots of fun. I think we want a harness for him with a handle on it to help pick him up or grab on to if he gets moving too fast, but we've never done this before.

What have you guys got for me? How do I win at this?

It’s hard to teach really young kids IMO because they can’t understand edge control and everything, they basically just need to watch and reciprocate which is a long trial and error process. For me, it started on the bunny hill, then progressed to just doing s turns down a mellow green following my pops. Then I built up the confidence to pizza a blue then we went back to the greens and learned to carve and then continued to progress from there. This process did work but it was fairly inefficient. If you can afford it, I think a lesson for your kid maybe in a year or two would be so worth it as I know for my brother it sped up the entire process. Anyways, good luck and have fun :)
Apr 27 2021 9:39AM
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skiP.E.I.
Posts: 7821 - Karma: 21,850
I've instructed kids starting at 18 months and it is pretty fun being out on the snow with them. It's important to just have fun in the snow, whether the skis are on or not. Learning the difference between hard pack snow, ice and powder is huge, and exploring the area on sides of the run, etc.
Flat, open areas for straight running are great. I've never had to use a harness for instructing any kid before.
If you end up riding any kind of chairlift, alternate sides.
Bring snacks in your pockets too, like nuts, raisins, veggies or whatever he likes. You will be taking frequent breaks and the snacks will help him stay outside longer without tears.
Apr 27 2021 11:50AM
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b0ss
Posts: 795 - Karma: 6,271
Youll be lucky if you can get the kid to stand on their skis in a wedge. Take it easy and remember kids dont learn much in puppet mode.
Apr 27 2021 11:54PM
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brosasaki
Posts: 108 - Karma: 825
There are kits to attach hooks to your poles and loops to their tails; this lets you control the "tilt" and rotary of their skis and helps to communicate to them the more complicated kinesthetic concepts at an age where they really don't have any way to understand otherwise (or the strength/coordination to enact them). I use them in my instructing with very young children and they work like a charm. "hook-ease", I think
Apr 28 2021 8:36PM
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