Hardbooters Teaching Children Skiers - Questions???

[fishrising]

Hey All,

So my 4 year old daughter has begun taking her first ski lessons this season, she is going for her 4th all day group lesson tomorrow. I drop her off around 9am, the ski school gets her into rental gear, gives her a 1-2 hour lesson in the morning, take her in for lunch, than a 1-2 hour lessons in the afternoon, and I pick her up after 3pm. All while I check in on her every hour or so to see how she is doing, take some pics/videos and I get to ride all day.

However, next year or whenever she "graduates" from the ski schools and I begin to take her up on the mountain, I am not sure that me on an alpine snowboard setup is quite the ideal mechanism in the beginning while riding with her. I've been skiing/boarding since the mid-80s, and when I last skied (before shaped skis) I could "do it all."

My question(s) is(are), since I would rather not be on a snowboard setup with her in the beginning, what should I do?

(1) pick up a set of alpine skis, boots, poles and ski with her?

(2) pick up a set of telemark skis, boots, poles and learn along with her? I've always wanted to try telemarking.

(3) pick up some snow blades, use my alpine snowboard boots in them, and ride with her?

(4) other?

I think the cheapest option is 3, then 1, then 2. But I am not that worried about cost. I would look for used or old new stock (Sierra Trader, etc) gear to keep costs down. I also think the snow blades would be the easiest option if I could use my hardboots with them (and if I could summon up the guts to actually ride them, because I don't even like the idea of them). I think the telemark would be the most fun (if you call learning fun) for me, but its not about me, its about her. And that alpine skis would be the best to be able to show her things and control her if I go with some sort of child "tether" system.

How hard is to snowplow with telemark skis?

What are your thoughts, opinions, and/or perspectives?

I am believer of learning to ski before snowboarding for kids under 6 or 7 years old.

MODS - IF THIS SHOULD BE MOVED, PLEZ MOVE.

[tex1230]

snowblades or alpine skis. you don't want to be learning tele while chasing your kid - they have a very fast learning curve and will get away from you quickly. I usually use alpine skis but snowblades are really easy to deal with.

[DjulezD]

+1 on the ski before snowboard learning scheme.

I am at the point when my daughter makes hockey stops, carves up the hill and makes wedges only where and when there is no other option and she wants to learn snowboard now. My wife is a skier so I didn't have to make that kind of choice, just to refrain from pushing her into learning snowboard...

One additional option for your situation that comes to my mind is to get some approach skis in the 100/125 range instead of the snowblades.

[carvedog]

+1 on the ski before snowboard learning scheme.

I am at the point when my daughter makes hockey stops, carves up the hill and makes wedges only where and when there is no other option and she wants to learn snowboard now. My wife is a skier so I didn't have to make that kind of choice, just to refrain from pushing her into learning snowboard...

One additional option for your situation that comes to my mind is to get some approach skis in the 100/125 range instead of the snowblades.

Snowblades do work well ( for me ) with my hard boots.

Approach skis would be long enough that you would need a releasable binding ( if you like your knees). But what do I know - I rode in snowblades.

[fishrising]

Thanks all!

So far it looks like snowblades are the consensus.

So, are some better than others?

Do I even care?

Where can I find them cheap?

Any online resources to read about them?

I'm 6'7" 265+#s, does that matter in snowblade selection?

Are snowboard softboots sufficient to use in them?

I can't believe I am going to be riding snowblades. No offense to anyone here, but whenever I see them, I begin laughing.

[crote123]

My daughters (3 & 5) started skiing this year so I was also presented with the same dilemna that you have. As I inherited my girlfriend's skis (she bought, well I did, but that's besides the point, a new pair of skis after she had them "stolen", just by magic we found them the next day,hummm...), I decided to buy a set of cheap new boots (C$200) to use with those skis.

But I don't like skiing, compared to carving, it's rather boring, especially bombing on our small hills around here, anyways, I digress. So, I was carrying both my skis and board and both sets of boots to change from skis to board until I decided to check if my Head Stratos Pro boots fitted in my ski bindings...

Lo and behold, they fitted (note that the skis are also Head's but are about 5 years old)...

So, you may also check out skis as your boots may fit (maybe not if you have step-in heels) but have them properly adjusted to your bindings if you finally go with skis. Note that I haven't used them in diamonds or double diamonds runs, it's only to follow my girls around green trails.

OTOH, snowblades are much easier to carry around than skis but I find that you don't have much control on them.

Now I've got a pair of Nordica's used twice for sale...

[DjulezD]

My point about approach skis was about teaching ski and not snowblades. Each time I was riding with my daughter skiing she would ask me on the lift when she would start snowboarding. I assumed seeing me on a snowboard factored in somehow. So I guess if you go with her on snowblades, she might want to have snowblades too at some point.

But I agree that it's the most convenient and cheapest option.

[Neil Gendzwill]

I'd vote for the alpine skis, as you would be best able to demonstrate on them. Also it's very useful in the early stages to be able to do a backwards snowplow, and personally I'd feel unstable doing that in the snowblades, although of course you may be more coordinated than I that way.

[tex1230]

Thanks all!

So far it looks like snowblades are the consensus.

So, are some better than others?

Do I even care?

Where can I find them cheap?

Any online resources to read about them?

I'm 6'7" 265+#s, does that matter in snowblade selection?

Are snowboard softboots sufficient to use in them?

I can't believe I am going to be riding snowblades. No offense to anyone here, but whenever I see them, I begin laughing.

check the local ski shops - end of season I picked mine up for like $100

If you can wait a month I'll send you a pair of beat up old salomons for cheap. I currently use a pair of Line 99cm that I picked up a couple years back - 6', 220lbs. They are fine for messing around on but you don't want to get any real speed. - they get really squirrelly if you get over moderate cruising speeds.

[ak_rider]

i would recommend going for the teles. if your a good alpine skier you'll be able to make alpine turns when you need to and can throw a tele turn in every now and then. plus, without your heels locked down, it's easier to bend down and help a small child. my fiance is a good alpine skier, and his first day on teles last season he was making tele turns down blues, so i'd say it's pretty easy to convert from alpine to tele. although when i try to wedge in my teles my heels tend to fall towards the inner edges of my skiis, but this may be due to bad technique, i never alpined before tele.

if you decide to go with snowblades be aware that they have a high risk for broken legs because the bindings don't release. i'd say approach skis would be better since they have releasable bindings.

[Sinecure]

Here's the scenario if you go the snowlerblade route:

Some Other 4 Year-Old to your daughter: "Is that your Dad on Snowlerblades?"

Your Daughter: "Yes, that's my Daddy."

Other Kid: "Where's your other Daddy?" - Not that there's anything wrong with two Daddies! :rolleyes:

Get some skis. Learn to ski again. Its fun.

[fishrising]

Thanks all again!

I haven't made my decision yet on what to do. But I am leaning towards alpine skis, then snowblades or teles.

Reason for alpine skis is so that my daughter can see what I do, and I can show her something if she has questions.

What about using my Head Stratus Pros as ski boots (saw crote123's comment)? I'm not intending to push the skis hard, while riding with my daughter, but I may at some point. So maybe the stratus pros will be too soft and I would risk breaking them (I am a pretty big guy).

But being able to bend down and help while on teles with a free heel is a plus.

I guess snowblades or approach skis will be my last resort, with snowblades being the cheapest option.

Thanks againg and keep the comments coming!

[tex1230]

Here's the scenario if you go the snowlerblade route:

Some Other 4 Year-Old to your daughter: "Is that your Dad on Snowlerblades?"

Your Daughter: "Yes, that's my Daddy."

Other Kid: "Where's your other Daddy?" - Not that there's anything wrong with two Daddies! :rolleyes:

Get some skis. Learn to ski again. Its fun.

Comedy Gold...

[Neil Gendzwill]

Yes, the hardest part about learning to snowblade is telling your parents you're gay.

[Jack M]

I have a 6 and 3 year old both in ski school, but usually only for the morning.

In order to ski with them I cram my Deeluxe T700s into my ski bindings. You just have to reach down and pull the binding lever up. Yeah, it's sketchy, but it works enough. I have released from the bindings appropriately. I just don't push it or do bumps, which is fine because I don't really have an opportunity to do that with my kids yet.

I personally wouldn't want my kids to see me snowblading. Call me what you will. I want them to aspire to master real skis, and I want to provide that example.

[fishrising]

I was at Stratton today and bit the bullet found some deeply discounted Salomon XWave 8 in a mondo 31/31.5 that fit. Next is to pick out some skis. Anyone recommend some good carving sticks? So that every once in a while I can give them a run without my daughter.

[Jack M]

I was at Stratton today and bit the bullet found some deeply discounted Salomon XWave 8 in a mondo 31/31.5 that fit. Next is to pick out some skis. Anyone recommend some good carving sticks? So that every once in a while I can give them a run without my daughter.

I have some hand-me-down Fischer RC4s from my dad, they're 170cm, 15m, and I like them. It's to the point now that you can basically buy skis with the same numbers as snowboards. If I was buying now I'd look at Volkl too; my wife (aggressive expert) has a pair of Supersport 5-Star and loves them. When she bought hers she also demo'd Atomic Metrons and dismissed them because they weighed like 40 pounds.

[fishrising]

OK, so I've found some skis on end of season clearance that I like. I want an aggressive all mountain ski that I can "grow back into" as my 15+ years of skiing comes back to me. I don't want to have buy another pair for several seasons.

Here they are in order of my initial preference:

Nordica HOT ROD NITROUS XBi CT 178 R17.5 124-78-108

Head iSUPERSHAPE MAGNUM 177 (R13.5@170, 121-71-107@170, couldn't find 177 specs)

Salomon XW TORNADO 178 R16.2 124-76-108

K2 APACHE RECON 177 R18 119-78-105

Salomon XW FURY 177 R18.4 128-85-111

Does anyone care to comment on the above skis, for a 6'7" 260# guy?

Does anyone have suggestions where on the web I can go to research these skis?

[tex1230]

the Apache Recons are great skis. The nordica hot rods are awesome too, but kinda heavy. my best reccomendation is to get twin tips so you can turn around in front of your kid.

[fishrising]

I don't want to go with "park type" twin tips. But the Nordicas do have a pretty good tail up rise.

[EnisiWaya]

I hardboot , soft boot and ski. teach extreme craving ( and thusly extreme carving) on both board and skis.

find a used set (bindings and skis are a package designed to work together) Dynastar Ome Carve 10's.

Reason:

your technique on hard boot boards will work almost exactly the same on the skis you will only need a couple of runs to dial the skis in to carve almost as hard as your carving board. Push Pull with the start of the turn up hill from you works really well on these buggers even on blue ice. BlueB chime in if you are around. The Elans have a similar ski. Neither sold really well as a $1300 package that was too much even for most full time instructors. But they are ideal for an experienced hard boot carver.

Trust me!!!

Ask BluB.

Chase

[fishrising]

Thanks All!

I obtained a pair 08/09 Nordica Hot Rod Nitrous XBi CT 178 R17.5 124-78-108at a price I couldn't refuse!

Hopefully I'll get out on them in the week or so!

[BobD]

My 2 cents, but a little late. I would have gone for a smaller radius. The kid's skis will have very small radius sidecuts 6, 7 or 8 metre. With a smaller radius on your skis, the kids will be able to copy your turns. This is more important when they start carving, which these days does not take long. At the slower speeds the kids will be skiing at, you will get more fun turns in on with a smaller radius (selfish reason). Skis like the Metron and Scrambler are very versatile and can make all kinds of turn. Also, I figure that on skis I need about one metre smaller radius to make similar turns to an alpine board. So a ski with a 17M radius would carve like a board with an 18/19M radius.

BobD