Age to start skiing?

[MASTER Brian]

I am curious, what age would most of you recommending to start teaching a child to ski?

I have a 3 year old that I have thought about trying to start teaching. Overton's has one of those trainer's that is shaped like a "U" and pulled at idle speed. http://www.overtons.com/modperl/pro...ner&cname=Trainers&aID=1E&merchID=1009&r=view

I am not actually sure she is ready to learn yet or not, but I don't want to wait too long either. Have any of you tried with kids this young and what are your experiences?

I have wondered if it is good to buy one of those or wait a year or two and buy the pair of ski's that has the bar between.

 

[cmcpherson]

Re: Age to start skiing?

Good question, I learned when I was 6 and learned to slalom when I was 8. Of course this was 40 years ago and it was on full size skis that were really a bear to handle at that age, but I was really determined. Every kid is different, a friend of mine learned when he was 5 and was a national junior champion in the 70's. 3 seems pretty young even with that u-shaped board you are talking about. I think it is more about the falling than it is about the skiing, are they ready for what could happen back there at the end of the rope...

 

[MASTER Brian]

Re: Age to start skiing?

The falling is a good point and one I wonder about. If I could find a nice quiet cove, that is fairly shallow, it would be easy for someone to stay fairly close in the water and just idle around. I like the idea, but the what if's are too many right now and I'll probably wait. I just wonder what others have experienced.

 

[OhWellcraft]

Re: Age to start skiing?

When my older boy was three he wanted to try but I didn't want him to fall off of something get spooked and not want to do anything cause he was scared. So I put him on a knee board while I kind of hung off the back and we putted around for awhile it was kind of awkward for me but he had a ball and was good place to start getting him used to moving across the water etc. He is just seven now and knee boards(deep water start) and skiis on his own and really enjoys all of it tubes too. When I was a kid my dad got two slalom skiis and put me in the front bindings while he used the back bindings and we would ski around a bit, I think he enjoyed the looks he got as much as I did the skiing. Just take it slow with them because one bad spill and they get spooked then they don't want to do anything. Tubes are great too but get one that is a deck tube they dont submarine as much, but kids can still hild on plus you can pull them at real slow speeds. good luck...

 

[tommays]

Re: Age to start skiing?

Are children started yound BUT we had a ski boom and could stand right next to them in the boat , I do not think they could have done as well learning on a line