Thread: First Time Kid
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Old February 11th 07, 10:03 PM posted to rec.skiing.nordic
Camilo
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Posts: 144
Default First Time Kid

On Feb 11, 8:53 am, "JayD" wrote:
Going up to Lake Placid next weekend.
I have a bunch of skis my sister gave me for the kids -

My son is 7 y/o, 5' 2". Never really skied before, just fooled around
with a pair of "strap ons".

I've got 2 pairs of standard "skinny"/touring skis with 3 pin bindings
(she gave us all the old boots also).

One @ 140 cm looks like it would fit him perfectly based the "reaching
the bend in the wrist" method.

Another pair is 135 cm.

Which would be better for him to learn on?



Use the shorter ones. I always started my kids on skis about head
high or tad taller. The "reaching to the wrist" is an old wives tale,
and really doesn't even apply to adult skis, let alone a little kid
who's a beginner.

Practice putting them on and walking around a little on a carpeted
floor, just to get the hang of it and avoid problems out in the
cold.

If they're not fish scale skis ('waxless'), make sure they're waxed
properly.

Final bit of advice: besure to be very aware of the kids' attitude and
quit before the kids are tired of sking or frustrated or cold. This
could be 30 minutes or 5 minutes. The worst thing you can do is give
them any bad taste in their mouth. Don't worry if it's just a few
minutes first time - at least they'll want to do it again. If you
over do it, it could be a long time before they want to do it again
(personal experience!)

All this is to minimize the frustration the kids feel and maximize the
fun.

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