Teaching a 5 year old to ski parallel

I was skiing with my 5 year old nephew for 6 days over the last couple
of weeks, and he seems to be doing pretty well. His parents reckon they
could squeeze in a 4 day weekend in Europe this season. How do you
recommend I get him skiing parallel (or whatever you think he should be
aiming towards)?

The child - 5 years old, male. He had 2 - 3 hours last season, 3 full
day lessons at Sierra 2 weeks ago and 3 days with me and his parents at
heavenly last week. After the lessons the instructor said he was happy
with him on any green slopes, and was in control of his snow plow so
that he could stop exactly where he wanted. With me the next week he
was happy on every blue run I took him on and the one easy black (ridge
bowl). He could stop facing downhill in a snow plow on the black run.
All this is in the snow plow. He enjoyed it all emmensly, especially
when he got to go fast.

Me - I am comftable on all the runs at heavenly. I have no real
teaching experience, but I gave his parents some lessons and they found
them useful. The transition from snow plow to parallel is the hardest
thing I have found to teach.

I thought we could get him 2 or 3 hour long lessons (with us around so
we know what to work on), and get a book or something to help us teach
him. We would probably go to Italy (as it is cheap and accessible from
the UK by ryanair) but would consider anywhere if it would be better
for teaching).

Thanks for any pointers.

wrote in message
ups.com...
I was skiing with my 5 year old nephew for 6 days over the last couple
of weeks, and he seems to be doing pretty well. His parents reckon they
could squeeze in a 4 day weekend in Europe this season. How do you
recommend I get him skiing parallel (or whatever you think he should be
aiming towards)?


Get him lessons with a professional ski instructor.

I think you're pushing him into your reality of skiing.
He's a kid, and can easily parallel when he want to, is ready for it,
just by looking at you and every other skier.
To parallel now would mean you have to teach him to constantly check
his speed with parallel TURNS, something not programmed into any 5 year
olds brain.
Just take him skiing as often as possible, the transformation will
occur by itself, or not.
He's FIVE years old!!!

"LeeD" wrote in message
oups.com...
I think you're pushing him into your reality of skiing.
He's a kid, and can easily parallel when he want to, is ready for it,
just by looking at you and every other skier.
To parallel now would mean you have to teach him to constantly check
his speed with parallel TURNS, something not programmed into any 5 year
olds brain.
Just take him skiing as often as possible, the transformation will
occur by itself, or not.
He's FIVE years old!!!


I remember my son at 7. I got him a lesson. Great instructor.
When the lesson was over I had him leave us at the top of an intermediate
run.
I asked my son if he wanted to practice the turns. Answer? No!
With the word no, he just pointed himself down the hill for a straight full
speed no turns run.
At 30-40 pounds and 3 feet off the ground, a full speed snow plow didn't
amount to much, but it made for a good laugh. My son was all grins at the
bottom of the run.

Bryan wrote:
"LeeD" wrote in message
oups.com...
I think you're pushing him into your reality of skiing.
He's a kid, and can easily parallel when he want to, is ready for it,
just by looking at you and every other skier.
To parallel now would mean you have to teach him to constantly check
his speed with parallel TURNS, something not programmed into any 5 year
olds brain.
Just take him skiing as often as possible, the transformation will
occur by itself, or not.
He's FIVE years old!!!


I remember my son at 7. I got him a lesson. Great instructor.
When the lesson was over I had him leave us at the top of an intermediate
run.
I asked my son if he wanted to practice the turns. Answer? No!
With the word no, he just pointed himself down the hill for a straight full
speed no turns run.
At 30-40 pounds and 3 feet off the ground, a full speed snow plow didn't
amount to much, but it made for a good laugh. My son was all grins at the
bottom of the run.



As long as he can ski under control on an intermediate trail thats fine.
But you do gotta remember the other skiers out there who aren't
necessarily watching for a 30 pound 30 mph missile coming up from behind
them.

--
To reply by email remove "_nospam"

"Chuck" wrote in message
news:nmpLf.12548$KZ1.2807@trndny09...
Bryan wrote:
"LeeD" wrote in message
oups.com...
I think you're pushing him into your reality of skiing.
He's a kid, and can easily parallel when he want to, is ready for it,
just by looking at you and every other skier.
To parallel now would mean you have to teach him to constantly check
his speed with parallel TURNS, something not programmed into any 5 year
olds brain.
Just take him skiing as often as possible, the transformation will
occur by itself, or not.
He's FIVE years old!!!


I remember my son at 7. I got him a lesson. Great instructor.
When the lesson was over I had him leave us at the top of an intermediate
run.
I asked my son if he wanted to practice the turns. Answer? No!
With the word no, he just pointed himself down the hill for a straight
full
speed no turns run.
At 30-40 pounds and 3 feet off the ground, a full speed snow plow didn't
amount to much, but it made for a good laugh. My son was all grins at the
bottom of the run.



As long as he can ski under control on an intermediate trail thats fine.
But you do gotta remember the other skiers out there who aren't
necessarily watching for a 30 pound 30 mph missile coming up from behind
them.

--
To reply by email remove "_nospam"

Agreed. This was one of those mom and pop ski resorts and an empty blue
run. It was just one of those parent moments. No one was threatened by the
little straightline "speed" demon.

wrote:
How do you
recommend I get him skiing parallel ...

You don't.
All he needs is miles. He'll pick up the rest for himself.

I totally understand what you are saying. I do not think I shall be
pushing him into anything, I was just thinking how he can get the best
out of skiing.

I like the point about him picking it up from other skiers, he has of
course done that with everything else that he has learnt.

On 2/23/2006 12:54 PM, LeeD wrote:
I think you're pushing him into your reality of skiing.
He's a kid, and can easily parallel when he want to, is ready for it,
just by looking at you and every other skier.
To parallel now would mean you have to teach him to constantly check
his speed with parallel TURNS, something not programmed into any 5 year
olds brain.
Just take him skiing as often as possible, the transformation will
occur by itself, or not.
He's FIVE years old!!!


Just make sure he knows what a good edge feels like. Reduce the
snowplow angle a little bit at a time to increase speed. I have seen
too many skiers go to quickly to trying to parallel; they end up sliding
their turns and not edging.

Dan

wrote:

I was skiing with my 5 year old nephew for 6 days over the last couple
of weeks, and he seems to be doing pretty well. His parents reckon they
could squeeze in a 4 day weekend in Europe this season. How do you
recommend I get him skiing parallel (or whatever you think he should be
aiming towards)?
[snip]
I thought we could get him 2 or 3 hour long lessons (with us around so
we know what to work on), and get a book or something to help us teach
him.

I'd skip the book. If you can, do a couple of days of AM lessons, PM
skiing with you. Talk with his instructor about what to work on _and_
what's realistic to expect as far as progress.

The main advantage to getting kids to ski parallel, as I see it, is that
the wedge is conceptually simple, but physically strenuous. There's a
point at which the kid can do as much as it's possible to do with the
wedge, and can ski a lot of the mountain...but will get tired more
quickly than a parallel skier because the wedge will wear 'em out
faster. But unless the kid naturally gravitates toward an open-stance
parallel quite early on -- and some do; most often it's skaters, IME --
there's a progression involved in making the transition to parallel, and
it takes a while for it to really sink in. So, get a good instructor to
check out where he's at and give you an idea about whether this
goal-oriented going to parallel is a realistic expectation.