UKC

Hi folks,
anyone any recommendations for skis and boots for what will be a 4 year old?

Daisy has never skied before so I would like to make sure boot and ski choice are the correct ones apart from the obvious point that the boots fit correctly.

I have no idea so any advice is appreciated and I don't intend to buy but rent but I just wanted to know what I should be looking out for if indeed anything.

She is about 104 cm tall, around about 18 odd kilos for reference.

Thanks, Den

In reply to Denni:

Will she be having lessons? If so, my experience is that instructors will soon tell you if the kit looks wrong - I've seen a few parents told they should go back to the hire shop after the first day, and ask for short skis, or for the skis to be serviced and edged, etc.

Judging my mine at that age, she'll probably be in fairly soft boots (eg Salomon T1) and maybe 90cm skis (similar height but a few kilos lighter, I think).

She'll almost certainly be skiing without poles - which means mitts are much easier than gloves. And be expected to wear a helmet - worth making sure it has a functional goggle clip on the back if you don't want to lose them. And possibly buying a helmet cover, as kids love them!

Also, well worth making sure she has salopettes with internal snow gaiter. Some kids ones just seem to be elasticated round the bottom of the main leg, which, IME, might be OK over snow boots for sledging, but is a recipe for snow in boots, wet socks and miserable child when learning to ski.

In reply to Carolyn:

Hi Carolyn,
thanks for the reply :0)

She may have a couple of lessons when we get there and from years based in Germany and seeing the local kids learning, I figured on the well padded out, helmeted look!

We have managed to get some Patagucci proper ski suits for her as per an adult one. Internal gaiters etc so she should be okay but ta for mentioning it. My mate has a couple of pairs of kids skis and boots so am hoping to get hold of those to have a wee look.

As you said, I'm sure any instructor worth their salt would point out the right kit, well am hoping they would. We are heading to the Snow Dome when we visit the grandparents so will have a word with them there.

As far as helmet covers go, she has seen these and went nuts!

http://www.headztrong.com/

Thanks for the advice, much appreciated.
Den

In reply to Denni: Here's a question (and I'm not having a go - just interested) - given what you posted about not leaving her with other people on another thread - when she goes to ski school will you stay around to keep an eye on her or will you leave her with the class?

Have to confess I did the former one year (I was worried they'd be "ok") and ended up having to pull our eldest out of ski school after she fell over, knocked a (loose) tooth out and the ESF lady poked a bit of tissue up her bleeding nose and said "Allez!" and buggered off!

I think leaving her to it would have been better in retrospect!

In reply to andy:

Hi matey,
don't mind you asking at all. I should have said in the other thread I meant specifically at a younger age, probably 2-5.

I realise when she is at school she will go away etc and that is something I'll get used to (and encourage) and as with most people of our age, ahem 45...., when we were younger we were out all day and night causing mischief but it seemed to be a lot different back then and I guess it is even more different now being a parent.

I probably worry far too much but I put that down to being a newish parent. I want her to go out and do/learn as much as possible by herself but I'll always have an eye on her! Also, part of it is that she will be out of my control which is a contradiction because I'm not that controlling.

Will see how it goes!

In reply to Denni: Cheers - just interested what you were thinking. Ours were (I think) 3 and 5 when nthey first went to ski kindergarten (the 3 year old) and lessons (the 5 year old) and we sort of hung around (and we see parents of MUCH older kids sort of tracking their kids round the mountain), and I wish we hadn't.

However now they're 11 and 13 nothing gives me greater pleasure than seeing them zoom off on their own, but then later on spotting the 13 year old on some obscure bumpy bit through some trees, appearing at her side bellowing songs from The Sound of Music or something else that causes her excruciating embarrassment, and then vanishing like a fat musical ninja...

In reply to Denni: To echo earlier points, Little ones spend lots of time standing around and falling over so keeping them warm is more important than whether their skis have been waxed! If they can get boots on and they are comfy that will do. A difficulty is that little ones don't know what the boots are meant to feel like and may find it hard to express their thoughts. So long as skis are pretty short and they can put them on if/when binding releases that will do.

Our kids started at about 4 and it wasn't long before they were cruising the whole mountain. It THEN gets expensive as they want their own kit and they keep growing out of it!

With regard to the question of leaving them alone in the ski garden, I distinctly remember ( 20 years later) leaving our eldest in tears. The instructor was keen for parents to leave so the flustered parents weren't a distraction. All worked out, she was desperate to go the next day! Now I struggle to keep up!

In reply to Denni:
I know its not what you asked about but here is my top tip with young kids and skiing : attach a 3 metre or so piece of rope around their waist and let them ski in front of you (preferably also on skis!). It works really well as a way of getting them confident and its so much fun for everybody.

In reply to Denni:

Hi Denni,

Your 4 year old is about the same size as my 5 year old is now. She first started skiing a year ago.

Ski's for children should be between chest to chin height. She was on 85cm skis last year and I will keep her on those probably this year as the jump to her brother's old 100cm (well, 97cm) skis is too much. My understanding is that the shorter skis will be better for her as it allows her more control. She is not a speed /jump freak like her brother who coped fine when he was mistakenly issued ski's up to above his nose last year! I wondered why he wasn't turning much that day...

Regards boots, I have found rear entry boots to be much easier than front entry. I think most boots that size are rear entry. I got 2nd hand ones on eBay (get them to stand on a ruler and measure their foot length in cm's) as I was concerned that we might get to resort and they might not have many in her size- during a peak week that could mean she wouldn't have a boot that fits! It's my preference now to have 2nd hand kit rather than go through the hire shop, but plenty of people don't agree with me. Regards boots, they need to be comfortable on the child, not over tight. They ski differently to adults but they will soon stop if their feet hurt/ are getting cold because of tight boots. Pretty much the same as with climbing shoes!

If you are going to be at the SnowDome, why not do a taster session for her? Both mine did 6 or 7 lessons at Snowzone before we went and they were comfortable in the 2nd ESF class where they recapped stuff they'd already learnt for the first 3 days! But seeing as the instructor didn't really speak English, it meant they were comfortable with the skiing part and getting used to the format of lessons instead.

Have a fab time!