What to get a 6-7 yr old "racer" as new skis....

My daughter just completed her first season in the Nancy Greene ski program here in Canada (E1) and all kidding aside, rocked out at the year end festival (3 gold of 5) OK enough bragging proud dad style...Anyway, she nailed the slalom w/ carve turns and then hit 63kph in the DH and hammered the moguls course. So basically she skis wherever we do....I don't want to get her race specific skis but do want to get her something that will help her technique while still having fun in the trees, terrain park and speeding away from mom. Her current basic skis are 100cm and I was thinking soemthing along the lines of the K2 missy in 119 for next year...or is that too much of a jump? She is probably 3 1/2 ft tall and maybe 50lbs...but quite strong.

 That's a great kids' ski but it sounds a little big to me. My 6 yo is 4' 1" and is on 105cm Roxy twins. I keep eyeing the 118s at the closeout sales and might go that way for next year but I wouldn't if she was 6" shorter.

No one ski will excel at every discipline you mentioned. If she really likes to race she will need race specific skis and free ski skis. The program director might have some connections to other program participants who are moving up off of some gently used race boards and would be selling them anyway. As far as free ski skis, a bargain today might not seem so good eight months from now when she gets back on the snow. Mostly because it's impossible to predict how much she will grow by then. The best way to know for sure which skis will work best for her is to have her try them.

points well taken....we have kinda decided to see what we can round up from the club race wise then look at a fun pair for her time.

cheers,

P

I don't know about how they do it in Canada, but own here I wouldn't expect the kids at that age to race more tan 2 or 3 times a season and not even train gates that much. At age 7 it's more about learning some skills and building mileage.

For a girl her age & size, you don't really need a longer ski, but something with a bit more stiffness could be good for her development if she's outskiing her current skis.   She may well be able to ski a longer ski, but especially at that age you want to be sure she can still drive it, and not just be going along for the ride.  What ski is she on now?

The JR race skis targeted to the Nancy Greene program skiers are still pretty versatile for skiing all over (including the park & bumps), so they are worth considering as a good development ski.  The equipment isn't really race specific until K1, and at the NG level, one ski is all they need. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by epic 

 

I don't know about how they do it in Canada, but own here I wouldn't expect the kids at that age to race more tan 2 or 3 times a season and not even train gates that much. At age 7 it's more about learning some skills and building mileage.

Around here, pretty much the same. As far as races go, they do NASTAR once or twice a week. Otherwise, it's all fundamentals. They don't hit the real course (except to jump in at the flattest part for a few gates occasionally) until they are 8.

Getting race specific skis (including duals) at the age of  6 or 7 is unheard of -- especially at her height and weight. I seriously doubt the young child is outskiing her current skis -- no matter how strong. Of course, that is not to say skis a tad longer will not allow her to go faster.

as it was her first kick at the skiing can we got her some Techno XT Girl skis (Sport Mart in house brand). That being said, they were pressed in Slovenia so i think they are probably put together at the Elan factory. They are 100cm in length. (New boots are in order as well!) I wasn't implying that she needed race specific skis, more so non park specific skis (true twins). I am looking for skis that she can build her skills and confidence with and as chanwmr mentions getting time on the hill (which we did this year hitting 45 days as a family.)

Here she is in action.

You have good reason to be proud of your daughter's skiing, dalman. In fact, you've given me an idea for a great wiki -- gather a bunch of photos of kids who ski very well, so parents and instructors in particular can see what "just good skiing" looks like when children do it. Thank you!

I'll leave the equipment advice to those who know the products, but will offer that the next five years will make or break the career of your young prodigy, as this is a transitional period when kids go from wanting to do whatever you want to do to wanting to do whatever their friends want to do. If your daughter forges her own personal attachment to skiing, she will continue. If not, she'll tend to adopt the attachments of her friends. 

Well done dalman,

Nancy Greene is an excellent program.  Without exception every great skier I know got their start there.

As for the best skis? The pair SHE picks is the best pair.  Kids skis, are kids skis.  There is little differrence, especially for young kids. The key is that they are the pair she loves, and wants to ski on.  So if that means the red pair with the heart shapes is the ones she likes...those are best skis for her....if she likes the blue ones with lightining bolts, then those are the best skis for her.

I have had lots and lots of skis over the years.  But you know what?  To this day I remember every pair of skis I had as a kid.  And I was proud and loved every pair I had.   Not every pair was even a new pair mind you. Many were second hand, but I could say, these were owned by "so and so", or these are "very stiff" or "etc etc".  The point is, I felt good about stepping into each pair I had.  They may not have been the most expensive, or latest...but they where MINE, and I made them ROCK!  Being apart of picking them out, was crucial to that. 

Thanks for alloowing me to take a trip down memory lane!  I hope it provided some perspective.

But here is some facts to consider:

All great skiers LOVE skiing.

So what came first?  Being a great skier?  or loving skiing?

I think you will find, and logic will dictate, that loving skiing comes first.  This is the fundamental premise behind all Nancy Greene programs.  They are designed to teach a love for the sport first and foremost.  Learning to ski well is very secondary.  Keep that in mind while working with her to choose the right ski, and you wont go wrong.

PS:  Talking to her Nancy Greene coaches is always a good option.  I am sure they are very approachable.  Alternativley you can just go to Sun Peaks and ask Nancy Greene herself!  I know she is very approachable!

Edited by Skidude72 - 4/19/2009 at 11:00 am GMT

With adults I've noticed that skis are preferred more by the way they fit the style/technique of the skier. Because I grew up on longer stiff racing skis and stiff boots, I still prefer to ski longer skis/stiffer skis and have stiffer boots. Age has shortened and softened me up a little.

With kids, my kids to be exact, they adapt to whatever is underneath them. Like Skidude said, being a great skier is more passion than gear.

That being said, kids are suckers for their aspirational peers. When I put my kids on the same skis the older/more advanced skiers have, they by nature *believed* those skis to be better. Are they? No idea. Will never know. All I know is they were stoked to ride the lift with the same skis and start prematurely talking smack like us older folks.

A good fatter twintip for allmountain and park schralping is good. And a good race/carve ski is good. No kid under 10 should have more than 2 pairs of skis.