Children's skis
Whilst recently browsing for children’s skis, we were quite amazed at how many different styles and technical specifications were available in the junior market.
That’s all well and good if your child has attained a sufficient level to benefit from race profiles, but if he’s just starting, you’ll be best off with an entry-level recreational pair suitable for easy learning. Generally, junior equipment is softer than the equivalent adult skis. That means they are more flexible, are easy to turn and control, and will reduce the strain on your child’s legs.
The first thing to decide is whether to buy or hire. Buying can be cost-effective if you are planning several ski holidays per sports per season, or if you have younger children who will also use the equipment when they are old enough. At this point you start to recoup the cost of buying versus the cost of hiring.
Whether you’ll be able to get more than one season’s use from them really depends on the rate your child grows, although assuming the length of the ski remains adequate, you can prolong the use by having some adjustment in the binding to accommodate a different sized boot.
Buying second-hand will be even more cost-effective. Some good prices can be found either on online auction sites, or from specialist winter sports shops that sell ex-rental equipment.
If you do decide to buy, we’d recommend that your child tries the equipment in resort first – the best thing to do is to hire and try. Many shops offer favourable deals if you buy the equipment you’ve hired. You’ll probably find buy-back schemes from UK stores for when your child is ready to move to a larger size.
If you do buy, you’ll have the convenience of already having the kit – no need to queue in the rental shop. On the other hand, you’ll need to maintain the equipment or pay for that to be done for you. If you’re self-driving to resort, then the space they’ll need shouldn’t be too much of a problem. If you’ve got a luggage allowance, though, you may find it prohibitive to bring equipment.
The other option is to hire in resort. Shops will be well experienced and will know what type and size will suit your child. They will easily be able to adjust the settings of bindings to your child’s boot size, weight and ability. Best of all, there is usually the option to try a different pair if needed (good if you’re thinking of buying).
If possible try not to visit the hire shop at the peak time. The first morning of your holiday will usually be the first morning of everyone else’s. So if you arrive in time, go the evening before to avoid the queues.
Shops generally hire kids skis as part of a package that also includes boots, a helmet and poles if he is ready for them. So the rental option can be cost-effective if you are only having one week’s holiday. Prices do vary from resort to resort. We paid £48 this year, although if you stay in a popular, well-known resort you may have to budget for nearer £60
Your child should learn how to look after his equipment (whether bought or hired) responsibly from an early age. Admittedly, a four-year-old’s attempt to carry their equipment can be rather haphazard – with an emphasis on hazard if you happen to be in their path!
This year, in order to get our children to lessons as quickly as possible, one of us ended up carrying one pair of adult skis and poles plus two pairs of children’s. Well, at least that’s one way to warm up for the day, but for future ski vacations, everyone will be carrying their own equipment.
Small children tend to clutch their skis to themselves when they carry them, as you can see in this picture. To get them ready to carry, slide them with bases together until they ‘lock’. We wouldn’t recommend that young children sling them over their shoulder as adults do - as they turn around they'll inadvertedly prod whoever has the misfortune to be standing within range.
You can buy clever carrying straps that attach to the tips and tails of the equipment and then sling over your (or junior’s) shoulder, so leaving hands free.
If you take a look in an equipment store, you might see various styles of ski. You’ll be unlikely to find traditional straight version either for hire or sale. One year, our eldest child’s instructor was quite bewildered to see her in lessons with a well-used pair of straight planks. In the end we did hire a shaped pair – not because she was struggling, but because she’d outgrown them. Having said that, she did find them easier to turn, and she was able to handle deeper snow with ease.
Whichever style you choose, you’ll need to ensure that your child uses the correct length. Weight and ability are taken into account, and the winter sports shop will be best placed to advise you. As a guide, though, the length of traditional skis would be 15cm below the top of your child’s head if he is under six-years-old. Between the ages of six and ten the length would be near head height.
The newer style shaped or carving skis will be noticeably shorter and wider. As a guide, the length should be between shoulder and eye level, depending on the ability of your child. The general rule is the heavier you are, and the more aggressively you tackle the slope, the longer the length - the same applies to children and adults. Be honest about your child's ability. If he struggles with equipment that isn't suited to his real ability, he'll probably get frustrated and miserable.
What if you have a toddler who (like our youngest) is desperate to do as his siblings do? A fun solution for playing in the snow is a plastic pair. These are worn with snow boots, and are very good for promoting balance.
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