Thread: advice on kid's skis

i tried searching, but its kinda tough with the character limit.

so my nephew and god-son just turned 2 a couple of months ago. his parents skied, when they were child-less, but with him and the newborn girl they havent been getting out, especially since i moved to CO. they kind of mentioned that they might get him some ski gear, but i dont think they did yet. so i was thinking of finding something for him on ebay just to kick start the whole thing.

i know 2 is probably still too young, but 3 shouldnt be. i mean, he runs around, might as well get on some sticks and learn to ski, right? the thing is, i really dont even know where to start as far as finding the right size. i can ask my cousins how tall he is (even though thats pretty useless at the rate kids grow). but whats friendly ski length for a kid just learning to ski? i think ill leave the boots to his parents, with the growing and all.

any other things i should consider that i might have overlooked, being childless myself?

thanks guys!

76cm or so should be just fine. IMO

Our son is not yet two and I just bought him a pair of 70cm. He'll probably need something a little bigger after next season methinks.

Buy him an edgie wedgie while you're at it. The lil tiny tots can't keep their skis together at all.

Skis nothing over 90cm and just the two buckle kid boot is where we started. My kids are seven and nine. My youngest is my daughter, just turned seven the 5th and has been on skis at least twenty days a year for the last 5. I would 2nd the edgie wedgie. Tie a knot in the middle it will be to long at that age. For years we would buy there gear at the ski swaps. I think there boots where like twenty and skis with bindings fifty to ninety.

A lot of colorado front range ski shops have special deals for kids where you rent everything the kid needs for the entire season. Typically costs much less than buying gear, and you can change stuff out mid-season if the kid outgrows it or needs something else.

Take a look at Levelnine they have some cheap kids gear. The Roces adjustable boot seems pretty solid.

http://www.levelninesports.com/youth-gear-c-25.html

rent or buy used - what ever you buy him - he will be out of in a year. most kids rentals are $100 for the season and you just give it back when you are done.

get a luck bum harness - it rules. It's got a shoulder harness for putting kids on lifts or just picking them up and the leashes are great. You can take a little kid on something steeper than they are used to and just side slip behind them. best $30 you can spend.

also - stay away from anything more than 3 or 4 years old. the weight difference in the newer skis is HUGE and for toddlers it makes a difference. When my son was 2 1/2 we rented some older skis and he couldn't even walk in them - the tips were huge and they weighed a lot. at the end of the season we went again and he got some newer shaped skis which were almost a pound lighter each. now he is 5 riding some 110 atomic 'race' skis.

Originally Posted by sharcsplean

rmost kids rentals are $100 for the season and you just give it back when you are done.

get a luck bum harness

Right here^^^

my kids are pretty strong skiers, having 100+ for most of their lives. That said, I have a few points to offer:

-don't buy skis and boots till you have to.
-kids grow fast
-they learn best from you
-the rental program is your ally


We ski every day. That said, we didn't buy gear for our kids until they were at least seven y/o. Time on the hill at this age always bests quality of gear. Rich guys in this town are a dime a dozen, yet they buy race skis for their kids and stick them in the Saturday program- and they wonder why their kids cry on the lift.

Rent. Until you have to buy.

In an unprecedented move, bought the 5 y/o new skis this Christmas as a gift. She wanted the ones with the pink butterflies on them, with shop price, they were something like $80.00 (that doesn't count mounting costs in the form of my 12 y/o girl baking cookies for the shop guys) . I caved in to the soft blue eyes and wrapped them up for Christmas yet I find she is the same 'ole tail rider she always was, albeit with pretty skis.

She was skiing great (tail riding accepted) on the little I-beams she was skiing before. Was she skiing great before? Yes. Did I let the pink butterflies get in the way of good judgment?

Absolutely.

Did she smile when she got them?

No.

She cried. In a good way.

That said, put off buying gear until you have to, and as I have mentioned, that is about age 8 or 10.

That above post about not buying is all very well but if it makes financial sense to buy then why not? For my family this year my 3 year old who is 100cm tall is learning and we are away in Chamonix for 14 nights. To rent will be 118 euros and I can buy K2 Luv Bug skis and Marker bindings for only 98 euros. Then when I take them back once she has out grown and my younger daughter also used them they will give me 30% discount off your next purchase for my daughter. So renting is a mugs game financially on that example.

That said it takes the hassle out of everything renting in resort and you can always go and change the skis mid week if they are wrong.

Going back to original question I really dont think that a 2.5 year old should ski on anything more than a 67-70cm ski. You need to make it as easy as possible for a complete beginner. Even Millie who is 100cm tall at 3 years old i'll buy a 76cm for her first trip. Anyone who knows (ie teaches / taught kids) know if that is correct?

Thanks

thanks guys!!

although i totally agree on the renting being wiser at that age with the growing and all, i cant really rent the gear and give it as a gift to the little guy, especially since theyre in nj and im in co. besides, if i can find some skis and bindings on ebay for under $50, id be totally happy with that. if he sees the skis and starts begging his parents to go on the hill, theyll rent the boots for him.

and thanks for the luck bum and edjie wedgie suggestions, i might have to include that in "the package".

Dude, rent. I did one quick google and got the ski barn:
http://www.skibarn.com/page.cfm/Lease.html

Call them for a gift cert. I'm sure there's a shop near their house that does a season rental if Paramus doesn't work.

Get them professional instruction in a kid-specific program as soon as possible for as long as possible. Let the pros do the heavy instructional lifting, let family have fun with them and maybe offer couple of pointers.