Ongoing Kid Stoke [2011 and on...]

[yooper]

Man, I haven't posted in this thread in years. This little guy is now 12.

And the girl is 13.....

[~mikey b]

I'm stoked that my kid got me this shirt as a gift.

[Danno]

If anyone needs a sled to take the little one xc skiing, we're selling our kindershuttle. Details here: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...or-kiddos)-180 and here: http://wildernessengineering.com/KinderShuttle.html

[~mikey b]

Good item good price.

[Danno]

Thanks for the plug, Mike!

[dschane]

My 8-year old made the early morning crew to climb 2000' with his 9-year old buddy and some old men. Love the over-eager youth who climb too hard for the first 500' and then rely on chocolate to power up the rest.

[oftpiste]

^^^like.

[cdubski]

[getoutside]

the little man finished his library book last night. got home tonight and saw his new one on the table.

[~mikey b]

Awesome

[FLS]

I think I just found the next book to read!

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/extr...ne/1102636126#

[aragon]

Couple years old now, but still my favourite...

[vt_ski]

Stoked! She totally gets it, just learning how to stop. Day 2 for her. She'll be 3 in May. Probably outskiing me by age 4.

[TheSilverSurfer]

Backyard fun. 21 months old. 3 days on the hsq, 3 on magic carpet, and a handful of backyard days.

I carry him down when we go up to the top, and he loves it.

[bobz]

Awesome tots, aragon vt & silver!!

Young Benton, 9 now, on his first day tele skiing:


I handicapped myself appropriately that day with 80s-vintage gear; just a couple of pinheads riding the lift:


Skating day:


Back on the fixed heel:


Tahoe looking fine as the storm clears:

[aragon]

Couple years old now, but still my favourite...

And here is the new favourite...

[Ottime]

Just got back from 8 days in a row on snow @ Kirkwood with my 5 year old. First 4 days were cold wintery by clear days. Lots of chalk and recycled powder. He is now a strong intermediate, putting together parallel turns, carving and working the GS cross slope turns. Was a blast getting all over the mountain with him. Full on Tahoe storm came in and he still was out there putting in full (for mortals) days. We put him in ski school one day so we could play in the fresh. Saw him a few times, looking a little board and waiting for his group. They worked on his hand position (just started with poles recently, and he likes to keep the hands in a tuck instead of a fighting position).

We had just a few hours to family ski the next day before heading home. We took two warm up runs down Ditch of Doom and Trench of Terror (which was still kind of terrifying with four foot deep creek holes). Then he asked if he could ride chair 6, which runs to the ridge. He had done so four or so times late last spring, in slow spring groomed conditions. I asked if we could do a few test runs on less committing steep pitches off a different chair first. On the first lap, he never even balked and connected turns the whole way down. As soon as he hit the flats, he straight lined and made a hard turn toward Chair 6. I caught up with him and ask him if he thought it would be wise to do one more test run. He flatly said "No. Let's go to 6." We did. There was no grooming, and powder bumps to his waist, but after his third turn, he began linking them, and bouncing down the slope. We stopped midway to make a ski bench and drink hot cider while mom did a lap. We took in the view and he loved how far he could see. I think on previous trips to the top he was too nervous to enjoy any vista. After out break, we continued and he rocked it even more. All while on his race style ski mind you (just mounted up his Gots last night). Once off the steeps, we hit a gully I call the arcade, and he was off. So much fun skiing with my little guy this week. And so much progression and confidence building.

Also, I did learn a new skill this week. We still put him in a harness every day. Security on the lift, and ease of picking him up out of the snow. Early in our trip, he and his mom started a traverse that he had used last season. Problem was, with low snow, the traverse was not quite in like normal. Mom dropped off the track to go a way she would normally go fall line and he followed her and got in over his head. By the time I caught them, he was about 30' too low to hit the traverse and would need to ski a short, but steep and complex slope. I turned him around, helped him traverse to a slightly more clear area and had him try a turn. A combination of his ski, the snow texture, terrain and his state of mind caused him to make a single turn and plop down. Hot cider and bench. When we got back up, he was still too nervous to try the slope. Turns out, with a harness, a 40# kid and big fat skis, you can have the little one put their tips in you uphill ski, while you traverse/side slip to loos elevation and get them to a better spot. It was amazingly easy. I thought we were going to end up with a tears (mine and his) and broken pride (his) and broken back (mine). Instead, the whole maneuver took maybe 90 seconds and as soon as he was ready, he skied across my tips and down the slope. Magic.

Can't wait to get back out with him.

[TheSilverSurfer]

^very cool. What harness do you use? We have the little ripper gripper which works great for us.

[Ottime]

It is the Lucky Bums. We removed the leashes a while ago and he now likes to pack a snack in his "backpack". It is basically the handle across the shoulder blades that I like.

I actually picked up a Brasil colors harness with the same handle and no leashes/bag from free CL a month ago, but gave that one to a friend. My son would have been stoked on the colors.

Once I'm no longer worried about lift safety, we will probably only use it for powder days. He is getting heavier. And better at getting himself back up, even in soft snow. Poles and skills have helped a lot.

BTW, my side slip technique was in moderate ungroomable black terrain. Not something I want to use on steeper terrain. We had a long talk about decision making, when to follow others and how to keep himself safe and self reliant. It is a good tool in my box, but prefer him to develop his own good mountain sense. Basically I told him not to just always follow Mom, but to tell her when she is bringing him somewhere he does not want to go.

I have friends who pull their kids all over the hill. They are strong skiers, but I'd say it ends in tears almost 20% of the time. I say fuck that. Sure, push them a little, but keep it fun. And make sure they always feel safe. And learn how to make good decisions.

I recently yelled at one of my kid's friend's dad as he directed his kid to duck a rope into a closed terrain park. He did not get far (snow way too deep for him), politely told the kid to never ever duck a rope regardless of what an adult might say, and got him out of the closed area. Told the dad that it was a bad idea to ever teach kids to duck ropes and then led them both out on to the open slopes.

It blows my mind what some parents do.

[wyeaster]

i love lucky bums. the heavy duty handle is invaluable for getting the boy loaded/offloaded.

[skier666]

Nicely done Dads!

I really need to compile some pics from late last year, taking my 8 year old son to NZ again, and the early season in Tahoe.

I'm being pretty chill with my older one...he likes steep stuff but he's not really into taking air or hitting jumps quite yet. Quite a conservative young lad he is...but he still loves skiing so we'll stick with the plan. My 5 year old daughter is cruising hard and catching up to the older brother. She's slowly getting that inside ski over into the turn but otherwise I just yell 'hands forward and no snow plows.'

[bigdude2468]

Proud Grandpa here, seven year old Granddaughter skied Alta's High Rustler for the first time yesterday. Didn't just ski it, she ripped it. Also let her get into serious trees for the first time, through Fred's, top to bottom. Literally brings a tear to my eyes watching her. So much fun when skiers see this little ripper getting after it and they give out a "go girl" shout.

[getoutside]

Proud Grandpa here, seven year old Granddaughter skied Alta's High Rustler for the first time yesterday. Didn't just ski it, she ripped it. Also let her get into serious trees for the first time, through Fred's, top to bottom. Literally brings a tear to my eyes watching her. So much fun when skiers see this little ripper getting after it and they give out a "go girl" shout.

pretty cool grandpa. it is fun watching them get after it. we gotta get your granddaughter, my 7 year old and detrusor's kids out some day to rip some turns.

[bobz]

Yeah, I really liked using the harness, particularly for lift security. Towards the end of that era, we kept it on him for that reason, and only very occasionally used the actual leashes as backup doing something unusually steep. It's also cool how you can sort of steer them with the leashes.

[oftpiste]

If y'all will still forgive my crowing about my 18 year-old (aka Thing #2).....

He just fucking won his first adult comp yesterday. Four-star FWQ at Revelstoke with a pretty stiff field of competitors. To say I'm over the moon is perhaps the understatement of my lifetime.