8 year old wants to slalom. Any tips>

[Livindadream]

Son is a great wakeboarder, and no troubles at all getting up on two skis. Now has decided slalom is "cool" and wants to learn. Anything I need to know in teaching a kid that may differ from an adult, which I suck at by the way? Good skiier, bad teacher. I understand the head up, back and arms straight thing, but any other tips for the little guy? Don't want him to get frustrated and give up. Thanks for the help.

[zabooda]

The easiest way since he can wakeboard and double ski is to get him up on two skis and drop a ski. Once he gets the hang of one ski the water starts should be easy. Since he is used to having two feet in on the start with wakeboarding, I would recommend doing the same with the ski for water starts. The hardest part is not your son getting up but you driving with less surface area the ski isn't as forgiving as a wakeboard on the starts if you take off too slow or too fast. The concept of getting out of the water is almost the same with wakeboard (especially with the fin) and a ski. Take a movie camera and have fun. Those are the times you'll remember. Let us know how is goes.

[JoeTechie]

Having skied since the age of five - I can tell you that if he has any upper body strength getting up is actually easier on him than you - small kids POP out of the water, so gauging speed and not giving him a full throttle then big drop in speed so that he sinks is difficult - PP is even strnge here.

Other things to discuss -
The need to put the rope on the same side of the ski as his front foot (natural tendancy to lean that way, so the rope holds the ski up a bit.)
The idea of balance front to back - more back gives control, but shakes the front of the ski, more front is less control, but more stable - find the happy medium.
The idea of left to right balance and leaning will actually be simple for him since he wakeboards.

AS far as dropping - I do it now because of bad knees, and it is easy if he has balance - but deep water starts were a breeze for me once I had any arm strength as a kid.

Most of all - make it fun and enjoy,

Joe

[Livindadream]

Well, thanks for the replies, but seems none of us were even needed. Kid basically told me to shut up and drive, popped up first try with both feet in, and never looked back. Did it three or four times, and to my chagrin decided it was "boring" and he would stick with 'boarding and skating, and will let me know when he wants to learn to 'foot. Youth is a grande thing.

[AJones]

What kind of ski did you use? My 8 yr old daughter (55lbs) wants to learn to slalom this summer but her combo skis don't have a rear toe or slalom fin. We might try to borrow a larger ski from friends but it may be too big for her small feet.

[Livindadream]

I bought a simple pair of OBrien Jr. Combos that are much wider.

[TheBeeZ]

My son did the same thing. He got up on his first try. I was happy for him but it still pissed me off! I have to work like a dog and he just pops up. He was riding obrien combo ski. Later he swithced to a world team. This year he tried my connelly but he did not like it.

[NCSUmoomba]

Kudos for you all teaching your kids to slalom ski. It seems like most kids are wakeboard crazy. I am 28 and don't have kids (or a wife) and I love to slalom. I am just learning to wakeboard and love that as well. I didn't ski for about 15 years (I missed the whole wakeboard evolution) and when I bought my boat last year, I figured it was time to get with the times. But I will say, if I wakeboard for 5 minutes, I am kind of tired but not bad. If I slalom for 5 minutes (if i make it that long) I am panting and exhausted, so to me skiing is a much better "workout." And as much as "exercising" seems like too much work, skiing is tons of fun and works every muscle in your body it seems like. I just think that watersports are such great activities, and with the rampant obesity in kids nowadays, more people should participate. I have never someone who was really into skiing and/or wakeboarding who was obese. It is also a history/heritage thing. Without slkiers, wakeboarding wouldn't even exist, and it is nice for kids to know the origins of the sport. As far as teaching a kid to ski, the biggest mistake I see people make is starting off to quickly and jerking the rope out of their hands. It happens with adults trying to ski for the first time too.

[gotmyboat]

My 12yo daughter has been wakeboarding for a couple of years. I just bought a deep-V slalom rope for her and she got up on her third try. She really likes it. I love to slalom, which is why I bougfht the DD Outback. The wakeboard wake is weak, but the slalom wake is awesome, even with a boat full of people.

[bobwells]

My kids learned pretty young , my daughter learned this past summer by dropping one. I had bought an o'brien jr.slalom a few yrs. back for my youngest son. not sure of the name but it was wider so a little better for learning. maybe "amigo" or something like that. kids with much balance ability on water are so agile they are quick to learn. I remember when my oldest son was like 9 and didnt even no how to ski on 2 just been knee brding etc, said he wanted to learn to slalom, I told him to try 2 first then could learn by dropping one. he talked me into just letting him try it, he got up first try went about 15 ft. fell, tried second time and skied around lake.... learned alot quicker than me. heck lett;em have at it, you never know

[AJones]

I think I figured out how to get my 9 year old to stop dropping a ski and start with a deep water start. Buy her a new ski and tell her that she can't use it unless she starts with a deep water start. No more dropped skis now and she loves it. All we had to do was get her to try. Three attemps and she was up crossing the wakes.

http://webpages.charter.net/oscar91/Waterski%20Pages/DSCF0275-2.JPG

http://webpages.charter.net/oscar91/Waterski%20Pages/DSCF0269-2.JPG

[bobwells]

Awesome to see our "babies" have these victories isnt it? My daughter who just turned 10 at the end of march this yr. learned to deep water start cpl. weeks ago and oh was the smile on her face priceless ! now she has chimed in with my 15 yr. old son on a regular basis when I get home from work, "dad can we put the boat in today", enjoy, enjoy , enjoy... load up on the pics, these times pass far too fast, may God Bless yall with an awesome and safe summer! congrats, bob

[Buttafewcoe]

Certainly makes for a good excuse to get the boat out regularly.
.
"Honey, I'm taking the kids to the lake, wanna go, too?"
.
:D
.
B

[bobwells]

AMEN !!! :D

[tann4ever]

Dropping a ski is the best I've ever found for teaching a person to slalom. This gives them the basics and confidence first. After they are good at skiiing then they can work on the deep water starts on one ski

I have a good slalom ski and put it on the left foot of the nubies. I have a cheap set of trainers that are bright white and put on of those on the right foot with the bindings fairly loose. The bright white is important because it's easy to spot & retreive by you and easy to avoid by others.
The one you drop needs to be a bright color so it's easy to see by other boaters. Hitting a ski can be like hitting a log - it can ruin a weekend.

Over the Fourth we were on Moroe Res. in Bloomington IN teaching a new skier. He did great after dropping the trainer off and skied for a couple of miles. We hit the man-overboard on the GPS as soon as he dropped the trainer off so we knew exactly where to go to pick it up + it's white and easy to see. When we got to the spot it wasn't there. We cruised around looking for it and a fisherman on the bank about 150-feet away told us that a red Bass Boat had picked it up and left. We chased down the Bass Boat and they denied ever being on the lake.

I'm 55 years old now and have been dropping skis in KY and TN since I was 9. Never before has this happened.

From now on I'll do 2 things different. 1 - I'll tie a buoy ot the ski to make it easier to spot. That way the other boaters won't feel that I have left a trap behind for them to damage a prop on AND 2 - I'll stay out of Indiana

[JoeTechie]

Jr Skis are 61" and 62". These should be good for your son and he can grow into it. If you have a set of combo's he is learning to double on, then just use one of them first till he feels comfortable on a slalom. Then if he wants to stick with it, then invest in a Jr. Slalom.

Overtons carries all of them, just does not put them on the website. Get the catalog sent to you.

Wileyski has some of them:

http://wileyski.com/waterskis/skis-1166.htm

This is the ski you see the AJones' 9 year old holding... she can't be much more than 50" herself.

-Joe

[AJones]

She's 54 1/2 inches and about 60 or so pounds. A 61" ski shouldn't be too long and it makes a deep water start so much easier. She used one of her combo skis (54") last summer with a toe strap that I made from an old ski binding. The combos didn't have a toe strap.

[AJones]

Wileyski has some of them:

http://wileyski.com/waterskis/skis-1166.htm

This is the ski you see the AJones' 9 year old holding... she can't be much more than 50" herself.

-Joe

Wiley's will sell the 61" HO Judge ski in the link above with a rear toe plate instead of a rear boot for a slightly lower price. The 61" slalom is easier to get up on than the 54" combo used as a slalom.

[AJones]

Most kids and lighter weight skiers get up with both feet in anyway. A back boot might be slightly harder to get into. Just lube both boots up good and don't buy boots too tight. He'll be growing anyway.

[04OUTBACK]

was looking for some Wake Bindings and saw this on Ebay...
Connelly Jr Slalom
http://cgi.ebay.com/connelly-slalom-jr-ski_W0QQitemZ330144873922QQihZ014QQcategoryZ71174Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

[JesseC]

was looking for some Wake Bindings and saw this on Ebay...
Connelly Jr Slalom
http://cgi.ebay.com/connelly-slalom-jr-ski_W0QQitemZ330144873922QQihZ014QQcategoryZ71174Q QrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

What kind of bindings are you looking for?

[JoeTechie]

Yeah, that is an OLD uncomfortable ski. Those graphics are from 1980-1983 ! And though I still love my 1983 Jobe aluminum top ski - it is HEAVY !!!

-J

[04OUTBACK]

Jesse,
I got a hankering for a Hyperlite Roam.... I wear a size 10 so looking for an efficient/affordable pair of bindings to wear on a Roam. There is a ton of '05 and '06 inventory of Roams out there... as cheap as $90-100 on ebay..+shipping... They look fun...

Thanks

[JesseC]

04OUTBACK,
I would really like to ride one of those as well!! Just be sure you get a quality set of bindings. When I first started out, I skimped on the bindings and my left ankle is still paying the price! My right foot blew out and the baord twisted with my left foot still in it! I will never buy another set of low line bindings again. I would buy a name brand used at a cheap price though!!. I got my buddies 04 parks for 70 bucks!!! I got my 04 parks a year ago from grizzly sports (Slightly more expensive than the used ones). Good luck on the search.

[04OUTBACK]

Found a good deal on some LF Alphas. I am adding a Hyperlite Roam to the tower!!! Watched a DVD last night and had a moment of weakness. Kid at local shop said it was a great break from boarding... SO... WE'll try it.. There are a TON of 2005 Roam's available on the internet...Ebay $114 shipped! NO FINS, NO Molded in channels, anything.. straight snowboard style wake riding! Wish me luck! The one time I took my fins off, I had a blast! WHOO HOOO.... nothing but spins and face plants for me!

[JesseC]

My wife rides on a set of LF Alphas. She says they are really comfortable. Good choice.

[AJones]

We've got to keep this topic going. 1st attempt at posting video clip. I hope it works.

http://s208.photobucket.com/albums/bb104/A_Jones_bucket/?action=view&current=ba86c670.flv

The lake is really low for this time of year. It's actually dropped a couple of feet since this video and we aren't able to take the boat through the narrow part in this clip anymore.

[AJones]

Sorry we never did get a video of her getting up on her slalom ski. I'm assuming that Dakota got it figured out. The Judge is a great looking ski for a kid. Dakota will love skiing on it. Our waterskiing season has been over since September but snow skiing is just around the corner. Hopefully we'll get enough rain this winter and spring to fill our lakes back up. The drought ended our season early this year.

[zegm]

I guess we don't always give our kids credit. We put our son on a slalom and he too was up within 4 tries. We then put him on his new wakeboard and he popped up first try. Because he mother is such a good slalom skier he tries to copy her on the course, you know cutting hard. Well now I am going to have to buy him a real slalom ski because he doesn't understand why he keeps wiping out when he tries to cut hard! We take him through the slalom course but we learned how to make a begginer course by going between the outer boat marker bouys and inside one side of the course bouys. This makes a great begginer course, they aim for a normal bouy and use the boat bouy as the other side!

[bobwells]

www.xmoomba98.com click on Jackie Lee, her first deep water starts were on an o'brien amigo, a wider slalom for beginners. Later shots are her on an old world team of her older brother. ck. out the "bubble gum" shot :) buy now she's getting real comfy! she slipped the gum by me but it made a neat pic. told her she'll have to ride chew free, so as not to choke ! so she hands daddy her gum to hold for her now before getting in. have a great Christmas season to all !

[bobwells]

me again, I hadnt looked at the sight in a while, click on xtreme for first deep waters and brother helping her on 2 skis.