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