What's in store for you this winter?

[rideordie7]

I keep checking these forums everyday for some new topics. Since I haven't seen anything in a while, I'll add something. I know a lot of you know eachother, so I'll give you my bg. I've been riding JFBB for 11 years straight. I say straight because Boulder was the first mountain I ever skiied when I was 8 and I'm 34 now. Straight for me is a consistent 3-4 weekends per month throughout the season, plus a few day trips. I have a crew that I ride with, although it has dwindled throughout the years. But an influx is coming with a couple of my buddy's nephews and my son, which gets me to my topic for this post.

 

I was wondering what are some goals for everyone this winter. Obviously it's to ski/ride as much as possible, but is there anything else. Mine is to get my son on ski's for the first time. He is only 2 1/2 and I'm am hopeful he loves it, which I think he will. And to progress my switch riding onto some boxes and through the glades.

 

Let it snow!

[JFskiDan]

whats your plan for getting your son on skis? reason i ask is my nephew is 3, and i think the saftey inspector (aka my brother) will give the nod for at least 1 shot at putting him on skis this year. just trying to figure out the best method for this.

 

other than that - i hope my buddies kids progress as they did last year. goal for them would be skiing challenge at frost.

[Barb]

I started Stephen on skis when he was 3. Put him in snowmonstersat JFBB. Mostly he just ate snow (which is especially gross since its fake). But it got him used to being on skis and he had fun.

[poconoceancity]

My daughter Natalie started at 3 and liked it skiing 10 days that season. Last year at 4 she skiied 20 days and loved it. I would recommend the applerise ski system. I will be using it again this year with my other daughter Hilarie who turns 3 in December.

[JFskiDan]

I started Stephen on skis when he was 3. Put him in snowmonstersat JFBB. Mostly he just ate snow (which is especially gross since its fake). But it got him used to being on skis and he had fun.

 

snowmonsters is what i was thinking for him. i figure its worth a try, and in the end its just a ploy to get my family to come to the poconos rather than me driving to harrisburg during prime time. we have taken him sledding a bunch, he doesnt cry about the cold, etc, but i think with his attention span i see him eating snow in 1 hour. anyways, i guess you have to start them sometime.

 

Barb - whens the big move?

 

My daughter Natalie started at 3 and liked it skiing 10 days that season. Last year at 4 she skiied 20 days and loved it. I would recommend the applerise ski system. I will be using it again this year with my other daughter Hilarie who turns 3 in December.

 

 

tell me more about this....i did some research on this but that was many beers ago.....

[Barb]

snowmonsters is what i was thinking for him. i figure its worth a try, and in the end its just a ploy to get my family to come to the poconos rather than me driving to harrisburg during prime time. we have taken him sledding a bunch, he doesnt cry about the cold, etc, but i think with his attention span i see him eating snow in 1 hour. anyways, i guess you have to start them sometime.

 

Barb - whens the big move?

 

 

tell me more about this....i did some research on this but that was many beers ago.....

 

 

If I had my way, I'd be on a plane tomorrow. Unfortunately I still have crap to wrap up here. Selling off your life and wrapping up the loose ends apparantly takes longer than I thought it would. At the very latest we are out of here when this school year ends, no matter what. I am still filling out the paperwork for a school transfer now, just in case.

 

 

The most annoying thing is being in transition. We are renting a house now, since ours sold (and was already torn down). Most of our stuff is tucked away in boxes. The more I unpack, the more I have to pack up again when we move. So we are just dealing with the bare minimum of everything (clothes etc).

 

So guess you'll be seeing me at Frost again this season.

[poconoceancity]

The system locks the kids skis in a wedge at the tips and the boots. They wear a harness with a leash to stear them and control speed and a grab handle on the back to help them on to the lift. Half way through the first season when she was 3 she didn't need the boot locks or the leash. We kept the tips locked until she was 4. Then she just wore the harness so I could grab her on more challenging trails and ski with her on my back. We also ski at Eagle Rock and I would recommend it to anyone with small children, it's never busy and you can always park within 100ft. from the lodges. Her First day she did one run. Now she does 20 and wants to stay out even if it's raining.

[Barb]

poc-that is awesome!

[JFskiDan]

small thread hi-jack....sorry. Rideordie7, lets meet up on the slopes sometime.

Edited November 18, 2010 by JFskiDan

[Ride Delaware ?]

I'm not normally a hijacker, but I cannot stand those leashes... Things look ridiculous... I'm sure there are two different modes of thought (no leash vs leash), and I have to say that I wouldn't put a leash on my kid (although I am so far away from having a kid that could change), but I have seen skiers better than I am at 3-4 years old... I understand its for control and speed, but shouldn't constant supervision at that age do the same thing? Plus, I have trouble believing they could out ski you with that little body mass lol

 

Just to clarify, I have no problem with safety... And it appears to be alot safer, both to the child and other skiers and riders... It just looks so funny that we are tethering our children lol

[Johnny Law]

For the first time bring some candy or whatever treat they really like in your pockets, if they are really young like around 2 you sometimes need to motivate them to actually get to the point were you can go downhill.

 

Second be careful on the lifts, mad people like to leash their kid up on the hill and then forget that there is lots of room for them to go under the bar on the lifts. Dude I know has a carabiner with some webbing and then locks his kid off to the lift, pretty quick and simple.

[rideordie7]

Thank you all for the input!

 

I will most likely just start with walking him up the hill to see if he likes it, and I'm sure he will. Then I'll get him on the lift. I've seen that system before, but have never used it. I'm a snowboarder. Guess I'll have to rent some skis until I can get him into snowmonsters. Any recommendation where to rent small skis? He wears a 7.5 right now.

 

Barb - where you headed?

 

JFskiDan - definitely. We are there most weekends.

 

JLaw - Those are some good ideas. Thanks.

[Barb]

I am heading to Boulder Colorado.

 

Also, when your kid is old enough get him into the race program at JFBB. I can't say enough positive things about it. I think you can start them as young as 5, which I know is a few years off for you. The first year he was in the program he had a young female instructor. He told me he wanted to marry her "because she's pretty and we both love skiing." He blushed whenever he was around her, it was so cute.

[rideordie7]

That's great barb. I have a friend of a friend who moved there last year and has nothing but good things to say about it.

 

If the race program includes snowboarding, then I sure will. 5 is the age I want to get him on a board.

[TylerDurden]

Snowboarding.

[Kyle]

We are renting a house now, since ours sold (and was already torn down).

 

i hope youre talking about your house in Avalon and not in the poc's.

[Barb]

i hope youre talking about your house in Avalon and not in the poc's.

 

 

yes Avalon.

[Ride Delaware ?]

Must be nice having a ski house retreat...

[poconoceancity]

yes Avalon.

Is DL Miner building the new house on your old lot?

[Barb]

Is DL Miner building the new house on your old lot?

 

 

No, forget the name of the guy. But Miner built my neighbor's house.