 Poster: A snowHead
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Spudette did a week skiing at Club Med La Plagne when she was six but didn’t enjoy it, and expressed no desire to go again, so I didn’t push it. This year she’s enthusiastic, so we’re off to France for a week over New Year with various other family members. She’ll be 10 next week.
As preparation Spudette has had two 1 hour private lessons at the Hemel fridge. She told Steve, her instructor that she couldn’t ski, but something from the previous trip must have stuck because she’d progressed to the main slope half way through the first lesson. By the end of the second lesson she was making linked snowplough turns from the top of the main slope and loving it. Steve told me she was ‘main slope ready’
So Spudette and I skied together at Hemel yesterday morning. She wanted to have poles, so I introduced them after a couple of warm up runs. We then did the ‘lift the uphill ski after each turn’ drill before moving on to plough parallels, which I called Pizza and chip turns. We did a couple of runs with her following me as I chanted ‘pizza’ as a turn commenced and then ‘chips’ to bring the skis parallel. I tried to make the chips phase gradually shorter. She enjoyed this. We finished by her leading me down the slope.
I’m very pleased with the progress she’s made. Her ski matching in plough parallels seems to happen instinctively. .She generally has decent control of her speed and direction, although she sometimes gets too far back in her turns and loses a bit of control as the skis run away with her. Everything’s a bit ragged of course.
Spudette wants us to ski together again before we go on holiday. For my part I’d like to get her good enough that she can have fun charging around the mountain in her ski class. We can manage 1 or possibly 2 further visits before the ski trip.
I passed the BASI 1 course a couple of years ago, but never followed it up with any shadowing. So I know the theory, and can demonstrate. But the course did not include any kid specific elements so I’m at a bit of a loss on how to help Spudette progress in a kid friendly fun way. In particular I want to help her make rounded turns as I’m worried that she could end up skiing in zig-zags. So any advice on where to go from her, including child friendly drills, would be appreciated. Should I start on pole plants?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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In particular I want to help her make rounded turns as I’m worried that she could end up skiing in zig-zags.
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"follow me"? You lay down nice round turns, she sticks in your tracks.
But sounds like she's doing fine and should just do more, get used to dodging round people, grow her confidence and have fun.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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My 2p worth.
Go and have some fun sliding together, she will follow you but also let her lead. I am not saying don't have lessons or try to point out stuff or pass on some instruction, but for now show her how much fun the mountains can be, even with a modicum of technique.
Enjoy the time on the hill because you can bet your bottom dollar in a couple of years she will be faster that you.
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@Spud9, Follow me is good. Rounding turns best done on mellow terrain. Best things to aim for are smiles and laughter. Small bumps and undulations, jumps for fun will help her balance. Try to avoid going all Central Theme on her 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Lots of follow me games, challenging her to follow you as closely as possible (so you can set a rounded line). Also get her to lead you with the challenge of making "big, swoopy" turns to see if you can follow them. I'd also work on lots of balance and agility work, so jumping at transition and during the turns (challenge her to see how many jumps she can do during the turn; how high can she jump to start a new turn). Can she ski on one leg, perhaps a Spud v. Spudette competition.
Turn shape and balance would be my priority, and a lot of good skills will flow from that. I wouldn't worry about pole plants just yet, provided she is making dynamic movements as she links her turns. You can introduce pole plants at a later stage, when the turn shape is consistently strong.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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I appreciate you're really after something you can do with her, but it sounds like she might have a lot of fun in the Snowstars coaching sessions at Hemel. I would spend your time with her "just skiing" and having fun, as at that age and level practice and time skiing will really pay off (as long as you keep her roughly practicing the right things, which with your experience you should be able to). Keeping it fun is the main thing to remember with children, rather than having specific exercises or drills - turn everything into a game.
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Wow. Thanks for the response. Some good ideas here; thanks Rob for some very specific suggestions, which I'll certainly use. . It looks like there's going to be a lot of follow me fun the next time we're im Hemel. I'll also look into the Snowstars thing (which I'd not previously heard of) if all goes well on the New Year trip and she's still keen.
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@Spud9, all advice above here good for now.
But what about your New Year trip?
You mention she didn't enjoy her Club Med holiday. Presumably she was in ski school.
Recently she has had her whole attitude to skiing changed by a couple of Private Lessons
I would be wary of sending her back into Ski School
My daughter also had a miserable time in Ski School, but soared ahead in Private Lessons.
I would go with Private Lessons for Spudette - at least to start with.
And usually a Private lesson is for 2-3 people, so you could go along too - she would be skiing with her lovely dad, and getting tuition.
Perfick. 
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@Jonpim, Yes, she was in ski school for her Club Med holiday, but she was very young at the time. She's a very different girl now, much more confident. I'm sure that she'll have no problem with ski school this time round. Also, it's true that she really enjoyed her private lessons at Hemel, but she was already keen to ski this year before the lessons. I think she'll have more fun in a (no doubt large) class of kids than with her Dad. We'll still get to ski together in the afternoons.
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