 Poster: A snowHead
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I’m thinking about whether it is a good idea to get my daughter skis/boots for next year (taking advantage of the good deals about at the moment) and if so which type. She’s 11 has skied for about 6 weeks and is getting pretty good now passing the ESF Etoile D’Or at Easter. She can manage most pistes apart from real steeps and enjoys messing about in powder on the side of the piste and bumps too. She normally gets 2 weeks a year, next year we're driving to Alpe D’Huez/L2A for a fortnight at Easter so baggage fees not an issue. She would need something about 140cm.
If I do decide to get some which sort should I go for? I would want something she can enjoy skiing but which wouldn’t hinder her progress. Would I be best getting a-
- Piste/Race type ski
- A Twin Tip - something like the K2 Missy, some of the others of this type such as Roxy Teen seem to be too wide underfoot, I would think they would hinder her?
- An All Mountain derivative such as the Bandit Junior
Of course much of this is immaterial as colour/style will really be the deciding factor. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Colin B, I'd have thought a more important consideration is how much (if at all) she is likely to grow between now and next winter
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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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eng_ch, Shouldn't affect skis (unless she grows a huge amount). Probably wouldn't get boots until the Autumn though in case.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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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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I would say definately go for boots, but only skis if you are happy maintaining them yourself, and you won't spend your time shouting at her when she skis over roads and the like. In two weeks at Easter they will probably need two edge and waxes and possibly some hole filling. You can get away with it for a week just, but not two. You can take hire skis back to be done free by the shop, but it reallys adds up for your own. Don't forget that you need to buy poles as well. Kids are really good at dropping / bending these.
Our kids have always had their own skis and boots. They have slalom skis generally for both dry slope and snow, but last year we skied them both on all mountain skis and they much preferred them, as the longer radius was more fun. We have a pair of crossmax which both kids have hated on plastic and loved on snow. The 12yr old's skis were an intermediate adult head, size 150, selected by the shop (White Mountain) for him, a colour he would accept, and it was a good choice.
Boot wise the rossignol comp J has been very successful, it's 4 clip with a good flex, there's a similar salomon for wider feet. Don't be tempted by an adult boot, go for a childs, probably an entry level race boot like the comp j.
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Mon 14-05-07 14:04; edited 3 times in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Colin B, My eldest is now 12 and in the last year has grown 5 inches and put on 12 kg
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Sizewise my son went from size 7 to size 11 feet in about 16 weeks, reaching size 11 on his 13th birthday, so I would leave the boots until the last minute.
He also grew 6 inches, but we could take this into account when buying skis.
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I don't expect my daughter to have any spurts on those scales. She's already almost as tall as her mum (who's only 5') and I'm only 5'7". She's size 4 shoes (her mum is 5 and me 8 ) Will wait until late summer though to be safe.
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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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Jane L, If he keeps on growing don't worry I've seen boots up to a size 16 
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| Frosty the Snowman wrote: |
Colin B, My eldest is now 12 and in the last year has grown 5 inches and put on 12 kg
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The transition from Frostlet to Lardlet? 
Firstly, contrary to the wisdom when buying adult kit where buying boots always comes first, I'd say that buying skis may be fine/wise now while the prices are good but I'd put off buying boots until nearer the time. Kids, do tend to grow in a most inconvenient manner.
We had boots set aside for Gregory last year which he was 'bound to grow into' by this season. Unfortunately they probably fitted him in about Jul/Aug as by Jan/Feb he had completely outgrown them!
Fortunately, Homphomp came to our rescue with a hand-me-down pair which did him fine this year.
Gregory does have his own skis. The spec he gave me was: "Ones that go backwards like yours and in Army colours please".
The first day Gregory spent on his twin-tips he declared that he had never had a pair of skis that he could control so well and he did indeed ski well on them. The product of enthusiasm as a result of the correct colour-scheme? Maybe... but
IMO Twin-tips generally feel easier to control to kids as they turn better on their backs - this can be great as it improves confidence and makes the feeling of the ski working for you a little more accessable.
However race skis tend to encourage/force better overall technique as you have to do it right in the first place to get them to work for you at all.
I guess the all-mountain skis are inbetween these two extremes.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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You know it makes sense.
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Thanks all for the help. I think I'll keep an eye out for suitable skis, girly coloured twintips are current favourite. However she wants to do the ESF Competition Class next year and racing skis would probably be better for that. I'll wait until later in the year for boots.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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FAQ
) and very unusually we had to wait for him!
in passing on kit to youngsters - especially boots - as mentioned by 
It's frightening just how quick they grow out of boots.
