Well, I've just found out that I can't post the shots of the children skiing this year for a very good reason. The reason is that the tape is 230 miles away sitting in the pocket of BMF_Skier's ski jacket and I've got my camcorder down here in Essex . Still it could have been worse - he could've washed his jacket!!!
'Oh, yes, he said, when I changed the tape I put it back in the bag.' So there I am I've spent nearly 2hrs today running through all the tapes in the bag looking for it and where did it turn up? Yes, being waved at me through the Webcam
So the shots may materialise at some point in the future
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Sat 7-03-09 23:58; edited 1 time in total
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rob@rar wrote:
FlyingStantoni wrote:
I'll get me wheelchair out.
Nah, just get some fat skis...
That is exactly my plan for the next year or so
And no, he won't be in Meribel. He's "offpiste" training in Flaine. Terrain experience is the plan for the next few years, and you can't get that on artificial surfaces in the UK (whether plastic or "snow"), so it's bumps, powder, ruts, trees, crud, and anything else we can think of.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Sat 7-03-09 22:07; edited 1 time in total
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?
The Minis and Children in the Les Arcs Ski Club seem to spend the majority of their time away from the race piste: on-piste, off-piste, in the bumps, variables, etc. Anywhere except in the gates.
rob@rar, RobW, it's terribly easy for young racers to become very one dimensional skiers. Everything else creates balance and the ability to enjoy themselves even if they don't make it.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Great thread and great video - thanks for posting.
It's absolutely fascinating seeing the progress over the years in the one video, well done for pursuing the lessons and getting your daughter up to the level she's at.
I totally agree with easiski, there are far too many UK (English?) families out there who believe that once the basics are taught that's about all you need to know. I'm not loaded but I make sure my daughter (now 9) takes a course of lessons on every trip we go away for that's longer than a weekend/3 days. For one thing she loves and thrives in a group situation, even when, as was the case in St Anton at Xmas (according to her instructor), she's above the level of the rest of the kids. In that case the group she was in was the top level offered by Esprit, not sure if locally booked lessons would have gone higher, I guess they would have. However, she loved skiing with the other kids from the chalet and the mileage she was getting on snow was invaluable as well as the tips and advice the instructor was able to give her.
Unfortunately many skiers from over here seem to view skiing as a once a year thing, equivalent to an active beach holiday, and from this POV I can see why they view lessons as something that don't really matter once the basics are taught, or when money is tight can be dropped in favour of the food and booze fund. Personally I'd rather save on the latter two and spend the money on lessons, this being with my daughter already regularly training on plastic and getting more than one trip to the Alps a year as well as the odd weekend in Scotland.
I have to admit that it's also quite useful to have her in ski school so that I'm able to get my own training time - no matter what level you're at there's absolutely always room for improvement and change and without the input of a qualified trainer/instructor all you're liable to do when recreationally skiing is practice and ingrain any faults you already have!
Those of you that are instructors with kids - do you teach your own children or is that counterproductive and do you still find yourself sending them to ski school?
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
See comments about my daughter above Megamum...
... although I did spend a couple of hours skiing with my 5 year old yesterday (I wasn't forcing him to ski that long he wouldn't come off the slope! ).
All down to good work done by instructors in France and Austria though, I find my kids moan a lot more and try to get me to do everything for them if I'm teaching them - after all I'm not an instructor to them I'm daddy!
After all it is free
After all it is free
Megamum, At first, then certainly we've taught both our own - but at very early ages it's less teaching than giving them the opportunity to learn (did you *teach" your kids to walk??). But as for any skier, as they progress, it is important that they get input for lots of different instructors, as different instructors have different ways of putting things, and you end you with a much more rounder, flexible skier.
And our elder thinks it's much more fun skiing with the local instructors than with mum and dad - that's just not cool! Fine by us - means we end up with a more relaxed holiday whilst he skis hard all day.
One problem that we've had a few times when trying to book higher-level sessions, is that the local ski-school just don't believe a british kid of that age can ski that well, and try to put them in a much lower group ("that's where all the british 6yo's go."), or a suitable group just isn't offered: France we found especially bad for that (#1 was chucked out of ski school in Chatel for being able to ski!), whilst Austria was better ("so he's only 4, so what? He seems able to ski, we'll take him." And he won the end-of-week ski-school race. ).
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.
Quote:
And he won the end-of-week ski-school race.
RobW, That's a proud moment - my eldest daughter then 8 yrs did the same in her race class of 22 entrants last year many of whom were Swiss kids who had been on skis since they could walk .
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Megamum wrote:
Well, I've just found out that I can't post the shots of the children skiing this year for a very good reason. The reason is that the tape is 230 miles away sitting in the pocket of BMF_Skier's ski jacket and I've got my camcorder down here in Essex . Still it could have been worse - he could've washed his jacket!!!
'Oh, yes, he said, when I changed the tape I put it back in the bag.' So there I am I've spent nearly 2hrs today running through all the tapes in the bag looking for it and where did it turn up? Yes, being waved at me through the Webcam
So the shots may materialise at some point in the future
Megamum, This would be from the camera you gave me to video you and the kids then? The camera that reported a fault with the film when I tried to use it? The session that I got out of my sick bed to film? Hmm, there's no pleasing some people is there? I suppose I'll get no peace until it's in her clutches.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
RobW, I can see that - note Annie's problems getting The flying bogee into the local club while they're in france for the season. It's also difficult to find enough good brittish kids to join together - I have a good class at Easter - usually have the hot shots! the originals are now all virtually adults and off to Uni. With the best, there's nowhere I'd go that I wouldn't take them, and the youngest to do LG was 8 at the time! (he was pretty tired at the end)
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.
Megamum i am very similar to RobW's view although mine started out at 7. She went through the ESF system and had consistently great lessons, the only difficulty was the final "competition" class was taught in french as there werent any brits in the course, the instructor helped her in english and here skiing improved dramatically, but she felt a little isolated. We then put her into more "clinic" type half day lessons for powder, park etc. which she really enjoyed. Last trip at 14, no lessons but we did practice a little as she was meant to be filmed for her PE GCSE
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Wow, what a great post, we are taking our 4 yr old daughter to Zell am See on saturday, 2nd ski holiday but will be her 1st time in ski school. Fantastic way to log their progress and how proud you must be. Hopefully we will be getting some footage to build on and look back on as she overtakes her mum and dad in skiing skill!! I wish someone had taken me skiing at 4!!
You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
ianbradders, If your 3 year old is anything like mine she'll be flying down the mountain. We're on day 2 in the Grand Massif and she's happily snowplouging from top to bottom of the nursery slope and getting the drag lift back up. We've even got a few turns going on. She did have a go aged 2 last year but the difference a year has made is amazing. As for her 5 year old brother (same amount of skiing) - there's no stopping him. We had to drag him off the mountain today. Have fun next week
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Well, BMF_Skier has come through and the missing tape turned up in the registered post this morning. So I am able to share the Minimum's skiing with you sooner than I expected.
There are two clips here one on race day of them doing some gates and one of them free skiing on the blue run. My eldest daughter in the red is aged 9 and my son in the grey is 6. The eldest has had 4 weeks ski school and the youngest has had 3 weeks at a rate of one week per year.
Well it's just over a year since I started this post. Since then my daughter has 4 more weeks skiing (9 days last Easter, 6 days at half term and 9 days this Easter) with 2 more weeks of lessons with easiski. I've loaded an updated video here
I don't think the clips from this Easter really illustrate her progress as well as they could, to do that I'd have had to get some footage of her skiing moguls, really chopped up steep pistes, off-piste, etc. Next step is probably a weeks junior race training in October.
Just to qualify the quality of some of the clips is really poor it's really just to give parents with children just starting out an idea of what to expect. I can't get anywhere near my daughter now.
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Colin B, glad you resurrected this thread was only thinking about it this morning! But I can't see your video, it is blocked due to copyright is it me?
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?
sarah, Thanks, yes I can see it but I think it's blocked. I've changed the audio for one of their cr@ppy copyright free ones for the time being which should unblock it.
Claude B, can't believe it's three years since you last posted on this thread
She looks great, so relaxed
I keep meaning to do similar with my son, we didn't get any video last week either unfortunately. He's age 8 with 14 ish weeks now and I feel like I might as well pack up my boots
sarah, Thanks. I think I posted a couple of videos last year but on a different thread. She's still got another 9 days at Easter including a week with easiski so further improvement I guess. I just pay the bills and follow.
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Claude B, I pay the bills too and usually end up not even following but taking an alternative route down as mine ends up in some kind of narrow off piste, mogulled, full of trees 'rabbit run' The instructor is good enough to tell him "don't take your mum down....... she won't appreciate it"
For three out of the last 5 weeks my son has been skiing with BASS and gettting some fantastic teaching and experience. He is a true little all mountain skier
After all it is free
After all it is free
sarah, I can ski anything she can, just slower and less stylishly
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.
Kids and I started together 4 years ago this Feb - we skied with chap who first me to ski today and kids had first hour - his comment on returning was 'Well they have really improved' which was lovely to hear. My turn for a slot tomorrow.... Hopefully he will think the same of me!!
FAQ
Poster: A snowHead
. Still it could have been worse - he could've washed his jacket!!!
).
is it me?
The instructor is good enough to tell him "don't take your mum down....... she won't appreciate it" 