 Poster: A snowHead
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I need advice and a solution for my daughter. She's aged 11 and has low muscle-tone. She can handle a green but as soon as she's tired or in a panic, she can't follow the instruction 'PIZZA!' any more. She finds it tiring trying to maintain an A-shape so I thought about getting a tip-connector for her. I hear they can stifle progress but I really just want her to enjoy the sport more. I've looked at edgie-wedgies but hear that the clamps can come off under pressure. There's another thing on ebay for £10 - can't tell what or how the connection is kept on the ski tip - they cleverly photo it from too far away!
I was wondering if I could concoct something by gluing a big square of velcro onto the front of the tips and make a velcro strap joined by bungee affair. As far as I can see, it's just a tip thing, there's no rotation created.
OR I could just drill two small holes into the tips and join with nylon chord?
Any thoughts on connectors?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have you thought about getting her to fix the muscle tone problem instead of fixing it very temporarily? A couple of sessions of most sports a week will likely be enough for her to build up enough strength to handle skiing in comfort.
Or you could just let her stick to the greens to improve her technique and in time she will be parallel turning anyway, so no maintaining an A-shape for any length of time.
I would also be concerned that connecting the skis at the front isn't going to make a big difference - the strength required is going to be keeping the skis apart enough, not keeping the tips together. You could easily end up with a skiier that doesn't have the strength to keep the skis apart and just ends up with their tips fixed together, parallel skis hammering it down the fall line. Not good for confidence.
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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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Maybe - I am swithering.
The muscle-tone issue is, sadly, a life-long issue and will always be for her. She's done lots of physio but it's just the way she is. I don't think she will ever get to the parallel ski level without lots of lessons and persuasion.
I don't have enough experience of people using tip-connectors to know if they would benefit her or not. Though I have heard of an adult using them and that does seem a bit funny.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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edgy wedgey thingies work pretty well, there are other metallic ones called trombones that give a larger degree of movement up and down that i have used with skiers who have Celebral palsy . try contacting disability snowsports uk for advice and suppliers. velcro i dont think would work very well...
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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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Sofia, I've seen tip connectors for kids skis - I googled 'ski tip connectors' and immediately got links to the kids ones for about a tenner a time - I don't know if they would work on larger skis, but for a tenner it hardly seems worth concocting something homemade if they would possibly fit. Whether they would work I've no idea, but the instructors will tell you that.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Sofia, For someone with poor muscle tone tip connectors are a good idea. With the tips held together your daughter only needs to push her feet apart to make a snowplough, without having to worry about turning the fronts of the skis in to make a snowplough shape. I have had a lot of success using tip connectors when teaching children and adults with various disabilities. I spend a lot of time putting them on and taking them off as terrain dictates so the student never gets dependent on it. Where they are happy and confident leave it off, if they are tired or anxious or on a new piste put it on again.
Edgy-wedgys are ok up until about 8-10 years old. Once the children are bigger an edgy wedgy isn't strong enough. You say your daughter is 11... If she is small for her age then an edgy wedgy would be ok.
The trombone that skimottaret, mentions is very heavy so I suspect it would be too big and cumbersome for your daughter to use.
Drilling holes in the front of the skis is a possibility, with bungee cord or climbing rope to fasten the tips together. Another option could be a couple of small G clamps with wire or cord between them. The advantage of the G clamps is that you can use them on her next pair of skis too without having to drill more holes.
IMPORTANT! Be careful when using drag lifts though... Take the connector off on the lift! If she falls off the lift and slides backwards with the tips fastened together she could end up doing horrible things to her hips, so ALWAYS take the connectors off for a drag lift.
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| Quote: |
Any thoughts on connectors?
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Snap shackles (any chandlers) would do the job quite well - this kind of thing. http://marinestore.co.uk/PBED-102125.html. Decent ones aren't cheap though.
Good luck.  Sounds a very good idea for your daughter.
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I wouldn't use any bungee on that sort of application - if it stretches out a bit and then snaps back it could be very disconcerting. and the link between the tips presumably needs to be rigid, to prevent their crossing.
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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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Thank you. I might try drilling small holes and attaching shackles on nylon chord. The skis are ex-hire so can take a drilling! Good to know about the drag lift thing. Also, coming off at the top end would have been interesting especially at the Lecht where coming off the green slope drag lifts are really challenging for most skiers.
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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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I agree with Monium on his/her point of keeping her on the greens to build confidence, and then getting her to paralell, if she has weak muscles then you want to get her out of the engery sapping plow and into parallel. Try lessons at a local ski place if possible. If not, you need something rigid rather than rope like to joing them i would have thought. Although it seems a catch 22 as then she wont be building strength in those areas if she is relying on the connector
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My daughter is booked in for Cairngorm's month-long course, Snowlimits. I might talk to the instructors about finding an adaptive instructor. My girl has mild and specific learning difficulties (mainly crushing shyness and lack of confidence), small stature and development delay. Basically, she looks like a younger child, though the low muscle tone means that she is moderately square. Skiing would suit her, i think, because it doesn't demand that she run or walk (tiring on flat feet), can gain some speed (she is usually out-run and out-maneuvered by her peers). But she is incredibly stoic and brave. Plus she will be able to judge improvement against herself instead of competing against a team of people around her. I will put the tip connectors on hold until I've spoken to the instructors.
Thanks all xx
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