My son pointed to the quad chairlift that was shuttling skiers and riders to the summit of the genteel trail at the learning center at Bretton Woods in New Hampshire. It was his first day on skis. He had spent the past half-hour mastering riding the magic carpet up the slightest of inclines and proving he could keep some semblance of balance while sliding around on the early January snow.
Clearly, he felt he was ready for the next step. No matter that he was 3.
After being told for the fifth time that he was not getting on the lift, he said he was ready to make his way to the lodge to play the video game he had seen while we were renting his equipment and to have some hot chocolate with his mother and grandparents, who were there to document the brief, yet noteworthy, event of his introduction to skiing.
The experience was a far cry from my own more than 25 years ago, a learning process filled with J-bars, skinny skis, and a father whose frustration never showed even as I twisted in a rope tow, or leaped some 10 feet off the chairlift I had failed to navigate properly. Children have it much easier today, with more sophisticated learning equipment and resort environments tailored to their age and skiing or riding level.
That doesn’t make it any less intimidating for parents.
My son, now 4, will be checking into his first ski school this season, a prospect that can fill any parent with a certain mix of pride and fear. Having children slide around on snow is one thing. Teaching them how to control their speed, turn, and stop, all while dealing with the expected complaints of tight-fitting equipment, the cold, bathroom breaks, and snack requests, is something else entirely. That’s a job better suited for professional instructors.
So where to start? Dan Bergeron, Okemo Mountain Resort Ski and Ride School director, suggests beginning the process in your own living room.
“Get a pair of skis from a local shop in the offseason,’’ he said. “Bring them home and let the child play with them - slide on the carpet. Let the equipment be a toy, something they can be familiar with.’’
Most ski school programs, including Okemo, in Ludlow, Vt., put children as young as 3 in a group environment with a low ratio of skiers to instructors (Okemo’s Mini Stars program offers a 4-to-1 ratio), and many also offer private lessons for any age. Typically, the day will consist of either a half or full day of instruction (1½ to 2 hours in the morning, repeated in the afternoon for a full day) aimed at teaching youngsters the basic skills needed to maneuver on the snow.
“Get them comfortable and have fun with it,’’ Bergeron said. “Get them comfortable with these big feet they have on all of a sudden. A lot of it is kids learning from other kids.’’