How young to get'm started?

I started my older daughter on skis shortly after she turned 3. I think that was a bit too early for her because she didn't really have the necessary balance coordination and leg strength to do much more than slide and fall. However the next year we started her in lessons at Alpental, by week 4 of lessons she was going up and down the chair lift confidently. This season will be her 3rd year of lessons and she is starting parallel on the easier slopes. We've had two excellent instructors we're hoping for another one this year.

My younger daughter turns 3 on Saturday. Instead of setting her up with traditional skis and boots like we did with my older daughter we're going to try her out on the plastic skis and see if we can spend this year getting her comfortable with skis and the concept of sliding on snow.

I think that's once they have the leg strength, coordination and they are ready, the trick is to get them out on the slopes as much as they are willing and always have a thermos of hot chocolate ready when they get too cold or tired. Don't expect to get to ski as much yourself, and after gear and lessons don't expect to have any money left for their college tuition.

Started all three boys at 3 yrs. Now 9,11 and 15 and pretty good skiers. Professional instruction highly recommended if for no other reason than to get them away from their parents and learn not to look for you every time things get uncertain.

Wednesday nights at Powderpigs served my guys very well teaching them the fundamentals. Where you go from there is another story.

I think it is more about exposure.

My daughter was 2, my son was 4 and we just took them out on cross country gear while we used our touring gear and went alongside. This was good for the practice of sliding around and getting used to dealing with the properties of snow, cold weather clothing issues, etc. I won't taut it as the best plan, but I think having them go cross country was also better for keeping them warm and getting them familiar with snow sliding equipment. It is much more active than chair riding.

At the very end of their second season, we spent one day hiking the hill and sliding around on downhill gear. Why hike? Once again becoming familiar with the equipment, taking it on and off, snow management, etc. It was on very low angle terrain, we took as long as we wanted to get up hill, stopping for snow angels or snow balls and went up until someone said, let's go down. My kids are 7 and 9 now and strictly downhill skiers. They are not very good yet, primarily because I missed last season and they have not had the benefit of lessons, but they are confident with their equipment, clothing management and communication AND they really like to go skiing!

Some other things to remember:
Your love will not necessarily be their love: This is really hard to accept.

Do things to keep yourself happy when you go out and they will stay happy: Like remembering this is a longterm investment and NOT about you actually skiing on the days you are out with them... at least not in the beginning.

Call the end of the day before they get tired: You know when your kids are getting tired. They don't though. Hence the change in a minute reaction. I am pretty vigilant about fatigue setting in and I will always call the end of the day when I see it coming, even if they protest. Sometimes, I'm a little too soon to make the call, but we ameliorate that by running fast laps on the bunny chair or something short and easy to bail on in a heartbeat.

And don't worry about first chair. I have the kids go to bed early, and I try not to wake them to go skiing but let them wake themselves. That way I know they got the rest they need for a really busy, active day. This means an 11 o'clock start sometimes, but I've got much happier children!

Buy extra gloves and goggles to keep on hand. I have 2-3 extras of each. This helps when there are foggy goggle issues, wet hands or a lost glove, etc.

Finally, let them make lunch. This one is a funny one, but we go to the grocery store the night before and they get to pick what THEY want in addition to a handful of favorite candies conveniently stored in my ski pants to pull out on a whim. (Starbursts, mini Snickers, Rolos, etc.) Bribery does work and does cheer the spirits after a bad fall...

Have a great time!

I started My son at 2.5 in the spring when it was nice and warm and let him dictate how long he wanted to stay out. My daughter started at 20 months and cried everytime it was time to go in. My son was then 4 and she would throw tantrums if she couldn't come out too. The day after her 5th birthday she was skiing International at Alpental, the force is strong in that one.

But it is a ton of work teaching kids that little, it really requires more than one adult. 1-2 hrs max at a time, lots of life savers or your favorite candy, keep them warm, dry etc.

Highly recommend putting boots, skis on and having them walk around the living room/ backyard before getting them on snow. When they figure out how to walk with skis on it's a whole lot easier once they get on snow.

Thanks for all your input. It will definitely help in our decision making.

I've looked into Mini-mountain in Bellevue to get the ski feel w/out the cold, but based on everyone's comments it still might be a little early.

Thanks everyone!

My son started his skiing life a couple days after his 4th birthday. At the time, my wife and I were only X-C skiing. We used non-wax skis and were able to find a smaller version with an aggressive grip zone for him. Unfortunately, the marketplace was not as accommodating for equipping children into superior outdoor gear in 1982 as it is now, so we did have some difficulties in that area. What overcame those obstacles was the fact that we had hiked with our son from the day that he started walking (actually before then, but you know what I mean),so he had a good understanding of what to expect from spending hours in the woods, and the luck that he has the attitude and physical attributes of a good skier. By year 2, he was passing adults going up the hills and was making tele turns before he was ten. He has never looked back and has grown into strong skier. He hit 31 last week; we will be tele-skiing together at W/B this week.