Teaching kids to ski?

[KonaKing]

I like the kneeboard Idea so they get used to the pull. I would strap them in but loosely.
I still teach them the way I described and we usually train a couple kids a year, I also have taught adults and every time as soon as the feel the boat pull they pull and 9 x outa 10 they do a few face plants before listening to the driver.

My problem is that I can teach them how to get up and stay up and to cross the wake but anything more is over 35 years since I went to slalom. A couple of years ago I tried double ski's to get up and to drop a ski which would be picked up by the chase boat bit for the life of me I could not get up. My trailing leg wanted to trail ski and all.

So I went to an O'Brien fat boy ski that I forgot the model of. It gets up very easy and allows you to get semi aggressive but no where near course running. I boughtt my Connelly F1X just before knee replacement off of Ebay and have not skied on it yet. That was four seasons ago. I am hoping the 20V and its low end will do the trick.

On training kids I have better luck in deepwater starts once I have taught them balance. Do other use deep water starts or shallow?

Great ski Money. I use the Connelly Big Daddy to teach with, but I have not taught my kids yet. They do snow ski and we are skiers first and foremost

[dogbert]

Great ski Money. I use the Connelly Big Daddy to teach with, but I have not taught my kids yet. They do snow ski and we are skiers first and foremost

The other suggestion I have for those wanting to learn how to slalom is to get a deep V handle:



You can find them at most ski shops and West Marine

[KTLW]

I am teaching my 3 yr old son this summer. I have been pulling him around the yard in trainer skis since he could walk. I suggest pulling them around the yard, then have them in a pool with the skis on so they can get use to how they float. I have found it easier to have them start from shallow water so I could hold the tips out of water for the first time behind a boat.
Good luck

[BrownClown]

Thanks for all the responses. He got some HO trainers from Santa at Christmas, so we're squared away there. Definitely some great ideas here. I think I'll start pulling him around the yard to start.

Thanks again to everyone

[KTLW]

Right on - let us all know how it goes

[Jetrey]

definately have the observer in the boat holding the rope!!!!! my now 16 year old nephew still blames me for all his mental issues because I submarined him when he was 7, who knew boats didn't have brakes.

[xpjim1]

I taught my kids behind the seadoos. I turned a folding chair upside down in the water. Had the kids balance on the chair rail bottom and held in place by a friend. Took off slow and they were skiing. Once they got use to skiing we then worked on deep water starts. Pretty easy with the seadoos as we basically could turn around quickly and try, try again. Worked for us

[MoneyPity]

The other suggestion I have for those wanting to learn how to slalom is to get a deep V handle:



You can find them at most ski shops and West Marine

Great suggestion Dogbert Not sure with trainer skis if needed but it could help hold them in line but is the best choice in teaching one to slalom.

xpjim1 the chair Idea is a great idea because their biggest issue is finding balance for the liftoff

Kona King Now I got to open the boat up and figure out what my Obrien wide body ski is. It is driving me nuts now.

If it get to 50 degree range today I will start up with hose connection behind weed/flotsam filter. If that is all good the next Friday I go up to Reeds and test speedset on the local lake for Reeds and get 3 vinyl gripes addressed.

[MoneyPity]

Great ski Money. I use the Connelly Big Daddy to teach with, but I have not taught my kids yet. They do snow ski and we are skiers first and foremost

The model of the O'Brien wide-body had me thinking all night so I opened the cover and rear storage and found in the stack of four the O'Brien Virago. It has a wide front but a normal tapered tail and it responds well for a wide body ski. Now I can go back to sanity 102

[KonaKing]

Now I can go back to sanity 102

Not likely

[MoneyPity]

Great ski Money. I use the Connelly Big Daddy to teach with, but I have not taught my kids yet. They do snow ski and we are skiers first and foremost

I finally had to find out which ski it was and opened up the boat and it is an O'Brien Virage in Red. Here is a oicture of a more current model.


http://i695.photobucket.com/albums/v...rienvirage.jpg