How to Get Kids into Skiing in Colorado

There are few sports that you can do together as a family regardless of age. Skiing is the perfect combination of exercise, getting outside, thrill, adventure, and challenge. Like most skills, it takes practice and commitment, but it is the gift that keeps on giving. Teaching your kids how to ski, especially in a place like Colorado, opens a whole new world and community that is unlike any other. Get ready for some runny noses, hilarious falls, and memories you will never forget while skiing in Colorado.

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Gear

Skiing in Colorado is heavy on the gear. While you can always buy everything new, it is a large investment for an activity your kids don’t even know how to do yet. Check out rental opportunities, borrowing items from family and friends, and recycled-gear shops to save money.

Getting Started

Glossary

• Sun Blindness, also known as Photokeratitis, is like a sunburn on your eyeballs that can cause temporary and sometimes permanent blindness.
• Bunny Slope- The easiest beginner hill at a ski area.
• Magic Carpet-A conveyor belt like ski lift that kids ride to get to the top of a slope.
• Wedge- A triangle shape you make with your skis when first learning how to stop and turn.

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Pro Tips

• Good is good. Bad is bad. Kids, especially young ones, haven’t developed the ability to process type two fun or to rationalize “sucking it up.” When things feel good, life is good. When things feel bad, skiing is bad. Use this duality to make any decisions. That means hunger, bathroom breaks, staying warm, feeling comfortable in a group, and feeling safe ALL come before any skiing or learning.
• Skiing is fun. Snow is fun. The second it stops being fun for your kid, they will lose all desire to learn. If having fun means throwing snowballs and having hot cocoa breaks, that’s okay. Kids who associate being on skis and snow with having fun will be excited to keep venturing into the cold and eventually will learn the hard skills.
• Be patient—Kids are young, their muscles are smaller and less developed than ours. Between staying warm and learning ridiculous movement patterns they’ve never done before, skiing can be exhausting. Have patience and know that with time and practice, movements will become easier and muscles stronger. Rome wasn’t built in a day and most kids, especially young ones, will not learn to ski in a day, either. Let them rest when they’re tired and take breaks when they’re frustrated. It will pay off in the long run.
• Bribery is key. If your kid loves gummy bears, use them as a chairlift snack. If your kids love to hit the little jump on the side of their favorite trail, promise if they listen and try a new skill you can go that way next run.
• If your kid can rock the wedge stop and turn, that’s amazing. They may even be able to get down blue and maybe some black trails in a power wedge. But once kids have a taste of “big kid” terrain, they tend to care less about how they’re getting down the hill. Blue trails should be a reward for learning parallel skiing—it’s safer, more technically sound, and honestly, more fun. 

Safety First

Kids are not inherently safe. Be explicit about safety measures they need to take and lead by example.

Next Steps

Practice. Practice. Practice.

Skiing is a sport you can spend the rest of your life mastering. Between alpine racing, freestyle, backcountry, bumps, etc., there are endless techniques, tricks, terrain, and movements to practice.

Moving from a wedge to parallel skiing is a big deal and is typically the next biggest step after learning how to stop and turn in a wedge. Kids are often hesitant to try something new after having just achieved control of their skis in a wedge. Encourage the challenge of parallel skiing by showing them all the possibilities, including new terrain, that will open up to them when they can ski out of a wedge.

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Inspiring Media

SKI Magazine is a great magazine and online publication that covers everything from gear and performance to ski resorts and professional athletes.

Nothing gets people more excited for ski season then a good ski movie. Show your kids the amazing super hero athletes that have pushed the sport to new l