20 Nov
My kids (6 and 10) can pretty much ski from top to bottom of a long easy ski slope doing snowplow including making turns. However, they still struggle a lot with the basic technique of getting up after a fall and I am struggling to teach this technique and end up picking them up most of time.
We're OK up to getting in the right position with the skiis parallel and towards the bottom of the hill. It's the final step of getting up the kids struggle with. They can't lift their weight with poles, and I know with the center of weight in the right spot it's possible to get up even without poles. I can do this myself but can't figure out how to explain to them. I would appreciate tips.
It's not something that can be explained, it's something they have to figure out on their own. Do as little as possible when it comes to picking up the pieces. It takes patience on your part. I have two daughters, aged 7 and 9, and they can mostly recover from anything, unless they are on steep hardpack.
Make the kids hike to get their stuff if it comes off (within reason of course), and let them struggle. Even if it takes 10 minutes, eventually they will figure it out. Picking them up and "explaining" the process will not help the kid at all. In fact, they will never learn! Well, not quickly anyways.
Just let them be, they will figure it out…that's the best advice I can give. What you can help with is making sure that if they need to put one ski on, then the ski still attached is on the downhill side. You can support them by standing below them if the slope is steep or hardpack. This prevents them from zooming off before their skis are on. You can provide support by cheering them on, and help them knock snow off their boots. That should be all that is required!
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5 Responses for "Teaching kid to recover from a fall in Alpine Ski?"
It's not something that can be explained, it's something they have to figure out on their own. Do as little as possible when it comes to picking up the pieces. It takes patience on your part. I have two daughters, aged 7 and 9, and they can mostly recover from anything, unless they are on steep hardpack.
Make the kids hike to get their stuff if it comes off (within reason of course), and let them struggle. Even if it takes 10 minutes, eventually they will figure it out. Picking them up and "explaining" the process will not help the kid at all. In fact, they will never learn! Well, not quickly anyways.
Just let them be, they will figure it out…that's the best advice I can give. What you can help with is making sure that if they need to put one ski on, then the ski still attached is on the downhill side. You can support them by standing below them if the slope is steep or hardpack. This prevents them from zooming off before their skis are on. You can provide support by cheering them on, and help them knock snow off their boots. That should be all that is required!
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I find it easier to have my edges set perpendicular to the hill, so I don't start going forward when I try to get up. Tell them to try keeping their weight back because I think that's the sweet spot for the center of gravity you were talking about
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Don't help them, they are old enough to have the muscles to do it themselves and young enough that trying to explain will only make them overthink it. It mostly has to do with coordination and strength. One thing to note: skis should be next to each other and facing across the hill
(so they don't start sliding away when they start to get up) and your kids should be sitting on their uphill side. From here, it's up to them. They should then use their uphill hand or pole to push them away from the hill and into a crouch above their skis from which they can stand up. Again, make sure the skis are pointing across the hill and not down it.
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Instructor for 6 years
Well it looks like you know exactly what to do. I think you need to show them. Fall down on purpose and show them how you would get up. Also….have them practice without their skis on…just their ski boots. They should be able to get up very soon! Good Luck!
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I am a skier
Your skis need to be running side ways to the hill, so your edges can dig into the pitch of the slope. With your up hill hand you can push your self up enough to get your up hill ski under your body, while digging in your edges as you do in the snow plow to keep you from moving. Or, hold one or both poles in the middle of the pole with the uphill hand. Use your downhill hand to push on the top of the pole and push your body off the snow while using the edges the same way.
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