Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Holy cow, please tell me he is photoshopped in!!!
Stunning photos of a clearly able and brave child on a beautiful landscape. After watching my two wobble down reds I can only imagine the nerves.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Mum should be proud!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Wow he's killing it. FWT soon?
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Awesome! How old is he? British freeride junior starts at 11 I think!
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Great stuff!
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@WaitForMe!, he is 7. I just want him to enjoy exploring the mountains safely. IMHO too many local kids oriented towards skiing gates all weekend...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Great photos, and as long as with you @BobinCH, then a whole lot safer than crowded pistes!
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BobinCH wrote: |
@WaitForMe!, he is 7. I just want him to enjoy exploring the mountains safely. IMHO too many local kids oriented towards skiing gates all weekend... |
Outstanding !
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Quote: |
@WaitForMe!, he is 7. I just want him to enjoy exploring the mountains safely. IMHO too many local kids oriented towards skiing gates all weekend...
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very cool
But honestly, is there a big problem with skiing gates when you are young and learning mountain safety when you have the emotional maturity to make life or death decisions? It's great skiing off piste with kids but do we need to force them to make adult decisions so young?
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Very impressive and looks like lots and lots of fun!
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jedster wrote: |
Quote: |
@WaitForMe!, he is 7. I just want him to enjoy exploring the mountains safely. IMHO too many local kids oriented towards skiing gates all weekend...
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very cool
But honestly, is there a big problem with skiing gates when you are young and learning mountain safety when you have the emotional maturity to make life or death decisions? It's great skiing off piste with kids but do we need to force them to make adult decisions so young? |
I didn’t force him. He asked.
If driving your kid round the local resorts to ski gates races all weekend is their/your idea of fun go ahead.
My kid likes free skiing, jumps, off piste. He much prefers his Mantra jr’s To his piste skis. He asks where I go and I tell him. He sees the routes from the lifts and I explain them to him. He asks if he can ride them with me so we tried it. He loved it and was solid so we did some more. He’s smart, determined, wants to learn. I love that about him. Of course, it’s important to manage risk - but that’s my job not his and he will start to learn by seeing and doing. Hopefully I’ll get it right. To be honest I have more fear for him hooning around the pistes with his mates than skiing in familiar terrain with me
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You know it makes sense.
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@BobinCH, good answer. What a lucky boy!
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@BobinCH, will you adopt me . . . PLEASE
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Poster: A snowHead
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....and to cap it all he is a thoroughly nice kid.
(still a bit sick making to see him ski stuff at 7 that I know well...and know I will never ski!)
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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To be fair, he did turn round on the weather station traverse and say « dad, no fall zone here ». Not entirely true but funny to see him taking charge 🤣
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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BobinCH wrote: |
To be fair, he did turn round on the weather station traverse and say « dad, no fall zone here ». Not entirely true but funny to see him taking charge 🤣 |
That looks like the propane tank for a gazex to me.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Quote: |
If driving your kid round the local resorts to ski gates races all weekend is their/your idea of fun go ahead.
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Yeah - not my scene either. And indeed I couldn't get my kids that interested in race training.
I don't think there is anything wrong with it though. I'd have thought most of the best freeride skiiers in the world had a race background as kids?
Not that my kids are aspiring pros or anything!
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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My youngest is 7 too. I would love to have the skills to take him to places like that.
He has just started at a race training club but luckily they place emphasis on freeskiing. He does love hitting gates though 😄
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You'll never keep up with him by the time he's about......er, nine!!
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Wonderful.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@BobinCH, ....OI...BOB....he’s not in the Salomons you bought from us....
But seriously, great experience. Great technique.
And re all the ‘what,...where are you taking such a young child....’ ours certainly have been in such settings on the hills, climbing and skiing, at that age ... and taught all the skills of awareness and care.
As I have written elsewhere, people always say ‘they are fearless at that age...’ - and I gently correct them, on the contrary we have taught our small mountain goats to be fearful but not frightened - to be conscious of objective dangers. Of course they lack experience, but they can be taught awareness and self control from a much earlier age than many assume.
Great stuff Bob - and I loved listening to your support and guidance to him.
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Top of the Notch 👏
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Love this video. If there are ever mini mes, I hope to hell we are doing stuff like this!
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Thanks all for the positive vibes!
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Quote: |
And re all the ‘what,...where are you taking such a young child....’
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Don't think anyone said that on this thread did they?
I did respond to the idea that there was something wrong in focusing on gates when they are young but that's not the same thing at all.
My kids weren't up to that aged 7 but if they had been and they'd wanted to do it then fine. Avvy risk would have been my only concern* - and it didn't look high risk in those shots - chalky.
* My personal rule is I can't contemplate putting my kids in a situation when they might be asked to deal with me being caught until they have the emotional maturity to cope with that - means staying off steep ground unless the risk is very low.
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You know it makes sense.
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@jedster,
Quote: |
* My personal rule is I can't contemplate putting my kids in a situation when they might be asked to deal with me being caught until they have the emotional maturity to cope with that |
That sounds very reasonable.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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That looks absolutely fantastic! What a lucky young man! I agree about young being more capable - if appropiately taught - than people often assume. I was taught respect, but not fear of, dangerous tools - my father rebuilt several of the houses we lived in - and for aeroplanes, as he flew for a Parachute Centre at weekends when I was young. No fences or high-vis jackets then but I knew how to behave around them and have seen adults exhibiting a lot less sense than I did at 5yo.
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Poster: A snowHead
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jedster wrote: |
Avvy risk would have been my only concern* - and it didn't look high risk in those shots - chalky.
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It hadn’t snowed for a few days and avvy risk was 2 but there were a couple of untracked options which had some sluff risks so I kept him in the main (tracked and more regularly skied) chutes and then got in a few powder turns once he was in an island of safety. You can see them at end of video. Biggest risk would have been falling in a steep scalped or sun baked area where there was a risk not to stop and rocks below. We stayed away from those - one of the reasons I avoided the Mt Gele main chute - and in a couple of unavoidable no fall areas I kept him immediately above me and then let him go first once the risk reduced.
In fresh snow the falling risk goes down but avvy risk increases and route selection needs to adjust for that. Fortunately there are plenty of more mellow spots, which are regularly skied so have a solid base without weak layers - hopefully they’ll be on this weekend 😉
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sounds like good risk assessment.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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7... serious skills. Fab photos and video, so thank you for posting. What age did he start skiing ? I would love my son to enjoy skiing and be this good by 7 but living in the UK I dont see that happening
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He started at 2 and gets to ski most weekends so big advantage over UK based. But leg strength is probably the biggest obstacle for young kids rather than time on skis. He’s come on hugely this season. Should be relatively easy for a kid his age to catch up with the right coaching and motivation. He’s not especially talented compared to the other local kids but is very determined and wanting to copy mum and dad no doubt plays a role
For freeride tips this series from Xavier Delerue is worth a look https://instagram.com/p/BfvvPpZhuqa/https://instagram.com/p/BfvvPpZhuqa/
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Quote: |
I would love my son to enjoy skiing and be this good by 7 but living in the UK I dont see that happening
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This is a Cairngorm local 7 year old. Never skied outside Scotland. Never had a lesson before this season but been skiing since 3. Not near indoor or big dry ski slope for all year round training.
I think it is possible for kids to get good in the UK but the gap will widen as the kids get older.
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@sarah, haha yes they grow up so fast! Agree that variety is great at this age although not sure I want this to become a habit 🤣
I have your last paragraph on the horizon!
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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You see literally 100's of local kids doing gates day in day out many with the sole aim of getting their "technique" or whatever it's called to get them on the road to being an instructor, and I do wonder what happens to those that don't make the grade.
For sure it's all part of their local school activities and I have a few friends whose kids do well in local race event with one boy (Parents English) well on his way to getting his "technique".
You do see groups of young local club FreeRiders with an instructor ripping things up though don't know if they're still doing gates or have opted out of the "system", like wise I often see young kids doing XC, and again have they given up gates to do XC ?
And what is the Peer pressure like at school are those that opt for XC at those early years ostracised in any way?
For my own part unlike @BobinCH, my twin girls (now twenty eaight) never really enjoyed the prospect of going skiing when they were young being torn away from their parents and thrown into some ski school. For sure they did it, but when my mates boys were watching snowboard vids two months before going on hols with us mine were moaning about having to go into ski school
Even though one of mine did three seasons in Tignes it was typical seasonaire skiing with a lot of park thrown in till she did her ACL.
She's paranoid of powder and off piste and this year when we had fresh snow I was going to take her up to a very gentle meadow that was a green run and boot deep fresh. Mistake I made was to take the drag first, whilst OH and her skied off back to the Cafe!
So very envious of kids that can do stuff with their parents and great to see and I very very rarely see any youngsters off piste like that.
One of the only times was in La Grave some seven or so years ago, and a mate was with his son who was around 8 and think they'd just done the Bannane couloir.
Max is now 15 and has made it on to the podium recently on the Junior FreeRide tour, and he wants to be a guide like his Dad.
Actually forgot there's another friends kid, Milton Falt who did the Freeride Junior Tour in La Clusaz a month or so back, damn Scandis
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My seven year old gets to do some good off-piste, with his instructor though and not with me. I sometimes tag along, but I don't feel confident enough safety wise to take responsibility for him on anything that could avalanche.
To answer you question regarding locals Weathercam, the kids instructor who raced internationally has 3 children. The oldest skis well, but has no interest in racing. The youngest has chosen to do XC at both school and club this year. The youngest is 6 and doesn't intend to race either. They all have friends who do or don't race and no one seems to care less. The eldest girls best friend is in race school, but they free ski together for fun on a Sunday.
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