Skiing with Kids

I spent most of the winters of my Southern California childhood coming home from school on Friday to be greeted by the pile of ski equipment, bags of clothing and food, and a whistling father. Ski season began in late January and ended sometime in May and as the daughter of the leader of a local mountain’s ski patrol, my weekends were dedicated to “new powder!” at Kratka Ridge with my dad. Our nine-day Spring Break was spent at Mammoth Mountain. Needless to say, the man knew how to ski with kids/teenagers.

As we gather for Winter Break, I figured now would be a good time to share:

Tom Battenberg’s Skiing with Kids 101

Several weeks before going, have your kids do squats and lunges, especially if they have never skied before. The best way to get them to do these properly is to have them “sit” with their backs against the wall, having just their legs support their weight.

Drink a lot of water the day before you leave for the higher elevations—driving from the lower elevation to the higher is best to avoid altitude sickness, but hydration is the key.  Drink a lot the day you arrive and the day after to avoid nausea and headaches.

Money saver--If you are headed to Colorado, rent skis/boots/poles in Dillon or Silverthorn then take them with you to your resort (they have another location there, but it is considerably more expensive)

Steps to Skiing On Time
The Night Before 
      1. Charge phone and ipod
      2. Bathe and then sleep in your underwear and long underwear (base layer) 
First Morning Stage (go to the bathroom/brush your teeth/put up your hair)
      3. Put on your ski socks and your slippers (so your feet don’t get wet from the kitchen floor)
       4. Put on your performance shirt
       5. Ski Pass around your neck
       6. Put phone, tissues, key to condo, and ipod in pockets of ski parka 
Second Stage: Eat  Breakfast/drink water, then check the weather to see what layers you need for the day
Third Stage: Go to the bathroom again, even if you don’t think you need to go
       7. Sunscreen and chapstick (put them in your ski parka)
       8. Ski pants
       9. Sweater or “Fuzzy”—if needed
       10. Gator around your neck/face masque/headliner—blocks the wind
       11. Ski boots—make sure they are on the “walk” mode or leave the tops unbuckled
       12. Parka—do not zip up inside the condo until the last second, so not to overheat
       13. Helmet (it is the law) and goggles
       14. Mittens (gloves don’t keep your fingers as warm)

Beginning skiers--If they are new at this, they’re gonna whine. It is best to put them in ski school for the first two days… at least.

             As they gain control, get them to a groomed intermediate run (blue) as soon as     
              possible, so they learn to use the momentum the steeper slope offers. Stay away     
              from the bumpy runs, as this adds an extra challenge a new skier does not need.
 

Food to Eat While Skiing

Lots of water—skip the soda and tea, since they are diuretics. The new sports drinks that contain protein are great.

Hand them fruits and veggies while they are waiting for dinner or lunch to be served. Our rule was: nothing else to eat or drink unless you drank six ounces of water and at half an apple/orange/3 celery sticks, etc…Anti-inflammatory foods help sore muscles. Spaghetti is the best thing to feed a starving kiddo since it helps with inflamed muscles and gives them the carbs they need to burn on the mountain.

Do not take off their ski boots during lunch, it is harder to put them back on their feet after an hour of being allowed to swell. Simply unbuckle them unless you are suffering from a blister—put moleskin on that hot spot

After the last run of the day

Sit your kiddo’s bottom just inside the door and pull off his ski boots, bang the snow off of them before bringing indoors (keeps the floor and socks dry)

Give him a big mug of hot chocolate and apple slices and let the stories of the events of the day begin!!

NEVER put your boots near the heater or fireplace to dry—they will melt. Pull the liners out of the boots and ALWAYS bring them inside your condo/hotel at night since there is nothing worse than wet, freezing cold ski boots in the morning

Hang everything up to dry and be ready for the next day in one spot, so you don’t have to spend precious morning time hunting for missing mandatory equipment

As a final bit of info and advice:

*the effects of alcohol are greater at the higher elevations
*mamas need helmets, too (remember Natasha Richardson)
*and most importantly, stop at the top of every run to appreciate the beauty and light of your mountaintop experience.