Children's skis: variations and selection criteria

In those regions where in winter time snow is a habitual, and most importantly, a constant phenomenon, skis become one of the most important accessories. The ability to ride them is laid back in childhood, so it is important to get the child the right inventory so that the learning process goes quickly and easily. To buy skis of the right size and variety, you need to be able to navigate in their features.

Having the opportunity to teach a child to ski, first of all you should take care of buying equipment for him. Modern children's skis have 2 main varieties:

• amateur equipment;
• sports skis for children.

The first type is alpine skiing, which children can ride from 3 to 14 years old, they are suitable for outdoor activities with the whole family. If you do not ride on the track, you can pick up a child for freeriding skis.

If we talk about the second group, the equipment here is significantly different, and in order to facilitate training, special soft skis have been developed that are easier to manage. The presence of a rocker located in the nose and on the heel helps to make turning movements with the knowledge of the basics of technology.

Being engaged in the selection of ski equipment for a child who still does not know whether he would be interested in such an activity as a sport or just an active type of recreation, it is worth choosing universal skis. They allow you to ride on well-groomed tracks, providing a minimum set of movements of the skier. There are options in which there are shoe mounts on the ski track, and there are those where a platform is also provided. The second type is more versatile, as it allows the use of skis for children's shoes of any size.

The classic ski model has a pointed end and of sufficient length, which makes it possible to drive both on the track and outside it. For a child, you need to look for inventory with notches that will not give a strong acceleration and prevent slipping back.

It is necessary to use such skis on a clean rolled track in cool weather, so that the sliding conditions are optimal. If the child already knows how to ride, you can buy inventory without cuts with a special ointment in the kit, which will allow you to keep the track well at high speed.

Another option for skis is skating, which are bought only after the classic version of the ride is already well studied and tried out in practice. Skating in this case involves the study of the ridge course, similar to riding on skates. In this case, the ski equipment has a much smaller size and a rounded nose. The optimal size of the track will be height of baby 10 cm to him. In this case, no cuts are needed, and skiing takes place only on specially prepared tracks.

The use of alpine skis is suitable for those children who have already mastered the basics and are ready for active trips along the tracks of different levels.The difference of such skis in increased softness and small length, which allows you to comfortably take quick turns and terrain reliefs. Usually such equipment is taken for older children, whose weight crosses the line at 40 kg, in which case the skis should be flush with the child's nose. In case of lack of due experience, it is better to choose a shorter ski track, somewhere to the chin, to make it easier to manage on the track.

If we talk about small athletes whose weight is about 20 kg, then skis 70 cm long are optimal for them, kids with a weight of 30 kg are suitable for a length of 90 cm, and when they reach 40 kg, it is necessary to use meter skis. For small skiers who are just learning to ride, it is better to take a “fitted” model that will facilitate the descent.

Cross-country skis are the most common option for inventory, since they include 3 varieties:

• for a classic ride;
• for skating;
• universal.

The latter type is preferred because it is suitable for learning both styles. To make the track safer, it is made wider and has a rounded toe, and the presence of fitted side grooves makes it possible to take turns much easier.

If a child is from 2 to 6 years old on skis, the equipment for him should be as simple as possible and exceed the height of the child by 5-8 cm. . For older children, it is worth picking up skis that are about 15–20 cm higher than their height.

Today you can find 2 options for the materials from which children's skis are made: wood and plastic. Wood has its advantages, as they are not too expensive and do not develop high speed, which is important in the process of teaching children. As for plastic, it also has its advantages, which include greater ease of skiing, which facilitates the process of skiing - this is especially important for beginners and toddlers, and the presence of notches, which do not allow to gain too high speed.

With all the advantages, both materials have disadvantages. Wooden skis in the warm season must be stored in the right conditions, otherwise they can dry out and burst. In addition, wood is exposed to moisture, because it is worth keeping equipment away from it. The disadvantage of plastic skis is that they do not adhere well to the snow and can be dangerous for children without specialized cuts. Even at high speeds it is necessary to use lubricants in order to provide the necessary glide.

Selecting skis for children from 3 years old, it is best to purchase short and wide products, the length of which will be equal to either 40 cm or the height of the baby. The width of such a ski will be 8 cm, which will allow you to stand on your feet and learn to slide on the snow. For children of preschool age, you can choose both wooden and plastic equipment, but the latter option will be more versatile, since it does not require special storage conditions and is suitable for wet and dry snow.

Such skis are usually sold without specialized shoes, because a child’s foot can grow in one year, and buying a new equipment is not cheap. Kids can ride in the usual winter shoes, which are fastened to the skis with the help of belts.

For children who already go to school and well mastered the skills of sliding, you can acquire more advanced models that are considered sports. Their width is 5 cm, and the length is chosen taking into account the height of the child and the addition of 15 cm to it. At the age of 7 it is worthwhile to buy a complete set, including sticks, because the level of riding grows noticeably. In this case, the shoes are not yet purchased, and the type of attachment is similar to the model for the smallest.

Teenage skis will differ not only in the characteristics of length and width, but also directly depend on the style in which the boy or girl rolls. Qualitative models will have the same weight and length, in addition, their surface should be absolutely smooth, without scratches and other damage.

To buy your child skis, in which the process of learning and riding will be comfortable, it is important to know how to do it correctly. There are general rules on which to focus.

• The choice of training place and track, depends on the selection of equipment. It can be cross-country or downhill skiing.
• Examine the design features of products. The easier the skis, the easier it is for the child to cope with them, and he will be less tired after the lesson.
• The choice of equipment depends on height, age and level of skiing.
• Before using the inventory after storage, it is important to check all fixtures and the condition of each equipment.
• For the right choice, you can consult with experienced coaches or sports equipment sellers.

To choose the right skis for height and weight, it is recommended to use a table on which you can easily navigate.

A set of sports equipment will be quite expensive, because it is important to measure everything correctly and buy the right equipment. The length of the ski should correspond to the indicators from the table, and intermediate results (for example, 120 cm) should be calculated on the basis of the available data. Choosing equipment, it is important to check the skis for flexibility, because the child (especially a beginner) will not be able to cope with a rigid set properly.

Depending on what kind of skis will be bought to the child, they will have different types of fastenings. The most common options are as follows.

• Soft variety It is a set of straps or rubber bands, which make it possible to easily put skis on winter shoes. This option is suitable for children of preschool age.
• Semi-rigid variety - it is a metal plate on which plastic straps are mounted. In this case, you can also use simple winter shoes, but it will be fastened more securely and firmly.
• Hard option - for this case not to do without the purchase of specialized ski boots. There are spike mounts that were used earlier, and new ones, of the SNS and NNN standard.

Buying shoes for a child depends on his age and desire to engage. If the ride is not much fun for the kid, you should not spend money on unnecessary equipment. For the same young athletes who are about 6 years old and who actively seek to master all the techniques of riding, you can pick up specialized shoes. Since skis can be used both wooden and plastic, and fastenings of the old and the new model, so the shoes are selected in accordance with this.For old versions of fasteners, you can buy shoes with size 28 and larger, which can only be used in the classic version of the ride.

Modern mounts and shoes to them are quite expensive, and the little skier will be enough for several seasons, no more. It is worth paying attention to the fact that you need to buy shoes in size, without choosing a larger option, as this will make it difficult to use skis.

When teaching children to ski, it is important to buy everything you need to do this. Kids of preschool age, who first fall on the snow, will only have enough skis, but older children, from 3 to 7 years old, who have the basics of sliding, must also pick up ski poles. Their length should reach the level of the child’s armpits. Such products should have rubber handles and belts that prevent them from falling during movement. The tip must be pointed, and the nozzle may be round or star-shaped.

For older children, ski poles are selected depending on which style the child prefers. For a classic ride, sticks are selected that do not exceed the height of the armpits, and for ridge - equal to the height of the shoulder.

Due to the prevalence of skiing, many adults and children want to try themselves on the snow, for which they can not do without high-quality equipment. At the moment, the most famous manufacturers of ski equipment for children are:

• Olympic Sport (Russian brand);
• Virage Sport;
• Schoolboy-Sport;
• New Nordic Norm (Austrian brand);
• Salomon Nordic System;
• Fisher;
• Nordway;
• Atomic;
• Head.

How to choose a children's ski, see the following video.