Teaching Kids to Ski

There is nothing more enjoyable than watching a child's eyes light up the first time they get up on waterskis. With the correct equipment and little practice, getting up is a piece of cake.

How old should my child be?
Waterski manufacturers have developed trainer skis that allow you to train your child to ski as soon as they can walk. Parks Bonifay, professional wakeboarder, became the youngest person ever to waterski at 6 months 25 days old. At Wholesale Marine, we can't recommend starting kids that young but we have plenty of customers that have taught their kids at 3, 4, and 5 years of age.

The Equipment:
Wholesale Marine offers trainer skis from manufactures: O'Brien, HO, Connelly, and Kwik Tek. Trainer skis are just like the adult skis but scaled down to fit your child needs. Typically trainer skis are 44"- 47" long and have a training system that ties the skis together. Most training skis come with a special tow rope with two handles, this method requires an adult holding one end and the child the other.

Another option is a new item called a platform trainer. The platform trainer is a u-shaped ski with front toe straps. The front toe straps make it very easy for the child to put on the platform. The platform trainer has the tow rope attached and two handles just like the trainer skis. The platform trainer is a stable, consistent, and a confidence builder to learn how to waterski.

Training:
The best way to train your kids is to start on dry land. Here's how it's done:
Take the kids and the skis out to the yard and help them put the skis on. This will get them used to the awkward feeling of skis for the first time. We recommend actually towing your kids around the yard (neighbors love this) by just grabbing the rope with your hands and walking or running. This allows the kids understand what to expect and is also a great time to teach them proper form, which is knees bent and together, head up, weight back and arms straight. They should look as if they are sitting in an imaginary chair. The more you can tow them around the yard, the easier it will be the first time you hit the water.

Ready for the water:
Once on the water the real fun can begin! Have an adult get in the water with the child to help build confidence and control the skis. The two handle system that we spoke about earlier is very important because in the beginning stages of training the skis are attached to the tow rope and the skis are actually being towed. Because of this, we do NOT want to attach the ski rope to the boat but actually have an adult hold the second handle in the boat. The adult holds the second handle in case the child falls, so they can quickly let go and prevent the child from being dragged.

If you are in an area where an adult can safely stay in the water while the child is being towed have them hold the tail of the skis as the driver begins the pull. This will allow for last minute coaching from the water and a way to provide quick assistance if the child doesn't get up right away. Once the child is ready, the driver needs to put the boat in gear and very slowly accelerate while the adult in the water lets go of the tails. The child should pop right up and ski away. Please remember, most children ski between 7 - 15 mph.

The Next Level
As the child progresses its time to take the training wheels off. This is normally done by simply removing the rope that came with the skis and letting them use a standard rope. In most cases, you will need to tie the rope shorter than you would for an adult skier. The shorter rope will prevent the rope from dragging in the water. After the child has mastered skiing with a standard rope, the next step would be to remove the training bar or ropes that hold the skis together. Now with everything removed, we have a standard set of skis that the children will be able to use for years to come.

Don't Forget
The family camera is an absolute must for several reasons. First and foremost, getting up on skis for the first time provides an excellent Kodak moment. The camera is also a great tool for working on form. Plus as an added bonus the pictures or video will be a great way for your kids to show what they did on their summer vacation. Priceless!