Children are not skilled skiers, although there are some who are extremely talented. Nevertheless, choosing the right skis for our kids is extremely important. Skiing should be fun and enjoyable, which will translate into quick progress. Learn the most important tips on how to choose the right skis for your child.
The main mistake parents make when buying skis for their child is buying too long models. It is worth explaining that the toddler must feel confident on them, after all, most often children are 3-5 years old. Skis for a 3-year old should reach no further than the child’s armpit. Longer skis will make it difficult to play, and that’s what it’s all about. The exact length of skis for a 3-year-old is around 60-80 centimeters.
However, if our kid is already skating quite efficiently, we can try to replace the models with bigger ones – reaching to the shoulder. Toddlers, who are great skiers, may even get skis reaching up to their noses. However, parents often overestimate the abilities and skills of their kids, which results in them getting too big skis, and the skiing itself ceases to be fun for them. Little ones give up winter sports because they are discouraged. The right choice of skis makes it possible to create comfortable and above all safe skiing conditions.
When buying skis for a small child, it is important to pay attention to their waist. What is this? The sidecut is the turning radius. The ideal model for a beginner is a carving ski, which is characterised by the fact that it is slightly wider so that your child feels more stable and is not afraid to ski downhill. Another advantage of carving skis is that they are much easier to turn. We have to remember that it is this kind of small things that can decide whether the little one will want to go for joyful skiing once again or not.
The bindings, which connect the ski boots to the skis, are an extremely important component. In the event of a fall, which is very common at the beginning of a skiing adventure, a properly fitted binding can prevent very serious injuries. Skis for children should always be equipped with safety bindings. These are models which immediately release the boots from the skis in the event of a fall. If we don’t know how to choose them, we should always remember to use the DIN scale. This depends mainly on the weight of the young skier. It is assumed that for every 10 kg of body weight there is 1 DIN. At the same time, experience and height play a very important role.
When buying skis for a young skier, we can not forget about the boots as well. At the outset, however, we need to mention two very important rules. First of all, skis for toddlers with regular boots may be suitable, but only for home skiing from a low hill. Secondly, ski boots cannot be bought a size bigger. If they do, the foot movements will not pull the skis along, which will translate into a lack of control while skiing downhill and dangerous situations can occur. The child may have slack in the shoe, but be free to lift the heels. Of course, it will be an equally bad idea to buy ski boots for kids that are too small. When this happens, foot ischemia and pain can occur, effectively discouraging your little one from continuing their skiing adventure.
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