Choosing skis for children 7-8 years old

Getting to know the ski equipment is what will help parents who are finally thinking of putting their children on skis. If this happened at the age of 7-8, the choice will be based on completely different principles than the selection of a pair for preschoolers. By the way, a typical mistake of parents of first-graders and children a little older: to choose skis in the same way as they did with their children earlier. It is from the age of 6-7 that the selection changes fundamentally, and this is very important.

Parents who are actively involved in winter sports know how one type of ski differs from another, they can distinguish pairs by eye and can only characterize them in appearance. But not all adults are so knowledgeable, there are those who have not skated themselves for a long time, and even more so have never taught children to skate.

All skis are divided into 2 large types: cross-country and mountain skis. On the cross-country run, you can ride around the school stadium in winter, come to the park, go out of town, and for those who are lucky enough to live in a private house, you can just train right near the house (if the territory allows). Mountain resorts are needed by those lucky ones who live near mountain resorts, or those who often go there. If you often can't go to the mountains, you shouldn't buy skis, it's easier and cheaper to rent them.

Running equipment is a universal option, it is worth mastering them even for those who are going to ride in the mountains. Cross-country skiing is classic and skating. Classic ones are equipment for basic training, skating is already mastered by advanced skiers. As a rule, at 7-8 years old, skating skis are not yet bought, they are taken only if the child has been skating for a long time and is ready to switch to a new type.

Ski types differ in material.

• Plastic... Almost all modern skis are made of plastic. It is easier to slide on it, gain speed.And children who have already gone to school can buy plastic inventory.

• Wooden... Nowadays, wooden samples are rarely produced, and most of them are intended for preschool children. The fact is that plastic samples are both faster and heavier. Kids don't need to develop speed, the main thing for them is to learn how to keep balance.

• Combined... Among children's samples, these are often found - as a rule, the middle part of the inventory is made of wood.

Skiing with special boots for 7-8 year olds is an optional rule. At this age, they can still use ordinary winter shoes, which are fixed to the pair with the help of fasteners. By about 10-11 years old, you can think about buying ski boots.

There are many ready-made tables by which it is quite possible to compare. But it's even better to understand the very principle of choosing skis. If the child is still small (and they start skiing at 3 years old, or even earlier), the equipment will be slightly lower than the child or equal to him. For example, a boy or a girl at 3 years old with a height of 100 cm will suit the same size of skis - 1 m. Equipment 90 cm long will also work. And this principle persists until school age.

This is how skis are chosen for children 7-8 years old.

• A child at the age of 7 has a height of about 125 cm, this means that his skis should be 15 cm longer in length, that is, 140 cm. The average height of a child at 8 years old is 130 cm, which means that the length of his pair will be 150 cm (that is, already 20 cm more). And this principle holds true for older children as well.

• If skating skis are bought for a child, which is a rarity for the age of 7-8 years, they will be shorter than the classic ones. For example, for a child with a height of 130 cm, the length of the ridge pair is 140 cm, the difference is only 10 cm.

• This is not the case with alpine skiing, weight also plays an important role.... A child with a height of 120 cm, weighing 23 kg (average data) needs models of 100-110 cm.A child with a height of 130 cm, weighing 26 kg will take skis 110-120 cm.

Those same short skateboards will still be dangerous. The child's weight is still too small to push through such equipment, and then it will be almost unrealistic for the child to manage them on the slope. Softer types of skis are preferable in this sense.

Among the skiers there are beginners, mid-level skiers, expert and professionals (athletes). Sports skis are bought only for those guys who do not just do it for themselves, but work with a coach, study at a youth sports school or a similar school.

Let's analyze the nuances of the selection.

• Classic couple - these are notched models. A child who has just started skiing will feel confident with this sports equipment. Such a pair will not develop high speed, the skis will not roll back. And this is important for a beginner. If he gets on skis that go unexpectedly fast, he will be frightened. So it is not far from injuries. With a high probability, the child is emotionally traumatized by the situation, he may be afraid of rolling.

• The rigidity of the inventory is also worth paying attention to. Beginners need soft options. You also need to be able to manage a tough couple, and this requires some kind of experience.

• Universal skis (and there is also such a type) do not buy so often. They are suitable for both classics and skating. True, the problem is that although they can be useful for beginners, there is no expert level of universal skis. This means that as soon as the child's skating level goes up, he will have to decide on the style - he will not be able to continue to move on the universal ones.

• Skating skis are good, many guys adore them for their speed, for the sporting passion that walking on them gives. But they are not suitable for beginners. Such a pair requires knowledge of technique, which means that the child should already reach an advanced level of skating. You should switch to expert skating skis if the child already knows the technique, owns it, has been skating for several seasons and wants more.

• Skiing - a separate category of inventory. It is interesting that children learn to ride them faster, that is, equipment of a higher level will come in handy for children faster. Parents simply won't have time to change inventory so quickly, at least it's expensive. Therefore, it is more convenient to take rental equipment.

If preschool children are bought a pair, which can cost 400-800 rubles, and even three-five-year-olds do not need sticks, then it will no longer be possible to save money on younger students. Approximately 1,700 rubles - this is the average price (and this is not at all the limit) of a pair for children 7-8 years old. And even all 3000, if the skis of a well-known brand, high-quality, plastic.

Happy shopping!