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Best size ski for 5 year old to learn to get up on a slalom


WBLskier
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My 5 year old is learning to slalom. She is very proficient on two skis and is asking to learn to slalom now. She is very close to getting up on a slalom, but hasn’t gotten it quite yet. She can do it on the bootm without a problem but she wants to ski behind the boat. I have been using the slalom from the pair of Junior Vortex skis she uses. This is a pretty wide ski and I think it will be very stable for her once she gets the hang of it. I am wondering if she would be better off using a larger longer ski that has more directional stability to get used to getting up on one and then go back to the junior vortex once she has gotten the hang of it. I am also thinking about using one of the deep V handles on a short line off the high fly. I haven’t tried that yet, so I’d be interested in hearing anyone else’s thoughts.
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She may be past this but if you add a 2-3 pound weight of some kind between the back foot and fin block, it will keep the ski still in the water while the line tightens up and will assist as the boat starts to pull her up. Once up and running the weight becomes a non factor.
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Any tips on where she keeps her weight (i.e.) over both feet, focus on putting some weight on the back...it has been so long since I've thought about getting up I don't know how to coach her on this. Thanks in advance.
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I see that HO makes somes weights you can add over the fin block on their combo trainers. Anyone know if something similar is available for the O'Brien Jr Vortex?? This hopefully is the year that my little one moves on from the skimmer.
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Another good idea is to ski beside her and have her drop a ski, it is pretty easy to hold the back of their life jacket to stabalise them. Gives them the feel of Skiing on one ski which will in turn make deep water starts easier. Def use tower if you have one.
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The HO weights can be installed on the Jr Vortex. I have them on the pair I use for kids. They just won't fit all of the holes in the weights. With the weight, the ski will float straight up and down in the water making the ski super easy for the kids to control.
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Great. Where do you order the weights from..overtons or barts perhaps? My daughter is great at controlling the skis now but she really struggeled when she was learning and that sounds like a great thing to have for my younger daughter and other kids.
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Has anyone moved the bindings forward on the junior vortex slalom? My 5 year old can drop the ski now but it looks like her weight is a little far back to have good control. I recall some other saying they moved the bindings up a couple inches. How far and I assume you moved both? Is it going to throw the kids who will use both skis off to have the binding moved on one? Maye I should just let her try a small real slalom ski...thoughts? Thanks.
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@WBLskier While they are a great combo set...I quickly got my daughter off the Jr Vortex slalom once she she got up on it... with the help of a trainer handle ( I think she was a very tall 8 year old and prob close to 80 lbs). To the best of my recollection, once that ski and its plastic fin exceeded 20 mph it seemed to go into a "speed wobble" . I got her on a dedicated slalom ski and it made a big difference.
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I have an HO Judge 61 inch with mini Level bindings (i have both the have rear toe and a rear boot). It is nearly perfect condition. Always stored in the HO padded bag. My son loved it, but outgrew the ski. I am planning on having it displayed for sale at our SCR JD tournament this weekend. I haven't figured a price yet, but it was about $375 new when you add the rear boot and bag...
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A few weekends ago I saw an 8 year old girl successfully skiing the course at 30 mph on a 67" Sixam and adult sized bindings. Her father told me she started on a 67" Synchro (REALLY big ski). His reasons were that the longer ski prevented the nasty OTF and taught her to really get on edge to turn it. The large binding let her release easy. Seem to be working well, she was a darn good skier and to date has not had a severe fall.
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10 year old son weighs 70 pounds, popping up real good on the jr vortex pulling him at about 22 to 25 mph. Im thinking he's ready for the next ski. the jr vortex does not seem to cut through the wake, and does not seem real stable as the boat speed increases.
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