Building a Better Bunny Slope - Wall Street Journal

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204002304576626952549800200.html

First time I ever heard of putting a handle in a ski jacket & the Burton boards with retractable leash - Wow.  New technologies are nice but smaller learning hills that cater to kids don't always keep up.  We have a cable tow at our local learning hill and sometimes I think that it is harder to master than the trip back down the bunny slope.  Wonder what the cost and maintenance on a carpet is?  Smuggs and many others already have a great reputation or family skiing, Jay Peak adding an inside water park, and Bromley a whole new beginner area. I am working on getting both my girls to enjoy skiing but I doubt if it will ever be a family thing.   My wife would probably rather curl up next to a roaring fire with a nice book.

IMO, Whiteface is the outstanding place to teach skiing. The beginner chairlifts are why. So much easier than rope tows, etc. PLUS they get to rest their legs on the way up. That equals more time sking, more opportunity to catch on, more bang for the investment. That increases the chances of them liking skiing. Also, you get to talk on the way up, have fun, give pointers. Most rookies legs give out way too soon and they don't get a chance to catch on/enjoy skiing.

Face also has several different chairs for rookies, so they have variety and feel better/cooler moving around the hill.

Usually, once they've mastered the bunny hill, The next obstacle is riding a chair. Problematic and scary for half of them. At Face, they've already ridden the chair and are confident moving on up the mtn, which leads to Bear lift, much easier for them than Sunway.

Snowballs wrote

IMO, Whiteface is the outstanding place to teach skiing. The beginner chairlifts are why.

 I agree.  We spent a few long weekends at Whiteface before we started coming to Gore every weekend, and that's where my kids really learned to ski. The beginner mountain is perfect, as it is separate from the rest of the resort, and has its own base lodge. The ski school is great too.  Some kids just aren't ready for a chairlift though.  We witnessed an exciting rescue on that bunny hutch triple one year when a four year old decided to abandon the lift mid-ride. His instructor grabbed the back of his jacket and he dangled for a while until the lift attendants could run out and catch him.

Thanks for pointing that out Dex....

Also, sometimes it's the parents who aren't ready or prepped for kids on a chairlift.

You gotta make sure kids do not slouch or sit forward when riding a chairlift. Even if they're tired, be the Boss and make them sit up straight and with their back/hips against the back of the chair. If their hips get close to, on or over the front edge of the chair they will slip right out before you know it.

As many know, jacket hoods are an absolute NO NO! Many, many a kid has been hung by jacket hoods and their drawstrings and not just by chairlifts but playgrounds, school buses, almost anything can quickly turn a hood into hangman's noose. If the hood doesn't come off, tuck it inside the coat and get a different coat asap.

For their safety, be the Boss.

Snowballs wrote

IMO, Whiteface is the outstanding place to teach skiing. The beginner chairlifts are why. So much easier than rope tows, etc. PLUS they get to rest their legs on the way up. That equals more time sking, more opportunity to catch on, more bang for the investment. That increases the chances of them liking skiing. Also, you get to talk on the way up, have fun, give pointers. Most rookies legs give out way too soon and they don't get a chance to catch on/enjoy skiing.

I may not be impartial, but I have to agree. The Kids Kampus area is an excellent, family friendly place to bring young kids to ski. Its separation from the main lodge, and more importantly, the main part of the mountain, means not having to worry about people screaming through areas where young kids are skiing.

It's a much more mellow environment. On a busy day, it's always nice to see all the moms and dads out there taking pictures of their kids, and it's almost always all smiles.

It would be nice if they could improve the food service a little over there, though!