Raising a Ripper

Great post Coach! I agree with all your points. My wife and I have been crafting our first grade "ripper" since he was 2.  It has paid off this year.  As you already know so well, that 7-8 year range is pivotal for starting uppper and lower body separation, something he could not do until now.  Lots of mileage, terrain based teaching and caring input from lots of great insructors over the years has shaped him into a little snow athlete I wish I could ski more like.  I love nothing more than to watch the "black coats" and NYSEF kids stare at him when he cranks by.  I agree with the hockey comment too.  I played as a kid and all my dad did was schlep me around everywhere at all hours of the day.  I get to go ski the entire mountain with him as a family instead of watcing him from a cold rink bleacher (helps to have a wife that's been on snow since she was 3 y.o. too).   Looking forward to putting him in season long next year.  He's sick of hearing me bark at him and making him do drills that in reality he can demo better than me.    

You can enter him into the WF NYSEF Ski Meister race in mid March. We did that the season before my son joined NYSEF and he ended up winning his age group. It would be a good intro to racing for him and its a fun format - one run each of paneled SL, GS and skier cross.

Coach Z wrote

Wow. Really nice angles in that picture. NYSEF is pretty damn good at what it does.

Yep money and time well spent

Thanks Coach!  I had no idea about that NYSEF event.  I think I will pursue it. That pic shows your son jammin'! I made him see how many short radius turns he could do down the steeper part of Eco yesterday after he bombed Sagamore. I told him anyone can point em' and rip down.  A good skier can ski down a steep hill slow and in control. When we got down he made over 20 turns, then looked at me and told me that skiing with me makes him hate himself. He as serious as a heart attack.  I laughted so hard my tears froze in my goggles.