Latest posts for the topic "At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?"

At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:48:30 GMT

He is 10 yrs now and dad is reluctant to buy anything yet , even though our son skis regularly. He is still growing and every year he would need a new pair. . . particularly the boots. Maybe the ski might last for 3 years (length wise?)
Any parental thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks

At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:52:09 GMT

tropicana wrote:He is 10 yrs now and dad is reluctant to buy anything yet , even though our son skis regularly. He is still growing and every year he would need a new pair. . . particularly the boots. Maybe the ski might last for 3 years (length wise?)
Any parental thoughts are much appreciated. Thanks

I would also like some feedback on this question. My 13 year old wants her own boots and skiis (she is currently the same size as me!) but I am reluctant to buy boots that she will grow out of. Anyone have any idea when is a good age to start?
We ski at least 3 weeks per year

thanks

Carol

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 07:55:32 GMT

yes same here , son ski 2-3 x per year. . .maybe buying some cheap cut good 2nd hand ones will be ok for the time being ??

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 08:52:48 GMT

My personal view on this is not to buy boots until feet have stoppped growing.
One reason is money, so if the nag factor from the child is high and the expense is OK then viewing new boots as a present with limited life expectency will get plenty of thanks.
Also childrens feet can change amazingly rapidly. Have had this with Rugby boots for my son where in a growing spurt a new pair in September are too tight by Christmas, nightmare with expensive ski boots bought before Christmas and too small by easter.
We have spoken for the first time about his own ski boots with my son this year, his feet (size 14 now !!) look like they have peaked and if this is the case then we will be looking for his own for next year.
As an alternative how about meeting the normal teenage need for nice stuff by buying lots of accesories? Quite often its about feeling good and enjoying the kit rather than any practical benefit of their own skis/boots that's important.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 09:13:22 GMT

OldAndy wrote:My personal view on this is not to buy boots until feet have stoppped growing.
One reason is money, so if the nag factor from the child is high and the expense is OK then viewing new boots as a present with limited life expectency will get plenty of thanks.
Also childrens feet can change amazingly rapidly. Have had this with Rugby boots for my son where in a growing spurt a new pair in September are too tight by Christmas, nightmare with expensive ski boots bought before Christmas and too small by easter.
We have spoken for the first time about his own ski boots with my son this year, his feet (size 14 now !!) look like they have peaked and if this is the case then we will be looking for his own for next year.
As an alternative how about meeting the normal teenage need for nice stuff by buying lots of accesories? Quite often its about feeling good and enjoying the kit rather than any practical benefit of their own skis/boots that's important.

i agree with everything the old fella says :wink:

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:15:20 GMT

Ditto on the boots, wait till the feet stop growing and settle into adulthood.
As for skis, personally i don't see the need to buy ever...renting is cheap, easy and avoids you carrying them to and from resort.

Having said that if i were regularly driving to resorts (esp scotland) i may consider my own but not right now.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Tue, 28 Dec 2010 17:43:15 GMT

Snapzzz wrote:Ditto on the boots, wait till the feet stop growing and settle into adulthood.
As for skis, personally i don't see the need to buy ever...renting is cheap, easy and avoids you carrying them to and from resort.

Having said that if i were regularly driving to resorts (esp scotland) i may consider my own but not right now.

I'd never go back to rental skis

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:19:16 GMT

Ebay? If you know the size it can work out just as cheap as hiring boots. If they don't fit and when they grow out of them you can sell them on again & all you'll be down is the postage.

Skis are abit more complicated - you'll have to get them serviced & fitted to the boots and set up properly. If you know what you are doing this can be a DIY option.

For an adult it's a different matter hire skis can be a mixed bag - in terms of wear & service standard. Hiring saves lugging skis with you and you get to try different types of skis but if you get a tatty pair of ski's that don't suite you it can spoil you week. Early in the season at the better shops you'll be fine - but at the end of the season in a small hire shop you may struggle if you have specific requirements.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Thu, 30 Dec 2010 12:31:33 GMT

If your children are averaging 2 - 3 weeks on the snow per year and really enjoy it and if cost is not a factor then they have to have their own boots. There is always a market for quality boots on Ebay/local paper to recover some of the cost.

It's probably best to rent skis and take proper advice as they will need different skis as they grow/progress. Once again there is a good market for quality equipment on Ebay etc

Don't forget that they will soon be outskiing you and if they develop the correct skills on quality gear not only will they enjoy it more but you will have the peace of mind to know that they are skiing safely.

Difficult decision but I've tried to give my children the best equipment and don't regret it.

Good luck

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:04:25 GMT

Surely buying boots for kids is madness! And not just for economic reasons.
I only know the trouble I had getting my boots fitted correctly so to have to (potentially) go through that every couple of months with constantly moving goalposts would be a headache I could do without.
Unless they're the next Franz Klammer, lets face it, the only reason kids want their own gear is to show off -just get them a new ipod.
And don't get me started on skis!

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:20:58 GMT

Heh. sorry to upset you about child's ski boots but I didn't realise that the ski season lasted months, as far as I know the season in Europe last about 17 weeks.

Where do you ski if yours is any longer??

You lucky thing!!

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Fri, 31 Dec 2010 15:48:40 GMT

Upset over a forum? Never. Overly pedantic people on the other hand.....! My point was that you could get some boots fitted early in the season only for them to be rendered useless 'a couple of months' later whilst resorts are still open. Just two pairs of boots still seems madness to me but each to their own. Perhaps its not just the kids who derive status from having their own equipment.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 00:02:10 GMT

My 2 cents. For kids less than fourteen, one week a year - rent, two weeks - marginal, three weeks - buy. Kids over fourteen will depend on physical maturity, but they likely will not need another pair for a few years, so buy. Buying used boots off ebay means the boots are likely to have had very little use (ebay UK anyway), and likely only by, one or two people. Rental boots maybe a few seasons old, and used by hundreds of people. I know which I'd sooner put my feet in.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 10:57:52 GMT

If you buy ski boots off eBay, how do you know whether they'll fit or not? Surely what's most important is that the boot fits, not how many people have worn it before you?

My younger daughter has always had to hire her skis and boots, and she's a very good skier now (off-piste advanced lessons). So having to hire her gear since the age of nine clearly hasn't held her back. But we do pay extra now for the top quality stuff - 'gold' or whatever they call it.

As for style - she seems to be content with her expensive matching helmet and goggles :D

Ally

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 16:48:13 GMT

Buying ski boots is not rocket science, but it does require some knowledge, and common sense. The knowledge is easily obtained by researching on line. The common sense means, noting which boots seem to fit well, then making a note of the child's foot size in cm. If the the foot grows one cm, then get the next size up. If you have paid twenty pounds for a pair of ebay boots, and they don't fit, you are not stuck with them. It's not a big deal, sell them, get another pair. Some people like to go to the car showroom, and have a salesman tell them what car they need, and what price they should pay. And that's OK if they are happy not to have to figure it out for themselves.

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Sat, 1 Jan 2011 17:31:05 GMT

If you got the cash to flush down the bog .... buy your kids ski boots :wink:

Re:At what age should we buy son ski boots/skis.?

Sun, 2 Jan 2011 04:56:47 GMT

Having heard so many complaints over the years on J2ski, about rental boots.... just because your kids don't complain, doesn't mean they are any more comfortable, or happier than an adult would be.