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For the U10 skier

  • SL Ski

    Votes: 9 50.0%
  • GS Ski

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • They need both, an SL and GS ski.

    Votes: 3 16.7%
  • Combo ski

    Votes: 6 33.3%

  • Total voters
    18

Philpug

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We have been receiving some conflicting views from local coaches when we ask "If a parent can only get one pair of skis for their young racer, would you prefer an SL or GS ski? What are your thoughts here?
 

ella_g

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@Philpug im not a u10 coach so I shouldnt be responding but .... why not just tell parents to go to a ski swap and find a pair of cheap sl and a pair of gs skis? Or jump on the internet? My kids used 2 race w nysef and now race at Jackson and in both cases needed both skis . They needed freeski skis too. In both cases combi skis only worked when kids were u8. Most parents don’t buy new race skis til the kids get older unless they’re getting freebies somehow , they just head to a ski swap or 2nd hand kind of place...
 

S.H.

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I don't coach U10s, but our program encourages that age group to get SL skis only if they're going to get just one pair. SL skis = more turns.

Two pairs not really necessary at this age group. Spend that money on a ski trip or a lift tickets for a bigger hill.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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@Philpug im not a u10 coach so I shouldnt be responding but ....
Correct. Plus you didn't answer the question.Trust me. I understand the other options. This is a specific question.
 

coskigirl

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@Philpug im not a u10 coach so I shouldnt be responding but .... why not just tell parents to go to a ski swap and find a pair of cheap sl and a pair of gs skis? Or jump on the internet? My kids used 2 race w nysef and now race at Jackson and in both cases needed both skis . They needed freeski skis too. In both cases combi skis only worked when kids were u8. Most parents don’t buy new race skis til the kids get older unless they’re getting freebies somehow , they just head to a ski swap or 2nd hand kind of place...

Somebody is buying new skis. Also, businesses aren’t going to advise potential customers to just go to the local swap.
 

ella_g

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@Philpug @coskigirl at jh u10s are not allowed to train without the correct ski (sl and gs), if parents can’t or won’t get them the coaches find a pair but they arent thrilled about doing it.
 

Average Joe

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We have been receiving some conflicting views from local coaches when we ask "If a parent can only get one pair of skis for their young racer, would you prefer an SL or GS ski? What are your thoughts here?
I'd look to see the local program's race schedule and if they train or race sl.
In our area, U-10's race GS, the SL stubbie races usually start more in the U-12 age group.
That's said each program and coach should advise the parents which type of ski they favor, based on their mountain, program.......
But If it were me I'd have the kid on a GS ski. I think it suits the type of skiing that a U-10 age group usually does.
 

sparty

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It's been a bunch of years since I coached U10s, but some (many?) manufacturers do offer "dual-event" skis for this age group, and those are usually a good option.

IMO, U10s shouldn't need to have event-specific skis. There's as much difference in turn radius or speed, and being on an actual race ski with a good tune (so the ski responds correctly to good movements) is more important than the exact specs of the ski. I think some, if not all, Vermont councils actually mandated that U10s race all their races on the same pair of skis rather than switching per event (a quick look at the NVC rules suggests one pair of GS skis is "strongly recommended" and "No slalom skis are necessary").

Having a second pair of skis for thrashing through the woods can be helpful, and I'd suggest is more helpful than a second pair of race skis. Ideally, they should still be a pair of skis that will respond decently on firm surfaces when the pilot provides good input, but mostly it's about allowing the kid to have fun skiing places that aren't friendly to race skis.
 

tube77

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That’s why Ross or other brands offer Multi-turn junior racing skis and it’s exactly the same question that I asked U10 coaches.
I was advised to buy GS length multi-turn ski which will later can be used as SL skis as my kid grows out. Then I will just need to add GS specific skis later at u14.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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The question has come up and we are getting inconsistencies from coaches and even other shops. Some say that an SL is easier to ski in GS if needed, some say a GS ski at forehead to head height is what they want if skiing only one ski. I just wanted to get others opinions. As far as the combi ski, that is a great option for the lighter kids that jsut don't have the weight or skills to bend the ski with the stiffer plates.
 

AlpsSkidad

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Our experience has only been in Austria and France, however in both circumstances the team coaches for BOTH U8 and U10 expected separate SL and GS skis. Over Christmas break, one new kid to the team even showed up with the aforementioned Rossi Hero Multi-Event ski, and was sent to the shop by the French coaches to get the right skis.
 

S.H.

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@Philpug @coskigirl at jh u10s are not allowed to train without the correct ski (sl and gs), if parents can’t or won’t get them the coaches find a pair but they arent thrilled about doing it.
Might be a bit of an east/west divide. GMVS suggests one ski for this age group (SL or a combi ski) ... though does encourage a rock ski: http://skiclub.gmvs.org/u10-ages-7-9/

Might also have something to do with expected resources. The U10 program at JH costs well over $2K (not including lift tickets) for training 3x/wk. https://jhskiclub.org/program/alpine/u10-team
Meanwhile, the program at Burke is $1,150 for 3x/wk. http://burkemtnacademy.org/skiing/alpine/junior-program/

These are U10s. Competition is not super important. It's about building fundamentals and love for the sport. Those who are winning at the U10 level are very rarely winning once they become U16s.
 

Burton

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I primarily coach older kids (in Massachusetts), but some U10s as well, and I generally recommend a SL ski for kids with just one pair of race boards. Note that the U10s I coach do, in fact, race SL, and they race GS on mostly small hills, so if they only had GS skis they'd be hosed, but on the hills we race a SL ski works acceptably for a U10 in a GS course.

When my own kids were U10s, I set them up on a slightly too long SL to use for both events as second year U10s, and then they used the same ski as their dedicated SL as first year U12s. I'm cheap like that. If you look at the dimensions of "multi-event skis" they're pretty indistinguishable from a proper SL.
 
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Swede

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Over here, from what I have seen, it’s a SL or maybe a combi for U10. In U12 GS skis are needed as SL and GS become two distinctive disiplines (when tall SL gates are used and GS becomes wider and faster). Free skiing on race skis are encouraged (we don’t get a lot of powder anyway). A lot of parents make other decisions.
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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So..this there is still not a consensus here, SL or GS as the one ski.
 

James

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So..this there is still not a consensus here, SL or GS as the one ski.
From reading the coaches, I’d say slalom or Kombi with preference to slalom. I could be confirming my bias.
Length should be the next question, or is that solid?
 
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Philpug

Philpug

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From reading the coaches, I’d say slalom or Kombi with preference to slalom. I could be confirming my bias.
Length should be the next question, or is that solid?
Length isn't the issues we are pretty solid on where to go there be it SL or GS.
 

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