10 Reasons To Ski With Your Kids

Over the years skiing has become an integral part of our family.  While some dread the winter, we wait with bated breath every year to see if mother nature will bring us the snow conditions that we dream of.  This year has started with a bang with Cannon Mountain receiving over 6' of snow in December!  Cannon is our mountain of choice for many reasons.  Trust me when I say that Cannon is hands down the best area in the northeast to ski with your family.  Here are the 10 reasons that Wacky Dad thinks skiing with your kids is great for the family!


1.  Exercise - many kids become too lethargic during the winter months.  Skiing offers an 8 hours of exercise for every ski day you enjoy.  It is the best type of exercise because it is fun!

Mia Skiing at age 2 - we start them young!  

2.  The lift ride - riding up the lift gives you a chance to really connect with your kids while your enjoying something together.  For the 5 minutes we spend on each lift ride we talk about our next run, tell stories (mostly about dumb things I have done in the past), and quietly crack on some of the "Joeys" we see skiing down the mountain.  A "Joey" is simply someone who has absolutely no business being on a set of skis and they make that clear to the world with their style and grace!


3.  Winter is boring without outdoor activities - what else are you going to do?

Abigail at Bodefest 2010

4.  Toughness - skiing can instill a sense of toughness in your kids.  Bundling up against the cold and surviving multiple runs on zero degree days teaches your kids that they can thrive in a tough environment and still have fun.  Abby and I both remember her taking a top to bottom run on a bitter cold day that had most kids and adults lurking in the lodge for most of the day.  She was cold at the bottom but I made sure she knew that she had toughed out conditions that most people couldn't handle.  She is still proud of that one run.

Ailey at Bodefest 2010

5.  Meeting new friends - when you ski at family area like Cannon Mountain you become a part of that mountain's community.  Cathy, myself, and the kids have a whole set of skiing buddies we look forward to seeing every year.  Some of the relationships have even brought us together for summer activities as well.  Getting your kids together with other kids that all share a common passion for sport is a great experience for them.


6.  Building a sense of independence - For kids it is a big deal for them to go out and ride the lift alone and ski parts of the mountain on their own with friends.  Getting away from mom and dad for a while is a good thing for them and us!


7.  Coordination - skiing well incorporates a lot of different timing skills.  Skiing is great for kids balance and coordination and this sense of accomplishment makes other sports and activities seem less daunting.  For Example you might hear your kid say "If I can ski Zoomer (a tough trail at Cannon), than I can ride a bike!" 

Abby and Ailey meet Bode Miller - Born and raised at Cannon

8.  Living together in a small space - We get a seasonal rental every year near the mountain.  It is really bare bones - a 2 bed motel room with a little fridge and microwave, but it is affordable.  With 3 kids and a dog this is pretty tight but we manage to make it fun and we learn to live together in relative peace and harmony in this little domain.  I think my kids benefit from this by knowing you don't need to live in a great big house to survive. 


 9.  Learning together.  As skiers we are all always trying to improve on our style and technique.  Skiing affords us a rare opportunity to learn and perfect a physical activity as a family unit.  We share pointers, talk about how we looked on a particular run, etc.  My daughters are becoming such good skiers that dad and mom can actually take lessons from them!  When a kid becomes your teacher he or she feels a real sense of accomplishment!

The view from Cannon on a spectacular day!

10.  Having fun together - This is the most important of all of the reasons to ski with your kids.  We have a total blast every day we spend on the mountain - and we do that as a family.  When it comes down to it the best things in life happen when your with your family.  Adventuring, playing, and discovering natural beauty with your kids on such an open playing field as a ski area makes for awesome fun and great memories!




I am looking forward to spending a great winter enjoying the incredible fun that awaits!  Thank God for the seasons!


Eric Costantino
AKA Wacky Dad