Thank you for your response/interest.
1) She enjoyed racing both times she did it. She has a HUGE desire to compete. It is my husband & I that get tired of the waiting around! No complaints of boredom from her, her twin, or her little sister. Actually, my husband is pretty negative about the waiting. Therefore, this is definitely, child driven.
2) We are from Michigan, where new snow is considered powder.....not exactly what you are talking about. And, due to all of the snow boarders, most of the runs are groomed. She did ski some of both in Snowmass this past spring break and did well. We skied 6-8 in. of powder, nothing really deep, but she handled it very well. The bumps were tougher for her; she definitely needs time to develop this skill. However, she won't get much of it around here! The upside was she did not get frustrated. When she gets in over her head, she slows down, goes ahead, and if she falls, she gets up and keeps going. She does love the jumps in the snowboarding areas. And, given her choice of where she would ski, it would be jumps or gates. Obviously, the jumps are more predictable than bumps, and therefore, require less skill. When we were at Snowmass she skied mostly Elk camp, and occasionally Big Burn. But her brother couldn?t handle Big Burn very well; therefore, we spent more time over in Elk Camp.
3) She has definitely not outgrown lessons for recreational skiing. We usually get the kids a private lesson for an hour or two every 4th day skiing. Out west they did group lessons for 3 of the six days. I think the reason the instructors have encouraged racing is due to her drive and control. She controls her speed very well, while having no fear. Whereas, her twin also skis in control, but is much more timid. I will admit....she is fast. I hear other parents? comments while I am watching her ski down. (I usually hang back in case someone takes a tumble.) Personally, I am impressed with how fast her progress is.
She only skied one weekend per year for the 2 years prior to this past season. This past season she began over New Year?s Eve and ended in early April. That is why I say she basically just started skiing this year.
Right now, I am leaning towards enrolling her in a ski racing program that only runs for about 6 weeks, one night per week. And, the rest of the time ski for fun....maybe allowing her to race during the end of season memorial races at the resort we typically visit over the weekends. It doesn't have the pre-season training that the other program has, or the time commitment. I think this might be a good place to start without putting too much pressure on her. If she really likes it, in a couple of years I could always switch her over. Would you agree that pre-season training, off season training trips out west, and skiing 2 days per week in a racing program is a bit of over-kill for a first grader? Personally, I think so. But the other program is the one you always hear about around here.
My attitude with the kids has always been.....you commit to it....you finish it. BUT, I always ask them before signing them up for another session/race/lesson. I couldn?t agree more that SHE has to be the one who wants it. Not us.
Thanks again! I am looking forward to any suggestions you have on how we can encourage her without putting too much pressure on her or taking the fun out of it.