realskiers

Svend:
Your daughter also has the advantage of lots of hours on ice skates; hard to believe that hasn't had an impact on her balance and edge control?  And, probably, most of the youg jibbers have skate boarded, and I imagine that has been an influence on their skiing style a well.

Jim, that is Mom's world.  For some odd reason, and despite the fact that most Canadians are born with skates on their feet (or at least have them as their first baby shoes), neither of our daughters has ever taken to skating.  A lot of their friends play hockey or figure skate, but our girls have had other interests.  I think for our youngest, the sense of balance just comes naturally.  She is like that on her bike too.  She will navigate over obstacles and terrain on the singletrack that is far from easy -- large boulders, rock gardens, berms and jumps -- but with the same relaxed, calm manner that she has on skis.  Completely non-plussed, unflustered, and almost never falls.  But...she knows her limits, and if there is terrain that she is not comfortable with, she's off the bike and walking, and has nothing to prove to anyone.  I can't wait to get that full suspension bike out here for her to ride, just to see what she will tackle then.

On that note, she will be ready for a new pair of skis this season too, as she has almost outgrown her present ones.  She still wants twin tips (for the high Fun Factor), but something a bit longer and more substantial.  An all mountain twin, mid-80's width, light weight but solid and stable, still agile and flickable, good on both hard snow and soft (ie. torsionally stiff; laterally compliant), touch of tip rocker perhaps.....  I'll start snooping around soon.  There is certainly no shortage of choice these days in that class.  Nordica, Fischer, Dynastar for the better mainstream brands; and then there are the smaller makers -- Line, Movement, etc. -- who are making some really nice light but strong skis.  Will check out Icelantic too, but I have the impression they would be too heavy (not sure on that, though; I don't much of Icelantic up here).  But, this topic constitutes thread drift, and is perhaps better left for another thread entirely....