I don't know what else to do help!

DDrake

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He'll listen better to someone other than his dad. Find a bud to spend some time showing him. My brother-in-law gets pissed when his kids will pay attention when I show them something, but their eyes glaze over if he tells them the same thing.

x2. My 10 yr old is a pretty good rider and usually listens pretty good but there r times when he gets that blank look in his eyes when I am tellin him something. Get one of your buddies to spend a little time with him next time out and that might do the trick.
 

cdnredneck_t3

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Is he apprehensive about tipping it on edge and having it lay over all the way? You might have to explain to him that that is better than having it fall back down the hill. Are you teaching him wrong foot forward?
 

Clode

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I have worked with a few kids and i found that to much power is an issue....I had great success teaching using a tundra, they can hold it to the bars and not get going to fast...then you can start to teach them how to balance the sled on one ski and drive,and advance from there to more challenging manuevers....its amazing how fast kids learn when they are not scared...to much power is bad when learning to ride
 

pipes

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I have worked with a few kids and i found that to much power is an issue....I had great success teaching using a tundra, they can hold it to the bars and not get going to fast...then you can start to teach them how to balance the sled on one ski and drive,and advance from there to more challenging manuevers....its amazing how fast kids learn when they are not scared...to much power is bad when learning to ride
it's too bad that they quit making the elan. that would be a great sled to practice on
 

Throttle-Junkie

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The schooled videos have helped a lot of new riders and even some riders with experience with there side hill technique and carving.. Key is using the "wrong foot forward" IMO.

I fully agree with the to much sled to much power comment earlier. Being in control and having a feel for your limits is also key.


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DDrake

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If u could find a Freestyle for him to practise on it might help. Our 10 yr old was 9 when we first got him to try carvin. Told him what to do and he just went and did it. Not enough power to scare him but enough to learn on. Don't know how old your son is so that sled might be to small now but it was a great machine for our son. Good luck and if he loves it don't give up. When it finally clicks for him he will wonder why he struggled so much and he won't be able to get the grin off his face.
 

Polarissleds6

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Thanks guys. One of these tips have to give. Defiantly going to get a buddy to help. I will keep ya guys posted if he gets it!
Be safe out there guys.


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Megrizzly

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It's going to take some time for him to become good at it.

I think more than anything is that he's timid of either breaking something on the sled, hurting himself when falling off, or the embarrassment of falling off. What i would do is find a open, flat field that has reasonable snow. Park you sled and just use his. Eliminate as many distractions or negatives. Take his sled, get on one running board and embarrass yourself by falling off a few times. If he isn't falling off or putting the sled on its side, he isn't trying hard enough. Gradually move from getting it on one ski to slight turns, etc. Its going to take time and the more comfortable with the sled he is, the quicker he'll learn.
 

gibsons

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patience. some get it right away, others don't. I've got twin boys(17), one looks like he's been sledding the mountains for 7 years and the other almost looks like it's his first time.
 

polarisdragon800

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Have you tried explaining the geometry of the sled? As to how the track trenches down and creates sort of a flat shelf for it to sit on. Counter steer to control and lean. I am 17, and when I started sledding and was learning how to sidehill, I'd pin it across the side of a hill while standing on one side it worked but I'd lose control fast and would be pointed down hill again. I now know that control is best, slow is sometimes better by controlling the handlebars and positioning your weight. Get him to hand a leg out and counter steer. If your Leg is farther out and the sled tips into the hill more, if your outside leg is closer to the sled then it goes away from the hill. Does he dirtbike? I have been Dirtbiking for years, and started sledding in the mountains after I got into biking, I ride my sled more like a bike. Floating and leaning.
 

niner

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My dad took me sledding for the first time to revy in 1992, we had long tracked phasers(136") with 1/2" paddles. We didn't know squat about sledding. So we were staying at the peaks and get in early afternoon and thought we would go up for a quick look around. We went up and crapped our pants. We came down and had supper at the peaks and at the time the owners were the cooks and waiters and tour guides( and some dude named Waldy , who helped out) They could tell we were a little green and offered to guide us the next day. So next day we go and they drop us into the lakes with 2' of powder and now we are really crapping our pants, we thought for sure we would spend the rest of our lives down there. They were on some old skandics but could they ever go. My dad and I thought we were in the wrong sleds and even said "our sleds can't do that" so they hopped on my sled and showed me what it could do. That day they taught us what a sled can really do. 25 years later I have taken a lot of new guys up the hill and heard those same words and take their sled for a rip and show them what it can do. There is only one way to learn, practice and commit. When we went sledding back then we rode one weekend and fixed for a weekend. You hit a lot of trees when your learning. But that's how you learn. Even when I go ripping around Lacombe I just go behind my house and carve donuts both sides to stay in practice. You can learn a lot in a stubble field you don't need to drive 8 hours. I agree with the less power sled is the better sled to learn on will teach him to use his body and counter steering better. Carving takes practice but all of a sudden it clicks. Sorry for the long write up.
 
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Polarissleds6

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My dad took me sledding for the first time to revy in 1992, we had long tracked phasers(136") with 1/2" paddles. We didn't know squat about sledding. So we were staying at the peaks and get in early afternoon and thought we would go up for a quick look around. We went up and crapped our pants. We came down and had supper at the peaks and at the time the owners were the cooks and waiters and tour guides. They could tell we were a little green and offered to guide us the next day. So next day we go and they drop us into the lakes with 2' of powder and now we are really crapping our pants, we thought for sure we would spend the rest of our lives down there. They were on some old skandics but could they ever go. My dad and I thought we were in the wrong sleds and even said "our sleds can't do that" so they hopped on my sled and showed me what it could do. That day they taught us what a sled can really do. 25 years later I have taken a lot of new guys up the hill and heard those same words and take their sled for a rip and show them what it can do. There is only one way to learn, practice and commit. When we went sledding back then we rode one weekend and fixed for a weekend. You hit a lot of trees when your learning. But that's how you learn. Even when I go ripping around Lacombe I just go behind my house and carve donuts both sides to stay in practice. You can learn a lot in a stubble field you don't need to drive 8 hours. I agree with the less power sled is the better sled to learn on will teach him to use his body and counter steering better. Carving takes practice but all of a sudden it clicks. Sorry for the long write up.

Quite an interesting story, kind of the same that happened to me. Was at renshaw for the first time with some really heavy sled. Had no idea what the thing was capable of. It was amazing.

In really hoping my kid will get it soon, with all these tips it's starting to give me ideas of what he may be doing wrong.

He loves the sport so much as he has dirt biked a little bit

The throttle it your friend


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CUSO

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Don't worry, he will soon get the hang of it.

Best thing is to get him in a large flat meadow, with lots of pow and make him practice carving.

He can't be afraid of falling off... I still have a couple of riding buddies that can't properly carve..because they are afraid to fall. I watch them botch a manoeuvre and get into deeper trouble.. LOL

Tell him that it's just snow and he won't hurt himself if he falls.
 

brian h

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my boy started sledding 2 years ago in the mountains,he bought a sled that he said he was gonna run 1 year and then go for a newer sled with a 800 long track,i told him that going with a larger engine should be after you can make the smaller machines perform to there max that going bigger does not make the rider that alot of people get them selves into trouble by to much horse power.now he makes the smaller sled perform and can handle it in just about any condition.if he went bigger to soon it would not be as good of a rider that hes turning out to be. his sled is a 98 summit 583 with a newer track. look a chris burandt school he claims no turbos for schooling for to much horse power does not make the rider.remember all new riders i feel should start smaller and work on skills before larger,so look at the machine hes on,is it to big for now
 

007sevens

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Taught my son by the words.....Turn right.....lean and look left in the direction you want to go and punch it and when your going let off a little and control your climb with throttle not steering. It took him a few tries but he eventually got it.
 

RGM

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Get him to feel comfortable riding with the outside ski off the snow. Even if he just goes straight he will learn to balance the sled
 
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