Skiing could be classified as a Canada’s favorite winter pastime with our wide range of ski hills and picturesque resorts. Most children love the sport and everything that goes with it from the mascot characters on the slopes to hot chocolate après-ski.  Determining whether your child will like skiing or snowboarding is the easy part of the sport. The harder part is to make important decisions about equipment and which ski center will provide a safe and fun environment for your child.

Most ski centers offer organized half or full-day programs to teach children to ski or snowboard. Children are divided into groups based on their ability and age. Teaching programs often feature non-skiing services for tired youngsters, such as daycare for toddlers, and arts and crafts time for older children. Many ski clubs or private ski groups have chaperoned bus service to various ski hills, where their instructors shepherd youngsters on the slopes and supervise them throughout the day.

Outfitting kids in proper ski equipment should be left to qualified and experienced professionals, regardless of where your children learn to ski or whether you choose to buy or rent the equipment. A dizzying selection of goggles, poles, boots, skis and snowboards, and under- and outer garments, can wear out your patience and wallet.

It’s virtually guaranteed that children will outgrow their gear from one year to the next year. Some parents may opt to pass down equipment to younger children, or buy gently used equipment. This practice requires that you have the experience and the know-how to measure and fit your children for boots, bindings, skis and snowboards. However, leaving that aspect to the experts, such as the Austrian Ski Shop in Montreal is a wise decision. Instead of the hand-me-down option, the Austrian Ski Shop provides parents with an economical and practical alternative by offering a rental program for the season. Ski packages – boots, skis, poles – are available for children as young as toddlers.

The Austrian Ski Shop is one of the oldest specialty ski shops in Canada with more than 45 years of experience fitting youngsters and their parents. Called “the biggest little store around”, the shop carries more than 80 ski models from nine different brands in a compact 500-square foot retail space. The shop also carries clothing from kid’s size two up to XXL, along with a huge range of accessories. Moreover, the shop caters to ski racers, so if your child has joined a ski team, for example, the shop has the latest specialized gear for your speedster.

Good-fitting equipment, coupled with sage advice, will give you and your children a great start on the slopes this season.