I remember my very first pair of skis — a blue plastic pair that strapped onto my shoes when I was a toddler.  I even dimly remember my parents pulling me along on them when I was really little.  I was probably only about two years old at the time, maybe younger.

I have a lot of memories of skiing when I was really young.  I remember, when I was probably only four or five, my dad skiing backwards in front of me in a reverse snowplow, holding my hands and guiding me as I learned to ski.  My dad was on ski patrol and was a very, very good skier.

Every year during my childhood, at the start of the ski season, we went through the same process of getting new childrens ski clothing and equipment for my sister and I.  Of course as children we were growing, so we needed new stuff every season.  The kids ski pants and parkas my mom could get away with using for a few seasons (and handing down my stuff to my sister), but I’m pretty sure my parents rented ski boots for us some years, so they wouldn’t have to buy them all over again each year.  I had one pair of skis that I remember using year after year, but I think we rented skis one year, too.

Now, of course, with the Internet and a competitive world market, you can easily find pretty good prices on youth snowboard gear and ski gear, so renting equipment isn’t as popular.  For the price of renting, you might as well buy your own!

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