Little Skiers - the on-line specialist ski clothing and accessories shop

Who are we?
A mum to 2 young children (who now out ski me...) started Little Skiers the on-line ski wear and accessories shop in 2008. This blog is a collection of ski - related articles written by Tess and May who joined in 2013. May is 20 and loves skiing too and gives a youthful perspective on the skiing world!

About Little Skiers.
A family run business selling children's ski clothing and accessories from infant sizing up to teenagers (and a few accessories for mums and dads). We are friendly - always on hand to provide help and advice and ship worldwide.
We are a small team of 6 with extra helping hands in the peak times.

Saturday 30 October 2010

Kids Ski Gloves THE Essential Skiing Accessory

Skiing gloves for Children

Warm, dry hands are so important for adults and even more so for children as they spend so much time playing in the snow that a good pair of gloves or mittens are vital

Little Skiers sells well known and trusted brands such as Hestra, Barts and Trespass and these manufacturers all seem to agree that mittens are warmer than gloves. Although the down side is they are not so easy to grip poles and open zips, older children so seem to want gloves!

Like most things, you get what you pay for and the cost of gloves and mitts for children vary widely. Our cheapest pair are £9.99 and our most expensive are the Hestra Army Leather ski mittens at £47.99. The difference in the price is really down to the material used and you do have to pay for quality and with gloves & mittens it is worth investing in the best possible set you can afford. It is also worth buying a second set, I use a cheaper brand, since my children spend a lot of time playing in the snow, whatever the brand they can get wet so a second set is a godsend to use while the main pair are drying back in the hotel room!

Insulation is an essential part of the glove and the best insulation will be warm without being too bulky. Make sure the glove is water proof and is make for skiing and not just a winter glove, just like the materials used in the ski outer layers.

If you have particularly cold hands, thermal glove liners and chemical hand warmers are excellent.

My favourite brand of glove, which i wear myself and put my children in is ‘Hestra’. This is a Swedish manufacturer specialising in the production of high quality gloves for skiing and mountain biking. Due to the cold climate in Sweden, these gloves have been designed to tackle the most extreme conditions. They are also comfortable, technically well made and last a long time.


visit LittleSkiers for a wide range of ski clothing and accessories as well as useful hints and tips from other parents

Friday 29 October 2010

Forecasts Predict Unusually Cold Start To Winter In France

Météo Consult, a weather research consultancy in France, has released its latest forecast for the 2010-2011 winter season. According to the research centre, this winter will start off early and cold before the average temperatures rise slightly in February.

The La Niña in the east Pacific influences winter in western Europe, generally making for a colder-than-usual season. This meteorological phenomenon is not the only one that impacts winter in Europe. Air pressure from the north Atlantic and the Arctic zones also help chill European winters.

The effects began in the second half of October, when air from Scandinavia made temperatures in France drop. November will be cold and humid, more so than usual, with bouts of stormy weather. According to Météo Consult, the first snows could hit the plains in the more continental parts of France.

December is predicted to be colder than average but dry. The south of France, however, may experience a fair share of rain, wind, and the first snows on the mountains. Further north, snow may occasionally fall on the plains.
These trends are expected to continue throughout January, with temperatures progressing towards seasonal norms. Temperatures in France will rise slightly in February thanks to the influence of milder temperatures in the countries of northern Europe.
Although it is too early to precisely predict the weather for March and the rest of spring, Météo Consult's current data hints at a chilly, dry, and sunny spring.


25 Oct 2010 Christina Rebuffet Broadus, Editor     OnTheSnow.co.uk

Friday 15 October 2010

Competition Time!

We've teamed up with one of our favourite travel companies: Crystal Ski part of the Tui Group. Little Skiers will kit out one child in our joint competition running until December 17th. See Crystal blog for competition details
http://bit.ly/3tGAA7

Thursday 14 October 2010

It's Snow Time Soon!

It's that time of year again, the leaves are falling off the tree, the morning walk to school has a definite nip in the air, the ski and snowboard shows are starting again so our thoughts turn towards the mountains and start looking forward to our annual skiing holiday.

Nothing beats that feeling on your first day out on the slopes; the cool, crisp clean air, the breath-taking views with the most beautiful azure skies. Nothing clears your mind and sweeps away work stresses than that first run down.

If you have not booked your holiday yet, there are still lots to choose from. Half term is traditionally the time us Brits go skiing but it really is worth looking at other times. Christmas time is building in popularity, less expensive and provides a fabulous Christmassy atmosphere for the whole family. Plenty of family time playing in the snow and no boring television! Another popular time is Easter, but it is late this year, falling on April 24th so the options are limited to high altitude resorts.

Have a look at our HOLIDAY HINTS section, we have compiled a helpful list of recommended resorts from both travel agents and other parents - a good place to start!

Don't forget to come back to us at www.littleskiers.co.uk to kit your children out, our new ranges for 2010/2011 are arriving daily and with a massive choice from value ski wear sets to the latest in Swedish designed ski jackets, you will find everything you need in one place.

Wednesday 8 September 2010

New for 2010/2011 season...

.......Welcome to our new look website, we have upgraded our shop and included many new features to help you with your shopping experience. Many thanks to our customers who have submitted comments and feedback as these have been instrumental in our design.

NEW STOCK AND NEW RANGES FOR 2010/2011 SKI SEASON BEING ADDED DAILY THROUGHOUT SEPTEMBER. Please follow our twitter feed or blog to be kept updated when new ranges arrive, don't miss out!


New for the 2011 season: ski clothing range designed specifically for the different tastes of teenagers. With many technical features that are included on adult jackets but with specific designs to cater for this age group.

www.littleskiers.co.uk

Thursday 19 August 2010

Top 3 Family Ski Resorts

If you're planning a family ski holiday with young children, it's important to pick a resort that is suitable for the little ones. The most essential thing to look out for is a resort with good beginners' slopes they can learn on, and ideally a good ski school. As they are unlikely to want to go skiing all day long, also look out for what other activities are available that the whole family can enjoy together. With that in mind, here are some tips for the best ski resorts in Europe for young families.

Alpe D'Huez/La Plagne
The neighbouring resorts of Alpe D'Huez and La Plagne are both family friendly and in recent years have linked together to form the large skiing area known as 'Paradiski'. Together they offer 425km of downward slopes meaning there is plenty for all skill levels. There is a well-reputed ski school in Alpe D'Huez which is particularly famous for its superb teaching quality and catering for a wide range of languages, making it a fantastic place for young children to learn to ski. Once you or your children have had enough of skiing there are plenty of other activities to be getting on with. Of particular note is the sports centre in Alpe D'Huez which includes an ice skating rink and a large outdoor swimming pool that your children will love. Access to both of these is free with a full area lift pass.

Saas Fee
One of the spectacular features of skiing in Saas Fee is that it is available all year round due to the glacier. What makes it such an excellent place for children is the large plateau right next to the village which is designed for beginners to snowplough on and allows you easy view of everything that's going on. There is particularly good snow cover and the beginning and end of the season where other alpine resorts often suffer, so Saas Fee is a great place to go at off-peak times too. Beyond skiing, Saas Fee also offers an indoor swimming pool, ice skating facilities and stunning winter walks. For those seeking something a little different, there is a toboggan run, sledging and even husky dog sledging.

Veysonnaz
An enchanting resort for children, the Swiss village of Veysonnaz boasts an undiscovered, unspoiled quality due to restricted building laws and not having been exposed to mass-market tourism as yet. As such it is a superbly relaxing place to take a family ski holiday. The snow-sure glacier caters for all skiing abilities. Beginners can stay local to the village whilst the more advanced can go further afield, where those inclined will be able to take advantage of the vast off-piste terrain, so if your family is mixed ability, everyone can be happy.

For more information on family ski holidays, please visit Eclipse Ski, specialists in group and family ski holidays.

Tuesday 13 July 2010

Chile beckons world's best freeskiers


6th July 2010

In two weeks time the Subaru Freeskiing World Tour (FWT) will fire up again and the first leg is to be held in El Colorado, Chile.

The world’s best skiers will be heading to Chile to pick their way down the 2430m mountain in the fastest most aggressive line they dare.

This is the second time El Colorado has hosted the FWT and the local and international skiers taking part will be judged on style, skill, speed and aggressiveness on their lines and control.

The competition kicks off on Tuesday 17 August and the final will be on Saturday 21 August, according to the FWT fan page on Facebook the next stop is likely to be Las Lenas in Argentina.

El Colorado is Chile’s answer to the Three Valleys in France. It’s 60km from Chile's capital city Santiago, at the top of a winding approach road. The slopes form a small network of well-groomed, mainly intermediate pistes that share links with those inValle Nevado and La Parva. Together they offer South America's most extensive and varied ski area, but there is no joint lift pass - you have to buy daily extensions.

www.metrosnow.co.uk



Monday 24 May 2010

introducing our new blog ....

.... www.littleskiers.co.uk


Our Blog is now on our main site as well and we have introduced a whole section now especially for teenagers. We will be offering a dedicated line of fab new ski wear and accessories for the youth market and all will be available from Autumn 2010.

Have a look and please post your comments about our new-look site and blog.


Wednesday 3 March 2010

SALE NOW ON ....



Sale just started, many ski jackets, ski pants and sets with massive reductions.

Grab a bargain for your spring ski trip or be organised and sort out next years skiing trip!





VISIT LITTLE SKIERS NOW

Thursday 14 January 2010

Skiing exercises? help please

6 weeks to go until my skiing holiday and I have managed 2x 2 mile runs in 6 weeks, I need to ramp up the exercise regime.

Does anyone out there know of any websites we can share that gives a fast track to getting ski fit? Does anyone swear by certain exercises they can share?

I did visit the Warren Smith Academy at the Snow show so will research some of their top tips but please post any weblinks or exercises!