What is the recommended progression for introducing stopping for a beginner child?

• A. Snowplow on a gentle incline; wedge stop with controlled speed; parallel stance with edge control when ready.
• B. Stop from a straight line by leaning back.
• C. Jump stops from a slope.
• D. Wedge stop with controlled speed on a gentle incline.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is teaching stopping in a progressive, safe way that matches a beginner child’s balance and confidence. Start with a snowplow on a gentle incline. This sets a broad, stable stance and uses the inside edges of the skis to create resistance, helping the child feel how weight, edge control, and pressure build the braking effect without needing to go fast or make sharp movements. The gentle slope keeps speed manageable, reducing risk while the child learns the basic braking mechanism.

After the child is comfortable with that, move to a wedge stop with controlled speed. This step builds on the same fundamentals—using the wedge position and controlled pressure to slow down and come to a stop—but now the child practices modulating speed and smoothing the stop, which is essential for safe and confident stopping.

Only when the child can do both of these reliably should you introduce a parallel stance with edge control when ready. This final stage transitions to using the edges more actively and with a more balanced, forward-facing posture, preparing the child for more advanced stopping and overall skating efficiency.

Why the other options aren’t as suitable: stopping from a straight line by leaning back teaches a poor, unstable body position and can lead to loss of control. Jump stops from a slope are too advanced for a beginner and require quicker edge control and higher speed management than appropriate early on. Wedge stop with controlled speed on a gentle incline skips the initial snowplow foundation, missing a critical confidence-building step that helps children understand how their body position and edge control work together to slow down.

So the recommended progression is snowplow on a gentle incline, then wedge stop with controlled speed, then parallel stance with edge control when ready.