The right racing ski for my 10 year old daughter

Question
QUESTION: My 10 year old daughter is 4'9" and 80 pounds and currently skiing on 2nd
hand K2 merlin 140's. She has a gold nastar ranking in the slalom,and she
was interested in racing more. She is an aggressive skier with great balance
and good strength (very athletic)   I'm shopping for a good slalom racing ski
for her.What is a good racing ski for her that is similar in handling to what
she has currently?  I dont know much about ski racing and would appreciate
2-3 skis to shop for.

ANSWER: Dear Durmel --

Before I offer any suggestions could you answer a couple questions?

First, why are you looking for a replacement ski?

Second, will your daughter continue to use the Merlin skis as a GS ski, or are you looking for a multi-purpose replacement for the Merlin (ie: both slalom and GS)?

Third, which brand of the Merlin is she skiing?  Junior, IIIs, IVs, or Vs?

Finally, do you have a ski shop near you that would do high end seasonal rentals for a junior skier?

I'll be better able to answer your question and make recommendations, if you can provide me this information.

Thank you,




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I'm  not sure which brand she's wearing, it has Salomon series 3 bindings and
no race plate, and a carbon/composite construction and of unknown age.  
The bottoms appear to have nicks and grooves in them that make them hard
to wax and lord knows what else.  She will probably continue to use these a
GS skis or maybe just recreational.  I checked the local shops and they
currently have NO skis that are FIS approved for juniors.  I'm interested in
buying rather than renting because she has 2 little brothers that are 2-4
years behind her, so I'm sort of getting more bang for my ski dollar by
buying.  

Answer
Dear Durmel --

Please have your local shop repair the P-tex on the bottom of your daughter's skis.  This is necessary for good performance, but also for safety.  You can also learn how to fix the P-tex yourself, if you wish, but if there are big gouges, you should have a skilled maintainer fix them

Since your daughter is an aggressive and athletic skier, she will probably do well on Volkl Racetiger Slalom Junior Race Skis. The Volkl Racetiger SL Race junior skis are built for strong junior racers.   http://www.volkl.com/ski/skis/JU2.php

Another possible ski is the Dynastar Team Omeglass WC.  This ski gets good ratings from junior racers looking to improve their form.  http://www.dynastar.com/#/products/skis/ref=da8ar01/

You can also compare the Rossignol Radical RS Racing Junior skis.  Rossignol makes a sweet ski for moving from intermediate to expert.  So depending on your daughter's ski level and where she needs to improve, this could be a breakthrough ski.  http://www.rossignol.com/US/radical-rs-racing-ibox_RA8AR04_product_ski-boys-skis

You could also consider the Atomic Junior Slalom race ski.  http://www.atomicsnow.com/us/home/products/alpine/ski/junior/model/sl-12-jr.html

Finally, take a look at the Nordica junior race ski.  This also has the potential to really help your daughter improve her slalom racing skills.  http://www.nordica.com/site/ski.php?site=1&lang=1&id=55

Please write back, if you have additional questions.  Good luck to all the ski racers and future ski racers in your family!