Recreational Holidays

Skiing Tips : Ski Schools

Taking skiing lessons is the topic for this part of our learn to ski guide.

Taking lessons at a ski school from a professional instructor will allow you to correctly ski within one week. You will need these basics in order to truly take advantage of what a resort has to offer, and to do so safely with the skills and confidence you need. There are a number of things you need to consider before signing up at a ski school though, as they can vary significantly in terms of purpose, quality and cost. At a minimum, you should look into the following. . . .

Does the school specialize in one or the other of group or private lessons, or does it offer both? While private lessons can be more costly, the benefit is that you have all of your ski instructor’s attention so that you can learn more quickly. Many people find being in a class can be more fun though, since you can meet a lot of new people and learn from the experiences of others. For first timers especially, class instruction seems to be the preferred choice.

Finding out the number of students are generally in a class is advisable, however. An ideal class size will have no more than seven or eight students, but this can vary depending on how the school manages its classes. A ski school that tries to fit many more students in a class than that is more focused on making money than providing quality ski instruction and should be avoided.

Important, too, is what level of skier the school caters to - find out if they teach primarily beginners or intermediate level skiers, or if they focus just on experts, and if they offer lessons in all proficiency categories. Skiers with more or less the same skiing abilities should all be assigned to the same class. While you may be asked to assess your own abilities, some ski schools will conduct an enrollment test of sorts, sending you off with an instructor who will ask you to show them how well you can turn, and who will supervise while you ski down a slope or two. If you don’t know exactly where you are skill-wise, underestimate a little; if you find the class is too easy for you, you can always asked to be bumped up to the next level.

Inquire as to whether the school offers gender or age-specific classes. Some schools will narrow the focus of the classes to one or more specific groups, and others will welcome whoever signs up. Generally, the more specific a ski school is in its purpose (for example, children only or women only) the higher quality they’ll be as they’ll be tailoring their instructions to a specific set of needs.