Agents Available 7am-6pm MST Call 800-908-5000Español Marque 800-359-0747
We are taking our first family ski trip the week after Christmas. We are going to Snowmass. I am getting mixed opinions from friends and family on ski school advice. We have a group of 7 going, ages 51,44,27,26,23, and two children ages 11(boy) and 7 (girl). It is everyones first time to ski except for my husband who is the 51 year old. He has not been skiiing in over 25 years.
My dilemna is...1 day of school or 3 day school? Based on the details of the lessons I read about online, I am inclined to choose 3 day so we can learn the right way, slow and easy. But when I ask others, they say 1 day is all that is needed.
They have visions of us being limited to just the "bunny" slopes for the majority of the time and never getting to come down any bigger slopes. They are concerned about being restricted to a group and not getting to do what they want to do.
Any advice?
Thank you in advance for your time.
Hi, Beth-
Congratulations on your decision to take the ultimate family vacation - a trip to the mountains. Also, welcome to the sport!
You bring up some really good questions, but your dilemma is easily remedied. First of all, absolutely enroll the kids in a ski school program. Snowmass is world-renown for their kid's programs and both the 11-year-old and the seven-year-old will love the camp-like environment.
There are a lot of options for the adults, too. I will soon be posting on our blog an interview I recently did with Katie Fry, managing director of the Ski/Snowboard Schools of Aspen. In the interview Katie suggests a private lesson as a great way to learn while also maximizing family time. Guests can set up and customize a private lesson for their whole family with one instructor who can tailor or modify each portion of the lesson to the ability of each family member.
The five of you could also enroll in a never-ever group program on day one to learn the basics and then, based on how much you learned, decide what to do on day two. For example, you could all enroll again for a full- or half-day lesson, or some can enroll and some can go off to practice their newly-learned skills on their own.
The most important thing to remember: learning the right form/technique right off the bat will allow you to enjoy the sport more and also become better, faster.
I wouldn't worry about being pigeonholed into skiing the bunny slope. If you're in a ski school class and you're ready for the next step, the instructors will move you to a more-advanced class.
Lastly, your husband (and the rest of the family for that matter) will be pleasantly surprised by the new advancements in ski technology, namely shaped skis. Ski manufacturers have made the sport easier to do (and learn) all while exerting less energy.
When customizing vacation packages, our Ski.com Mountain Vacation Specialists are able sign up skiers and snowboarders for ski school and answer questions about which classes to take. 1-800-778-8589.
Be on the lookout for my interview with Katie Fry on the Ski.com blog.