Are you ready to zoom down the mountain and embrace the wind whizzing past your face? If you’re ready to get skiing, you need to start at Step 1 – the basics. Enrolling yourself in any ski lessons will help you progress much more quickly than teaching yourself, but there are many options out there, which one is right for you? Let’s learn about the different types of ski lessons and the benefits of each.
Three Types of Ski Lessons
Ski School
Ski school is the most popular type of ski lesson because it is affordable, effective, and available. Most major ski and snowboard resorts have their ski schools right on the mountain, so once you’re finished, you can test your skills. Don’t expect a lot of one-on-one instructor time in ski school as there’s usually one or a few instructors for several people.
The best thing that ski school does is give you a solid foundation of skiing skills. The lessons, which last from a couple to a few hours, will teach you about your skis and poles, how to get in and out of skis, steering, starting and stopping, getting on and off the lift, and more. Everyone is encouraged to try ski school.
Small Group/Extended Lessons
If you’ve mastered the basics but want to learn the next steps from the pros, you can enroll in a small group or advanced lessons. These lessons may cover backcountry skiing, moguls, slalom, skiing through trees, extreme jumps, and more. If you want to get to the next level safely and effectively advanced lessons are your ticket. Advanced lessons are offered at most ski resorts and nearby ski shops. Advanced lessons are more expensive than ski school.
One-on-One Private Lessons
If you want to hit the slopes in the fastest way possible – a private one-on-one instructor is your best bet. One-on-one lessons from a skilled instructor focus all the instructor’s efforts on building your skills as quickly as possible so you can have fun on the slopes. Private lessons are the most expensive of these three lesson types.
Regardless of which type of ski lessons you take, you’re much more likely to progress faster with lessons than on your own. If you want to spend more time zooming down a run and less time fetching a lost ski or picking yourself up enroll yourself in lessons. Ski school, small-group, and one-on-one private lessons will help keep you upright.
Ready to tackle learning how to handle the slopes? If you’re in Vail, consider Vail ski rentals before buying your own gear.
