 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi,
I hope to be heading out next January with a group of similar skilled guys. We have quite a few trips now under our belt, but have never really paid any attention to ski schools. I have been to ski school once on a trip with my wife which I found very helpful. Although I think standard ski school lessons would not be enough.
Has anyone any tips for any good "advanced" ski school lessons - and it what resort was that? Maybe a sort of ski guide approach (with also throwing in some instruction) would be best?
We were thinking of Italy, as it tends to be a bit easier on the pocket. Any advice would be brilliant!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 6-08-04 16:48; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Have a chat with Interski. They run a big BASI-qualified ski school in the Val d'Aosta each winter, with a number of BASI 2 instructors if you want a teacher with lots of experience and knowledge.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Fri 6-08-04 16:47; edited 1 time in total
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Not that I'd class myself as an advanced skier but Mr HH and I always try and get some private lessons each season..... we've found that if you go to a resort that attracts advanced skiers you get a higher standard of tuition. No experience of Italian ski school but if you fancy France I've had good lessons from Evolution2 in Tignes or Masterclass in Alpe d'Huez.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Well, I'd have to say the EpicSki Academy would fit the bill, apart from the Italy thing. It's 4 days of excellent instruction. This year it is in Big Sky, Montana.
All the instructors speak English (or a close proximity to it) as their first language, the people are friendly, and the skiing is excellent.
I think there may be a link in snowBase - The Shops, as this site will receive commission for people registering from here.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Snow Junkie, check out our website www.tracksvacations.com. we can offer all types of holiday from ski randonee, a different resort every day with a guide/instructor. through to your standard cahlet based holiday. Or we can tailor specific courses to meet your requirements, we're located in La Rosire, linked to La Thuile in Italy. We've also got a link via Snowhead shops, so snowheads get a commission on every deal and snowheads get a discount.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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David@traxvax, thanks for the tip. Checked out your website. Looks amazing. I've send you a email to request more information. Thanks again!
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I'd recommend the Warren Smith Academy in Verbier. Not quite Italy though.
I went on his Saas Fee course in July which was excellent & so I'm going again to Verbier in Dec.
Checkout www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com
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A report on the Warren Smith Ski Academy Summer Courses held in Saas Fee, from ifyouski.com
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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I have to say I am a little shocked by this thread.
Firstly, to answer the question, any ski school will give "advanced" lessons, a good instructor will never turn up to a lesson with a set lesson plan. How can he be sure it relates to his customer's needs? You have to understand that a day-one beginner will be working on the same things that you will be i.e. stance/balance, edging, pivoting (rotation), pressure control and timing/co-ordination, they will just be doing different exercises. Any good instructor will have a full "tool box" from which he/she can select the tool to suit you. I'm no fan of the ESF but even one of those guys will be on top form teaching advanced skiers, its only beginners thay can't be bothered with.
Secondly, and this is what has shocked me, SnowJunkie has only ever had lessons once and is now looking for "advanced lessons". Who has been advising you on your technicque? Dont tell me...."your mates who are really good skiers". This is so stereotypical of British Skiing. The last time I read any fugures on this only 7% of British skiers took lessons after they had learned to get from A to B (normally restaurant to restaurant). I have skied for 25 years and spent the last 4 seasons teaching and I still go out practically every day training with my boss. Unless you are checked regularly by someone with a very good eye for the fine points of ski technique (and more importantly someone who can identify the cause) major problems will develop. Just skiing is not enough, you will improve your experience but not your skill level.
If you want to get really good at skiing it has to be done in the corrct fashion. Remember, a childs body will learn a movement after approx 100 reps, once we hit adulthood it takes approx 1000 reps for our bodies to learn a movement. The problem is that if those 1000 reps are the wrong, thats what you learn.
My advice would be this. If you dont want to take full lessons every ski holiday take a 3 hour private on your second morning. Go away and work hard on getting whatever you have been told spot on and then have another 1 or 2 hour lesson on your last morning (with the same instructor) for him/her to check and correct.
If you want tips on goods trainers, check out these sites, you will not be let down!
http://www.theskicompany.co.uk/index/index_noflash.htm
http://www.snoworks.co.uk
You will find that most "advanced" courses are very specific e.g. bumps, off piste, race training, etc.
Sorry if I'm harsh here but come on guys, its not that easy to become an "expert" skier. The more you invest in your training the better value every ski trip will be!
Sorry for the rant.
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SnowJunkie, without intending to be rude I too wondered what you meant by:
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We have quite a few trips now under our belt
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Do you really mean "a few"? As in 2-3 in total? Or are we talking 2-3 trips per year for "a few" years now? Makes a big difference in terms of experience compiled to date.
Also, what to do you mean by standard ski lessons? And consequently why do you think they wouldn't be enough?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I would recommend Whistler, where you have three choices
- Ski espirit which is halfway between lessons and skiguiding, a lot of fun.
- The Dave Murray racing school - lots of on piste tuition with some racing.
- Extremely Canadian - teaching you to start doing the stuff that you see pictures of in magazines.
Outside Whistler I would go with what Basoid said, get an instructor for a private lesson, and tell them what it is that you wish to do. Another option is to get a guide, who will usually give you a few tips and exercises as well as taking you off piste. At this sort of level there's not a huge amount of difference between hiring a guide or hiring an instructor (IMHO). Unless you are really strapped for cash, I wouldn't bother with group lessons, 1 hour private instruction probably being worth about ten times as much in a group.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Basoid, I know what you mean and hope SnowJunkie, sees it as constructive criticism.
I am in no way an "Expert" and at best would put myself as high intermediate. I've skiied for 15 odd years and can do bumps "properly" now and again but powder is still a struggle. Yet I always seem to end up in the "Top" ski school class for English speakers or in a class where little English is spoken at all, as such I make little progress. Rather than stopping lessons (a cheap and easy way out of the problem) I think I'll try the individual route this season and would thank you for the tip.
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SnowJunkie, To add my tuppence worth. Do you have any dryslopes near you ? To really really really improve you need to practise, and you need good quality coaching/feedback whilst doing so. If you can get these near home before you go away, and in addition to lessons abroad, you should certainly progress.
Native English speakers tend to teach native English speakers best - but that doesn't mean you can't find excellent French or Italian instructors.
I teach a little here in England, and find the word 'Advanced' rather troubling. I try to teach folk to ski a little better, and most often that means refining basic skills (how you stand on the ski, what you can feel with the ski), rather than teaching 'Advanced' techniques.
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You know it makes sense.
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