With the right curriculum, your beginner can get familiar with the basics and be ready to shred in no time. It’s a great way to get your kids ready for the best on-snow experience next season, be even more prepared with these ski tips!
It’s easy to do a search for a “ski school near me.” You probably will find lots of options. The harder task is to find just the right ski school or snowboarding school in Colorado to introduce your beginner to the fun of downhill snow sports.
Ski schools like Shredder Ski + Snowboard can introduce your kids to skiing and snowboarding in a fun, safe indoor environment. They create meaningful activities that naturally draw in the students physically, mentally and emotionally.
1. Here are 3 things beginner skiers can learn before they set foot on snow.
1. Get ready for the Stance Dance that your child learns in ski school. It’s a silly, fun way to learn athletic stances that are important for snowsports.
2. Or you may find yourself playing Shredi Says with your kids. It’s a version of the game Simon Says that helps kids follow instructions in a fun, age-appropriate way.
3. Fun and safety top the list for every session on the slope at Shredder Ski + Snowboard.
There’s a lot more to skiing and snowboarding than just heading down a hill. Especially with younger children, approximately 90% of your time as a parent is spent between leaving your house and reaching the top of the hill – and you haven’t even gone down the hill yet! Shredder’s kids snowboard and ski programs are designed to maximize the entire ski and snowboard experience for every member of your family.
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Each session begins with a quick introduction to activities planned for the day.
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Instructors have a clear understanding of child development to help kids learn and progress through the program.
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Skiing and riding are great ways to help develop and promote balance and strength at any age.
2. Ski lessons designed the way kids learn and play
Instructors at Shredder Ski + Snowboard follow an instruction model tailored to the way children think, behave and move.
The Shredder curriculum revolves around a teaching cycle of play, drill, adventure and summary.
Play and drill time gives kids a way to explore through their senses. What they see, feel, hear, even touch makes a difference in how they learn. Instructors use a series of activities and games to gauge each child’s balance awareness and movements.
Adventure time helps children try the sport on their own. They can practice skills learned during the session and get the encouragement they need to progress.
Summary time lets instructors review what the youngsters have learned during a session. It’s a time to remind students and parents what skills the class has worked on and specific ways your child has improved.
3. Get in gear with your gear
Boots, skis and boards are as essential for ski school as pens, pencils and paper are for back-to-school supplies. Many of today’s skiing schools for beginners provide essential ski and snowboard equipment as part of the instruction package.
Whether you send your toddler or your teen to snowsport camp, your child has access to equipment that fits right and is safe. Certified instructors at Shredder Ski + Snowboard make sure your student knows all the important parts – from tips to tail, bindings to brakes, and even where the foot goes.
4. Take the right position
Balance, agility and control all depend on the right position – or athletic stance – whether it’s on skis or a snowboard. The right stance centers the upper body above the legs. That’s what keeps your balance over your sweet spot.
It might take your child a few tries to get into that signature squatting position with a slight bend in ankles and knees. That’s why flat ground and encouragement from ski school teaching pros makes all the difference in the learning curve.
5. Shredder has age-appropriate snowboard and ski lessons for kids of all ages
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Yeti School parent-child classes introduce skiing and snowboarding lessons to children ages 9 months to 2.5 years.
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Little Shredders lessons introduce and strengthen skiing and snowboarding fundamentals for children age 2.5 to 5 with all ability levels.
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Ski and Snowboarding School gives kids 5 years and older a chance to learn advanced skiing and boarding skills.
6. Ski School Preview
There are many reasons why people go to skiing schools in Colorado to learn how to ski. A lesson from an instructor trained to teach you can make all the difference in your experience on the mountain.
An instructor knows how to watch each move, work with you to improve your technique and keep you from forming bad habits. They’re there to help, guide, teach and make your snow day terrific, from gearing up to gliding down the hill. Here’s a preview of a ski school experience.
A. Essential equipment
Boots – Ensure the right fit for your most important piece(es!) of equipment
Skis – Click in and out of ski bindings the right way
b. Staying upright
Balance, agility and control all depend on the right position – or athletic stance – for your body. (That signature squatting position? It happens only when you bend your knees.)
The basic athletic stance is simple: your feet are shoulder-width apart, elbows are forward, and your eyes are up. It centers your upper body above your legs, keeping your balance over your sweet spot.
It’s the best way to let the ski work for you, not against you.
c. Time to get moving
How to glide on snow
Why side-step up the hill
How to get up from a fall – push up or take off a ski to make standing up easier
d. Turn right, turn left, stop!
Turning and stopping are one and the same when skiing.
To stop, you need to learn how to turn: shift your weight from side to side.
e. Chairlift: Enjoy the ride
Getting on a chairlift is easy! Walk to the loading zone, wait for the chair, sit down, scoot back, pull the safety bar down. Take a look around – the view is great!
f. First-time moves
Now is when it all starts to come together!
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The right athletic stance
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Stay forward in front of your boots
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Stay balanced
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Push yourself and glide forward
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Enjoy!
Be on the right path with these ski tips and with Shredder Ski Indoor ski lessons!
Our magnificent Colorado mountains can’t offer year-round skiing or snowboarding, but Shredder can! When searching for the best ski lessons for kids in Colorado, consider that our indoor slopes are designed to mimic the mountains in a safe and smaller setting.
Our slopes are constructed with an artificial turf material that, when misted with a light layer of water, allows skis to slide and shape, emulating snow! Instructors and parents are not in ski gear and can move comfortably around the hill, spotting children to help them control their speed and shape. No special attire is needed in our climate-controlled facilities – just comfortable clothes.
The slopes will wait because you need our indoor, warm, and 100% safe slopes first. Trust us: We are a family who loves snow sports. Like other parents, ours patiently helped us from the beginning, waiting while we made our way slowly down the kiddie hill. But our trips to the slopes became a lot more fun when we could all ski and snowboard together.