Save Time: Register online for your child’s group ski or snowboard lessons and rentals today.
Check-In the Night Before: To avoid long lines and confusion, pick up tickets, organize rental equipment, and sign liability waivers the day before from 1:30pm – 4:00 pm. Your child will not have to wait in the day-of-check-in line the next morning. Instead the child goes right to either Early Drop-Off or to the on-snow meeting location.
Day-of-Check-In: Plan to arrive at the Ski & Ride School office no later than 8:45am to complete necessary paperwork and organize equipment rentals (if necessary). This is for people who did not check-in the night before.
What to Bring:
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Warm, waterproof gloves or mittens – Required. (Mittens that come up the elbows stay on the best.)
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Goggles or sunglasses with UV protection – Required.
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Warm, waterproof jacket.
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Hat or helmet – Required.
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Waterproof snow pants.
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Neck warmer (for colder days).
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Warms socks. (Multiple layers of socks are not necessarily the best solution since they bunch up in a child’s boot).
Please label all personal items. Be prepared for changing weather conditions. The Ski & Ride School does not provide any clothing or accessories.
Children are not allowed outside without the required accessories. Parents will be called to provide these if not done so at check-in.
Storage: Parents are responsible for storing child’s street shoes.
Sun Protection: Even on cloudy days, the sun reflects off the snow and is stronger than you think! Make sure to apply sunscreen.
Saying Good-Bye for the Day: For young children we recommend that you say your good-byes quickly at check-in and let the staff work their magic. Children tend to transition much faster once parents are out of sight, both in the center and on the hill.
Viewing Areas: Parents are able to watch their child when he or she is in the Ski & Ride School yard at the base area.
Food/Snacks: Daily menus are listed in the Ski & Ride School facility. Food allergies should be noted with the pro. Children with special food needs should pack a sack lunch.
Emergency Situations: In case of illness, extreme sadness or injury, the Ski & Ride school will contact the child’s guardian (listed on the Child’s ID tag). If the parent has an emergency, contact the Ski & Ride School office where you registered the child. Let your child know the hotel or lodging property you are staying as a back up to get in touch with you.
Make sure you child knows when to stop skiing/riding. Pros are trained to take appropriate breaks for weather and/or the restroom. However, if your child is chilled, injured or having equipment problems, or if they are simply worn out, they should let their pro know. Educate them that that it’s okay to take breaks.
Learning Expecations:
Children learn at different rates. The rate at which children learn to ski or ride is dependant on many factors including age, athletic ability, motivation, anxieties, and apprehensions.
Indroducing skiing to 3 year olds helps to build a life long passion for snow sports, however due to development factors it may take several days on snow before they learn to stop or turn. The important thing to remember is that it's about the experience and that if the kids are having fun, then the learning will come.
4 to 6 year old children generally learn to stop during their first 3 days on skis. From 3-6 days they will work on turning in a a wedge. Then 6+ days, they start to work on making beginning parallel turns on green runs.
Starting to ski a 7-13 year old has a very quick beginning but then the learning curve flattens out as movements become more refined. Skiers in this age group, generally learn to stop during the first day. After the first day, they are generally stopping and working on controlling their speed by shaping wedge turns. It usually takes another day to begin to match skis during the turn on green runs. After a child is making parallel turns on green runs, they are introduced to blue runs. This is generally after about 5 - 7 days on skis. After they are making parallel turns on blue runs, poles are introduced, generally 10+ days on skis.
For a snowboarder, the first day consists of learning to balance on their heels and toes on the snowboard. Day 2-3 starts the process of leanring to link heel-side and toe-side on beginner terrain. Day 4-6 snowboarders work on more efficient turning techniques using less upper body movements on beginner terrain. Generally after day 6 is when blue runs are introduced.
For the younger kids enrolled in our five and six years old snowboard program, the learning curve will be much slower. It will take them longer to simply become balanced on their heel and toe sides and several days may be spent on this. As mentioned before, though, the important thing to remember is that it's about the experience and that if the kids are having fun, then the learning will come.