5 Reasons you should take a ski or snowboard lesson

EVERYONE can benefit from a lesson at the beginning of your ski holiday whether you’re a skier or snowboarder. You might be thinking you could give the sport a go by yourself, or get a friend who’s done it a few times to teach you, but why do that when you could get an experienced, highly knowledgeable ski instructor to teach you instead?!

After all, Instructors are awesome! They keep you safe. They teach you new things. They take you to places you wouldn’t even think of without them. They make you laugh and have fun! The list goes on and on, I can think of 1000 reasons to take a lesson but here’s my top 5 favourite reasons.

This post isn’t just for the seasonaires out there. It also applies to all of us who take winter holidays with our friends or family. If you have 7 days to experience a ski holiday you should make the most of it and the best way to do that is to take a lesson!

1. “Perfect practice makes perfect.”

One of my favourite ski trainers said this to me once and it has stuck with me. Essentially, if you practice the wrong thing 100 times you’re not getting any better and you’re probably not having a great time of it either. The only way to improve is to practice correctly (with the help of someone who knows exactly what they’re doing). One lesson introduces you to the sport, and gives you an overview of the basic concepts. Taking multiple lessons helps build a foundation so you become a better skier or snowboarder.

2. You’re a beginner.

You may be an uber confident, sporty type. “I can skateboard and surf so I can snowboard right?” Wrong. But I love your confidence and it will help you! In the right hands (of an instructor) you will avoid creating bad habits that could damage both your technique and your body in the long run and you will achieve your goals so much faster all while having fun with a supportive buddy!

If this doesn’t sound like you, and you're coming along feeling like the least sporty, uninterested, scaredy-cat, a lesson could be the way to turn your fears into confidence and a love of a new relaxing sport in a gorgeous setting!

I’ll let you in on a little secret, instructors aren’t really here to teach you to be the best skier. Nope. We are here to share our passions for having so much fun on the mountain and keep you safe, learning to ski is just a product of this! So whether you’re confident or not, sporty and fit or not, scared of heights or not, your instructor will have ways to tailor the lesson to you to help you have one of the best experiences of your life sliding on the snow.

3. You’ve been out of the game for a while. You need a boost.

Many people decide to have a lesson because they skied a few years ago but they’ve since started an office job, had children and have probably forgotten how to do it. What do I say to this? Great decision!

These people know they enjoyed it last time but that was probably in different conditions, in a different resort and their body has definitely changed even if just a little bit since last time. It’s time to re-familiarize yourself with the feeling of the equipment, the muscles we use and the sensation of sliding down the hill!

Getting an instructor to guide you through the progression, reminding you of anything you have forgotten and correcting any bad habits, improving form, and helping you to feel like a boss while doing it is so much more fun than getting to the top of a chairlift with a big head, and letting it fall to the snow soon after to then not know how to get up and feel like an absolute numpty. Don’t do that, take a lesson!

4. You’re stuck in your shell.

For all of you advanced eager beavers out there who like to venture into the deep unknown slopes of the backcountry, or show off your tight-as short turns down the groomers, you should get a lesson too! It’s so easy, especially when you live in a resort to have your favourite runs and stick to the same areas of the mountain every time. This doesn’t make you a bad skier but there is so much more to see! Instructors can help you to explore new parts of the mountain.

Feel like your technique is flawless? Or at least good enough to enjoy a day’s ski? Want to look stylish on camera? Your instructor can help improve the efficiencies of your technique preventing you from tiredness and injury while helping you to look sleek and ready for your next Instagram reel!

5. Your ski buddies are skiing at a different level to you.

To all of the parents out there!

Many of my clients over the seasons have been children of skiers who can’t keep up with them. It’s no surprise really that children will ski faster, more fearlessly and adventurous than their less experienced, less energetic parents. This is totally fine! Children also love to ski with their friends so pop them in a lesson with an awesome instructor and pick them up when they’re on a high, knackered and ready to tell you all about their fab day over a hot cocoa! While your kids are having fun, have a little fun yourself in a group lesson or skills workshop for those more advanced and be ready to show your kids your epic new skills after lunch!

Not a parent? Coming on holiday with experienced winter buddies while you have no clue? Get yourself some morning lessons to boost your technique, go at your pace and feel safe without feeling like a burden or the slow poke of the pack. Your ski buddies will love seeing your progress in the afternoons and will have had the chance to blast the trickier slopes in the morning so you can enjoy your relaxed afternoon ski/après together.

For all my fellow season buddies out there, you're the reason I write this post. If you are to make the most out of your season and ski at every opportunity, the best thing you can do is spend some of that tip money on a few regular lessons. Your friends and colleagues will most likely all be at different levels to you and you'll probably want to feel confident enough to keep up with them and even have a few solo ski runs, an instructor can help you find this confidence.

So there you have it, my five favorite reasons to get a lesson, not that you needed them because knowing that us instructors are fabulous should be enough to entice you to join us right? :)

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The SkiNomad