Category: Learn to Ski Programs

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National Schools Snowsport Week is Back This Month

Winter Olympians, British snowboarder Aimee Fuller and British alpine skier Dave Ryding and Paralympic gold medallists Menna Fitzpatrick and Jen Kehoe and Ski Sunday's Graham Bell join over 30 lucky pupils at a National Schools Snowsport Week launch event at The SnowDome in Tamworth. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 16th, 2018. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire. National Schools Snowsport Week is Back This Month.

National Schools Snowsport Week is Back This Month

This is a great effort to introduce kids to snow-sports in the UK – to many that could not imagine to ever see one pair of skis or snowboard. Our business need desperately new comers, and we need to introduce the young, as the majority of us fanatics, are getting older by the day. I do hope my kids’ school takes up the program. I’ve passed it to our Headteacher- you should do the same if leaving in England.

The USA has a similar program – the Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day – that was a success.

Paralympic gold medallist Menna Fitzpatrick joins over 30 lucky pupils at a National Schools Snowsport Week launch event at The SnowDome in Tamworth. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 16th, 2018. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire. National Schools Snowsport Week is Back This Month.
Paralympic gold medallist Menna Fitzpatrick joins over 30 lucky pupils at a National Schools Snowsport Week launch event at The SnowDome in Tamworth. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Monday April 16th, 2018. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire. National Schools Snowsport Week is Back This Month.

National Schools Snowsport Week is back this month (24th to 30th June) at clubs and ski slopes across England, aiming to encourage children to try skiing and snowboarding. 

National Schools Snowsport Week, organised by Snowsport England, is in its fourth year and is set to reach over 75 schools and 3,500 young people, making it the biggest yet.

Many dry and indoor slopes across the country will be running free or discounted taster sessions to give young people from all backgrounds the chance to take up snowsports.

Tim Fawke, CEO of Snowsport England, commented: “For many young people this will be their first time on skis or snowboards and for others it will be an opportunity to try a different snowsport discipline, for example freestyle, racing or ski/snowboard cross.

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First National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day in the US.

Mt Hood Meadows. Learn to Ski and Snowboard. First National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day in the US.

First National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day in the US.

Approximately 6,200 Beginner Ski or Snowboard Lessons Taught on 1/11/19 – National Learn to Ski or Snowboard Day

I have always be interested in how to create skiers and boarders, and when I was young and working at CBMR (Crested Butte Mountain Resort), I remember they had a program of Learn to Ski Free with no strings attached! It was a massive success and it made lots of people learn their first steps in the snow in Crested Butte, and wanting to come for more! I can see this, (without too much science behind), having started with my youngest son skiing in Pila, Aosta Valley, Italy. He does not want to go to any other resort, he is so not interested. You create very loyal skiers of learners, so that is something for the industry to think about. This kind of program in the States is something to imitate. I am not aware of something like that in Europe, though there might be programs like that – I would be keen to know – please email me at info@the-ski-guru.com if you have such info. But here is the story of today:

Mt Hood Meadows. Learn to Ski and Snowboard. First National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day in the US.
Mt Hood Meadows. Learn to Ski and Snowboard. First National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Day in the US.

Friday January 11, 2019 was the snow sports industry’s first National Learn to Ski or Snowboard Day at resorts throughout the U.S. Many resorts offered special deals for newcomers to take beginner lessons from professional instructors as a way to celebrate the sports. It was part of the industry’s annual Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month.

Organizers estimate that participating resorts provided approximately 6,200 beginner lessons on that day. Results are based on information reported by resorts that signed up on the www.learntoskiandsnowboard.org web site as well as others that participated but did not sign up on the web site.

 

“We wanted to create a special day that would shine a spotlight on taking beginner lessons from professional instructors and to set an industry record for the most beginner lessons provided in a single day at U.S. locations,” explained Mary Jo Tarallo, director of the Learn to Ski and Snowboard (Month)/Bring a Friend initiative. “We tried for a Guinness World Record in 2016 but their requirements are strict and not really suited for compliance by multiple locations in four different time zones. So, we decided to do our own thing.” The Guinness try generated about 6,000 lessons but no official record.

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