Hello readers, super great comments and questions on my “Secrets for Your Best Ski Season Ever” piece.  Also spoke with two readers in follow up.  I can sense everyone’s excited for this ski season – me too.  Shoot me your thoughts or questions and I’ll reply.

Previously I mentioned my good friend (60+) who improved bigtime from only four group lessons at Alta, UT last March.  Result: his skiing improved from confident “blue” skier to eager “black” skier.  In just four lessons.  So let’s dig in to what Alta’s program looks like and why it works.

And it’s worth doing even if you’re NOT going to visit Alta.  Here’s why: it’s a great template for asking the right questions of any ski school or instructor.  As a ski instructor, I LOVE when any skier in a group or private lesson tells me what they want to be able to do better/different.

Now, back to Alta’s “Intermediate Breakthrough” group lessons.  Curious, I reached out to both Alta’s Ski School Director, and to the instructor who led the program my friend had found so helpful.  A few key observations:

1. They seek decent “blue run” skiers who want to improve.
2. They want skiers who will put some thought into their skiing, actively thinking of improvements they’d like to make.
3. And, they want skiers to go out and practice the improvements a lot, and talk about what they’re seeing and feeling in their skiing.

I spoke with both Jonathan Doty, the on-snow instructor who led the Intermediate Breakthrough (IB) program, and with Jeremy Moore, Alta Ski School Director, who helped design it.  IB consists of one half-day group lesson per week for four consecutive weeks; a total of four group lessons. Talk to your ski buddies and try to pull together 3-4 who could join the lesson; next, talk to ski school and try to schedule a half-day morning lesson for four consecutive Sundays with same instructor.Many Sundays are QUIET at ski schools, so you may have better luck creating a special deal.

Jeremy insisted “the IB program is well-suited for anyone who’s skiing at least easy blue groomed terrain comfortably, and also is willing to put some time and energy into thinking about and hopefully improving their skiing”.

Best preparation?  Here’s Jeremy again, “You don’t have to prepare in any specific way. However, it would potentially help improve your overall experience if you took some time to think and feel your skiing and come up with some concepts of what you like or don’t like about your skiing so you have a baseline to start from with your coach.”

From my friend, I learned that the IB format focuses on several “themes”, specifically one per week.  I asked Jeremy to unpack this a bit for me.  Jeremy: “The Alf Engen Ski School at Alta is a skills-based ski school, and we help students understand the How/What/Why they are doing with their skis.”  He added, “There are only 3 things you can do to your skis: rotate them, pressure them, or tip them on and off their edges”.  Sounds like a little, but it’s a lot!

Jonathan expanded on the “theme” focus: “We want skiers to succeed not only with us but on their own.  Each week we focus on a specific task they can practice outside of IB lessons, and a theme creates a flow to the lesson where the skills build on each other.”

As an instructor mostly doing private lessons, I know many people are concerned about “being judged” by others, particularly their friends.  Jonathan insisted: “This is a common thought, but everyone is putting themselves out there, and are on a personal journey.  This is a judgment-free zone!”

Like I wrote last time, whenever we improve our skiing proficiency…we have more fun!  Try to create this program at your favorite ski area…or just go to Alta.