Are group lessons effective for advanced skiers?

[Jerez]

It depends on luck, the instructor, your group, and what you expect or want.
I have had great and awful experiences with group lessons. FYI, the times I have had the best success with group lessons have been when:

• I could take several in a row with the same instructor (ski week or clinic or locals once a week clinic)
• When I could choose an instructor who was recommended or otherwise "knew" he/she would be good
• When I was as honest as possible in my assessment of my own abilities and not afraid to go with a group I might have felt was over my head
  
• When I went in without expectations and made a conscious decision to trust the instructor's judgement and do whatever they said to the best of my ability no matter how contrary to past instruction or weird it may have seemed.
• When I made sure to park any ego not just at the door but in another state!

Enjoy!

 

[Coach13]

I know in the sports I coach the multi day camps are very successful in terms of improving the skills participants and very lucrative for those holding the camps. I know that if my local ski hills held a few of these, I’d be there.

 

[karlo]

I ask for opinions on this, because I have my doubts, based even on the theoretically superior format of instructor training programs. Sure, group lessons will get beginners sliding, and can address the needs that intermediate skiers commonly have, to give them the fundamental building blocks of good parallel turns. (Individual instructors' abilities to achieve these ends will vary, of course.) But at a certain point, it seems like skiers will have different issues, as well as different directions that they may want to go with their skiing. So how useful is it for an advanced skier to walk up and request a one-off group lesson? Does the format allow enough time to address a student's individual areas of weakness, and instill new good movement patterns?

If skiers are skied off and properly placed, it can be fine.

 

[TheArchitect]

Steep and deep camp at Jackson. Ski with Ursula at Big Sky.

Mike

I came close to signing up for this but decided I wanted my first trip to JH be a bit less demanding. I've read the camp is awesome but can be intense with LOTS of vertical.

 

[James]

I came close to signing up for this but decided I wanted my first trip to JH be a bit less demanding. I've read the camp is awesome but can be intense with LOTS of vertical.

If the weather is decent, check out Grand Targhee. Four out of five at the Gathering preferred Targhee. Maybe?

Ahh Targhee...

 

[TheArchitect]

If the weather is decent, check out Grand Targhee. Four out of five at the Gathering preferred Targhee. Maybe?
View attachment 62507
Ahh Targhee...

Looks so awesome....

I have a JH thread going where I'm debating just this. I'm thinking JH 2 days, GT 1 and then drive up to BS for the first 3 days of the Gathering.

Sorry for the thread drift!

 

[Seldomski]

I agree with most comments posted already, but want to add a minor observation...

Multi-day camps/clinics can be better than the one-off group lessons because the students are likely to be more motivated to learn. Being in a group where everyone wants to learn is helpful. That said, some of the multi-day camps are geared more toward adventure/challenge instead of improving technique. I haven't done one of those, so the type of learning environment may be different.

People in 1-day group lessons may just be there because their ski buddy is ill or they want company and line skipping more so than actually learning. There are more reasons people take just the 1 day lesson. Multi day camps require more commitment to the learning aspect.

 

[geepers]

I came close to signing up for this but decided I wanted my first trip to JH be a bit less demanding. I've read the camp is awesome but can be intense with LOTS of vertical.

Happened to see this while searching for something else...

 

[markojp]

....but my mogul skiing is barely adequate and I'm sure I have flaws all over my technique.

There's usually a strong corrolation between these two.

 

[markojp]

Happened to see this while searching for something else...

Hey, my friend Stephanie's in that one taking the hiking group!

 

[KingGrump]

Happened to see this while searching for something else...

Wow, never knew a mouth mount for go pro existed.
Learn something new everyday.
How narcissistic can one be.

 

[Josh Matta]

ummm wow....I mean I am not there skiing with that guy, there could be something about the slope/conditions, and I actually like his advice, but his skiing is sub par. Very static, and every turn is a stem turn, and there is lot of upper body motion.

 

[Slasher]

ummm wow....I mean I am not there skiing with that guy, there could be something about the slope/conditions, and I actually like his advice, but his skiing is sub par. Very static, and every turn is a stem turn, and there is lot of upper body motion.

No kidding. Watched for about 5 seconds and thought to myself that at Whistler Blackcomb he'd immediately be demoted to teaching intermediates on groomers.

 

[James]

Wow, never knew a mouth mount for go pro existed.
Learn something new everyday.
How narcissistic can one be.

Wait, that's what that thing he put in his mouth was?? I figured he had a breathing issue.

 

[Snuckerpooks]

Yes! Advanced group lessons are good overall (in my experience).

The best lesson I ever had was a demonstration skiing workshop. I'm a racer so I thought I had a handle on what was to come but my skiing broken pretty quickly. Challenging me to ski a different style taught me to actively think about my skiing while still in autopilot. By the end of the lesson, I had gained another small set of tools in my skiing toolbox and a different mindset to skiing overall.

 

[markojp]

ummm wow....I mean I am not there skiing with that guy, there could be something about the slope/conditions, and I actually like his advice, but his skiing is sub par. Very static, and every turn is a stem turn, and there is lot of upper body motion.

Not technically strong skiing, but half the deal is giving people the confidence and tactics to get down stuff out of their daily experience/comfort zone. The conditions look pretty damn good... squeaky cold and dry.

 

[Mike King]

When I went to Steep and Deep camp, the lower level groups had lower level instructors. Still instructors that the campers could learn from, but there was a lot of focus on tactics and only a bit on technique. Given that everyone at the camp wanted to ski terrain above their level (for the most part), tactics are a pretty important part of the equation.

@TheArchitect, I'd suggest you sign up for a lesson at Jackson. The terrain is complex and you are unlikely to find a good match for your skills without a guide. And a guide will show you stuff you otherwise wouldn't find.

Mike

 

[KingGrump]

Wait, that's what that thing he put in his mouth was?? I figured he had a breathing issue.

Pro Standard Grill Mount 2. 0 - The Best Mouth Mount for GoPro Cameras

 

[Magi]

I'd suggest you sign up for a lesson at Jackson./QUOTE]

Just ask for Mike - he was fantastic at the gathering a few years back.

 

[James]

Pro Standard Grill Mount 2. 0 - The Best Mouth Mount for GoPro Cameras

Oh dear...the future just seems worse now.
Parents tell kids not to run with pencils in their mouths. Now this.