PugSki Academy?

[Tricia]

@Jed Peters The idea behind the original ESA's was to utilize top instructors who participated in the community to generate follow up discussion.
Being able to do this would mean (example) having a clinic at Northstar with someone like @bud heishman being booked for a private lesson for members of this site.
I think the reason for Bud's post earlier in this thread is because he has access to Mt Rose and could (perhaps) get permission to hold a clinic with several of our member instructors, as he did in the past with @Bob Barnes

 

[Jed Peters]

@Jed Peters The idea behind the original ESA's was to utilize top instructors who participated in the community to generate follow up discussion.
Being able to do this would mean (example) having a clinic at Northstar with someone like @bud heishman being booked for a private lesson for members of this site.
I think the reason for Bud's post earlier in this thread is because he has access to Mt Rose and could (perhaps) get permission to hold a clinic with several of our member instructors, as he did in the past with @Bob Barnes

I remember that from way-back-when (I was active in the mid-2000's on the board), but I think times have changed a bit with regards to the "bigger/more corporate" ski areas.

My thoughts were merely that pulling something off like this in today's climate would be more of a challenge than before, and harder to actually monetize it.

Still think it's a great idea, and I would be more than happy to refer folks to a clinic that was put on by you and your hubby.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

This will be easier to organize when all of the instructors work for Vail. Won't be long now!

 

[Monique]

I still think Loveland is a good bet for being a little more open to setting something up.

 

[Kneale Brownson]

When Rick and VSP held their race camp at Breck, they hired a couple ski school instructors to shepard the groups around the resort and onto lifts.

Don't know if that was at private lesson rates or something less costly.

 

[BobMc]

You may want to get ahold of and chat with Gordy Peifer. Gordy has ran camps at Snowbird/Alta and in Europe for quite a while. I've been to two of the camps at Alta/Snowbird and we didn't have anyone from the mountain with us, it was all coaches brought in by Gordy. I don't know the logistics of how his operation ran but the rates were pretty reasonable with rockstar coaches.

 

[mdf]

We had a few years with a sincere beginner group. I recall one year that Nolo stayed at Snowmass with a group of 3(?) who were intermediate by the end of the week. They had a blast.

I've actually wondered if it would be beneficial to schedule a group lesson or two with instructors who work for the resort. For instance, at the Aspen GTG we should have booked a day or two with @Bob Barnes @Nancy Hummel @Mike King. In fact, I think Nancy lined something up but by that time my life on EpicSki was thrown into a tailspin.
What ever came of that?

At last year's Gathering we played with the idea of a "lesson day" when people would be encouraged to group up and take a lesson. But with 3 base areas to cover it was hard to prioritize over covering ground and I wound up not pushing the idea. Nancy was doing some prep work on that, in addition to the group ticket buy. But then something came up with her job at her secret identity back in Denver, so she couldn't persue it aggressively either.

Previously at Jackson Hole Bob Peters finagled us into the very cheap "Tips and Tours" from the ski school. It's a ski club promo product, and he convinced management we were a ski club. That got a good turnout, but it was obviously a steal.

And then Bud did a short clinic before a Gathering, which I think had an OK turnout.

So I think it can work, but it needs some creative scheduling, and it would be a lot easier to recruit students if there was a discount.

(Incidentally, Bob Barnes worked a private lesson with a Gathering attendee, and then had some other commitments the other days. THe only time I saw him was on the bus back from Highlands. It's the same "the out of towners are on vacation, but the locals are still imersed in real life" problem that makes it hard to get guides.)

 

[Jilly]

I believe WB offers a similar product to your "tips and tours". Maybe the gathermeister can look into that for this season's event.

 

[cantunamunch]

look into that for this season's event.

Ya know, Tremblant might work for almost half the crowd on here, early season.

 

[SBrown]

I believe WB offers a similar product to your "tips and tours". Maybe the gathermeister can look into that for this season's event.

We did one of those at WB about 10 years ago, and the guide cliffed us out

 

[Jilly]

Wrong group??

Tremblant for early season....CSIA event is the first full week along with the 24hr race. But.....I could look into this if there is interest.

 

[bbinder]

Just a thought as all of this is bandied about: One of the benefits of ESA was the multiple day format. This allowed (for me) the opportunity to fully think about and to better integrate the coaching. Also (for me), the multi day format allowed for a better 'gelling' of the group and for the coach to find a way to get concepts through my thick skull.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Also, at least at first the whole point was that it was coaches from the forum teaching skiers from the forum, so it was really an extension of what was happening on the web. Of course almost immediately, that changed with both coaches and skiers that never posted. Still, just doing a group buy at a ski school is not even close to what we were doing before.

 

[Wendy]

I first met @Tricia (And you! And a bunch of others...) at ESA Stowe in maybe... 2009? I'd love to be able to attend something like that again.

Me too! This is where I first met Tricia, margaritamarcia and maybe RachelV, I met you there first? Anyway, I attended two ESA's and the coaching and après-ski fun was fantastic. A PSA in the future would be awesome if it could be financially viable for Pugski.

 

[cantunamunch]

Wrong group??

Tremblant for early season....CSIA event is the first full week along with the 24hr race. But.....I could look into this if there is interest.

By my count ~15 of the people posting in this thread are within theoretical driving distance.

the 24hr race. .

Pugski team?

 

[Jilly]

By my count ~15 of the people posting in this thread are within theoretical driving distance.



Pugski team?

Not even interested!! Been there done that. I'll help, but not interested in the racing.....too many idiots at 3am! Had a friend get run over a few years ago...

 

[cantunamunch]

I've only done the MSA one.