Ski instruction recommendations (Colorado)

[rcc55125]

Breckenridge: Ben Potts, Level 3, Rocky Mountain Trainer
Kevin Eddy, L3, RMT
Tommy Banks, L3, RMT
Mike Hafer, L3, X-D teamer, Ski School manager. Not sure if he does privates.
Dave Yeagle, L3, PSIA examiner, ski school manager.
Jenn Losch, L3, trainer.
Park City: Justin Soine, L3, PSIA Examiner. Not sure if he does privates.
Andrea Dahl, L3
Keystone: Angela Stark, L3

I've worked with and been coached by all these people. They are all top notch trainers. Some may not teach the public but it's worth a call to see if you could book a lesson.
Any Level 3 instructor who is a Rocky Mountain Trainer is a whole level above the average Level 3 but PSIA doesn't have a Level 4. It's kind of one of the great secretes about being an instructor, we get to take lessons from some of the greatest trainers out there.

 

[Blue Streak]

Swing a dead cat in Colorado, and you’ll hit a ski instructor.
Toss a dead cat with aplomb, and you’ll hit a good one.

 

[asolo]

How wide are your skis underfoot, do you own your boots, and who fitted them?

Here is my skis: https://skimo.co/movement-session-x-skis (169cm). I have come to downhill skiing via backcountry, so still use these. Very light too, which I like a lot. Planning to get resort specific skis this spring.

 

[asolo]

Wow, thanks so much for many responses! Going to start going down the list.

 

[asolo]

I'm thinking if you are a good skater (assuming figure skating here) that when you get on skis you may be expecting the ski to respond like a skate given the same movements. Imagine how your skates would respond with a 6' blade on them

I've had hockey players in beginner classes pull off a really aggressive hockey stop out of frustration with the ski not responding they way they expected it to. I never tried to change them back to turning in a wedge but simply slowed their movements down and worked with them to "wait for the ski to respond". Also a lot of skating movements are done by rotating the upper body. In snow skiing that's usually a no-no. Could be you have multiple trained neuromuscular pathways that use skiing left over from skating that "feel right" but work wrong.

As somebody already mentioned have your alignment checked, assuming you own the boots you are in. I would strongly recommend the crew at A Racer's Edge on main street in Breckenridge. Call ahead

I think if you went to either Copper or Winter Park and got a Certified Level 3 Instructor it could open the door to some major changes. Be sure to tell the instructor about the ice skating history. Good luck !

At one point I convinced my wife to get a video of me going down a semi-icy steep ("See Me", skiers right of the race track at Steamboat). From what I can tell, I cross over too late, when my skis are in the fall line, hence skis bite only in the last part of the turn. I compensate by pressing tips. I think I also extend ("stand up") too far to unweight the skis. The hands are too far back and my weight is not forward enough. Absolutely agree, some skating stuff is likely counterproductive.

 

[asolo]

let me know if you headed to the boat happy to recommend

If I manage 4:45am wake up, be there tomorrow

 

[tromano]

May be over thinking it. It sounds like time with any instructor could point you in the right direction. Its not magic.

 

[Jerez]

I think Rusty Guy still teaches at Winter Park. He’s a solid level 3 instructor.

Rusty was a great teacher. Sadly, he decided to go back to the dark side and his first sports love: golf: so he's moved to warmer climes and not teaching anymore.

I may be wrong, but I am inferring that you are seeking someone who can analyze your current skiing and help you with more precision and technical improvement.

@Magi was amazing teaching my not-so-easy 6 year old granddaughter and I'm sure he would be honest if he's the right guy for your situation. If not, he would give you a good recommendation at Winter Park.

One of the best instructors I ever experienced is Todd "TJ" Metz, who is unfortunately not at WP anymore either. He is now teaching at Vail. He is a top PSIA examiner, funny and irreverent and a really good teacher. Not an IKON pass resort, but... He received a prestigious trainer of the year from Vail last year. His wife Jenn Metz, is maybe the only instructor to get it twice. I have not skied with her, but can recommend him without reservation and think she would be at least as good.

An option for Steamboat is to see if you can get a private with Deb Armstrong. Not sure she's doing them, but she also does teach clinics there occasionally. She is an Olympic gold medalist who has become a PSIA coach and is passionate about teaching people how to improve their "high performance turns." I have not skied with her, but have talked to a few people at a recent PSIA even who raved about her as an instructor.

 

[Jerez]

PS: IMHO I think it IS magic, having also taken a few classes that were pointless and seen uniformed instructors who could barely ski. A private lesson is a big bucks commitment and, unless you are truly a beginner or low intermediate, you'll want to be sure you get someone who knows his/her stuff.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

I have the good fortune to be able to ski with many fantastic instructors. I ski with different people for different reasons.

If I had to narrow my choice down to one person to spend a day with for all around technical instruction, I would choose Bob Barnes. Amazing technical knowledge and the ability to narrow it down to some very specific movements to change your skiing or validate what you are doing.

Aspen prices are less than Vail. I would never spend money on a lesson with an unkown instructor.

I know many of the people and have skied with many of the people listed above. My endorsement of Bob is not meant to dis them. Bob just brings something special to the party.

 

[mdf]

Bob Barnes

Bob certainly knows his stuff -- he did write the "Encyclopedia of Skiing" after all. A lot of people here have skied with Bob and rave about him.
Sadly, I have never skied with Bob. I did ride the bus back from Highlands to Snowmass with him, however.

 

[Jerez]

Bumping this thread. I can't find TJ Metz still teaching from Google. Would love recommendation for a comparable instructor at Winter Park.

Names and why you recommend them.

 

[Sherman89]

I am looking for recommendations for ski instruction in Colorado. I have been working on my skiing more an more obsessively for the last three seasons (this season I already have 23 days, many of these full 7 hours). I think at this point I am not going to make progress w/o somebody outside observing and suggesting corrections. I am considering finding a pro instructor, it would be great to have somebody really experienced.

On another note, I am not sure why I can not quite get skiing. It is super frustrating. I am a skater and on skates I feel as if I was born on them. I can still jump (well, singles) and glide, so my balance and athletic ability is there. I know how to use edges and how to store kinetic energy in a leg/boot and use it to propel body into a jump. But I can't. Ski. A damn. Sometimes I just want skates on those hard pack slopes. I know they would have worked better than those damn crippling long sticks that never bite.

If you can skate you can ski, I grew up playing hockey and ski racing. The best offseason exercise is skating maintaining the foot to foot action and keeping the quads strong. You need to find a level 3 instructor to help you sort things out. You may have an equipment problem that may not be aware of.

 

[Tin Pants]

I have IKON pass, which leads to Winter Park, Copper, Eldora, Steamboat. Recently, Steamboat has been my favorite, despite 3.5. hour drive. Eldora is easy and close by, but between storms gets very hard packed and frustrating.

of those resorts I would recommend the Winter Park ski school.

 

[Mike King]

Bumping this thread. I can't find TJ Metz still teaching from Google. Would love recommendation for a comparable instructor at Winter Park.

Names and why you recommend them.

Jim Shaw. He's an examiner and one of the most respected trainers (by ski instructors) in PSIA-RM.

 

[Nancy Hummel]

Jim Shaw. He's an examiner and one of the most respected trainers (by ski instructors) in PSIA-RM.

Jim teaches at Aspen. I don’t know if he is still doing anything at Winter Park.

Tom Hickok at Winter Park is great.

 

[Mike King]

Jim teaches at Aspen. I don’t know if he is still doing anything at Winter Park.

Tom Hickok at Winter Park is great.

I understand, perhaps incorrectly, Jim Shaw is only teaching part time in Aspen, but is primarily at WP.

 

[Jerez]

Thank you both!