Ski lessons for 11 year old in Tahoe

[kaunosario]

Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.

 

[Philpug]

Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.

Just out of curiocity, why not Northstar? I ask because Spencer Abbott is great kids coach there. @Mendieta and been working with /name is slipping my mind/ at Mt. Rose. @jwaltz is a teams coach at Squaw, he might be able to help too.

 

[luliski]

My daughter took regular lessons at Northstar from age 5 to about age 9. They were very good, but this was in 2000-2004 (before they redid the "village.") We could park within walking distance back then. We changed to Alpine Meadows because of friends skiing there (and I also liked the prices back then). I thought the program at Alpine was also very good.

I've heard good things about the lessons at Diamond Peak, too. I know many people who like to have their kids take lessons at smaller, less expensive places.

 

[Plai]

If memory serves @Mendieta has been working with Mark Downs @ Mt Rose. My kids grew up with the RoseBuds ski program at Rose (ages 6-11). As holiday warriors, we don't get that many days on the hill, but it was enough to get them comfortable on blues and easy blacks.

@kaunosario if you're local enough to go up every weekend, every ski area has a program for the "development"/"race" team. It's usually much more cost effective, but your tied into a set schedule. The real bonus is the group of kids becomes friends and the self-motivation is builtin. A friend has his kid in the Kirkwood program and she's all over the hill.

Good luck...

 

[kaunosario]

My boys took snowboarding lessons at Heavenly last season. I don't have experience with Northstar. The lessons are pricey and I'm not sure that the kids get enough 1:1 attention from the coaches.

 

[Mendieta]

The lessons are pricey

I have a season pass at Mt Rose. I hope this doesn't change this year, but Rose has had for quite some time a very inexpensive (for ski-instruction standards) early bird special for season pass holders, for private lessons, 9 to 10. I normally take lessons with Mark Downing. Chris Oggerino is also great.

This is my routine on a lesson day: show up 8:30 on the slide side, go up the lift, come down on the Lodge side, and that's my warm up. Then I check in and take the lesson. Then I play around, drill, etc. Working with the same instructor gives a very nice continuity to the process.

Edit: yay!

https://skirose.com/private-lessons-ages-10-plus/

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Can someone recommend alternatives to the ski schools at Heavenly and Northstar? My 11 year old has tried snowboarding last year but this season wants to learn skiing.

I am biased - this coming season will be my 21st teaching adult beginners and intermediate skiers at Kirkwood Mountain Resort near South Lake Tahoe.

With apologies to our Vail brothers and sisters at Heavenly and NorthStar, and to the other fine local resorts, in my humble opinion, the Timber Creek area at Kirkwood simply has the some of the best if not the very best teaching terrain in the Tahoe Area.

Look at the trail map:

https://assets.vailresorts.com/-/me...he-mountain/trail-map/2017-18-trail-map1.ashx

Much of the Timber Creek "green runs" are not below groomed runs. So students can focus on what is downhill of them.

Kirkwood is a very wide mountain. As a result, most, if not all, of the lifts are ski lifts. Few if any of the lifts are transportation lifts.

Your 11 year old will love the Ditch of Doom, and then he or she will school you and your wife in it !

And when they and you are ready for it. Kirkwood has a Jets program where a small group of kids are assigned one coach for the entire season. They learn to ski the entire Mountain.

And by the end of the season, kids in the Kirkwood Jet's program often school me...

30% chance of snow tonight on Echo Summit.
20% chance of snow tomorrow.

 

[kaunosario]

I am biased - this coming season will be my 21st teaching adult beginners and intermediate skiers at Kirkwood Mountain Resort near South Lake Tahoe.

With apologies to our Vail brothers and sisters at Heavenly and NorthStar, and to the other fine local resorts, in my humble opinion, the Timber Creek area at Kirkwood simply has the some of the best if not the very best teaching terrain in the Tahoe Area.

Look at the trail map:

https://assets.vailresorts.com/-/me...he-mountain/trail-map/2017-18-trail-map1.ashx

Much of the Timber Creek "green runs" are not below groomed runs. So students can focus on what is downhill of them.

Kirkwood is a very wide mountain. As a result, most, if not all, of the lifts are ski lifts. Few if any of the lifts are transportation lifts.

Your 11 year old will love the Ditch of Doom, and then he or she will school you and your wife in it !

And when they and you are ready for it. Kirkwood has a Jets program where a small group of kids are assigned one coach for the entire season. They learn to ski the entire Mountain.

And by the end of the season, kids in the Kirkwood Jet's program often school me...

30% chance of snow tonight on Echo Summit.
20% chance of snow tomorrow.

Thanks for the recommendation. I will check out Kirkwood. Never been there before. What are the best options for accommodations?

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Here you go:

https://www.kirkwood.com/plan-your-trip/stay/kirkwood-lodging.aspx

http://www.pyramidpeakproperties.com/category/kirkwood-mountain-resort-rentals

Ski and Ride School is:

https://www.kirkwood.com/plan-your-trip/ski-and-ride-lessons.aspx

Definitely book and rent your equipment before you show up, because on busy weekends the rental process can be slow.

I am sure you are aware that Vail offers an Epic Pass and other season passes which provide access to Heavenly, NorthStar and Kirkwood:

https://www.kirkwood.com/plan-your-trip/lift-access/passes.aspx

Finally, it is hit and miss, but since Kirkwood is 35 minutes from South Lake Tahoe, if you are staying there and the resort gets hit with a big snow dump, the highways into and out of Kirkwood will close, usually for at least the morning and sometimes for days. And you get to ski powder with only the residents and the lodging occupants for at least the morning. It is simply magical when that happens...

 

[Tim Hodgson]

Or better yet, come teach with us and your kid will get a discount on Jets and you and your wife (and I believe your minor children also) will get Kirkwood Season Passes which are good at all Vail Resorts Worldwide -- even that little resort in BC called Whistler Blackcomb.

 

[kaunosario]

Or better yet, come teach with us and your kid will get a discount on Jets and you and your wife (and I believe your minor children also) will get Kirkwood Season Passes which are good at all Vail Resorts Worldwide -- even that little resort in BC called Whistler Blackcomb.

Excellent. I already have the Tahoe Local Pass for me and my boys.

 

[peterm]

Agree with everything @Tim Hodgson said.
My daughter did Jets in the 16/17 season and it was a brilliant experience. Highly recommended.

 

[DoryBreaux]

My boys took snowboarding lessons at Heavenly last season. I don't have experience with Northstar. The lessons are pricey and I'm not sure that the kids get enough 1:1 attention from the coaches.

Northstar off peak your kids will get plenty of attention. Also look at the U4 program, its a really good deal and caps at 4 kids per instructor. If you go during the holidays, it's gonna be a little different... Something you may consider is getting a few friends who also want to learn to ski and put them all in a private. With privates at N*, you dont pay per student you pay per instructor. So if you can get 4 kids, $650 or $850 becomes a lot more reasonable. Also full disclosure I work for Northstar ski teams.
If you're trying to stick to a budget, I've heard great things about Mt Rose and Diamond Peak ski schools, but know very little about them.