Skiing shapes children in ways that go far beyond the slopes
Their Skiing Story Starts Here
For children, learning to ski is about much more than mastering turns. Their earliest experiences of the mountains shape how they feel about skiing for years to come.
My approach changes with every age and every personality. Some children need encouragement, some need adventure, some want to understand exactly how everything works, and others simply want to play.
With private instruction, I have the time to understand the child in front of me and let their skiing develop at the right pace.
First Steps on Snow | Ages 1–3
There are few things more special than watching a tiny skier discover snow for the very first time.
With over a decade of experience teaching young children including children as young as one I’ve developed a gentle introduction to skiing specifically for these very early years.
At this age, the goal is to make snow, ski boots and skis feel familiar while creating a positive first relationship with the mountain.
We explore through games, movement and imagination, with plenty of breaks and absolutely no pressure. A session might involve only a little skiing and that can be exactly what a one- or two-year-old needs.
Everything is private and shaped around your child’s mood, energy and attention span that day.
Because most traditional ski programmes begin with older children, this is an opportunity to introduce skiing earlier in a calm, personal environment.
Their first memory of skiing should be one they want to repeat.
As most ski schools only accept children from the age of three, starting early gives your little one a beautiful head start. Send me a message through the contact form, and together we’ll plan your child’s very first ski adventure.
Children | Ages 3–11
Children don’t all learn in the same way and they certainly don’t all enjoy the same things.
One child might spend the morning determined to perfect a new movement, while another learns best through games, exploration and little challenges along the way. Private lessons allow me to respond to that rather than expecting the child to fit into a predetermined programme.
As their skiing develops, we gradually discover more of the mountain. Technique is introduced in a way children can understand and actually use, while different terrain keeps them interested and engaged.
I also want children to become comfortable with the practical side of being a skier: managing their equipment, using lifts, understanding where they are and learning how to behave considerately around other people on the mountain.
And because I work directly with the family, the day can fit around real family life: meeting for lunch, skiing with parents for part of the day, returning a child to the chalet or adapting plans when little legs have simply had enough.
The goal is not to create the “perfect” little skier. It’s to give each child their own positive relationship with skiing.
Teenagers | Ages 12–16
Teenagers need a very different approach.
They are beginning to ski without constantly following an adult, and before long many will be heading to the mountains with school, university or friends. My focus therefore starts shifting from simply how to ski towards how to be a skier.
Alongside developing technique, we work on the knowledge and judgement they will eventually need when nobody is making every decision for them.
They learn how to orient themselves around a ski area, understand piste maps and signage, choose appropriate routes, recognise changing conditions, understand mountain etiquette and think about the consequences of the decisions they make.
When appropriate, we can introduce different terrain and experiences: carving, variable snow, ungroomed terrain, jumps or the snowpark, while discussing how to approach each one intelligently rather than simply following friends.
For those beginning to explore beyond marked pistes, I can also introduce the fundamentals of mountain and avalanche awareness and, importantly, the limits of what they should attempt without appropriately qualified supervision.
There’s another important element at this age: skiing needs to become theirs.
Teenagers don’t necessarily want another adult telling them what to do all day. I create an environment where we can talk, challenge each other, explore and have fun while still learning. For advanced teenagers we will do carving, ski racing (gates), park and off piste terrain. They can tell me what they want from their skiing and we build the sessions around that.
For teenagers who are complete beginners, private tuition can be particularly valuable. They can learn without feeling self-conscious, without being grouped with small children and without trying to keep pace with more experienced friends.
The aim is that, as they grow older, they don’t just have the ability to ski - they have the judgement to make good decisions on the mountain when you’re no longer beside them.
