Ski Sundown school for kids

[Catul]

I figured I'd start a new thread about the kids' program at Ski Sundown (in response to Greg's question here).

How is the school at Sundown? My daughter will be ready to start next season (she'll be 3 turning 4 next January). Do they have a camp or anything?

They have their Puffin programs, over a holiday week or weekends or one day a week. My daughter took it last year over Christmas week at 9 a.m. M-F, and will be doing the same this year - she was 4 last year (in August).

It's a nice program, they have the kids walk up the carpet and make wedges down 30 feet of gentle slope, really cute to watch . After a day or two of this and making some turns, many of the kids were taken up the chairlift with an instructor (one per kid) and skied down Little Joe.

I try to teach her a little, basically following the lead of what she was taught at the camp, but it's not easy as a parent so my goal is just to let her enjoy and I offer encouragement and a tip or two as I can.

 

[Greg]

So $175 for five lessons plus lift tickets? That's not bad. I assume you're happy with them?

 

[Catul]

Yes, it's a pretty good deal. I plan to ski with her for an hour or two after her lesson, I'm not sure if her ticket will still be good then (I think it must be!).

I was happy with it, it's a great introduction to the hill in a nicely controlled environment. There were lots of instructors, maybe a 4-1 ratio in the magic carpet area and then they had enough instructors to individually take the kids that were ready for the chair lift.

I'd certainly recommend this Puffin program for a 4 or 5 year old to get started with the skiing experience.

 

[JimG.]

Yes, it's a pretty good deal. I plan to ski with her for an hour or two after her lesson, I'm not sure if her ticket will still be good then (I think it must be!).

I was happy with it, it's a great introduction to the hill in a nicely controlled environment. There were lots of instructors, maybe a 4-1 ratio in the magic carpet area and then they had enough instructors to individually take the kids that were ready for the chair lift.

I'd certainly recommend this Puffin program for a 4 or 5 year old to get started with the skiing experience.

I've taught kids both in the controlled environment of a magic carpet area and out on the hill as a coach; I have to say that this program sounds superb. My biggest problem with most ski schools is that the instructor/child ratio is usually more like 1 instructor to 5 kids or more. That's tough.

It's especially important to have alot of teacher attention when they are little (3-4 years old). The little ones thrive on that attention. Kudos especially to the person who decided to allow a 1 to 1 ratio when the kids go out on the lifts the first time.

 

[bvibert]

Just to clarify, the carpet at Sundown is not a 'Magic Carpet' rather an outdoor carpet that the kids walk up. It still looks to be a really good program. The kids all appeared to be having a really good time last year when I was working the Sunnyside double on Saturdays.

Catul, there's a pretty good chance that the lift ticket won't be good for long, if at all, after the lesson ends. A lot of times the kids are about wiped out by the time the lesson ends anyway...

 

[Catul]

Jim, yeah I agree, Sundown runs the program very well.

Brian, ah, I guess "Magic" means "moving"? Right then, it's just a "walk up yourself" one, plenty good for that little part there. You work the Sunnyside lift? We'll definitely see you one of these weekends then!!

 

[bvibert]

Yes, some mountains have conveyer belt type lifts called Magic Carpets that move beginners up a fairly flat beginner slope.

I'll see you there!