Copper Mountain Ski School

"Skiing all by themselves on the first day"

Ski School Levels: Copper Mountain Ski School advances kids through different levels and identifies the younger skiers with various colored vests that identify their level. The Rugrat magic carpet is located directly behind the ski school building. This area is completely fenced off and offers a very private learning experience for the littlest skiers. As skill level progresses, the kids are moved onto the base of the green lifts and eventually onto the lifts that service most of the green runs on the mountain. .

Drop Off: My 4-year old daughter signed up for two days of ski school based on the suggestion that it is easier to cancel a day last minute then try to schedule some at the last minute. The first day of ski school began with a little girl who was so excited she couldn’t settle down enough to eat more than two bites of breakfast – it was her 4th birthday, her first time skiing ever, and her first morning waking up in a new place. She anxiously headed for the bus to take us to Union Creek. We got off the bus and headed for the ski school registration and guest services. Registering was very simple and I was very impressed with the questions they asked as well as the attention to detail. My daughter is lactose intolerant, her “allergy” was noted on her lift tag in writing, was additionally identified by a red dot placed on her lift tag and a red name tag (vice white) on her ski school vest. Her instructor was also provided a special instruction note on what foods she could have based on the lunch menu for the day. Following registration, we went to rentals to pick her her gear. Then we headed to the check-in desk. At this point, I was asked to review the information I had provided and stuck labels to the skis, helmet, and any personal clothing. The check in staff verified emergency contact information, strapped a GPS band onto the my daughter’s leg, and hailed an instructor to take the kids up to the ski school area on the second floor.  The second floor is a parent free zone.  We all said goodbye and were instructed where to pick-up our kids at the end of the day.

The speed of check-in and the easy going, time to lose the ‘rents attitude of the ski instructors encouraged the kids to act very independent. The instructors immediately started bonding with the kids and introducing them to each other – they immediately started to make friends and develop we are all in this together type attitudes.  As a result, I did not observe any kids that were upset at drop off, in fact most were so excited and anxious to get to ski school, that it was all they could do to wait five minutes while their parents checked them in.

The Staff:   The staff were professional, calm and attentive. When my phone rang at noon and I realized it was ski school, my head started spinning trying to figure out what was wrong. I was told by the nice and calm person on the other end of the phone that my daughter was in the TLC room and it would really help if mom could come by for a pep talk and maybe a pickup. I arrived at ski school and was permitted into the no parent zone. I was impressed because every adult I passed questioned my presence and then pointed me in the correct direction. They were very conscious about security but were very professional in the way they handled the situation.

Day two was equally successful again, attention to detail at check-in was terrific even though the process took less than three minutes. My daughter was placed into a group with two of the kids from the day prior as well as one of the same instructors I scheduled a 1 pm pick-up on the second day and found this was just as easy and in many ways better timing for the little ones. All day ski school makes for a really long day for 3-5 year olds, especially if they are used to a nap.

Kids Ski Instructors:  When I arrived at a table at the end of the room and noticed my daughter had rejoined her group and was getting ready to order her lunch. I had a little chat with her and found out she just had a rough morning.  When she asked if she could leave, the teacher suggested that she stay for lunch – which she agreed to without prompting. I told her that I was going to go and get some lunch and I would meet her out back at the pickup point after her lunch. She agreed and quickly turned to her instructor to inform him of her lunch choices (Mac and Cheese of course). About 20 minutes after the pickup time, her instructor poked his head out the door and told me the little girls were all still in the bathroom but it looked like my daughter wanted to stay in ski school for the afternoon. I told her I would be there, so rather than leaving I headed to the Rugrat area to observe ski school. I made a point to let her instructor know where I was but to stay out of her line of sight unless she asked where I was or needed a mommy pep talk again. She finished the last two hours of ski school, was flying down the hill unassisted, and came bouncing out of ski school and asked to go back the next day. So even with a melt-down in the middle, day one ski school was a success. The instructors were obviously very experienced with helping children who are having a difficult time making the transition.

All kids ski school instructors are pros who choose to work specifically with kids. I was so impressed with the patience and the no-quit attitude the instructors exuberated. The instructors were clever and positive. While I was observing on the first day, one little girl was tired and frustrated and yelled at the instructor that she hated him and wanted a new teacher. The instructor replied with a witty, you get to the bottom and you can have a new teacher. The little girl was quick to her feet, flew down the mountain by herself, and was so encouraged by her success, headed back to the magic carpet, and up the hill without another mention of a new teacher. At the end of the day, the instructors sent home a report card celebrating the child’s achievements and provided tips to the parents of what the child needed to work on next. The instructors made a point to personally deliver each child to their parent and provide one-on-one feedback as well as congratulate the child on their accomplishments that day. My daughter just beamed when the instructor told her that she did a great job.

In the end, my daughter loved her ski school experience and left being able to ski. Her first exposure to skiing was very positive and she is very confident with her new found abilities (almost over-confident). She was so excited to show grandma, grandpa and her little brother what she had learned that even after being totally worn out from a day of ski school, she donned her skis and headed up the magic carpet a handful more times. She woke up several mornings  after our ski trip asking if we could go skiing and wanted to know if she got to go back to ski school.

Tips:
•Reservations and Pricing: Prior reservations are highly recommended.
•If possible, take your child to the ski school area the day before so they can see what it is like and get an idea of the environment and what will be expected of them.
•Apply sunscreen ahead of time – anything that goes in the cubby will stay in the cubby.
•Review the ski school website thoroughly before heading to the mountain to avoid potentially expensive purchases on the mountain. http://www.coppercolorado.com/winter/ski_and_ride_school/ski_and_ride_tips/index.html
•Pack an extra pair of sunglasses just in case goggles or sunglasses get smashed / lost the first day.
•Give yourselves extra time in the morning so you don’t arrive stressed out.
•Ensure breakfast is something your little skier will eat no matter how excited they are.
•If your 3-5 year old doesn’t want to ski, don’t feel like ski school is the only option. The day care at Copper Mountain is available for children ages 8 weeks to 6 years old. You’ll be helping to ensure that the ski instructors are able to give appropriate attention to kids who are ready to ski.

*This review is based on a complimentary two-full day lesson at the Copper Mountain Ski School. I received no other compensation and the owner did not express any requirements that I express a particular point of view.