When you sign up for lessons with Steamboat’s Snowsports School, you can expect to improve your efficiency and confidence on the slopes. But what you might not expect is the personal connection you will develop with your professional instructor. Nelson Wingard, Director of Steamboat’s Snowsports School, explains that “people sign up for lessons with thoughts about how to turn better or improve a skill, and leave feeling welcome and included as a skier or rider. Ultimately, they get so much more out of their lesson than they were expecting.”

Ages two and up have access to Steamboat’s Snowsports School, accommodating any age or level of skier or rider. Starting at age two, private lessons are available, and by age three, group lessons become available. Ages three to six are part of Steamboat’s Mountain Camp and ages seven to twelve are part of the kid group lessons. Ages thirteen and up can also enjoy group lessons, along with adults of all ages. Of course, private lessons are also available for ages two and up and are customizable from the very start.

The youngest skiers and riders start their day at 8:15 a.m. at Mountain Camp, conveniently located off the transit center. Next up are all kid group lessons for ages seven to twelve with a drop-off at 9 a.m. at Greenhorn Ranch. Parents can easily ride Wild Blue gondola with their child to Greenhorn Ranch and meet their instructor for the day. And lastly, group lessons for adults begin at 9:30 a.m. at Greenhorn Ranch as well. If you are doing a private lesson, you can expect a call or text from your instructor the day before to arrange a meeting location and time, which is customizable based on what works best for you.

Greenhorn Ranch’s Terrain Based Learning® has hugely transformed how beginning level skiing and riding is taught at Steamboat Resort and is inspiring people to come back for more lessons. Even Steamboat’s longtime veteran ski and snowboard instructors are asking to teach level one with the brilliance and ease of Terrain Based Learning®. As Wingard explains, “the whole intention is to not use words to teach but instead use the terrain to teach. As they move through the shaped-terrain progression, they are naturally learning how to ski and ride.” Accessible by the Wild Blue gondola, Steamboat’s Snowsports School has exclusive access to the Terrain Based Learning® features in Greenhorn Ranch, as well as the magic carpets.

Located at Greenhorn Ranch, you will find a warming hut that features a lesson desk where you can arrange future lessons as well as the lunchroom for all kid group lessons. Adult groups and private lessons will usually eat lunch at locations around the mountain based on the level of skiing or riding. Steamboat Resort offers a wide range of culinary options at on-mountain food courts located at Four Points, Rendezvous and Thunderhead lodges, as well as the on-the-go Taco Beast and base area locations like The Range Food Hall and Timber and Torch. 

Welcoming to all ages and ability levels, Steamboat’s SnowSports School helps you improve your skills on the slopes. “Our guests have an expectation to build skills, confidence, master bumps and trees, and that is ski and snowboard instruction. But there is also this hidden set of expectations that guests don’t know that they want: the relationship with the pro and the indoctrination into the sport. In the end, you will get that backstage pass to skiing and riding at Steamboat Resort and ultimately you are really going to feel like a skier or snowboarder,” explains Wingard.

As Steamboat’s Snowsports School grows in popularity, securing your lessons as early as possible is always a good idea. Not only will you get the best price by booking early, but you will also ensure yourself or your child a spot. During busy times, kid lessons will sell out, along with the private lesson stock. “We limit space to ensure that everyone gets personalized instruction and a connection with their pro,” says Wingard.  With a full day of expert guidance and instruction, your skier or rider legs are sure to be tired and ready for some rest. Mountain Camp and kid lesson pickup is at 3 p.m., which is when all group lessons end for the day. Private lessons go a bit longer until Steamboat Resort closes at 4 p.m. As you reflect on your day with Steamboat’s Snowsports School, you can rest easy with the newly gained “confidence, comfort and ease of knowing that you can enjoy a day of skiing or riding with your family and friends at Steamboat Resort,” explains Wingard with a smile.