Other Criteria for Choosing the Best Ski Resorts
• Skiers Only Resorts: The next factor to be considered is whether or not you want to go to a skier’s only resort. If you have kids that like to snowboard, this is obviously not a viable choice. If there are no snowboarders in your party, you might want to consider ski areas such as Alta, or if you can afford it, Deer Valley. These Utah resorts do not allow snowboarders. Why should you consider this option? Skiers and snowboarders have very different patterns of movements. While intermediate skiers can deal with this, novices are often terrified.
Photo: Alta Ski Area: Courtesy of Alta Ski Area
• Ski Town Ambiance: Next on your ski trip planning agenda is an exploration of the “ski town experience.” In other words, what can you do when the lifts close? Suppose you want to take a day off from the slopes. Does that town have other activities to enjoy? Towns such as Stowe, Breckenridge, Whistler and Park City offer a quaint and exciting atmosphere. Of course, everything is a matter of personal preference. A young, single woman who likes the fast pace of the big cities would probably love the Killington party atmosphere, as well as the excellent male to female ratio.
• Types of Ski Lessons: What type of lesson would you like to take? Some resorts offer women-only ski clinics. A very athletic novice may enjoy one of the direct-to parallel approaches, such as http://www.harbskisystems.com/
This technique bypasses the “wedge position,” which is the typical learning method for novice skiers. While some people swear by this
teaching system, others argue that this method may be inappropriate for timid beginners.
Your next decision is whether to take a group or a private lesson. Private lessons are considerably more expensive than group lessons. However, they will help you learn at a faster pace. If you can’t afford a private lesson, consider taking a midweek group lesson during a non-holiday season. You might end up with a private or semi-private lesson for the price of a group lesson.
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