Poster: A snowHead
|
Hi, having looked online, Sunshine do a board school, and so does Norquay, Norquays being the cheaper option, on the closest mountain to resort.
We are hoping that one day will see us right.
Any advice on which board school is the best, or if there is indeed any difference at all.
Thanks!
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
Hi jopo, friends of ours used the Sunshine school and said it was good. I don't know anything about the Norquay school. Certainly Sunshine has the better snow/powder although if there is a dump of snow Norquay would be great as its so quiet. Personally I'd go to Sunshine both for the terrain & snow quality.
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
My general impression is that Norquay isn't used as much by tourists as Sunshine or LL. What sort of level are you - if you're beginners it shouldn't make much difference as all Instructors will have common CASI qualifications, above that Sunshine probably have more capacity to run different level, but joining say an advanced levle group at Norquay might get you a private lesson.
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
jopo, as you probably know, each ski school has a monopoly at each mountain. Despite that, those in Sunshine and Lake Louise are generally very good if not excellent; we have no experience of lessons at MT Norquay. The board lessons at Sunshine satisfied those who took them in our groups entirely.
Norquay is a small area but with a bit of more or less everything. I read somewhere recently that they don't allow boarders on one of the chairs, I think the N.American which gives access to the harder runs.
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
We have done a week...But not progressed much over that week, because of poor snow and even poorer board school.
So we are about at the level where we are still trying and pretty much failing to link many turns particuarly well. So we thought Norquay would do us fine, because we are not at an advanced level, and our lesson would be on a sunday, so we thought it would be quieter over that way, as like you say most use Sunshine.
Due to the level we are at, we won't be after powder really! Lol, maybe by the end of the 2weeks!
Thanks for the advice and info!
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
richmond, talking about monopolies, Club SKi uses all three mountains.
|
|
|
|
|
|
hyweljenkins, yes, Club Ski is highly recommended by friends of ours. They do boarding as well. We've had a lot of (ski) lessons from one of the Club Ski instructors, which were far and away the best I've ever had.
If you find an instructor you like at one ski school, you may be able to go to another hill with him/her; we had a great instructor for our kids at Sunshine and mamaged to get him OK'd for Lake Louise.
|
|
|
|
|
|
richmond, when we were there the Club SKi instructors were routinely moving between mountains - not just one or two instructors, but all of them. Special dispensation, perhaps.
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
hyweljenkins, I think that the Club Ski thing is a joint venture between the 3 areas. The chap we had worked for the Sunshine set up but did Club Ski - I don't think he gave many, if any, lessons as part of the Sunshine Ski School.
jopo, you might want to consider the Club Ski thing. I haven't done it, but the idea is that you sign up for 3 days and ski one day at each of Sunshine, LL and Norquay with the same instructor each day. It's particularly good for relative beginners as it gives you the chance to ski all three areas without having to worry about where you should go and without having to arrange a new lesson and have a new instructor each day. Rumour has it that some of the best instructors go with Club Ski; certainly the chap we had, who was a Club Ski instructor as well, was excellent, but they all seem to be very good.
|
|
|
|
|
|
The club ski set up is indeed the same instructors who take you to a different area each day. It tends to attract the more mature "clubbable" instructors as its quite a social thing (possibly as a flagship programme the pay is better or maybe it is a guarantee of 6 days work a week). Its rare in N America to have the same instructor all week as most skiers dip in & out of lessons. Not having done it but observed it in action I'd say it is quite heavy on the guiding (with tips & positive reinforcement) & light on concentrated technical teaching, as a fair amount of time is spent getting to know the different areas.
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
I'd heard the best instructors go to the Sunshine Ski School, although they do have some good upper level instructors in Club Ski. I'd agree with fatbob's assessment. For actual pure instruction I wouldn't recommend Club Ski but I have had some great days with them. We've had mixed instructors, some good, some great skiers but not that good at actually instructing, some you get the feeling they would rather not be there.
|
|
|
|
|
|