 Poster: A snowHead
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I had horrible times finding the right ski school for my kids. We trusted the local ‘official’ school but it turned out to be dreadful. When my daughter was four, I became very suspicious when talking to her at lunchtime about her mornings, which seemed to be full of breaks and biscuits rather than the first stages of learning to ski. So I turned detective and took a morning off, and observed the kids’ park from a café. I was horrified by what I saw. The two seventeen year olds’ managing a huge gaggle of kids were only interested in one or two of the children, and the rest played in the snow or ate biscuits in a hut. My daughter was actually lying asleep in the snow at one point. My complaints were met with indifference – ‘you can’t make a child learn…’ the ski-school youths said. Bizarre. What kind of view of learning is that? Kids love learning things, you just need the right approach. So I withdrew her there and then.
We asked around, and found Swiss Mountain Sports in Crans Montana. The Director listened to my need for decent tuition and confirmed, ‘no..they won’t eat bsicuits..they will learn to ski…’. What he said warmed my heart: ‘…it’s simple…you pay us…then what we do is make sure your children love skiing and build their technique…if they don’t, then I have failed…’. Spot on. I looked round his office…a hive of efficient management, instructors in black and orange kit discussing matters skiing…it all felt good.
I am impressed by their model: SMS has a maximum group size of 5. Individual attention to every child is guaranteed, there are no long snakes of 12 children with kids struggling at the back. No waiting around for huge groups to embark and disembark from bubbles. Yves Caillet, the director, carefully builds groups at the right level, and ensures every child is progressing at the right rate. Everyone in the school seems to know that building technique through individually-tuned learning is the way of ensuring that every child finishes each lesson bubbling with pleasure and wanting more. My profession is research on learning and I like their approach very much indeed.
The instructors are dynamic, full of enthusiasm. They all love skiing. They fill the kids with love of the hill. No bumbling forever in the kids’ park. The children get onto the hill as quickly as possible and learn the discipline of being on-piste and on lifts from a very early age.
I would recommend them absolutely. And we’re not afraid of the apparent cost of Switzerland - the enduring sense of Switzerland being punitively expensive is wrong - its far cheaper than people realise. In Crans, the prices on the hill – food, etc – are cheaper than in France. A friend skied with us just after being in the 3V and couldn’t believe how much cheaper it was…sitting there in a beautiful stone restaurant at Violettes, and with no queues anywhere on the hill. Sure, Crans has Courchevel-level chalets, but drive to CH, stay in one of the villages 5 mins from one of the stations into the system and you’ll find really cheap rentals. Mollens, Bluche, Aminona and Montana all have cheap rentals.
But the best bit is Swiss Mountain Sports…I want my kids to learn loads and have huge fun while doing it. And that’s what they have had. Now 7 and 9, they ache to get back to the Alps and onto planks. They both ski tight, tight turns, and have a responsible approach to being on snow. Their technique is rock solid. And they can’t wait to ski with their favourite instructors – and that enthusiasm is worth it’s weight in gold, IMHO. Strongly recommended.
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Thu 22-11-12 19:31; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Nice positive review, I'm putting it on my list of possibles this season.
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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?
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valais2, great to hear a positive report. Just out of interest, how did the price of SMS compare with the previous school? Was the previous school also in Switzerland?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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rob@rar, lilywhite, .... same price per morning and afternoon but with much smaller groups ...which is great. Yep, other school also in Switzerland, but have heard similar reports of same kind of problems in France.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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valais2, sounds good. Just illustrates a point I've been making on other threads today - go the extra mile to offer service that the client/guest is happy with and they will come back for more and tell all their friends about the positive experience. Sadly the big "official" (which really aren't) establishments all too often try to bully the competition into submission rather than competing on service, which they should be able to do much more effectively given economies of scale.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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http://www.scuolasciselva.com/en/Default.asp
Probably the best ski school in the World.
All four of our kids started with them at 3/4, the eldest is now 21. We have been returning to Selva every year largely because of this school. 
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rob@rar, valais2, nail, head, hit
I do believe for too long people have put up with average, more competition for good coaching/lessons can only be good for our sport, and is one reason I've started down the BASI pathway......
valais2, do you have a link to the ski school?
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kitenski, ...yep...here it is:
http://www.sms04.ch/
we've found them to be incredibly helpful and responsive - careful placing of kids in groups - moved daughter up a group very quickly when it was clear that she'd suddenly mastered a higher level...
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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.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| kitenski wrote: |
| I do believe for too long people have put up with average, more competition for good coaching/lessons can only be good for our sport, and is one reason I've started down the BASI pathway...... |
Isn't this a contradiction? 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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| sarah wrote: |
valais2, good to hear this. I too have a Swiss recommendation, sounds very similar indeed to your school's set up. I have mentioned it before on a few threads but it is that good so again it's Arc-en Ciel at Siviez, very convenient for Nendaz/Verbier.
They have a separate creche which is staffed by child carers so the instructors just teach, so if a child didn't like a lesson/was tired or whatever then that child could go and eat biscuits but not all the kids would have to 
They have max 4 in a class for the little ones (from age 2.5 years too  ) and then for normal kids groups max. 8 or max. 5 if you choose afternoon lessons. They are really, really good. With beginner kids they just go up the lift and take them skiing, there is none of this shuffling around in a jardin. I am really sorry we didn't find this school when my son was really little.
With the older/better skiers they have groups running even at the high levels (some other schools have told me they don't offer the top levels) and really bring their skiing on (Chassoure for a 6 year  ). They are friendly and helpful. You can book online I think, they sent me an email recently, there is a 5% discount for early bookings before 15th Dec. |
I've seen arc en ciel instructors on the long easy run down to siviez from tortin many times. The classes typically seem to have less than 4/5 in them and the instructors are always carrying lots of teaching aids with them to help bring the kids on. The terrain and lift (detachable quad) are ideal imo for young beginner kids. The kids always look pretty happy too, I've never seen one in floods of tears for instance and being ignored by the instructor (as I once saw in an ESF class in Meribel), in fact I've never seen one crying at all.
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anyone with recommendations on schools in countries other than CH?
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You know it makes sense.
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Must, must, MUST go back to Crans one of these days...
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Anyone in Verbier this season would do well to request Eva from New Generation.
Young enough to remember all the things she hated/loved about ski school herself, enthusiastic, and a snowHead too (evapeva).
Your kiddies will love her (her current pupils at the special needs school she is teaching in seem to if that is a guide).
Do you think I should mention she is my daughter.....  ?
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Poster: A snowHead
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Pics of the daughter before I sign up...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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Great thread. I will revisit this thread when we introduce my little girl to the snow next year. She will be just 5 next year and ready for skiing.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Pedantica, ...when was the last time you were there? New fast lift replacing that awful cold windy slow connection from Montana to Cry D'Err (top of Nationale); new chair replacing 'the longest T in the world' to Bella Lui at the back, and the big red cable car retired.....
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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valais2, I'm not going to admit when! I was there only once in the winter (my first time on skis and there was a long gap before I skied again) but spent many summer holidays of my childhood there - enough to send me home each year with a terrible Valaisan accent, and loads of friends with the surname Barras or Bonvin - when the villages of Crans, Montana and Vermala were completely distinct. You kindly PM'd me some photos a year or two ago, and it reminded me how beautiful that plateau is.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The heading should state the best 'SKI' school - not school.
You almost had my sympathy until I realised you just looking to teach young Arabella how to progress on the snow.
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George Jones, ....goodness you're right - amended title.....many thanks
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Freedom2Ski in Avoriaz - small groups, loads of fun, loads of progress.
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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.
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Reflex in La Plagne. Great tuition, fresh approach, clearly people who regularly teach small kids. My 3 1/2 year old progressed very rapidly.
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Pedantica, well, time hasn't withered the dominance of the local economy by those named bonvin and barras - but there have been some changes - the motor for the old rope tow behind the Petite Paradis restaurant (where many swiss children, and mine, spent their early years) is still there but the tow has now been shut by a new landowner; loads of older trees were cut down last winter because of the problems of snow-laden trees near the installations; and the aminona lift is creaking a bit. But on the plus side, the new chetseron restaurant (now with rooms) in the old top lift station is now world-class and ridiculously cheap for the quality of venue and food - http://www.chetzeron.ch/ - the snowparks have HUGE kickers for those that like being upside down in the air; and taillens still sells the best bread in europe. Worth going again, and when you do, drop us an email.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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www.easiski.com , Les 2 Alpes especially for kids who are getting rather good.
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