 Poster: A snowHead
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I am a beginner going to saalbach can you recommend best school? I see some lessons are on short skis progressing to long skis ? Is this better?
Thanks!!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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That sounds like the Evolutif method that was, until fairly recently IIRC, taught in Les Arcs (and maybe other places I'm not aware of).
Anyway, I'm not sure its a favoured method any more - general rule of thumb is that beginners should aim to ski on skis that, when stood on their tips, are only as long as the distance from floor to chin, or perhaps slightly shorter. When proficient, maybe increase the length to around a similar to eye-level height.
Of course, much depends on the ski and its flex/rigidity, but as a beginner, i would imagine you will be given fairly "soft" skis.
Last edited by Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person on Wed 12-12-12 11:25; edited 1 time in total
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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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Welcome to snowHeads BTW Jillyb 
There are a few Saalbach experts hereabouts, so I am sure your ski school question will be answered soon. When are you going?
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Lots of ski schools to choose from, I'm going to plug Fuerstauer as I've worked for them in the past. Office is right in the centre of town, near the Schattberg gondola.
I've never come across anyone teaching there in the way you describe, definitely not 'normal.'
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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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[quote="clarky999"]Lots of ski schools to choose from, I'm going to plug Fuerstauer as I've worked for them in the past. Office is right in the centre of town, near the Schattberg gondola.
I've never come across anyone teaching there in the way you describe, definitely not 'normal.'[/quote
Hi thanks I have been looking at that school  it was the snow academy I assume if you worked there you will know them too, just torn between the schools so though some advice would be good! this is their learn to ski notes :-
Group size: Min. 5 - max. 12 persons – from 12 years on
Target: Beginners + slight advanced skiers
Our LTS Learn-to-ski method enables you to start skiing very quickly. We start skiing with a specially developed short carving ski.
Beginners start with a 140cm short ski and, depending on your progress during the week, a change to a longer ski is possible. Because of the short ski you learn to ski faster, safer and more easily.
Even faster! With money-back-guarantee!
We recommend that persons under 1,75m in height takes skis of 120 cm length, for taller persons 140 cm.
In our ski rental you'll find a large variety of short-carving skis.
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Snowacademy tried the 'short-to-long' ski progression a couple of seasons ago. I've no idea if they are still using it or have gone back to teaching beginners on whatever skis they turn up on (within reason). Either way, if you want group lessons, you won't go much wrong with Snowacademy or Fuerstauer. Both have inclusive deals for instruction and ski rental; Fuerstauer do their deals with the Intersport shops in town, Snowacademy have their own rental shops. For private lessons, you could try either school, or Zink (located in the SkiPro shops). All 3 schools have British instructors if that is your preference. If you are travelling with a Tour Operator, they will almost certainly have an arrangement with one or other of the schools.
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quinton, Thank you, you have answered a question I had emailed to Snow Academy regarding ski rental but have not received a reply, I am guessing that they are not open yet. There is also another ski school called Easyski but I can't seem to find anything else about them apart from the web site so I was wondering if you had come across them? I've also emailed them and not received a response.
The packages do seem good value but I am concerned about the range of equipment for rent only because the missus has had trouble getting comfortable in ski boots at the dry slope. And so for that reason Furstaur are looking favourable as ski hire is through Intersport. - Although they do appear to be the most expensive by some way 
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tangledupinblue, The schools are probably not yet instructing, although I'm sure there are office staff at work in both Snowacademy and Fuerstauer. Try calling. Easyski is the smallest school in the village - I don't know if they do a tie-in with any of the rental shops. Easyski and Zink tend to focus on private lessons, so if your wife wants to join a group, then Snowacademy and Fuerstauer are the schools to look at.
You'll have no problems hiring gear - Snowacademy have 3 shops with a huge range of equipment, as do the Intersport shops. And if there is no joy there, you have the 2 SkiPro shops, the three Sport 2000 shops, plus Hagleitner, Steger's and Hansi's - somewhere there is a pair of boots with your wife's name on!
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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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Any recommendations on which of the 2 schools?
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Jillyb, wrote:
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Any recommendations on which of the 2 schools?
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Not really - both are good, both have good rental + instruction deals. Snowacademy have their own beginners area with their own small lifts, which is ideal if you are staying in the Hotel Central, Berger Sport, Alpenhotel, Alpine Resort Reiterhof or the Konig as they all back onto this beginners area, so you step out of your back door and put on your skis. Fuerstauer have a small kids area next to the Schattberg lift, but tend to teach adult beginners on the Turm lift area, which is all of 5 minutes away from their office, so both have great locations in the centre of the village. Either way, by about Day 3 you should be off the beginners areas and away up the mountain where the fun really starts.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Thanks:) we are staying in saalbacher hof looking forward to it prob won't be able to move after 3 days!!! So do u recon we should just book 3 days lessons and see how we go?
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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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Jillyb, If you've never skied before it's worth getting a week of lessons, IMO.
I haven't paid much attention to what the Snow Academy guys have been doing on the slopes, I haven't noticed groups of people skiing around on mini-skis though, and I'm not convinced that's a particularly good approach to take.
I have friends at Fuerstauer, Ski Academy and Zink, all the schools have good instructors who will show you a fun time, several of whom are in Saalbach now, with more turning up prior to Christmas. I don't think you could go wrong with any school really. As Quinton says, you should be able to get equipment and lessons in a package.
Are you looking for private or group lessons, btw?
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One of the issues with "short to long skis" learning was the swift transition to parallel skiing missing out on controlled snowplough and snowplough turns, I think. The advent of carving skis - generally shorter than the "straights" - also limited the appeal as an alternative teaching method. From what I gather, anyway.
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You know it makes sense.
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There are two of us and we are there for two weeks, was thinking maybe group lessons initially then take it from there, any thoughts? Private lessons seem pretty expensive but wouldn't rule it out:)
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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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I agree with clarky999, for your first week on skis, book a 5-6 day group course. You'll have fun learning with the others in the group, who will all be in the same 'Bambi on Ice' state that you're in. Your first week on skis is an investment in the rest of your skiing life, so make sure that you get the best instruction that you can. The instructors will challenge you, but at the same time keep you safe and show you plenty of places on the mountain where you can ski that are suitable for your ability - and Saalbach really is an ideal resort for beginners and intermediates.
As you are in the Saalbacher Hof, you're spoilt for choice - the Snowacademy main office is opposite your hotel and you have to walk past the SkiPro/Zink shop to get to the Fuerstauer office, which is 2 doors away from you.
clarky999, the Snowacademy guys were teaching guests on short skis for the first day or two (in their own beginners area), then changing to regular lengths as soon as they ventured out onto the Turm/52 and beyond.
Last edited by Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name: on Wed 12-12-12 16:50; edited 1 time in total
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Poster: A snowHead
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Private lessons are more likely to get you on the mountain more quickly with sustained coaching.
Ski school will take some of that focus off and you may, depending on the groups available, end up skiing at the slowest learners pace and not getting the input you may feel you need. The advantage though, other than cost, is that you also get to know other people and the group thing can be good fun. Not that private lessons aren't - just in a different way.
So, it could be a false economy going with ski school if private lessons required are fewer. I suppose how you get on will determine some of this.
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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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Thank you to everyone this is great information! We've got 2 complete beginners apart from a day on the dryslope and 2 who can confidently link snow plough turns and me who learnt to ski 30 years ago to try and get them all organized. So it will be a mixture of group and private lessons - Snow Academy is looking favourite for the group as it does seem good value and will also look at Zink for the private lessons
Can't wait to get out there 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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you may, depending on the groups available, end up skiing at the slowest learners pace and not getting the input you may feel you need.
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That happened to me 31 years ago in Cervinia. I was keen to crack on and got so bored, cold and pissed off through waiting seemingly interminably for the 'slowest learners' (my description of them at the time was probably less polite) to pick themselves up and put their skis back on for the umpteenth time, that on the second morning I just gave up, skied off into the sunset (well, not literally) and never went back to ski-school - ever! Consequently, I'm now a completely self-taught but (technically speaking) fairly crap skier! The moral of the story is not to do as I did; instead insist on changing groups, and really value the tuition. No doubt most get there in the end, if not through formal instruction, through practice, copying and skiing with better skiers, reading books and articles about technique, and watching videos like "In Deep/In Deeper". However self-teaching involves a comparatively long process of trial and error and learning and painful unlearning of bad habits. When you watch intermediate skiers from the chair lifts, it is always apparent that the overwhelming majority of them are skiing badly (as they probably have for years) and are in dire need of instruction, although they're no doubt having a good time and are generally happy just to carry on doing their own thing indefinitely. Speaking as a self-taught blue run 'style expert' (provided it's sunny, not icy or slushy, and they're nicely groomed), who aspires some day to be able to do the blacks with some degree of style and competence, I do wholeheartedly agree with Quinton that
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Your first week on skis is an investment in the rest of your skiing life
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, whether it be group tuition or private lessons.
This is really informative thread by the way. I'm sure many will find it useful - perhaps even my typically rambling, self-indulgent two-pennyworth!
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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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It would be great to quantify the difference between private and group lessons; some say one day of private is worth a week of group lessons, not so sure that would be true. For the boys - who can link snowploughs - I am thinking 2 separate 2 hour private lessons maybe on the first and third day and see how they get on. They are adamant that they won't spend time in ski school  must say I cant blame them but each to their own. But for the 2 girls I think the social aspect of ski school would help with confidence etc but on the other hand would they progress better with the same plan as for the boys?? who knows; certainly budget wise it would be about the same.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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tangledupinblue, IMHO (for what it's worth), since they're at different stages, I'd be inclined to go with your first suggestion of a couple of private lessons for the boys (depending on ages and who they will be with/spervised by the rest of the time) and ski-school for the girls. But I'm sure some of the ski instructors contributors will advise.
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| Tatman's Tours wrote: |
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you may, depending on the groups available, end up skiing at the slowest learners pace and not getting the input you may feel you need.
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That happened to me 31 years ago in Cervinia. I was keen to crack on and got so bored, cold and pissed off through waiting seemingly interminably for the 'slowest learners' (my description of them at the time was probably less polite) to pick themselves up and put their skis back on for the umpteenth time, that on the second morning I just gave up, skied off into the sunset (well, not literally) and never went back to ski-school - ever! |
Exactly my SO's experience....except she skied off not into the sunset on her first day on planks, but into a BASI ski school for several 2 hour private lessons. Her technique and confidence improved immeasurably, immediately.
Personally, I've only ever invested in private 1:1 lessons - a quick reckoning, about 24 hours worth.
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Jillyb, I agree that, for complete beginners, a week of ski school makes lots of sense - though not if the ski school is so lackadaisical as not to "promote" a fast learner in a group of numpties. The father of a friend had that experience last year. He was fit and highly motivated. Promoted a group after the first morning (French ski school).
The short carving skis around now are nothing like short version of the old skis in use at the time of the "Ski Evolutif" method in Les Arcs. If a good ski school is using them, it's for a good reason, and I would be very surprised indeed if they weren't teaching snowplough, and snowplough turns, on them. I'd say they'd be fine, particularly if it's just for the first day or so. Ski instructors vary in their views - a visitor of mine went for a private lesson on short skis last year and the instructor was a bit sniffy.  He said they were "too easy" but for many beginners there's no such thing as "too easy" and they can get the basics, such as shifting weight decisively, more quickly. Short skis should absolutely NOT be confused with "snowblades" - completely different animals. There's not much to be said in favour of snowblades.....
For complete beginners I'd say the "muscle memory" takes a bit of time to develop, and a series of short sessions over a week would normally work well. Ski schools in Austria and France have been teaching beginners to ski for many a year, and most people get on absolutely fine. It's possible to agonise too much about it. You're likely to get more out of private lessons when you've learnt the basics.
Having said that, I sent a complete beginner, a very nervous, twitchy, older woman, for private lessons last year, with a known and trusted instructor. I think she'd have been hopeless in lessons but they "clicked", as I knew they would, and she enjoyed her lessons, albeit her progress was very slow.
So, I'd conclude that some private lessons would be best either for super-nervous and under-confident types, or for very athletic and gung-ho skiers who might get bored in a group. For most of us in-betweeners, a group lesson with a good school should be fine for the first week.
I've seen several people "discharge themselves" from ski school after the first few days and the result isn't pretty, particularly if they get taken by others onto runs too hard for them and either develop a dreadful "I can hack down anything" style relying on brute leg strength, or get upset and give up.
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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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Thanks everyone for your tips!!! Great
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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tangledupinblue, there are many hot skandi female ski instructors in Saalbach, they may want to reconsider
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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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to my horror they were considering snowboarding
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why horror? Some of my best friends are snowboarders.....
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FAQ
but have thought better of it 