Skiing Holiday With Teenagers?
Have your Little Skiers grown up now?Hotel kids club to young for them? Are you now too boring (or too slow) for them to be happy skiing with you all week?Well, with a little preparation you can have the skiing holiday you want AND keep them happy.
1.
Consider a little Freestyle training before you hit the slopes..
..
Salomon Freestyle Grom Camps are the perfect place to get your budding freestyle addicts some training.
These are held all over the UK in indoor snow slopes and outdoor dry ski slopes, all through the year.
There is no age limit and the youngest was 5yrs old!They cater for all standards of skiers, even if they have never jumped before (as long as they can ski in a controlled manner).
They will be coached by professional skiers and it is a perfect opportunity for them to mix with experienced freestylers.
2.
Look for resorts with dedicated teen tuition Teens do not want to be mixed in with younger kids or adults that have started learning late in life, but it is often difficult to get around this.
Many teens fall into a middle ground where they still need ski school for the technical training and to ensure they are skiing in a controlled manner but you could balance it out with one or two private lessons after ski school.
ESF offer one hour lessons (or more) in either Freeride (lessons concentrate on skiing or snowboarding outside the marked and prepared pistes) or Freestyle (combines the basics of snowsports with those of acrobatics and involves completing a series of aerial tricks on a snowboard or skis).
Visit their website for more details and how to contact them for advice.
Some resorts are starting to offer week-long lessons or dedicated camps and clinics.
But these tend to be more in America, your travel agent can be a great help here as many resorts are moving toward this type of lesson and so are constantly changing what is available.
3.
Check your resort has a terrain park These are must for them to try out new skills and just have a laugh, even for parents that aren't interested in trying any tricks out, they are great places to watch them in action.
They will be happy to hang out there most the time! Resorts with Terrain Parks worth considering: France Flaine La Plagne's Teenager Zone Alpe H'uez Meribel Les Deux Alpes, (one of the best parks in Europe suitable for beginners to pro freestylers) Les Arcs Austria Zell am See Kaprun Italy Val di Fassa Madonna di Campiglio America Breckenridge Buttermilk, Aspen Copper Mountain Jackson Hole 4.
Choose central accommodation As with younger children, it is worth trying to secure accommodation close to the slopes rather than relying on ski buses.
This will allow a greater amount of freedom & independence.
But these do book up early so try to get an early-bird package with discounts to offset the increased cost of close accommodation.
5.
Consider GOING in half-term Parents (us included) try to go skiing outside of the holidays, mainly for the cost but also for the quieter slopes.
With pre-teens and teens this is harder as schools are less accommodating but the upside is that during the school holidays resorts often have more activities geared to that age and ski school lessons often have more of that age group present.
As Sarah from Crystal said " Skiing in school holidays don't have to mean crowded slopes and queues for lifts.
Consider a larger resort with a few gondolas going up to a large ski area and you should be fine".
1.
Consider a little Freestyle training before you hit the slopes..
..
Salomon Freestyle Grom Camps are the perfect place to get your budding freestyle addicts some training.
These are held all over the UK in indoor snow slopes and outdoor dry ski slopes, all through the year.
There is no age limit and the youngest was 5yrs old!They cater for all standards of skiers, even if they have never jumped before (as long as they can ski in a controlled manner).
They will be coached by professional skiers and it is a perfect opportunity for them to mix with experienced freestylers.
2.
Look for resorts with dedicated teen tuition Teens do not want to be mixed in with younger kids or adults that have started learning late in life, but it is often difficult to get around this.
Many teens fall into a middle ground where they still need ski school for the technical training and to ensure they are skiing in a controlled manner but you could balance it out with one or two private lessons after ski school.
ESF offer one hour lessons (or more) in either Freeride (lessons concentrate on skiing or snowboarding outside the marked and prepared pistes) or Freestyle (combines the basics of snowsports with those of acrobatics and involves completing a series of aerial tricks on a snowboard or skis).
Visit their website for more details and how to contact them for advice.
Some resorts are starting to offer week-long lessons or dedicated camps and clinics.
But these tend to be more in America, your travel agent can be a great help here as many resorts are moving toward this type of lesson and so are constantly changing what is available.
3.
Check your resort has a terrain park These are must for them to try out new skills and just have a laugh, even for parents that aren't interested in trying any tricks out, they are great places to watch them in action.
They will be happy to hang out there most the time! Resorts with Terrain Parks worth considering: France Flaine La Plagne's Teenager Zone Alpe H'uez Meribel Les Deux Alpes, (one of the best parks in Europe suitable for beginners to pro freestylers) Les Arcs Austria Zell am See Kaprun Italy Val di Fassa Madonna di Campiglio America Breckenridge Buttermilk, Aspen Copper Mountain Jackson Hole 4.
Choose central accommodation As with younger children, it is worth trying to secure accommodation close to the slopes rather than relying on ski buses.
This will allow a greater amount of freedom & independence.
But these do book up early so try to get an early-bird package with discounts to offset the increased cost of close accommodation.
5.
Consider GOING in half-term Parents (us included) try to go skiing outside of the holidays, mainly for the cost but also for the quieter slopes.
With pre-teens and teens this is harder as schools are less accommodating but the upside is that during the school holidays resorts often have more activities geared to that age and ski school lessons often have more of that age group present.
As Sarah from Crystal said " Skiing in school holidays don't have to mean crowded slopes and queues for lifts.
Consider a larger resort with a few gondolas going up to a large ski area and you should be fine".