Top five reasons to take a lesson this spring

Here’s the situation. You’ve been thinking about learning how to ski or snowboard all season. It’s been on your bucket list forever, and you planned to finally make it happen this season. But now you’re not sure because it’s almost spring.

Here’s another situation. You’ve been skiing and riding all season, struggling to keep up with your friends or family. You’re always the last one down the hill and are terrified when the terrain is steep or bumpy. You’ve considered taking a lesson in order to get to the next level, but now the end of the season is coming and you’re wondering if you’ve floundered along this long, why not wait until next season?

If you’re on the fence in either situation, here are the top five reasons to talk you into taking a lesson this spring.

 

1. Beautiful, warmer weather.
   
   

Spring skiing at Breck is famous for its sun and delightfully warmer temperatures. March is typically also the biggest snow month of the season, so the base is thick and snow conditions are ample. It’s always better to try something new in nice weather.

1. Learning how to ski a variety of conditions all in the same day 

“In the spring, conditions change rapidly,” points out Breck Ski & Ride School Adult General Manager Mike Hafer. “How do you manage a really fast surface in the morning and how does that change in the afternoon when things start softening up? We show our guests how to ski it in the morning and in the afternoon. Those techniques and tactics can be applied to hard and soft conditions all season.”

 

1. Have a built-in guide showing you where to go
   
   

Given the changing conditions, the last thing you (or your knee cartilage) want is to wind up on a bulletproof mogul field in the morning before the sun softens it up, or in the late afternoon once shadows have firmed up the slush. Instructors know how to navigate the best spots on the mountain throughout the day.

“They know when conditions are good on certain aspects of the hill at some times of day versus others. We chase the sun and soft snow from morning to afternoon,” Hafer says.

1. Learn equipment strategy as well as skiing and riding technique 

Have you ever tried to cut a turn on hard-packed snow only to feel your boards slide out from under you as if they were spoons? Or been cruising along beautifully until a patch of slush brings you down like a lake of glue?

“If you want to enjoy the mountain versus surviving, it’s nice when the ski grips on hard snow and runs on soft slush,” Hafer says. “Spring is a time when we especially appreciate a well-tuned ski or snowboard and can talk about equipment. It can get pretty detailed.”

 

1. More one-on-one instruction 

   

There’s always the option for a private lesson, but in the spring, not as many people sing up for group lessons, meaning more attention on you.

“In April, the group lessons tend to be smaller. I always enjoy spring skiing when it’s a more intimate group deciding when to go, where to go, when do you want to ski until? Maybe it’s a chairlift lunch type of thing …  Lessons, what you learn in the spring, you don’t forget in the fall either. As conditions change, people get tired because of inefficiencies in their technique. A little bit of technique goes a long way.”