In the Winter Walden instructional program ski and snowboard ability levels are celebrated using colorful patches that are awarded upon the demonstration of the objectives of each level. The patches represent the skills that each student has mastered, and are centered around themes. For our skiers, the theme is destination ski resorts. For our snowboarders, the theme is snowboard jargon: terms that one is likely to hear in, and around, the snowboard community. At Winter Walden we follow the guidelines of the American Teaching System and Snowboard Teaching System and coordinate our levels with area ski schools. Our levels are as follows:
Ski Levels
- An introduction to skiing
- Orientation to ski equipment and the environment
- Perform standing, walking, sliding, and climbing movements
- A refinement of the basic skills introduced in our Caberfae lesson on Green ( Easy) terrain
- Beginner linked turns
- Athletic body position
- Build confidence; improve control with turning and stopping skills
- Ability to control speed with turns
- Introduce a traverse to christy stop with side slipping exercises
- Develop speed control with turn shape
- Introduction of side slipping and skidding
- Link turns with speed control
- Demonstrate a beginning christy type turn
- Able to demonstrate balanced skiing on varying terrain
- Introduction of proper use of ski poles
- Parallel type linked turns on gentle terrain
- Increased use of poles and how to incorporate them into your skiing
- Refine turn initiation
|
- Increased edge usage
- Refinement of previously learned skills to enhance overall skiing ability
- Dynamic medium radius turns
- Proper blending of skills
- Students who have achieved this level are able to ski most terrain, in a variety of conditions
- Dynamic short radius turns. Continued refinement of body movements to enhance the complete skier
- Proper blending of skills
The Alpine Program is for students who have successfully completed the requirements for every patch level. These advanced skiers will be allowed to continue their education, while demonstrating the skills that they have learned, in three disciplines: racing, freestyle, and teaching.
Snowboard Levels
Introduction to snowboarding for first time snowboarders:
- Introduction to equipment
- Introduction to basic skills: walking, gliding, and basic direction change
- Introduction to using the rope tow
Refine Basic Skills
- Improved single skidded turn
- Improved speed control
- Multiple linked skidded turns exhibiting speed control on Green (Easy) terrain.
Introduction to chair lifts.
- Improved turn shapes to demonstrate speed control and adaptability to new terrain
- The rider is able to perform skidded turns of various shapes and sizes in a single run
Introduction to carved turns and Black (Advanced) terrain.
- The rider will demonstrate the ability to perform medium and large radius turns with little to no skidding in turn on green and easy blue terrain
- The rider will demonstrate the ability to make various skidded turns on advanced terrain
Refined carved turns.
- The rider will demonstrate the ability to perform carved turns on moderate Blue (Intermediate) terrain utilizing advancing skills
Black terrain and moguls.
|
Refined turning on black terrain.
- The rider will demonstrate a mastery of advanced riding skills
- The rider has the ability to adapt to various terrain and conditions including Steeps, Ice, and Bumps
- Riders who complete this level will have the ability to progress to competitive riding
The rider will be introduced to the basic trick of an ollie.
|
The rider will be introduced to the skills involved in racing.
- The rider will demonstrate a mastery of basic racing skills and improvement over time
The rider will demonstrate the ability to ride proficiently in a fakie stance.
- The rider will show the ability to consistently change between regular and fakie throughout the run.
- The transition will be conducted with smooth transition movements
The rider will demonstrate the ability to perform various tricks and maneuvers on available apparatus found in the terrain park.
|
The rider will demonstrate proficiency in a half pipe.
- The rider will demonstrate the ability to perform turns in the transition
- The rider can perform basic maneuvers above the coping
Riders in this level will continue to work towards mastery of all advanced skills while applying their abilities in a competitive environment.
- Riders will be instructed to develop competitive tactic plans
