Winter Walden offers multiple levels to skiers and snowboarders for beginners who have never been on the snow up to advanced and who are looking to refine their techniques. Levels are earned when the student can consistently demonstrate the skills at their respective level.
Winter Walden follows the American Teaching and Snowboard Teaching Systems. For more information on our levels, see below:
Ski Levels
Beginner | Never skied before, use beginner terrain
- Equipment Orientation
- Learn to walk, climb, and stop
- Introduction to magic carpet
Beginner | Introduction to turning on green terrain
- Learn how to walk, climb, traverse, glide, turn, and stop across the fall line in balance
- Introduction to rope tow
Beginner | Learn how to link turns on green terrain
- Learn how to link turns using the gliding wedge
- Learn how to parallel ski
- Learn how to control speed by varying turn shape and size
- Introduction to chair lift
Intermediate | Beginning to use turn shape to control speed on green terrain
- Learn how to a variety of parallel and Wedge Christy turns
- Learn turn shape and skidding for speed control
- Learn how to match skis in the gravity/fall line
Intermediate | Develop skills to enhance parallel skiing in green/blue terrain
- Learn how to make round turns initiated by turning feet and legs
- Learn how to perform parallel turns on blue terrain
Intermediate | Develop skills on blue terrain and introduction to black terrain
|
Advanced | Develop skills on all blue and black terrain
- Comfortable making parallel turns on all blue terrain and easier groomed black terrain
- Develop upper and lower body separation
- Perform short radius turns
Advanced | Master the ski terrain
- Comfortable on any blue terrain and single black diamond terrain
- Learn how to carve turns on black terrain
Advanced | All terrain, All conditions
- Able to make dynamic parallel turns on any smooth terrain
- Carve medium an long radius turns on any terrain and pitch
- Able to make short radius dynamic parallel turns
Advanced | Refining all Skills on every terrain and all conditions
- The Alpine Program is for students who have successfully completed the requirements for all ski levels. These students will be allowed to continue their education while demonstrating the skills they have learned
- Introduction to teaching: For students interested in ski instruction, they will shadow experienced instructors to learn how to teach and assist instructors in teaching classes
Snowboard Levels
Beginner | Never snowboarded before, use beginner terrain
- Equipment Orientation
- Learn to walk, climb, and stop
- Introduction to the magic carpet
Beginner | Introduction to Sideslipping and Direction Change
- Learn how to skate and glide
- Learn how to fall more safely and get up
- Balance on Heelside edge
- Learn how to sideslip down the slope
- Learn how to ride the chair lift
Beginner | Introduction to turning
- Learn how to perform toeside and heelside garlands and J-Turns
- Learn how to do single C-turns to heelside edge
Beginner | Refining Turns on Green Terrain
- Comfortable linking turns on beginner terrain
- Learn how to ride switch
Intermediate | Exploring Movement Options and Terrain Variety
- Riding green runs with speed control
- Vary turn shapes
Intermediate | Master Blue Terrain and Developing Versatility in Movements
- Able to carve turns on all green terrain and most blue terrain
- Vary the radius of skidded turns on all green terrain and most blue terrain
Advanced | Introduction to Black Terrain and Increasing Movement Intensity
- Proficient at making a variety of turn sizes on all blue terrain
- Ability to carve turns and vary the radius of skidded turns and types of terrain
Advanced | Mastering Black Terrain and Active Retraction
- Vary the radius and rhythm of turns on all green and blue terrain
- Link high-intensity carved turns on green and blue terrain
Advanced | Riding Anything Anywhere, All Conditions
- Ability to comfortably ride most of the area in a variety of conditions
- Make maximum flexing at edge change of skidded turns on all terrain
Advanced | Refine all Skills on All Terrain and in All Conditions
- The Alpine Program is for students who have successfully completed the requirements for all snowboard levels. These students will be allowed to continue their education while demonstrating the skills they have learned
- Introduction to teaching: For students interested in snowboard instruction, they will shadow experienced instructors to learn how to teach and assist instructors in teaching clas
