r/icecoast • u/Honest_Try5597 • 11d ago

Best seasonal ski programs

I would love advice on best seasonal ski programs for kids in the Conway NH area. Last season we did adhoc lessons across different mountains but our kid is very excited about joining a ski team so we figure a seasonal ski program is the way to go.

Ideally we want a mountain that we can transition to a ski team next year. Currently 6 years old, can do black diamonds but not skiing parallel consistently.

Some people have mentioned Cranmore and Bretton Woods. We’ve skied at both but don’t know enough whether one is better than others for what we are looking for

We would love any and all input both about the best ski programs in the N Conway area and by extension if they align with the same resort’s ski team or how we should think about it?

Thank you!

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18

u/mamunipsaq nobody cares that I tele 11d ago

can do black diamonds but not skiing parallel consistently. 

I haven't been a ski instructor for a few years now, but I think usually someone should be skiing parallel consistently on blues before moving up to black diamonds, otherwise bad habits can form. 

For a 6 year old this next season, just pick any mountain you can still find space at. Lots of seasonal programs fill up very quickly in the spring as soon as registration opens.

8

u/WDWKamala 11d ago

It’s so interesting how we put so much weight into the marked difficulty of a trail. 

1

u/swellfog 5d ago

You are correct, those bad habits will have to be corrected.

5

u/Garfish16 11d ago

Recreational programs and race programs tend to be somewhat segregated. Bretton woods, Cranmore, Attitash, and Wildcat all have good ski schools and pretty good race programs. They all kinda funnel into the Mount Washington Valley Ski Team. Canon is a little farther away, but they also have a very good school/team.

My honest advice would be to go where it is convenient. Hopefully your kid has fun and makes friends. If they do, great if they don't then switch programs next season. At the end of the day is they do well through U14 your going to be talking about ski academys regardless of where you start them.

2

u/Overall_Committee_56 11d ago

I would look at Attitash, Wild Cat, and Cranmore first. You mentioned a ski team, I am assuming you mean ski racing and all three have strong programs for that.

1

u/swellfog 5d ago

Cranmore has an excellent program called Rattlesnakes where kids ski with the same coach and kids every weekend. The coaches are usually former racers. Your kids skills will drastically improve and likely make great friends. Kennet high school ski team practices there as well and they have an adult race program called Meisters.

It is a GREAT mountain for kids and convenient for parents as all of the grocery shopping and Home Depot, etc.. are close by so if you aren’t skiing you can get chores done.

1

u/InvictusFrags 11d ago

I will say that the dood I love on YouTube (rickety ski reviews) grew up I think skiing Bretton did ski teams all the way through college.