Local Ski Prices

I think this is the last year I’ll be able to out ski my 5 year old boy, next season he’ll probably be better technically than me and although I’m beloved by gravity, I’m not exactly Tuesday’s child when it comes to grace.

This just dawned on me when I signed him up with the local, community run, kids ski coaching programme.

We trooped down to the town hall to register and were shocked to get the bill for Eur150 for 60 hours of alpine ski instruction over the season, not bad, however when the school playing field is under 80cm of snow what else can you do?

Shockingly despite the price and the voluntary operation of the scheme there was still some miserable mother giving the people working there for free on a Saturday grief because two hours of alpine lessons overlapped with cross country lessons. It is in moments like this you truly get what a handout culture exists in France (that’s not racist, my Frog wife said so).

This is group lessons so there is a lot of that just following down the mountain style so beloved by ESF.

I’m slightly anti-ESF, all great skiers but not great teachers. A few years ago I was having difficulty with my back ski juddering as I turned, a problem I could feel and explain. The private ESF coach just made me follow him down the mountain, but to anyone who’s skied the answer is obvious – roll open the back knee as you turn.

It was at this moment when I fell in love with super instructor Darren at Insight, who solved that problem and when he charges for “extras” you get extras, if you know what I’m saying.

So 60 hours with some local, may be great but my English heart knows I’ll still beat my half breed son for many years, I just need a few more hours under Darren.