Progress Levels
- Ski
- Snowboard
From beginners to experienced skiers and boarders we offer a 10 level progression programme to develop your skills and technique.
Level 1View Level Achievements
Skier can demonstrate the basic skills used in skiing.
- Skier can put boots on, tighten up and walk around without difficulty.
- Skier can clip in and out of skis without any help.
- Skier is able to bend their knees and keep shins pressed against the front of their boots while sliding.
- Skier can hold a snowplough while the slope is at the slowest speed and head towards the back of the slope.
- While the slope is stationary the skier can slide down the slope and make a snowplough to stop.
Level 2View Level Achievements
Skier can slide on their skis while maintaining good posture and balance.
- Skier can clip into their skis and stand with the correct posture.
- Skier can slide on their skis while holding onto the bar and maintaining good posture and balance.
- Skier can slide on their skis while letting go of the bar but still maintaining good posture and balance.
- Skier can push away from the bar and slide back down again while maintaining good posture and balance.
- kier can hold their skis in a snowplough while holding onto the bar and maintaining good posture and balance.
Level 3View Level Achievements
Skier can use a snowplough to control their speed.
- Skier can use the snowplough to move away from the bar and slide back down again in parallel.
- Skier can use the snowplough to move away from the bar and slide back down again keeping the skis in snowplough to control their speed.
- Skier can use the snowplough to move away from the bar, slide back down in parallel and then use the snowplough to stop before the bar.
- Skier can hold a snowplough to hover in one place on the slope.
Level 4View Level Achievements
Skier can link smooth snowplough turns while holding their height on the slope.
- While hovering in one place on the slope and keeping their skis in a snowplough, the skier can begin to make small turns.
- While keeping their skis in a snowplough, the skier can apply pressure to the outside ski to turn across the slope.
- While keeping their skis in a snowplough, the skier can apply pressure and at the same time rotate/ pivot the outside ski to turn across the slope.
- Skier can confidently link smooth snowplough turns while holding their height on the slope.
Level 5View Level Achievements
Skier can link smooth and confident snowplough turns on steeper gradients and at higher speeds.
- While in a snowplough, the skier can use flexion and extension to transfer their weight onto the outside ski before the skis are pointing down the fall line.
- While in a snowplough, the skier can use flexion and extension with flow to apply and release pressure to the outside ski.
- Skier can link smooth and confident snowplough turns with the slope at a steeper angle and at a faster speed.
Level 6View Level Achievements
Skier can link smooth plough-parallel turns maintaining good posture and balance.
- Skier can snowplough turn with their skis in a very small snowplough and is using the turn shape to control their speed.
- Skier can snowplough turn and bring their skis to parallel in the fall line either by stepping or rotating/ pivoting the inside ski.
- Skier can begin the turn in snowplough; then rotate/pivot their inside ski to parallel to finish the turn.
- Skier can link smooth plough-parallel turns with the slope at a steeper angle and at a faster speed while maintaining good posture and balance.
Level 7View Level Achievements
Skier can link smooth parallel turns on steeper gradients and at higher speeds.
- Skier can steer the whole turn while keeping both skis parallel.
- While in parallel, the skier can use flexion and extension with flow to apply and release pressure to the outside ski.
- While in parallel the skier can apply pressure to their new outside ski before the skis are in the fall line to allow the skis to grip higher in the turn.
- Skier can link smooth and confident parallel turns with the slope at a steeper angle and at a faster speed.
Level 8View Level Achievements
Skier can demonstrate high performance parallel turns.
- Skier can link smooth parallel turns with both skis gripping around the whole turn.
- Skier can progressively apply pressure to the outside ski to create deflection out of the turn.
Level 9View Level Achievements
Skier can demonstrate high performance parallel turns of varying radii.
- Skier can perform short radius parallel turns while demonstrating effective rotational separation.
- Skier can effectively use ski poles while performing smooth parallel turns of varying radii.
Level 10View Level Achievements
Expert skier is able to achieve these additional skills.
- Skier can perform short radius parallel turns while demonstrating effective rotational separation.
- Skier can link one footed turns while holding onto the bar.
- Skier can side slip in both directions.
- Skier can link backwards snowplough turns.
- Skier can switch around 180 from forwards to backwards skiing with help from the bar.
- Skier can switch around 180 from backwards to forwards with help from the bar.
Words you might not understand...
Below are some words explained that you might hear while in your lesson. If you are still unsure about what they mean then please ask your instructor.
- Parallel – when both skis are straight and pointing the same direction.
- Plough-parallel – when the skis are in a snowplough at the start of the turn and in parallel at the end.
- Snowplough – when the skis are in a triangle shape or pizza shape.
- Pressure – putting your weight onto a ski.
- Apply – put on.
- Release – take off.
- Hover – stay in one place.
- Posture – body position.
- Maintaining – keeping.
- Rotate/pivot – turn.
- Gradient – slope angle.
- Radii – size of the turn.
- Outside ski – the ski that tracks around the outside of the turn.
From beginners to experienced skiers and boarders we offer a 10 level progression programme to develop your skills and technique.
Level 1View Level Achievements
Boarder can straight slide on their board while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance with their weight stacked over the board.
- Boarder can strap into their snowboard.
- Boarder can balance on their board while holding onto the bar and maintain good posture and balance with the board facing down the slope.
- Boarder can push away from the bar and slide back down again in a straight line while maintaining good posture and balance.
- Boarder can push away from the bar, do a small jump by only using their knees and still maintain good posture.
Level 2View Level Achievements
Boarder can heel-side side slip while keeping their height on the slope.
- Boarder can heel-side side slip with the slope stationary while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- Boarder can heel-side side slip with the slope moving at a slow speed while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While in a heel-side side slip the boarder can keep their height on the slope without the board wobbling under their feet.
- Boarder can use more and less heel edge pressure by lifting up or relaxing their toes to move to and away from the bar.
Level 3View Level Achievements
Boarder can toe-side side slip while keeping their height on the slope.
- Boarder can toe-side side slip with the slope stationary while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- Boarder can toe-side side slip with the slope moving at a slow speed while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While in a toe-side side slip the boarder can keep their height on the slope without the board wobbling under their feet.
- Boarder can use more and less toe edge pressure by lifting up or relaxing their toes to move to and away from the bar.
Level 4View Level Achievements
Boarder can diagonally heel-side side slip while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While holding on to the bar; the boarder can transfer their weight to each foot, turn the board in the direction of travel and diagonally heel- side side slip across the slope in the corresponding direction.
- Boarder can diagonally heel- side side slip in both directions, while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance and good edge control.
- Boarder can use all the heel-side skills learnt up to now to move to all four corners of the slope.
- Boarder can diagonally heel-side side slip in both directions; while getting the nose of the board pointing more down the fall line by steering the board with their feet and pushing down their toes to apply more edge pressure to the corresponding foot.
- Boarder can move quickly and comfortably from side to side with their board pointing at least 45 degrees down the slope.
Level 5View Level Achievements
Boarder can diagonally toe-side side slip while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While holding on to the bar; the boarder can transfer their weight to each foot, turn the board in the direction of travel and diagonally toe- side side slip across the slope in the corresponding direction.
- Boarder can diagonally toe- side side slip in both directions, while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance and good edge control.
- Boarder can use all the toe-side skills learnt up to now to move to all four corners of the slope.
- Boarder can diagonally toe-side side slip in both directions; while getting the nose of the board pointing more down the fall line by steering the board with their feet and lifting their toes to apply more edge pressure to the corresponding foot.
- Boarder can move quickly and comfortably from side to side with board pointing at least 45 degrees down the slope
Level 6View Level Achievements
Boarder can heel-side falling leaf whilst demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While in a toe-side slide slip and holding on to the bar; the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board into the fall line and flatten it off before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
- While in a toe-side slide slip and away from the bar; the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board nearly into the fall line before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
- While in a toe-side slide slip the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board flat and into the fall line before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
Level 7View Level Achievements
Boarder can toe-side falling leaf while demonstrating the correct snowboarding stance.
- While in a toe-side slide slip and holding on to the bar; the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board into the fall line and flatten it off before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
- While in a toe-side slide slip and away from the bar; the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board nearly into the fall line before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
- While in a toe-side slide slip the boarder can steer their leading foot to get the board flat and into the fall line before bringing the board back in to a toe-side side slip.
Level 8View Level Achievements
Boarder can link smooth turns from toe to heel and heel to toe while holding onto the bar.
- While in a heel-side side slip and holding on to the bar; the boarder can rotate their board to point straight down the slope, then adjust their posture and weight to allow the board to change on to their toe edge and then continue into a toe-side side slip.
- While in a toe-side side slip and holding on to the bar; the boarder can rotate their board to point straight down the slope, then adjust their posture and weight to allow the board to change on to their heel edge and then continue into a heel-side side slip.
- While holding on to the bar; boarder can combine the different turns from heel to toe and toe to heel while including a horizontal side slip between the turns and keeping leading foot pointing down the slope throughout.
- While holding on to the bar; the boarder can speed up the above process by pointing the nose of the board further into the fall line and use more edge pressure to carry momentum into each turn.
Level 9View Level Achievements
Boarder can link smooth turns from toe to heel and heel to toe without using the bar.
- Boarder can combine the different turns from heel to toe and toe to heel while beginning to phase out the use of the bar by tracing hand along the bar without gripping it and then only touching the bar during the edge change.
- The boarder can speed up the above process by pointing the nose of the board further into the fall line and use more edge pressure to carry momentum into each turn.
- Boarder can perform smooth turns without the use of the bar.
Level 10View Level Achievements
Expert boarder is able to achieve these additional skills.
- Boarder can demonstrate all of level 8 while riding switch.
- Boarder can perform a 180 degree spin while staying in one spot on the slope and not moving up or down.
- Boarder can perform a jumped front side 180 degree spin while holding onto the bar.
- Boarder can perform a jumped front side 180 degree spin without holding onto the bar.
- Boarder can perform a jumped back side 180 degree spin while holding onto the bar.
- Boarder can perform a jumped back side 180 degree spin without holding onto the bar.
- Boarder can spin a jumped backside 180 followed immediately by a jumped front side 180.
Words you might not understand...
Below are some words explained that you might hear while in your lesson. If you are still unsure about what they mean then please ask your instructor.
- Pressure – putting your weight onto a ski.
- Apply – put on.
- Release – take off.
- Posture – body position.
- Maintaining – keeping.
- Rotate/pivot – turn.
- Gradient – slope angle.
- Stance – body position.
- Stacked – in line.
- Heel-side – when you are facing down the hill.
- Side slip – when the board is horizontally across the slope and use of the board’s edges control the speed.
- Heel edge – the edge closest to the boarder’s heels.
- Toe-side – when you are facing up the hill.
- Fall line – the board is pointing directly down the slope.
- Toe edge – the edge closest to the boarder’s toes.
- Falling leaf – when going from a side slip, to having the board pointing directly down the hill before going back into a side slip.
- Toe to heel – board goes from toe edge to heel edge.
- Heel to toe – board goes from heel edge to toe edge.
- Switch – riding the opposite way than you’re used to.
- Front side – when the boarder jumps up and turns their front (face, chest, etc.) downhill first.
- Back side – when the boarder jumps and turns their back downhill first.
