Learning to ski or snowboard can change your holiday plans for the better years to come, so we went to find out just how Ski & Snowboard Academy Easy2Ride get you out enjoying the slopes.
We started out at the top of the Pleney, where I met Julien at the Easy2Ride meeting point at the top of the Pleney Bubble. It was straightforward to find, and he met me with a friendly smile and lots of energy. Originally from Bordeaux, Julien teaches windsurfing and sailing in the summer and has spent the past 12 years teaching ski and snowboarding in Morzine. He asked me about my experience once again, and took me up to baby slope to get down the basics. He listed through the terms that he would use, emphasising the difference between back edge, front edge, nose and tail of the board, all in flawless English.
We started with only my front foot attached in the board, sliding straight and then making a slow and steady curve to stop. By breaking it down into stages, Julien helped me grow confident fast with stopping and turning on my back and front side edge just with one foot strapped in!
We went up magic carpet and started getting in some laps of the baby slope. Each stage he explained clearly, before demonstrating what he has explained by example. I was fast learner it seemed, and before long I was comfortable on traversing down the slope in the ‘falling leaves’ style without a wobble, and beginning to get some full turns in. At each stage I knew Julien was assessing my progress and making plans accordingly to help me achieve as much as possible within my lesson without pushing me too hard. Nothing ever felt too easy or too hard; my progression was steady and positive. Of course I fell over a lot, and definitely gave my head a good whack once or twice, but what’s learning without a bump or two along the way!
After two hours I was definitely beginning to tire, but had managed to get comfortable in linking my turns and keep control of my board. I’d learned how to get on and off chairlifts, and at the end Julien was even throwing in some fun freestyle tricks like 180 spins and ollies to make me laugh.
The whole experience from start to finish was a bundle of fun, I’d even felt like I’d made a new friend in Julien by the end. If you’ve got any doubt as to where to book lessons for you or the children, I’d thoroughly recommend the friendly and professional learning experience offered by Easy2Ride.
