“Skiing is something you don't have to learn when you're younger,” says Chris Haggerty, general manager at Monarch Mountain. “You can pick up this hobby, this sport, at any point in your life.” When Monarch opens for the winter—historically in mid-to-late November—the independently owned ski area just outside Salida will launch $49 half-day ski and snowboard lessons for anyone aged 7 and older. The programming is designed to provide affordable instruction specifically for beginners. Though a lift ticket and rentals are separate costs, the lesson fee is a significantly reduced rate.
Every season, Monarch has more than 100 trained and certified pros available, ensuring all novice skiers and snowboarders are in capable hands. Haggerty adds that the lessons are a perfect opportunity for anyone on the fence, or even for those simply struggling to find something to do in the wintertime. “If you want to get outside and you want to have fun, this is a way to do that. We have the right instructors to help you have that enjoyable first experience.”
As Monarch prepares for the season, Haggerty shares more about the beginner lessons and what makes Monarch a great place to learn.
Where did this idea come from?
We attend different ski industry events throughout the year, and one of the common themes of why people don’t get into skiing or snowboarding is because of the price. We also know that 80 percent of people who take a lesson with a dedicated instructor are more likely to come back and ski or snowboard a second time. With that information, we thought, how can we get more people into skiing and snowboarding and try to combat the affordability piece?
Who should take this lesson?
It’s for levels one, two and three, so it's truly designed for beginners. This specifically targets those individuals who are anywhere between, ‘I have never put a ski boot on’ to ‘I can make some turns on some green terrain, but I haven't moved up to the intermediate terrain.’
If someone takes one lesson, do you recommend taking it again?
Everyone learns on a different timeline. Specifically with these beginner lessons, we know that the number one variable to a beginner never coming back for a second time is whether they took that first lesson. That’s the important piece—take that initial lesson, let a trained professional teach you. They do this every day for multiple seasons, and they really want to see you have a fun first experience. Someone might have fun just being outside for that day, or someone else's expectation of fun is, ‘I want to be able to start to link turns.’ Our instructors understand that.
What can a beginner expect?
A fun first experience on snow. I like to frame it as, if you have this lesson, you're going to understand the basics of what you need to know, whether it be the gear, how it should feel and everything like that. Most importantly, you're going to have a fun day on the mountain and be interested in getting to the next step and beyond.
Why ski Monarch?
We pride ourselves on being welcoming and creating an atmosphere that’s not intimidating. We all started out as beginners. I joke all the time about how we all started out as snow tubers, and I love snow tubing. It gets you out having fun in the winter. Our environment is about sharing the enjoyment we found in winter sports and winter activities with everyone else.
Monarch Mountain
23715 W. U.S. 50, Salida
719.530.5000
skimonarch.com