By Danielle McNair
In 1767, the Danish-Norwegian Army first recorded organized skiing as exercise, including racing and downhill. Skiing as recreation began in 1849 with the first public ski tour. With a history of almost five millennia, the sport of gliding on snow also can be your group’s next team-building experience.
At the Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard School, you’ll learn from the best on a World Cup mountain with individualized feedback, one-on-one instruction and attention to detail that will stay with participants for a lifetime. The Ski and Snowboard School’s small group programs help strengthen abilities and hone skills.
Great scenery and instruction go hand-in-hand for groups at Beaver Creek Resort. Photo by DA Davis.
Groups can schedule personalized private ski and snowboard lessons that are tailored to individual skill levels and styles with one of our world-renowned pros, including 28-year veteran skier and Beaver Creek Ski and Snowboard Instructor Evan Vomacka , originally from New Hampshire and who has taught all levels of skiing throughout his career. “I had my biggest breakthrough during group instruction: being able to adjust on the fly,” says Vomacka. “For me, that was better than any individual skill I had learned.”
Structure private lessons at Beaver Creek however you choose, whether it is ski skill development or a team-building activity. The adventure includes group discounts on rentals, lift tickets and lessons; a personal concierge to explore the mountain; access to ski school lift lanes that provide quick entry to the slopes; and the knowledge that attendees will establish greater confidence in specific techniques. Other Colorado ski areas also offer top-notch instruction and many unique programs.
Testing out terrain and techniques with a Beaver Creek ski instructor. Photo by DA Davis.
For groups seeking ROI for their Colorado meeting (or as we like to call it ROE or Return on Experience), a lesson can be structured more like team-building with fun activities like the Beaver Creek Conqueror, completed by riding all 18 chairlifts in a day or the 5 Buck and 10 Pack Challenges earned by riding five or 10 lifts in a day. There also are several options for vertical feet competitions such as the Mile High Challenge that involves skiing 5,280 vertical feet or an Everest Challenge accomplished by skiing 29,035 vertical feet all in one day for the hardcore. Also, Epic Photo stations are set up on-mountain for snapping shots and sharing them during meetings.
Team-building can involve riding the lifts in number order. Photo by Jack Affleck.
I hope your group catches the contagious ski and snowboard spirit in Colorado ski towns like Beaver Creek and has an experience of a lifetime.
Danielle McNair works in group sales for Beaver Creek Resort and moved to the Vail Valley in 2002. She learned to snowboard at the age of 25 and now chases her 7-year-old son around the mountain grinning from ear-to-ear.
