News Search

U.S. Ski Associations Planning World’s Largest Ski Lesson

  • Push to The Latest: No

Representatives from the National Ski Areas Association, SnowSports Industries America, Professional Ski Instructors of America, American Association of Snowboard Instructors, National Ski Patrol, the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association, the Western Winter Sports Reps Association, Head Tyrolia Wintersports, The National Ski Club Newsletter, OnTheSnow.com and Snow Operating recently met in Colorado to preview plans and promotional materials for the event.

Billed as the “Guinness Project,” the attempt to pull off the largest beginner lesson on the planet is the brainchild of Hugh Reynolds, vice president of sales and marketing for Snow Operating, and former marketing director at Mountain Creek, N.J.

“This is not one giant lesson, but small groups of both ski and snowboard beginner lessons that take place at 10 a.m.—in each of the local times zones—at participating resorts. Our 25 terrain-based learning resorts have all given their verbal commitment to participate,” Reynolds said. All those small group lessons, both at individual resorts and across the country, count toward the largest-lesson-ever attempt.

The project aims to establish four records in all: largest group lesson for skiers, multiple resorts; largest group lesson for snowboarders, multiple resorts; plus largest single-area group lesson for skiers and snowboarders, respectively. The single-area record is an especially big challenge—more than 500.

A full range of promotional materials and graphics are available to participating resorts. Materials and graphics range from full-blown, customizable posters to banner ads for web sites. Resorts can use the materials for free if they are partners in the Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month and Bring a Friend initiatives. Register for the event at ski-snowboard.org.