As you can see in the above video, snowboard/ski camps can be a lot of fun and a great opportunity to improve your riding. However, there are A LOT of snowboard/ski training camps out there, so how do you pick the best camp for you?
Here are 5 tips to help you pick.
1) How good are the instructors?
A camp is only as good as their instructors. Always look at who the coaches and instructors are and look at how much experience they have.
- Do they have high levels of instruction certification?
- How much previous experience do they have teaching?
- Do they have good recommendations from sources you trust?
2) Does the camp focus on the training area you want to improve?
We all want to improve different areas of our riding and some camps cator to one area more than others. Decide on which area you wish to improve and look at how much experience and focus each camp gives to that area.
For example: You wouldn’t go to Camp of Champions in Whistler if you wanted snowboard instructor training, so make sure the camp is centered around what you want to learn.
3) What’s the camper to coach ratio?
You want a camp that has a low number of campers for each instructor. The better the ratio, the more personal coaching you’ll receive.
For example: You don’t want a camp that puts you into groups of 10 campers per instructor. That’s a horrible ratio and it means you won’t receive enough personal instruction.
The best camps have around 1 instructor per 5 campers.
4) How good is the training terrain?
Each camp is based around a certain resort or area. You’ll want to look at which resorts you’d prefer to ride and which camps will allow you to train there. Look at what you want to learn and what type of terrain the resorts have.
For example: Do you want to learn to hit big jumps? Then make sure the resort the camp teaches on actually has big jumps.
5) Do you need accommodation? Food?
Some camps offer just instruction, while others offer accommodation and/or food as well. Would you rather organize these things yourself or would you prefer the camp to do these for you for an extra price?
If the camp organizes accom and/or food, it usually means the price is higher, but it makes it more convenient for you. On the other hand, if you organize everything else yourself, you can usually save a decent amount of money.
One last thing…
Most camps put out teaser videos or videos from past campers. Look at those videos before you choose a camp and try to get an idea of what sort of atmosphere each camp has.
Camps are not just about training, but it’s also about having some fun. A good fun atmosphere can really make a training camp 500 times more enjoyable for you.
Have fun and I hope you have an awesome camp experience!
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