By Sam Weber

Mountain Sports Manager Christine Baker said each lesson is governed by the overarching themes of “safety, fun and learning” so students of all levels are well-equipped to enjoy what Big Sky has to offer.

No matter the age of the student, Baker said learning to ski is based on five fundamentals held by the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

1.  Rotary: Controlling the way your skis turn
2.  Edging: Tipping your skis to engage your edges
3.  Pressure: Regulating the amount of pressure between your skis and the snow
4.  Lateral Balance: Controlling your balance from ski to ski as you shift pressure to the outside ski during a turn 
5.  Fore-aft Balance: Controlling your balance from the tips to the tails of your skis

While those key skills enable skiers to hit whatever slopes they want to more safely and confidently, Baker said the most important goal of lessons at Big Sky Resort is to get students excited about skiing.

“We want people to have passion for the mountain environment,” she said. “We want them to love it as much as we all love it, and to come back and be able to love it in their own way.”

Book your lesson or guided experience with the Big Sky Resort Mountain Sports School.

Sam Weber moved to Montana in 2015 for a newspaper job and stayed for the mountains. She’s a graduate student of journalism at the University of Montana and enjoys skiing in the occasional sequin dress and working on obscure craft projects.