Ski Back Better With A Private Lesson At Hotham

A lot of regular keen skiers missed a lot of snow time during lockdowns, none more so than those in Melbourne, so rusty is putting it mildly for many – so when you do get back on the hill, when not ski back better with a private lesson?

Our man in Melbourne, Dave Windsor, did just that at Hotham last month, tuning up just in time for the last big pow day there. With 60cm forecast for the weekend maybe you should scoot up and do the same?

Our first family snow trip since 2019 meant being good dad for the first few days, enjoying some quality snow time with them. But Hotham’s kid’s programs are too good not to take full advantage of, so I signed my 9 year old Jack into the Kids Club at Big D and let the expert ski & ride team coach him back to blacks.  The friendly team are super easy, fun and focus their attention on the small group of equally matched kids (from level 1 through 6). From Big D they head to the Summit for drills on the groomers. 

“It was a good group dad and the instructor was really nice” Jack tells me, “am I signed up for tomorrow? I wanna get to the next level.”  

No problemo lad! Lock it in. Plus why not a private lesson for mum too? Done.

That leaves me alone at last, apart from my instructor, Canadian Mike Meaney. He had taken the long road to Hotham – hailing from little Caledon Ski Club, 45 minutes north of Toronto, boasting 6 chairs, 25 runs but a mere 80m vertical – talk about keen.

Life changed when he headed west to British Columbia instructing at renowned tree heaven Red Mountain and legendary powder capital of BC, Whitewater, for 6 years before arriving at Hotham this season.

“A handful of people have come from Hotham to Whitewater” Mike explains, “so it made sense coming to Hotham, which is my first overseas ski trip. Instructing has made skiing more fun – I’ve gotten a lot better, made plenty of friends and found my full appreciation for the sport.  I’ve been blown away by the skiers and skiing here. The terrain is steep, there’s a lot fun to be had and a lot of off-piste and the powder snow has been really good at times.”

If the Hoth is good enough for someone who knows Whitewater, it’s good enough for me. But am I good enough for it? Well, thanks to Mike I certainly have a better shot at it now.

We kicked off in Heavenly before heading to Orchard and Mike and I finished up smashing Spargos. Mike kept it super simple, focusing on one weakness – though I’m sure there are more he could have picked on. But good instructors know not to overload their subjects with too much to digest in one hit. That KISS principle worked for me.

Mike reminded me of a weakness, coincidentally picked up by an instructor at Mt Hutt 8 years ago, and clearly forgotten by me in the meantime – when turning I tend to leave my uphill shoulder uphill and consequently slip through turns rather than carve through. Mike had me visualising a rubber band from my knees to shoulder pulling it downhill. This squared me up, transferred upper body weight forward and dramatically improved ski control. One little thing makes a huge difference. Lazy turns become controlled turns.

Next day was my last on the hill at Hotham, and I made the most of it with a 7:30 start. I smashed laps with confidence and control down Gun Barrel, the Pimple, Imagine, the Cornice and Snake Gully then took on The Orchard after lunch. The snow cover was perfect with a sprinkle of fresh overnight and immaculate grooming. Mike was in my head, “imagine a rubber band pulling your shoulder downhill”.  And so it went – shoulder control leads to weight control which leads to ski control. Simple.

Now all I need is more snow time. With 60cm incoming over the next few days the 2022 season is not done downunder – that should see us through till the LWE buzzer and beyond for the back country at Hotham and all over the main Aussie resorts.

Check the options and book private lessons for Hotham here.

They are popular, so lock it in as early as you can. Save by booking with mates of similar level – for 1hr and 1.5hr private lessons, up to 2 guests can participate at no extra cost, for 2hr+ private lessons, up to 5 guests can participate at no extra cost. Ditto for kid’s programs – book them in early is best. Epic Pass holders get 20% off.

Looking ahead to 2023 just $49 up front deposit secures your 2023 Epic Australia Pass at the lowest $899 rate, with the balance due early May 2023.