# New to snowboarding, lessons? Group or private lessons



## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

Either at brian head or mount charleston is where ill be taking the lessons. I was talking to a snowboard shop rep and he told me to take lessons, instead of buying a board now wait and get lessons first. My question though is should i do group or private lessons? I can get up easy enough but other than that I suck! For a 2 hour group lesson its about 90 dollars for 2 hours private is around 160 dollars.


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## atr3yu (Feb 15, 2012)

I did group lessons my first time out and it was the best thing I ever did. I think the first few lessons would be just fine in a group. Though this is just my opinion.


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## Dysantic (Oct 11, 2012)

Everyone will most likely say go private and I would agree. With group lessons you stay at the level of the worst person in the group. It's more fun to learn with others, but if you want to learn at your own pace, go private. That way, if your really good, you will progress quickly rather than sit back and wait for the worst person in the group to catch on. Or conversely, if your awful, you aren't holding the others back. Lol

So in conclusion, if the cost isn't a problem, go with private.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Check out this thread for a long discussion:

http://www.snowboardingforum.com/tips-tricks-instructors/51109-lessons-yes-no.html


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## tonyisnowhere (Sep 24, 2012)

tony477g said:


> Either at brian head or mount charleston is where ill be taking the lessons. I was talking to a snowboard shop rep and he told me to take lessons, instead of buying a board now wait and get lessons first. My question though is should i do group or private lessons? I can get up easy enough but other than that I suck! For a 2 hour group lesson its about 90 dollars for 2 hours private is around 160 dollars.



PRIVATE! It is so worth it! I come from a longboarding background and thought I would know what to do...BOY WAS I WRONG. So I got a private lesson and that same day I was riding greens from the top to bottom on Stratton Mountain in Vermont. The next day I re-practiced what I was taught and by the third time out it kinda clicked and hit a blue run with out falling. Truly an accomplishment for a new rider. I know I couldn't have done it without that one on one and the refinement the instructor helped me with. 

If you are good in a class setting and want to meet people than there is nothing wrong with a class, but if you are like me and just want one on one do a private. 

That said any lesson is better than no lesson.


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## tonyisnowhere (Sep 24, 2012)

Dysantic said:


> Everyone will most likely say go private and I would agree. With group lessons you stay at the level of the worst person in the group. It's more fun to learn with others, but if you want to learn at your own pace, go private. That way, if your really good, you will progress quickly rather than sit back and wait for the worst person in the group to catch on. Or conversely, if your awful, you aren't holding the others back. Lol
> 
> So in conclusion, if the cost isn't a problem, go with private.


This is so true!


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

What are greens by the way? Donutz i did check out that thread, right after i posted this one. Good info in there


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

The other thing, how many hours should i take the class for? i do wakeboard a bit, definitely learned that its different though. I can take the class for 1-6 hours if i go private


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

tony477g said:


> What are greens by the way? Donutz i did check out that thread, right after i posted this one. Good info in there


Greens are designated easy runs. They typically are low angle wide slopes with few obstacles. Best area for beginners to learn on.


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

tony477g said:


> The other thing, how many hours should i take the class for? i do wakeboard a bit, definitely learned that its different though. I can take the class for 1-6 hours if i go private


I would start off with two hours minimum to begin with. 1 hour usually isn't enough for the first time. When you get private lessons you can usually extended them for more hours. See how the lesson goes and how you interact with the instructor. You can then choose to add more hours or practice on what you have been taught. This strategy then could work over multiple days. Start off with a couple hours lesson and then free-ride/practice what you have been taught.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

So is a black diamond mean anything? Apparently my friends thought it would be best if i tried learning on that my first time ever going.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well, I didnt know what that was but we had a girl skier with us and she told me to not do it. So i didnt. So you'd say group over private for first time. i guess really the lessons are more a push in the right direction, its all about practice though


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## snowklinger (Aug 30, 2011)

tony477g said:


> So is a black diamond mean anything? Apparently my friends thought it would be best if i tried learning on that my first time ever going.





tony477g said:


> Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well,


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## Sassicaia (Jan 21, 2012)

tony477g said:


> Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well, I didnt know what that was but we had a girl skier with us and she told me to not do it. So i didnt. So you'd say group over private for first time. i guess really the lessons are more a push in the right direction, its all about practice though


you need new "friends". Seriously. Stop hanging out with the cast from Jack Ass.


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

tony477g said:


> Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well, I didnt know what that was but we had a girl skier with us and she told me to not do it. So i didnt. So you'd say group over private for first time. i guess really the lessons are more a push in the right direction, its all about practice though





tony477g said:


> Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well, I didnt know what that was but we had a girl skier with us and she told me to not do it. So i didnt. So you'd say group over private for first time. i guess really the lessons are more a push in the right direction, its all about practice though



Group lessons can sometimes be the best bang for your buck. It really comes down to group size and instructor. When the group size isn't to large a new rider can get the most input by being a mix where they can see the successes and difficulties of other students. When the group size gets larger this input can be decreased by the amount of time the student gets moving, waiting, and or individual input. A Private lesson might not necessarily change how fast one progresses initially. It will typically not flunctuated in lesson quality since there is only one student to one instructor.


By the sounds of it you have already been up the hill and able to slide. I would probably go private in your case if this is true. A Group beginner lesson for someone that can already ride a little might not be the best use of your time.


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## LuckyRVA (Jan 18, 2011)

tony477g said:


> Ya they tried getting me to go down a double black diamond as well, I didnt know what that was but we had a girl skier with us and she told me to not do it. So i didnt. So you'd say group over private for first time. i guess really the lessons are more a push in the right direction, its all about practice though


Sounds like your "friends" were trying to kill you. :dunno:

edit: here's an example of a famous double black in Jackson Hole called Corbet's Couloir


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

Im dead serious! Ya theyre a bunch of idiots. Once they went down the double black diamond they were like woah were not doing that again! Im like you're stupid for trying to get me to go. Ya most of my day was spent on the black diamond I could go straight ok but most of the time i would catch an edge somewhere and turning was pretty tough specially toeside. Either i'd stop or stop by catching an edge and onto my tailbone


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## handscreate (Jan 17, 2012)

I'd suggest a 2-4hr lesson to get the basics down. You'll get some input from an instructor which will help prevent you from forming some really bad habits that WILL be hard if not impossible to break later on. 

Once you get the basics down, it's up to you to decide if you think another lesson will help you advance faster, or if you want to spend a day or 2 practicing what you've learned.


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## philadendron (Oct 21, 2011)

I was able to learn from a group lesson at Mt. Charleston. I was a quick learner, though, and once I'd listened to what the guy said and tried it a few times, I was able to teach the rest myself. That said, I bet a private lesson would help you progress even quicker because the instructor will keep up with your rate of learning. You'll constantly be learning and perfecting new things the whole time.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

philadendron said:


> I was able to learn from a group lesson at Mt. Charleston. I was a quick learner, though, and once I'd listened to what the guy said and tried it a few times, I was able to teach the rest myself. That said, I bet a private lesson would help you progress even quicker because the instructor will keep up with your rate of learning. You'll constantly be learning and perfecting new things the whole time.


Was the instructor pretty good at Mt. Charleston? Have you gone this year?


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## philadendron (Oct 21, 2011)

I would say he was good, this was back in 2009. I don't know that he ever said 2 words directly to me, I just listened to what he said, tried it, and then he let me go and do my own thing on the bunny hill. I'm sure a longer, private lesson would've prevented me from picking up some of the bad habits I have in form, but without that lesson I was a mess. It was like night and day after I took the lesson.

I haven't gone yet this season, they just opened up like a week ago. I honestly try to get out and go to as many good resorts as I can, and even though Mt. Charleston just expanded their trails, my wife and I still drive to Brian Head, Salt Lake, Big Bear, or Mammoth almost every weekend. This weekend we are going to try to catch the big dump in Mammoth.


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## lisevolution (Sep 20, 2007)

Lol, you're friends sound a lot like my friends when they "taught" me how to snowboard back in '94. They took me to the top of Stratton and after falling on my face getting off the lift told me, "Ok, now figure out how to get down." 3 hours and many a black and blue later and I was able to falling leaf and link the occasional turn. 

In having my wife avoid this issue a few years ago when she decided to switch from skiing to being cool I had her take lessons. I agree with Snowolf in that the group lesson for the real true beginners who don't know any of the basics is definitely the better choice. The value in private lessons is working out the little things you're doing wrong with specialized focus on those areas versus giving the same spiel you'll get in a group beginner lesson. If you do however understand the basics such as getting up, skating etc. then definitely jump to the private if not do the group first.


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## Donutz (May 12, 2010)

Prolly depends on how athletic you are and how focused you are as well. I can see a group lesson driving some people nuts with the waiting and the repetition. On the other hand, some people who are more socially oriented might be more engaged in a group setting.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

I do a good chunk of action sports and thinking now if i would have done lessons and had to wait on other people I would have shot myself. Skateboarding, bmx, mx, wakeboarding, and hopefully snowboarding soon. I dont think I will be one of those people that have the patience to wait on others. Right now i can stop, slow down, and get up fairly well from any position that i fall in.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

So i've been looking around and mammoth says they have lessons by trained snowboarders. Problem there is the lessons for the same 3 hours are $240 more than they would be in mt charleston. Mammoth Mountain - Private Lessons The lessons should be equally as good in mt charleston right? or should I go with mammoth?


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

Lessons should be good at either place. To guarantee better satisfaction try to request a certified instructor.


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## tony477g (Nov 18, 2012)

gjsnowboarder said:


> Lessons should be good at either place. To guarantee better satisfaction try to request a certified instructor.


So probably the cheaper closer place then?


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

I would in your case, chances are that since it is closer that you might end up wanting more and riding there more so why not make a contact that knows the mountain and can teach.


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