Pizza to Parallel: Lessons from the Nation's Top Ski School

In November, a USA Today 10Best reader's choice contest named the Ernie Blake Snowsports School at Taos Ski Valley the best place to learn how to ski and snowboard. The article discussed full- and half-day lessons, themed ski weeks and childcare for “adults who want to take a lesson without any little ones.”

But beyond tallying the votes and providing a quick synopsis, the publication did not go in depth into why this is the best snow sports school in the country. With some help from a colleague, the school agreed to offer this reporter, a person who had never skied or snowboarded, a three-day lesson to get a first-hand experience of the program.

Before taking a lesson, you must first have the right gear: a weatherproof jacket, snow pants, wool socks, goggles, gloves, sunscreen, and a helmet, all of which you can find around the ski valley or in Taos. Don’t be like me — I forgot to get a helmet. And given the added chill that comes with higher elevations, I would also recommend a thermal base to add more warmth and layers to your outfit.

Being a novice, I was skeptical about participating for two simple reasons: I thought the sport was dangerous and difficult. During my lessons, I can confirm one of those reasons was valid.

The first day started with the rentals from Taos Sports, where you can get your boots and skis adjusted for free. If you keep your ski boots for over a day, keep them near a heat source to prevent them from shrinking and save your ankles. If you forget, the techs will swap them for you and reset your skis.

I met my instructor at the first ski lift along with four other classmates. The first day consisted of equipment basics, like how to put on boots, using the lifts and basic maneuvering. Orlando Torres, an instructor for the school for nearly two decades, was our instructor for the weekend. The Taos native knows the mountains front to back and has taught everyone from kids to adults. He was also very accommodating to each of the participant’s skill levels and tailored his lessons to each individual.

Not only did he teach us how to use our skis, he also taught us the history of the Taos Ski Valley: how an old gold mine was made into a tourist attraction slowly from the early 1950s, starting with World War II veteran Ernie Blake. After my first night, coach Torres’ instructions began to resonate as I contemplated returning the next day. Torres said beginners should give themselves more credit as these movements were foreign to their bodies and aim to improve in each turn. Emboldened by my instructor’s words, I was determined to stick with the program and correct the mistakes I had made the day before.

While riding the lift on one of our practice rides, Torres pointed to a man speeding down the bunny slopes on his skis and quickly plowing into a snowbank. Thankfully, the man was not in danger and managed to avoid others in his path. Torres saw it as a teachable moment, explaining if the man had taken a lesson first, he would have avoided the mishap entirely and not have been a present danger to the kids and adults trying to enjoy the trails.

Amanda Deng, a product manager from New York, was in my class. She had come with a group to ski in Taos, and the 25-year-old New Yorker said she also saw significant progress in her skill during her first two days of instruction.

“I definitely improved way more than I thought I would,” Deng said after the second day. “I took a two-day lesson and I started as a novice, never taken a lesson in my life, and I feel like I’m confident in running the green trails, so now I think I can keep up with my friends.”

During her final run of the weekend, her boyfriend, PhD student from New York University, Chris Hoang, also remarked on how much she had learned. Hoang is a seasoned snowboarder and would accompany Deng on a few of her weekend practice runs with Torres.

“I think she’s got a lot better,” Hoang said. “She’s gone skiing before but didn’t have a lot of control, things like how to slow down, keep the wedge and just being more control. I think she can go on the greens [beginner trails] now.”

By my final day of instruction Monday morning (Jan. 20), I could make tight left and right turns, stop and make subtle adjustments for a smoother right. My confidence had increased — I felt ready to tackle White Feather, a beginner to intermediate run down the frontside of the mountain.

After agreeing we were skilled enough to go on White Feather, coach Orlando took me and one other classmate from Arizona to the top of Lift 1. Heading to the top of the lift felt like approaching the final boss of a video game: I realized it would require me to call upon all of the techniques and resources I had acquired in my first two days in the Ernie Blake Snowsports School.

As someone scared of heights, riding Lift 1 was a challenge in itself — the sheer cliffs zipping past us were enough to psyche me out. I committed, got off the lift and almost immediately crashed into a tree before we even headed down the slope. I realized the more I got in my own head, the less control I would have over my only way down, so I mustered all of my confidence as I followed coach Torres and my fellow classmate down White Feather.

On my way down, I felt my feet doing all the work and executed turns deliberately. I was slow, but I was aware of everything going on underneath my feet. The panic over heights slowly subsided. I was even looking back to ensure I wasn't cutting anyone off, a likely event I was hoping to avoid.

After the run, Torres and the last lady in my group said they could not believe the progress I’d made in three days, and neither could I.

I went from not being interested in skiing to falling on my face plenty to tackling my fear of heights all in one weekend. By the close of the final day, Taos Ski Valley had worked its magic on an introverted soul, and I planned to find my way back into the mountains again soon.

After my three-day instruction, I talked to Ernie Blake Snowsports Director Burt Skall and Torres. Skall has been a resident of Taos for over 10 years and has been teaching the art of skiing since 1977. He explained how their instructors keep their skills sharp.

“As far as training goes, we have a very extensive training program [for our instructors],” Skall said. “For our staff that has been returning over the last five years, we’ve brought in Deb Armstrong, who is an Olympic gold medalist, to help train our staff. We also have Alain Veth, who owns Le Ski Mastery in Taos. He’s our technical director, and he discusses the technical aspects of skiing. His background is that he used to be a technician for World Cup racers. So our training goes into many aspects, not only in skiing skills, which everybody thinks is key, but also movement analysis, which is the biomechanics of snow sports.”

Observing people and the way they move on skis in order to diagnose what corrections are ideal for each individual is key, Skall said. On top of that, instructors must take training in communication, or “people skills,” to ensure the coaches can relay information to their class in a fun and clear way.

According to Skall, the hardest part of taking snowsports lessons is having the courage to sign up in the first place and ask questions, especially for first-timers. It can be easy, he said, to skip crucial steps in a sport that often involves lifelong learning.

“Nobody wants to feel like you’re being foolish or singled out,” Skall said. “You don’t want to ask the stupid question. So, getting over that fear and hopefully skiing with someone like Orlando, you get the sense that we’re very welcoming once you get here and get you moving. That’s the whole idea.”

Torres seconded Skall’s remarks and talked about what it is like instructing people like me who have never touched a set of skis in their life.

“I love learning to trust people, watching them go for it and making their first turn is liberating,” Torres said. “I have as much fun watching someone make their first good turn than when I’m powder skiing down my favorite run. I yell louder when I see that. It gets you excited. It’s cool to share that with my students.”

For more information on the Ernie Blake Snowsports School, visit: skitaos.com/snowsports-lessons.