Level up in skiing or snowboarding

Learn to ski or snowboard and advance your skills at each level. Not sure what level you are right now? Use our Levels Guide below to understand where your skills are today and what level you should register for in our programs.

WinSport Snow School

Levels 1-4. Learn basic skiing and snowboarding skills. Start as a beginner and progress to intermediate.

Recreational Ski & Snowboard Clubs

Levels 5-8. Where skiers and snowboarders further develop their skills.

Development Ski & Snowboard Teams

Levels 7-9. Where skiers and snowboarders take their skills to the next level and begin to compete.

Ski & Snowboard Levels Guide

Skiing - Ages 3-5
Level Prerequisites Level Goals

First Time

First time on skis.

Remain active for 60 minutes. Introduction to basic mobility.

Level 1 - Beginner

Still learning to stop and control speed.

Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Stopping: I can make a pizza shape and stop on bronze carpet.

Balance: I can slide down silver carpet standing up.

Mobility: I can walk and slide on flat snow.

Turning: I can pizza turn both ways on bronze carpet.

Level 2 - Novice

Able to stop and control speed on beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can make a pizza shape and stop on bronze carpet.

Balance: I can slide down silver carpet standing up.

Mobility: I can walk and slide on flat snow.

Turning: I can pizza turn both ways on bronze carpet.

Stopping: I can go slow and stop on beginner terrain. 
 
Balance: I have a stable body position through my turns. 
 
Mobility: I can glide on flats, sidestep uphill, jump and touch my toes. 
 
Turning: I can connect different size pizza turns. 

Level 3 - Intermediate

Able to stop, control speed and direction on beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can go slow and stop on beginner terrain.

Balance: I have a stable body position through my turns.

Mobility: I can glide on flats, sidestep uphill, jump and touch my toes.

Turning: I can connect different size pizza turns.

Stopping: I can turn and stop (with downhill ski).

Balance: I can stay strong and stable over varied terrain.

Mobility: I can stand up after a tumble all by myself and be tall and small around my turns.

Turning: I can make french fries across beginner terrain.

Level 4 - Intermediate

Able to control speed and direction, ready for intermediate terrain.

Stopping: I can turn and stop (with downhill ski).

Balance: I can stay strong and stable over varied terrain.

Mobility: I can stand up after a tumble all by myself and be tall and small around my turns.

Turning: I can make french fries across beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can control my speed and direction on varied intermediate terrain.

Balance: I can balance on my outside ski at the end of a turn.

Mobility: I can side slip (downhill) in a straight line.

Turning: I can make parallel turns on beginner terrain.

Skiing - Ages 6+
Level Prerequisites Level Goals

Level 0 - First Time

First time on skis.

Remain active for 2 hours. Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Level 1 - Beginner

Still learning to stop and control speed.

Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Stopping: I can perform a controlled snowplow to stop on Silver carpet.

Balance: I have a stable body position when straight running Silver carpet.

Mobility: I can walk and slide on flat snow with my skis on.

Turning: I have been introduced to turning. 

Level 2 - Novice

Able to stop and control speed on beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can perform a controlled snowplow to stop on Silver carpet.

Balance: I have a stable body position when straight running Silver carpet.

Mobility: I can walk and slide on flat snow with my skis on.

Turning: I have been introduced to turning. 

Stopping: I can snowplow to control speed and stop on beginner terrain.

Balance: I can balance on my downhill ski traversing beginner terrain.

Mobility: I can sidestep uphill.

Turning: I can link turns on all carpets.

Timing: I can demonstrate flow while linking turns. 

Level 3 - Intermediate

Able to stop, control speed and direction on beginner terrain. 

Stopping: I can snowplow to control speed and stop on beginner terrain.

Balance: I can balance on my downhill ski traversing beginner terrain.

Mobility: I can sidestep uphill.

Turning: I can link turns on all carpets.

Timing: I can demonstrate flow while linking turns. 

Stopping: I can control my speed and stop on intermediate terrain.

Balance: I can maintain balance on my downhill ski throughout turns.

Mobility: I can consistently stand up without assistance.

Turning: I can keep my skis parallel on the traverse of my turns.

Timing: I am starting to maintain a rhythm on intermediate terrain. 

Level 4 - Intermediate

Able to control speed and direction on intermediate terrain and starting to ski parallel.

Stopping: I can control my speed and stop on intermediate terrain.

Balance: I can maintain balance on my downhill ski throughout turns.

Mobility: I can consistently stand up without assistance.

Turning: I can keep my skis parallel on the traverse of my turns.

Timing: I am starting to maintain a rhythm on intermediate terrain. 

Stopping: I can hockey stop consistently in both directions.

Balance: I remain in control through varied terrain.

Mobility: I can flex and extend at the correct times during my turn.

Turning: My skis are parallel and I can adapt my turn shape to navigate intermediate terrain confidently.

Timing: I can use pole plants to initiate my turns.

Freeride: I have been introduced to switch skiing, carving and hopping while facing downhill.

Level 5 - Freestyle Fundamentals

Able to control speed and direction on all terrain, has been introduced to riding switch.

Stopping: I can hockey stop consistently in both directions.

Balance: I remain in control through varied terrain.

Mobility: I can flex and extend at the correct times during my turn.

Turning: My skis are parallel and I can adapt my turn shape to navigate intermediate terrain confidently.

Timing: I can use pole plants to initiate my turns.

Freeride: I have been introduced to switch skiing, carving and hopping while facing downhill.

 

Snowboarding - Ages 4-6
Level Prerequisites Level Goals

Level 0 - First Time

First time snowboarding.

Remain active for 60 minutes. Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Level 1 - Beginner

Still learning to balance and control your snowboard.

Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Stopping: I can lift my toe edge and heel edge on flat ground.

Balance: I can remain standing while sliding downhill.

Mobility: I can walk and jump in my boots.

Turning: I can look where I am going.

Level 2 - Novice

Able to maintain a standing position when sliding down beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can lift my toe edge and heel edge on flat ground.

Balance: I can remain standing while sliding downhill.

Mobility: I can walk and jump in my boots.

Turning: I can look where I am going.

Stopping: I can lift my toe edge and heel edge while sliding.

Balance: I can stand tall while sliding on my board.

Mobility: I can get up on my own sometimes.

Turning: I can make small direction changes.

Level 3 - Intermediate

Able to stop, control speed and direction on beginner terrain.

Stopping: I can lift my toe edge and heel edge while sliding.

Balance: I can stand tall while sliding on my board.

Mobility: I can get up on my own sometimes.

Turning: I can make small direction changes.

Stopping: I can stop on my own, heelside and toeside.

Balance: I can skate on flat terrain.

Mobility: I can climb uphill with one foot strapped in.

Turning: I can stay on my heel edge and my toe edge.

Snowboarding - Ages 7+
Level Prerequisites Level Goals

Level 0 - First Time

First time snowboarding.

Remain active for 2 hours. Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Level 1 - Beginner

 

Introduction to equipment and basic mobility.

Stopping: I can stop on silver carpet, both heelside and toeside.

Balance: I can keep a stable, balanced body while sliding on Silver carpet.

Mobility: I can comfortably skate with one foot strapped in.

Turning: I can change direction on heel and toe edge. 

Level 2 - Novice

 

Stopping: I can stop on silver carpet, both heelside and toeside.

Balance: I can keep a stable, balanced body while sliding on Silver carpet.

Mobility: I can comfortably skate with one foot strapped in.

Turning: I can change direction on heel and toe edge.

Stopping: I can come to a full stop on beginner terrain while remaining balanced.

Balance: I am able to adjust body position to change direction.

Mobility: I can stand up without assistance.

Turning: I can confidently demonstrate heelside and toeside turns.

Level 3 - Intermediate

Able to turn from heelside to toeside and back.

Stopping: I can come to a full stop on beginner terrain while remaining balanced.

Balance: I am able to adjust body position to change direction.

Mobility: I can stand up without assistance.

Turning: I can confidently demonstrate heelside and toeside turns.

Stopping: I can stop in control on intermediate terrain.

Balance: I can maintain balance throughout different size turns effectively.

Mobility: I am turning with my lower body.

Turning: I can confidently link toeside and heelside turns on intermediate terrain.

Timing: I can demonstrate rhythm in linking turns.

Level 4 - Intermediate

Able to link S-turns on chairlift terrain.

Stopping: I can stop in control on intermediate terrain.

Balance: I can maintain balance throughout different size turns effectively.

Mobility: I am turning with my lower body.

Turning: I can confidently link toeside and heelside turns on intermediate terrain.

Timing: I can demonstrate rhythm in linking turns.

Stopping: I can consistently make controlled stops on variable terrain.

Balance: I maintain an athletic body position at speed and have confidence riding variable terrain.

Mobility: I can flex and extend to change my turn shape.

Turning: I can change edges confidently before my board points downhill.

Timing: I am beginning to demonstrate flow when riding variable terrain.

Freeride: I have been introduced to riding switch, hopping with my board pointing downhill, and carving.

Level 5 - Freestyle Fundamentals

Able to control speed and direction on all terrain, has been introduced to riding switch.

Stopping: I can consistently make controlled stops on variable terrain.

Balance: I maintain an athletic body position at speed and have confidence riding variable terrain.

Mobility: I can flex and extend to change my turn shape.

Turning: I can change edges confidently before my board points downhill.

Timing: I am beginning to demonstrate flow when riding variable terrain.

Freeride: I have been introduced to riding switch, hopping with my board pointing downhill, and carving.

 

A Release of Liability, Waiver of Claims, Assumption of Risks and Indemnity Agreement ("Waiver") must be completed prior to participation in WinSport’s Snow School Programs, Lessons, and Camps. If the Waiver is not completed, participation in the WinSport Program and access to WinSport's facilities will not be permitted, and a refund will be provided.