LEVEL 6
Description: You are comfortable and confident on any groomed “blue square” terrain, and capable of skiing easiest ungroomed and moguled blue terrain. You can link turns of varying size at moderate speed. Your skis are usually parallel, and you may use a pole swing or plant in most of your turns.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Refine your balance, technique, and consistency.
- Explore technical options for more versatility, from pure-carved turns to braking. Skiers learn to use both skis independently, with step turns, stem turns, and one- or two-footed movements.
- Explore tactical options for confidence in more challenging blue terrain and conditions, including the steepest blue square runs and easy moguls.
LEVEL 7
Description: You are comfortable and confident on all blue square and easier black diamond terrain, including moderate moguls and ungroomed snow.
You can modify your technique and tactics from a growing quiver of options, linking dynamic carved turns with consistent rhythm on blue groomed terrain. Skiers usually ski parallel, with effective pole use.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Continue to refine balance and develop skills and versatility.
- Learn to manage the changing forces of higher speed short, medium, and long carved turns, and uneven terrain.
- Explore tactics and technique options for enjoying the whole mountain, including moderate moguls, steeps, powder, racing, carving, crud, ice, or freestyle.
LEVEL 8
Description: You ski with confidence and flair, with offensive tactics and techniques on most terrain. You can carve arc-to-arc turns on easier groomed runs, and you handle moderate mogul runs with consistent speed and rhythm. You are competent, if not always confident, in moderate ungroomed conditions, and you can handle all but the most extreme in-bounds terrain. You may lack the needed confidence or particular technical or tactical options for true virtuosity in all terrain and conditions.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Solidify your fundamentals while expanding your limits with versatility and confidence at an ever-growing range of speeds, terrain, and conditions.
- Refine your technique for efficiency and strength at higher speeds and longer runs.
- Identify your strengths and growth areas for continued learning and improvement.
LEVEL 9
Description: You can ski almost anywhere, almost any time, with confidence, flair, efficiency, and offensive movements and tactics. You fear no terrain. The challenge is no longer merely to survive, but to continue to improve, and you can challenge yourself on even the easiest green, groomed runs. You are becoming a true virtuoso, enticingly close to earning the title “expert.”
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Explore any of the challenges of the mountain, from steepest and gnarliest double-black diamonds to easiest corduroy-groomed greens, to the Freestyle parks and race arenas.
Description: You are comfortable and confident on any groomed “blue square” terrain, and capable of skiing easiest ungroomed and moguled blue terrain. You can link turns of varying size at moderate speed. Your skis are usually parallel, and you may use a pole swing or plant in most of your turns.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Refine your balance, technique, and consistency.
- Explore technical options for more versatility, from pure-carved turns to braking. Skiers learn to use both skis independently, with step turns, stem turns, and one- or two-footed movements.
- Explore tactical options for confidence in more challenging blue terrain and conditions, including the steepest blue square runs and easy moguls.
LEVEL 7
Description: You are comfortable and confident on all blue square and easier black diamond terrain, including moderate moguls and ungroomed snow.
You can modify your technique and tactics from a growing quiver of options, linking dynamic carved turns with consistent rhythm on blue groomed terrain. Skiers usually ski parallel, with effective pole use.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Continue to refine balance and develop skills and versatility.
- Learn to manage the changing forces of higher speed short, medium, and long carved turns, and uneven terrain.
- Explore tactics and technique options for enjoying the whole mountain, including moderate moguls, steeps, powder, racing, carving, crud, ice, or freestyle.
LEVEL 8
Description: You ski with confidence and flair, with offensive tactics and techniques on most terrain. You can carve arc-to-arc turns on easier groomed runs, and you handle moderate mogul runs with consistent speed and rhythm. You are competent, if not always confident, in moderate ungroomed conditions, and you can handle all but the most extreme in-bounds terrain. You may lack the needed confidence or particular technical or tactical options for true virtuosity in all terrain and conditions.
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Solidify your fundamentals while expanding your limits with versatility and confidence at an ever-growing range of speeds, terrain, and conditions.
- Refine your technique for efficiency and strength at higher speeds and longer runs.
- Identify your strengths and growth areas for continued learning and improvement.
LEVEL 9
Description: You can ski almost anywhere, almost any time, with confidence, flair, efficiency, and offensive movements and tactics. You fear no terrain. The challenge is no longer merely to survive, but to continue to improve, and you can challenge yourself on even the easiest green, groomed runs. You are becoming a true virtuoso, enticingly close to earning the title “expert.”
What to expect—depending on your needs and goals:
- Explore any of the challenges of the mountain, from steepest and gnarliest double-black diamonds to easiest corduroy-groomed greens, to the Freestyle parks and race arenas.
