Teaching, Training and Torchlighting with the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School

A Chairlift Selfie with One of My Charges

Phew! What an incredibly busy few weeks it has been. Today is my first real day off in almost fourteen days and I’m happy to be relaxing with my feet up while sipping a coffee and balancing my MacAir on my lap. It’s nice not to put ski boots on or bomb around in my big, puffy ski school uniform layered up and prepared for teaching people all day long out on the hill no matter the weather. I’m saving my sunny attitude for myself today and enjoying the fact that I can sit here quietly without having to flick the switch ON.

Indeed, we all do a tremendous amount of outputting at the Telluride Ski Resort all season long, however, most especially during the holiday period, our busiest time of the year. The pace quickens dramatically from zero to a hundred and fifty by the time December 20th hits and most of us go full-on until right about now. Building up to the season, most at the Telluride Ski & Snowboard School train, train, train, perfecting our own skiing and teaching skills, so that we can be ready for our guests. Come the first week in January, instructing continues at a slower pace while training resumes and we’re back out there perfecting our turns, working on rotary, edging and pressure skills so that we can convey the right technique to our clients if they so desire. (Sometimes—whether they’re kids or adults—they just want to play and ski or ride the day away with us as guides.)

Instructors in Training

Training Huddle

Static Demos

You Mean Like This

In between all this teaching and training, Telluride Ski & Snowboard School instructors, take time out to whoop it up and spread even more light and love to visitors and locals in the towns of Telluride and Telluride Mountain Village. These glorious displays of light may be seen in the form of a torchlight parade down two different sides of the mountain on Christmas and New Year’s Eves. I often do New Year’s which is especially fun, since a magnificent fireworks display is launched as the instructors and other resort employees ski down the mountain. To be in such a parade is truly magical although being a spectator is pretty thrilling, too.

Happy New Year to all! And may we always strive to shine as magnificently as a Telluride torchlight parade.

Posing During Pre Torchlight Festivities with Lovely Linda Peters

Final Instructions from the Chief

Fireworks/Torchlight Glow

Saluting the Crowd at the Base

View of My Torches/Ski Poles

These torchlights take place on special occasions in ski resorts across the country. This year the Telluride Ski Resort has added a parade to take place on the town side of the mountain on Friday, February 14, to honor Rod Smith, a beloved ski instructor that left this earthly plane last fall. Cindy Smith, Rod’s wife, is one of the best instructors in Telluride and one of the brightest lights on our mountain. I met Cindy just over ten years ago when I attended the “ski college” in Telluride to become a ski instructor and she has been a huge inspiration to me ever since. I’m sure on February 14, instructors will come out en masse to pay tribute to Rod, Cindy, and their two children, Woody and Dana, also instructors in Telluride par excellence, as we set the mountain on fire with gigantic S turns of light and love.

Cindy Smith Training Dino, Another Instructor, this Monday on the Hill

Telluride Torchlight Parade Slithering Down Telluride Trail into Town