Category: Snow Schools

Posted on

Treat yourself to a new experience this winterwith a Special Clinic!

Our clinics give you a way to develop your skiing and riding in unique contexts with our instructors at your side.

Some reasons you might want to try a clinic:

  • Explore different terrain, like bumps, steeps, or the terrain park
  • Discover new sensations through carving clinics
  • Develop confidence through clinics like skiing in the zone or mindfulness
  • Learn to teach through our Instructor Training program

Clinics have some STEP requirements. Check out SnoBiz over the next few weeks to learn more about each of our clinics – alternately, visit our downhill ski school page or snowboard school page to learn more about the clinics.

Posted on

Call for Instructors!

Hi everyone! Our Downhill Snow School is looking for enthusiastic snowboard and ski instructors for next season.

You will make friends for life, have a chance to help other members of the club to improve, and get access to a whole new world of development. Volunteer instructors also get some perks that help defray the cost of teaching, including:

Lift ticket or pass reimbursementTransportation to/from the hill
Cost offset on long trips when you teach/guide
Access to our great afternoon sessions,
Tremblant training with level 4s, and instructor training reimbursement
Small stipend

….plus, we have a TON of fun on snow and off snow!

Qualifications to teach with us include one of the following: CSIA level 2+, OR CSIA level 1 + HPSC Instructor Training, OR CASI level 1+.

If you are keen to help your fellow members, have a good attitude, and have met these requirements, please reach out to me  at downhillsnowschool@hpsc.ca to express interest and to get access to our application form. We are recruiting until August 30, 2024. 

Christine Bellerose
Director, Skiing and Snowboarding
Posted on

HPSC Snow School had another tremendous training and teaching season!



Let’s only remember the 406 classes taught, the many programs offered, the sooo popular Saturday races at Mount St Louis Moonstone. Your CSIA and CASI qualified instructors continued to train at Tremblant and in Ontario to bring you safe, productive and fun lessons.Our 51 ski and snowboard instructors want to thank all HPSC members for your enthusiastic participation in our daily trips lessons and Canadian overnight trips guidance.A few special instructor achievements deserve our warmest congratulations:

Laura Shepherd – full Level 3!
David Manning – Course conductor for Level 1 courses 
+ CSIA Ontario and National – HPSC Instructor of the year
Mike Romano – accepted in the Level 4 academy
Matt Diamond – CSIA (skiing) Level 2
Carmen Lopes – CASI (snowboarding) Level 2

We hope to see you all again in our lessons next winter!
 
Posted on

Mogul Masters Clinics!

The One Day Mogul Masters clinics are back. The dates are Saturday, February 24 and March 2 at MSLM and Monday, February 26 and Sunday, March 10 at Blue Mountain. 
For more information visit the Downhill Ski School page.
For registration go to the registration page on the HPSC website.
*Important* Click the Mogul Masters option not your step level.
Posted on

Questions?

You may find the answer to your questions under the FAQ section under both the Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding and the Cross-Country and Snowshoeing tabs on the website. As we are a volunteer run club, this is often the fastest way to find out answers to your questions, such as bus pick-up locations and departure times and the deadlines to register and cancel for day trips.

New members can also reach out to their assigned Club Ambassadors for assistance but remember that they are also volunteers. Please allow time for refunds as they are also handled by volunteers.

The website also provides email addresses for specific areas. Please send cancellation requests to cancellations@hpsc.ca, not to info@hpsc.ca as this is only a general information email.

We have faced many challenges this year with a late start to the season and unpredictable weather issues. Always check the Day Trips Status page on the website for up-to-date information regarding day trips and any last minute changes such as the addition of a second bus.

Posted on

Ski School Welcomes New Instructor Brian Pho!

I started skiing 15 years ago and quickly found out there is so much to learn about this sport. Skiing has taken me to parts of the world that I never would have seen otherwise (Switzerland, Japan, Western Canada). I earned my CSIA Level 2 in 2018, which led me to a whole new world of challenges and possibilities. The Learning Never Stops!

I am so happy to join the High Park Ski Club Snow School and have the pleasure of being able to transfer my skills and knowledge to all levels of the High Park Ski Club membership.
Posted on

Downhill Snow School Introduces New Instructor… Stephanie Kwok

I think I inherited my love of skiing from my grandfather, who skied into his early 80’s and took me on some of my first ski days to Mt St Louis and Horseshoe. I was hooked on the feeling a speeding down the slopes, but it took me a while to understand that turning is important. I eventually used my turns to earn my level 2 in 2018. I worked as an instructor in Hakuba,Japan in 2019/2020. The following two seasons, I instructed at Banff Sunshine, enjoying the stunning Rockies. Now I am back home in Toronto and looking forward to sharing my knowledge and love of skiing with people here. I believe skiing is the key to not hating Canadian winters, and maybe even loving them!
Posted on

New Uniforms for Our Downhill Instructors!

If you were wondering what was sparkling at MSLM last weekend… it wasn’t the freshly fallen snow, our instructors new goggles, or the smile of our Director, Laura Shepherd, excited to train with Level 4, Jason Young. No, that sparkle would have come from your instructors’ brand new uniforms, featuring our new HPSC logo!

Not unlike our very popular previous uniform, it keeps the basic brand colours with a snazzy touch! We might be even more visible on the hills!! This new uniform is the result of an incredible effort from design to distribution! Kudos and thanks go to Apolonija Battiston, Kathleen McCabe, David Manning, Rocco Romeo, and Mike Romano for such a great uniform, another one which will make us proud!
Posted on

Reminder: Cross-Country is not permitting drive ups

Another reminder that cross-country is not permitting drive ups for lessons this year. We simply do not have the instructor capacity to accommodate it. This likely will be the case for the next few years, as it takes time to find and train new instructors.

If you signed up specifically to drive up for XC lessons, please email membership@hpsc.ca and we can refund your membership. You may still drive up for alpine lessons (and need to be a member for that). Thanks for your understanding.

Posted on

Cross-country ski school special programming is back

New to cross-country skiing? Our classic beginners series might be for you. Join instructor Vera (or Liora, depending on demand) for three consecutive weeks of beginner classes designed for new skiers. You will have the same instructor and classmates and learn to get moving on your skis. You must be available all three dates (January 7, 14, 21) and email crosscountry@hpsc.ca to register. If you can’t join the series, you can participate in our regular beginner lessons.

We are also offering special hill clinics that will give you more practice time than in a regular lesson. Our beginner hill clinic on January 20 will teach you to get up and down hills safely. For more advanced skiers who want to play around going faster (step turns anyone?), we are offering an intermediate/advanced hill clinic on February 4 (TBD as to whether it’s classic or skate). Sign up online during trip registration.

Also for more intermediate/advanced skiers, we are offering a classic trail handling clinic on February 24. Learn how to transition between techniques on the trail to ski smarter and faster. You will need some facility with all the main techniques – diagonal stride, double poling, one step double pole in particular. Sign up online during trip registration.

And for those who just want to get tips for a specific technique, we are offering two dates of skate and classic tips and tricks (February 10 & 24). Book 15-20 minutes with an instructor to work something specific – whatever you want! Sign up online during trip registration.Please note that on the days we offer intermediate + clinics, we will not be offering any other intermediate/advanced lessons. We may schedule more clinics for later in the season as we assess how its going. If there is something in particular you would like a clinic on, let us know at crosscountry@hpsc.ca.