An ounce of steering is worth a ton of rowing someone once said. This is never more true than in the world of wintersports. One tip from a good instructor can save you hours of pain and help you use your body more efficiently and effectively, and so reduce the risk of straining muscles and possible injury.
Used well, the equipment beneath our feet are fabulous tools which can get you to places you never thought you'd see or experience. Sadly, for many of us, our skis and snowboards are cumbersome planks which can lead to humiliation, frustration and a lot of time spent horizontal on the snow.
Well help is at hand. Last winter we were fortunate to have regular blogs from the two directors of All Mountain Performance, a premier Chamonix-based ski training school which specialises in courses for intermediate skiers and above. During the winter they posted regular bulletins to give you tips and tricks - how to tune back in on your first ski of the season, how to ski bumps and basic guidelines for carving turns for example. Mark and Simon will be contributing again this season.
They will be joined this year by Roddy Willis of Alpine Mojo in Verbier. Alpine Mojo is a team of fun and inspirational ski instructors and coaches who want to help you make big changes to your skiing. Roddy has already written a piece for us this summer on the mental aspect of ski instruction.
Read on to find out more on the Chalets Direct Ski Gurus.
Director/ coach for AMP
BASI ISTD level 4 Ski Teacher
Alpine performance coach
Full French equivalence
European speed test holder
Mark made Chamonix his home in 1996 to become the first British qualified instructor to work for a Chamonix ski school. A few years on he is now one of the few holders of the highly regarded French equivalence and is one of the UK’s leading ski instructors.
He has also competed in International FIS ski racing just for fun! and now likes to compete in freeride comps. He has also trained and helped many ski instructors to pass their exams. Mark founded All Mountain Performance in 2004 to offer skiers a fresh approach to modern ski tuition, specialising in all terrain performance courses. His fun and innovative ski teaching philosophies have earned him a renowned reputation for excellent results.
BASI Level 4 ISTD
Alpine Performance Coach 1
European speed test holder (Eurotest)
Full French equivalence
BSc (Hons) Science of Sport and Exercise
Simon’s passion for skiing started at the early age of 3 as a result of ski crazy parents. Since then he has skied all over Europe, with two seasons in Park City, Utah, and moved to the Chamonix Valley in 2002.
He has gained a wealth of experience and the highest possible international qualification. His energy and sense of fun on his skis shines through. Simon is gifted with excellent teaching skills and enjoys seeing client’s enthusiasm build as their skiing develops.
Roddy Willis
Roddy tried an office job in the 80's and quickly realised it wasn't for him.
He decided to head for the Alps in 1988 and has never really looked back, working in a number of different jobs from hotel dish washer to ski school technical director, and managing to do nearly three full ski seasons whilst getting a degree in furniture design.
The common thread running throughout the past 22 years is Roddy's love of the mountains and skiing. Roddy is a born communicator and combines this with his love of skiing and vast experience to help his clients achieve goals beyond their expectations.
We're very excited to have these guys on board. They all share a tremendous skill, knowledge and passion for skiing which comes accross the moment you speak to them.
We hope you enjoy reading their bulletins and hope it inspires you to learn and develop your skills on snow.
