Top Up Your Family Ski Techniques!

 With the ski season just around the corner, why not whisk your family away for a real winter wonderland treat in the French Alps? A catered ski chaletprovides all the mod cons and takes the hassle out of cooking, leaving you and your family with quality time together.

Before you head out on your ski adventure read our top tips to help you and your little ones hone your skills or take your skiing to the next level. You're sure to have an exhilarating family experience you'll want to repeat year after year.

Get Fit!

This one's not just for the adults, children will also need to make sure they are 'ski fit', so before you hit the slopes, hit the gym. Skiing makes you use muscles you never knew you had, combined with the effects of high altitudes and low temperatures, injuries and tiredness could put a damper on your holiday. Get piste perfect by developing your flexibility, strength and endurance with plyometrics. Or why not book in family time at the local swimming pool in the run up to your holiday?

Watch the Pros

Ski techniques are constantly evolving and there are many different skiers using different styles on the mountains. The great thing is you don't have to fork out lots of money for tips from the pros – huddle around YouTube with your family (most catered ski chalets have wifi) and get inspired by videos from champions such as Kalle Pallander and Candide Thovex and soon you'll be cruising down the slopes like the pros.

GoPro

1.    Get a piece of the action and invest in the GoPro eponymous action camera to video your performance on the piste.  There is no better way to improve your technique than to actually watch how you ski and compare it with videos of the experts.  So whip out your GoPro and get one of the kids to help record you strutting your stuff in the snow.  Watching the replays will be fun while you all tuck into a delicious meal back in the chalet after a hard day on the slopes.

Take a Lesson as a Family

Family lessons are a great way to bond and have a giggle as you learn the basics or ramp up your skiing to the next level.

Master Short Turns

Mastering short turns is essential for children and adults if they want to become proficient skiers. It can be laborious learning this alone so book a family lesson with a private instructor and soon you'll be gracefully travelling down the slopes.

Powder Skiing

Get in the deep stuff with powder skiing. Not one for families with very young children but a must-do activity for more proficient skiers. The feeling of cruising down the piste in the deep snow is an unbeatable but exhausting experience: you'll need extra resistance and a perfect bounce to help you along. 

Family Freestyle

For families with older, adventurous children (not to mention daredevil mums and dads!), freestyle skiing is perfect for an exhilarating day out on the snow.  Mastering the art of skiing backwards will enable you to show off with impressive turns and jumps.

A skiing holiday up in the mountains is the perfect getaway for a true family experience. With days spent learning and having a laugh on the slopes, and nights huddled together enjoying Alpine cuisine in the cosy catered ski chaletthere are plenty of moments for precious family time which you'll remember for years to come.

Belinda Smythson works for Ski Amis, a specialist ski travel agency and booking service that has been helping avid skiers craft their perfect winter holiday for over a quarter of a century. If you're looking for the best catered ski chalet accommodation in the Three Valleys, Paradiski, Espace Killy or Chamonix Valley, Ski Amis is the go-to company for winter sports fans searching for the holiday of a lifetime.