Race Training & Coaching

Junior Race Skills (Under 12s), Tuesday 18:00 – 19:30

This is a fun ski group to cultivate children’s enjoyment of skiing. It develops core technical skills that will underpin all-mountain skiing and provide an introduction to racing. The training targets 4 key technical areas: edge, pressure, rotation and coordination of steering.

The training runs in cycles of approximately two months, with the final week of the cycle acting as an assessment session. Coaches will regularly set race courses to enhance the development of slope skills and to help lay the foundations of competitive racing.

To participate in Junior Race Skills (under 12) your child needs to have completed Level 6 in Kids’ Ski School and have a recommendation to join Race Skills from the instructor.

The minimum entry level is for a child to demonstrate the following:

• Advanced, plough parallel turns
• Use a poma drag lift un-aided
• Be able to control their speed on blue slopes, using a variety of rounded turn sizes, with their skis mainly parallel
• Be aged 7 years and over
• In the event of any age discrepancies, you will be required to provide proof of age. This must be provided physically, showing official photographic documentation i.e. a passport. Photographs of documents will not be accepted. We ultimately have a duty of care to ensure the right guests are on the right sessions.

Please see information for parents here

Race assessment skills criteria can be found here

If your child is is under 7, we have a specific 4-6yrs Skills Development Session, 4:15-5:45pm, on Tuesday’s before Race Skills. This session is run by one of our Race Coaches and is designed and scheduled to be a preparation session for Race Skills - You can book the session here

Assessment dates

• 30th September 2025, 9th December 2025 

Timed runs dates**

• 16th September 2025, 2nd December 2025.

*Please note these dates are subject to change. 

Notes to Parents

For children aged under 12, skills development and fun outside of race gates is extremely important. Junior Race Skills (Under 12’s) trainees will ski different courses and may have less slalom course/race gate time than the Senior Race Skills (12+) group.

Children participating in Junior Race Skills (Under 12’s) will only be permitted to participate in Senior Race Skills (12+) when they are at least 12 years old and have been recommended by their coach.

Junior Race Skills (Under 12’s) will always be coached according to each child’s development (physically, socially and technically) to ensure every child is being developed at their own pace.

Please respect the professional view of the coaches and understand that race skills sessions are the most advanced training groups of a broader skiing development pathway for Chill Factor^e guests.

Senior Race Skills (12+), Tuesday 19:45 – 21:45

A ski group for adults and children aged 12+ that focuses on alpine ski racing*. Senior Race Skills (12+) comprises two groups as follows:

• Performance Group - This group is focused on using race techniques to further develop advanced ski skills.
  
• Competitive Race Group - This group is focused on competitive racing, training for competitions that are run in the UK and overseas
  

The training runs in cycles of approximately two months, with a specific theme focus for each cycle. Themes are rotated to motivate trainees, develop skill levels and enhance performance at competition level.

We plan to run timed races through a course every two months with results being recorded and tracked by coaches, so that progress is continually monitored.

To participate in Senior Race Skills (12+) participants need to be able to demonstrate the following:

• Use a poma drag lift un-aided.
• Be able to control their speed on blue slopes, using a variety of rounded turn sizes, with their skis remaining parallel throughout.
• Perform a basic parallel stop / hockey stop (both left and right).
• In the event of any age discrepancies, you will be required to provide proof of age. This must be provided physically, showing official photographic documentation i.e. a passport. Photographs of documents will not be accepted. We ultimately have a duty of care to ensure the right guests are on the right sessions.

* In consultation with Snowsport England, junior racers who turn 12 years of age within the GBR calendar year, i.e. 1st April to 31 March, will be allowed to ski full gates at the senior session.

Timed runs dates**

• 16th September 2025, 2nd December 2025.

**Please note these dates are subject to change.