Wrightwood, CA – Southern California’s Mountain High Resort in Wrightwood has increased the size of its Family Learning Center to accommodate even more students ages 4 to 12 this season.
Located adjacent the Bullwheel Grill, this two-story facility is now complete with rentals, restrooms, warming stations and more. Parents can pick up their tickets and rentals here or book online and have their lesson packets waiting for them when they arrive. This also guarantees their lesson reservation in case of a sellout.
For first-time skiers and snowboarders, the experience begins in the West base area at the newly-established Winter Sports School reception kiosk. Here guests can purchase tickets, pick up rental paperwork, and check in for lessons. Then they take their first ride up a 400-foot moving carpet to the Children’s Sports Center and adult meeting area where they meet their instructors. After the lesson or during mid-day breaks, families can warm up in the newly-remodeled Bullwheel Grill and enjoy updated menu items ranging from burgers to heart-healthy options for kids.
On the snow, Mountain High has partnered with Burton to offer a new Burton Riglet LTR (Learn To Ride) Center and implemented Terrain-Based Teaching.
Since 1998 Burton has featured beginner-specific equipment and learning programs. Today they partner with more than 190 resorts and offer a full range of Learn To Ride programs and parks. Soft-flex boards with catch-free edges make the equipment easy to control, and Velcro boots & bindings are something even a small mitt-covered hand can manage. Throw a Riglet towing accessory on the smallest boards and no child is left behind. Interactive stations allow kids to maneuver over, under, around, and through sculpted terrain and features. Balance, weight transfer, edging, and freestyle are learned through fun and play. Lessons begin at age 4 and include individual attention and feedback with small class sizes in a safe and friendly environment. By integrating play into snowboarding and using an interactive environment, kids have more fun and get better results.
Terrain-based teaching zones are the newest thing in snow sports teaching. Features such as banks, berms, camel humps, and mini-halfpipes, let guests feel the natural movements of their equipment while reducing fears, reducing falls, and increasing the overall excitement. Students learn to go with their momentum rather than fight against it because the terrain does the work. The result transforms a “traditional” lesson taught on the bunny hill into a beginner experience that keeps students engaged and coming back, proponents indicate.
“By using terrain to initiate actions, students feel the proper movement of their equipment almost immediately, and their confidence skyrockets. It’s amazing how well it works,” says John McColly, CMO at Mountain High.
Mountain High has also developed a new discount Family Package to help parents and kids unite on the slopes. Now available midweek non-holiday, families can purchase one adult lift ticket, one child’s lift ticket (ages 12 and under), and two $10 meal vouchers for $89, a $15 discount For a more comprehensive experience, guests can add a lesson and rentals for $30 more per person, or add additional tickets and meal vouchers for $59 per adult and $30 per child 12 and under.