High Park Ski Club

Before joining the High Park Ski Club in 2006, I had skied 2 days in my life, both as a teenager. I also used to loathe winter. At the risk of sounding overly-​exhuberant, High Park Ski Club absolutely transformed my life.
I’ve gone from being a (practically) never-​ever skier, to a ski and snowboard instructor, racing coach, and guide at Whistler-​Blackcomb. I’ve also made tons of ski friends who I look forward to seeing every winter.
High Park Ski Club offers unlimited lessons, incredibly affordable day trips and longer trips, and lots of social activities. The club does downhill, snowboarding, cross-​country, and snowshoeing, so there’s something for pretty much everyone.
As an adults-​only club, it’s the kind of scene that I appreciate. There are tons of chances to meet people on the bus if you’re an outgoing person. You’ll also meet the bus captain and the other people in your lesson group. In fact, a big reason to join in on lessons is to meet other people.
If you have specific skiing goals, the club will help you meet them too. You can do mogul training, gate/​race training, general ski improvement, special multi-​day series, and even instructor training.
Anyway, if you do join, say hi to David (that’s me!). :) I tend to sit at the back of the bus, and love to meet new members. Every fall there are several new member information nights, so come check the club out.
Have a great winter, everyone, and see you on the slopes!

I have been alpine skiing since I was about 11 and have had a few lessons early on so I was an intermediate skier at best when I joined the club last year. I originally joined this club to meet new people and have fun doing something I enjoy at the same time.
I liked the fact that lessons were included in the membership fee and figured I would be able to work on my technique as well. What I didn’t expect was how much improvement I would see in such a short time. The instructors are great and give excellent tips and tricks for achieving the optimal skiers stance and balance. The lessons last for about 2 hours in the morning then you have the rest of the day to practice what you’ve learned.
The club is very well organized and professional, which I appreciate, esp on the long overnight trips.
I have noticed that more young people are joining the club this year which is amazing. A lot of people have been with the club for years and they can be a wealth of knowledge but it’s nice to see new faces.
As for making friends I have found this to be a great place. The trick is to chat up the people in your lessons group — they ski at the same level as you so you can ski the rest of the day with them and hang out together off the slopes. So far it’s been a win-​win.
Oh and my favourite part is the downhill race they put on every Saturday at MSLM (until February). You get to try your skills on the race course and possibly win a medal, which is based on your experience level. AND… Just for entering the race you get your name put into the door prize draw for cool gear like goggles, boot bags and water bottles. So far I’ve won a HPSC collapsible water bottle!

I recently joined with little to no ski experience. The reasons why I joined are simple:
keep active in the winter
embrace a Cdn winter sport
meet new people
I’ve had funny experiences with the club on my outings, from being left behind with the snowshoe group to not being placed on the right skills level and the instructor being at a loss with what to do with me!
But, after my first xc ski class, I learned to do the herring, and 2 other techniques that I can not recall b/​c I don’t have my progress card with me. But more importantly, after 1 morning of lessons, I felt comfortable enough to ski in the afternoon.
The second time I went skiing, it was as if I had never gone out with them before. It was icy, and I was afraid of skiing in icy conditions. The instructor was good and helped to bring me to the skills level of the others. Remember, I am still a beginner and this was my 2^nd class.
But, I did not go skiing in the afternoon. In fact, I felt like I was the new kid in school who has no where to sit for lunch. I literally, sat by myself for lunch. No one talked to me. I felt uncomfortable approaching groups b/​c I saw that people had formed their own groups and no one was welcoming. I spent the rest of the afternoon in the chalet playing with my crappy android phone while I waited for the departure time. Even the people who also stayed in the chalet did not once look at me or talk to me. For someone who is shy in new circumstances /​groups, this is a might challenge to overcome.
That was the last of my skiing for the season b/​c the weather turned and became unseasonably mild (for cross– country skiing).
Overall, I think this group is phenomenal if you have previous skiing experience. Otherwise, as a newbie, it’s an uphill challenge to (a) learn to ski and (b) meet people at your same ski level. It’s difficult to make friendships if you only see the person once, and meanwhile, the ones you see regularly are intermediate to advanced skiers who will not slum it on on the easy trails to keep you company and be your friend. It appears friendships are already formed.
I will return next season to give this Club a fair shake. Maybe on my second season I will improve my ski level and meet people at same my skills level. Or maybe, the cliques I saw are strongly held and breaking in as the new kid in school will be difficult. Either way, I think it’s a great opportunity what they offer during the winter and I don’t regret joining.

I’ve been with the club for 3 seasons now and I’m totally enjoying being a member!
for a $ 150 membership fee (sign up before november to get early bird membership price) you get as many lessons as you can fit in your schedule and there are so many different lessons/​programs/​activities that you won’t be disappointed.
There are programs for racers, for moguls enthusiasts, for skiers and snowboarders, preparation for your IT course and so many more… some programs last for few weeks in a row, some take a video of you skiing/​snowboarding and give you a feedback for improving your technique. There is something for everyone!
The instructors are amazing! I started to ski with them and they turned me into advanced skier in 1.5 seasons! They are always there to help/​advice/​cheer and did I mention that they are just AMAZING?=)
With HPSC members get discounts on lift tickets and bus rides to the resorts (pick ups from all over the city). There are trips on the weekends and midweek trips. There are many trips to private resorts too!
Ah and the big thing is the long trips and weekend trips. Weekend trips go to close by locations like quebec or close by US. Long trips go all the way to europe or whistler etc. Haven’t been to many of them but the agenda is usually filled with all types of apres ski activities so no time to be bored either!
This is a super friendly ski club and I highly recommend joining it to get your ski/​snowboard fix every winter (that is actually very short after you fall in love with winter sports≠))