Tahoe Quarterly

Girl Powder

by Kim Wyatt 

In Tahoe, the ladies who lunch can usually be found on a sunny mid-mountain deck, laughing at their last run and plotting the next. And an increasing number of those women are choosing to hone their alpine skills in downhill clinics and camps structured specifically for them.

Wherever you work or play, there is a clinic or camp to suit your mood and skill level. Most resorts offer one- or three-day ski or snowboard options throughout the season. Equipment, lunch and video analysis are usually included; some add breakfast, après-ski or yoga. Coaching is individualized with a low student-to-instructor ratio. The collection of female instructors in Tahoe represents a Who’s Who in winter sports, featuring top snowboarders as well as backcountry, cross-county and alpine skiers. Students are carefully matched to the instructor who will help them best achieve their personal goals.

In addition to one- and three-day camps, Alpine Meadows is offering a new ten-week Women’s Day program for locals. Leigh Pierini, women’s ski coach and the resort’s alpine training supervisor, says the resort’s highly qualified female staff—all Level III PSIA certified—and the terrain are unique to Alpine.

“Women generally ski more from their heads,” says Pierini. “There are a lot of layers to becoming a better ski athlete and we work to enhance skills, fun and endurance levels, terrain selections and mental preparation. Because it’s women teaching women, we can relate on a different level, and bring women to where they want to ski—and beyond.” Pierini attributes the popularity of women’s clinics to a desire to stay physically fit and an ability to consolidate time, be it spending an afternoon on the slopes with girlfriends or seeking instruction for a specific issue while having fun.

Just as no two women are alike, specialty clinics have sprung up to meet the needs of the different demographics and skill levels of female skiers and boarders. These include lessons for moms and kids, clinics for older women and classes that take more advanced learners off piste and into the steeps.

Squaw Valley’s 50+ clinic is growing in popularity, says Northrop. Lessons are taught by instructors in that age group, and this is key. “A lot of the students learned to ski on straight skis, and the instructors have a background with the older technology and can help them make the transition to shaped skis,” Northrop says. It’s also nice to ski with others that have the same energy level and safety concerns, she adds.

Many resorts package well-earned indulgences to go with the workshops. Northstar-at-Tahoe’s Girlfriend Getaway includes three days of lessons, lift tickets and lodging plus yoga and massage. Squaw Valley ups the ante by adding an après-ski spa treatment and wine tasting with its Sapphire package. Kirkwood also offers wine tasting and film showings along with its ski and snowboard clinics, while the Women’s Adventure Programs at Heavenly encourage camaraderie on and off the slopes by arranging après events in the evening.