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EXIT NOW.
 How
To Reserve Private Ski LessonS
with bill jones
by Bill Jones, Ski Instructor
Certified Professional Ski Instructor (Registration #110478), Level III
private ski lessons at Vail Resort ski areas of Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, Beaver Creek,
and at other areas
For background on Bill, go to
BILL JONES, Ski Instructor.
Also,
Read what others have said
about ski lessons with Bill.
Bill
teaches alpine skiing (no terrain park, cross-country, telemark, or snowboard) to adults
and children age 8 and up (a parent[s] may be present if you prefer).
"Let's ski!"...Bill Jones
JANUARY 18, 2019: Bill Jones is not presently available for private lessons.
To book your private lessons
at Keystone, Breckenridge, Vail, or Beaver Creek--learn about lessons below and/or scroll to bottom of this page.
You
may contact Bill with inquiries
but do not ask to make arrangements for
lessons other than through the ski school.
Why?
Also note that Bill or any instructor cannot be reserved
for group lessons.
Read Bill's 2018-2019 annual ski letter.
Read Bill's 2016-2017 annual ski letter: updates on skiing, equipment tips, and technique
brush-ups.
Information/pricing for private lessons.
Prices shown are
based on Vail Resorts websites for advance online reservations; walk-up prices may be more. Holiday prices also may be more. Include up to 6 persons for these
prices; extra for more. (Prices are from 2018-2019 Vail Resorts websites. Confirm when booking; you are not at a Vail Resorts website.)
Full-day private lessons are available at all
Vail resorts. Start between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.; end
when lifts close at 4 p.m. (at
Keystone can start later and stay later when there is night skiing).
Advance-purchase prices
to book Bill as a Keystone-based instructor through Keystone are:
$799 for full-day sessions at Keystone (about 6 hours each).
$639 for 3-hour sessons at Keystone starting only at 9:00 a.m. or 1:00 p.m.
(Bill can teach 3-hour lessons only at Keystone, not at other resorts).
$799 for full-day sessionsat Breckenridge.
(Price to book a Breckenridge instructor for a session at Breckenridge
is $855).
$899 for full-day sessions at Vail
or Beaver Creek. (Price to
book a Vail or Beaver Creek instructor
for a session there is $995.)
If
renting equipment (not included with lesson), consider renting it at the resort. That way, if an
equipment adjustment
is needed it can be done with less interruption to your lesson. The company
rentskis.com: exits has
locations near lift bases at most of the Vail Resorts ski areas and you can
reserve your gear online--useful as at busy times equipment may be limited in
some sizes or types and wait-times for fitting your gear can be less.
If you will rent equipment at a resort, arrive at the rental shop for fitting
at least one hour before your lesson, more on busy days such as holidays, school
vacations. Or rent it the afternoon or evening before your lesson--check for
shop hours.
Private lessons can accommodate up to 6 people at the base cost. With
Bill, parents may accompany children (8 and older) taking lessons. Bill teaches only alpine
skiing, so mixing skiers and snowboarders is not an option.
Lift tickets are required for all lessons. When booking, check for lift
ticket prices for the resort where you will take your lesson; they may cost less if purchased with a lesson.
Some lower-priced lift tickets bought with lessons are valid
only when skiing with the instructor.
Lunch may (should) be taken during a full-day private lesson but the cost is not
included. Bring cash or credit.
Priority lift access is provided for private-lesson takers on most
intermediate and upper-level lifts at Vail Resorts ski areas.
If you cancel a reserved lesson, fees may apply; inquire when booking.
Lessons can also be given by Bill at any Vail Resorts or non-Vail Resorts ski
area;
surcharges apply. Inquire.
Have available when you book your private lesson.
name of your preferred instructor--Bill
Jones.
your address, phone, email, and credit card information
names of people to include in lesson, their ages, their skill levels, their goals
date and length of session you wish to schedule, plus start time.
Available start times may vary according to lift access schedules.
where you would like to start your session: at which resort, and which ski
school meeting area of resort.
If at Keystone, choose River Run or
Mountain House.
If at Breckenridge, choose Village (Peak 9), Beaver Run
(Peak 9), Peak 8 or Peak 7.
If at Vail, choose Village or Lions Head.
If at Beaver
Creek, choose Bachelor Gulch/Ritz Carlton or Village.
If another location,
after booking set up
meeting place with Bill directly. If unsure, ask Bill. Arrange specific spot with Bill and discuss how to be recognized; provide cell phone to Bill (his is 970/390-8821.)
Lesson-taking cost-saving strategies to get more value: (Prices shown are for online reservations and may differ for other types. Holiday prices may be more. (Prices are from 2018-2019 Vail Resorts websites. Confirm when booking; you are not at a Vail Resorts website.)
The comparisons below show generally that full-day lessons are a better
value per hour versus half-day lessons. But a
more important reason is that it usually takes longer than a half-day lesson
to impart a new skill. Often the first half-day is spent learning a skill,
and the next half-day anchors the skill with practice guided by a coach.
First-time and beginner skiers in group lessons, for instance, are
encouraged to take a full 3 days of lessons for this same reason. While a
private lesson has advantages, it does not necessarily reduce the time
needed to be spent on learning and practice.
Book Bill through the Keystone Ski School at $799/day and have him come to
you there or for the same amount Breckenridge instead of booking a Breckenridge instructor at
$855/day. Or have him come to you at Vail or Beaver Creek for $899
instead of booking an instructor there at $995. This idiosyncrasy is due to
the different resorts having different prices at their ski schools and a
travel surcharge to go to the distant resorts.
Book full-day lessons instead of half-day lessons:
For instance, at Keystone, total cost
($799) of a full-day lesson is less than two half-day lessons (2 x $639=$1278). Bill can teach half-day lessons at Keystone but not elsewhere.
Extend a morning Keystone session: If you start in the morning with a regular-season half-day lesson of 3 hours
(at $639) you may extend to a
full-day lesson (at $799) for just $160 more. This add-on option can be useful if
you are uncertain of your available time or are unsure you
will have the stamina for a full-day lesson. The risk is that if an a.m. lesson Bill may get booked by another party in the
afternoon before you decide to extend. And if not extended, the lesson must end
on time so Bill can report for his afternoon assignment.
Book up to 6 persons:
For
multi-person "private" lessons (up to 6 persons for the same
price) you may organize your session so that some of
your party is being coached while others are skiing or resting and then
switch roles. (This can be especially useful in private-lesson groups with mixed skill,
age, interest, or stamina levels so that each person is in a comfortable and
effective learning environment).
Start early, Stay late: Because the ski slopes sometimes open at 8:30 a.m.
we might be able to start
then. If we
catch our last ride at 4:00 p.m., a full-day
lesson can be stretched out, allowing for lunch and rest
breaks. (At Keystone when there is night skiing there is even more flexibility
on start time if arranged in advance.)
Run gates and/or race free:
Running gates with or without timed results is free at the Vail Resort ski
areas for lesson students of skill level 6 and up, when the course is open
(usually). There may be a separate registration fee if vying for medals. Practicing skiing gates is a great way to tune up skiing skills even if not done for time.
If private lessons still seem costly, consider The Business Model: The cost of a private lesson has some correlation with the revenue the resort
could earn from using the same instructor for a group lesson. Rates have proved compatible with ski school business model
requirements within supply and demand parameters and compare with rates charged
for many other individualized services available from some other sports
professionals such as golf and tennis, as well as accountants, lawyers,
plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics, and computer technicians. Like these
specialists, a ski instructor is a trained
professional, too, and like them is supported by an office, marketing, training, and
managerial staff. Demand for instruction is such that the local ski resorts have from 200
to 1200 instructors each.
For more considerations on private lessons, and for comparing pros and cons
of private lessons versus group lessons, go to Why Take a
Lesson from a Professional Ski Instructor and scroll down to "Private vs.
Group Lesson".
What you may expect in a Level 1 private ski lesson at River Run,
Keystone
Location maps of some private lesson meeting areas at
Breckenridge and Keystone
Share your personal skiing information with Bill
so he can plan the best experience to meet your needs and wishes.
Get on a contact list for
Bill's annual pre-season letter.
Contact Bill Jones:
e-mail Bill Jones
home
phone & fax: 970/468-7673 (both
phone and fax; phone has answering machine)
cell phone: 970/390-8821
(when in range, daytimes only; if no answer leave message but also call home phone
as cell phone does not work at rural residence.)
postal mail: Bill Jones, 637 Blue Ridge Road, Silverthorne, CO 80498
To book your private lessons with Bill Jones--
For Keystone, Breckenridge, Vaill, or Beaver Creek, book online at www.keystoneresort.com, (Click “Ski & Snowboard Lessons”, then “Private Lessons”). At Keystone you can choose half-day or all-day lessons; at other resorts choose only full-day lessons. I would be honored to have you enter Bill Jones as your instructor choice. If you will take your lessons at Breckenridge, Vail, or Beaver Creek, you may need to call 1-800/255-3715 any day 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. MST to specify that or tell me at least a day in advance so that I can do it for you.
Because Keystone arranges my bookings, dealing directly with Keystone works best, but if you already have a profile set up with Vail Resorts including a credit card (which I don’t want to know) I can book for you. In any case, please e-mail me at billjones@skimybest.com with your arrangements so I can ensure you get what you want—and include your goals.
Thanks, and I hope to ski with soon--"Let's ski!"
Bill Jones
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Copyright © 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018. William R Jones.
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