Naturally, we all want to progress. And now more than ever, tuition and camps are available to help push your riding further than you thought possible.

Your average rider Mikey Saunders from Mount Maunganui knows what he wants from coaching. "I want a teacher that can walk the talk and who can put it to me in a step by step method. Coaching that can introduce me to new approaches to my riding that I never thought of before like my mental attitude, the line I take or a tip to alter my stance to get a better response. I think that second person evaluation is pretty important."


So what is out there? Each resort provides their own snowboard school which is perfect for first time, beginner and intermediate boarders. Most also offer more advanced and in-depth training such as Cardrona's High Performance Centre or Turoa's Freestyle or Development Programme.

South Island's Snowpark NZ also has a wide array of choices on offer this season which Park school director Bevan Hall says promises fun times in a unique environment with world class facilities and amazing coaching staff. Snowpark NZ has four main coaching products on offer.


Hourly lessons can be tailored to all abilities whether it is to introduce people to park riding or to help riders work on a specific trick or feature. These range from $50 for one hour to $450 for a five hour stint.

"We will meet with the students and assess their level and goals. Then match them with an appropriate coach, send them on to the hill and let the magic happen! The coach will walk them through the basics; working on a specific feature or sometimes just showing the student round the park introducing them to people and the terrain,"says Hall.

Switch Academy is a high performance program using both Snowpark NZ and Treble Cone as their training ground. It is designed to look after and fully cater to youth progressing at a high level. Specifically for the girls, Snow Girls NZ is a 2 day overnight programme designed for girls and coached by some of New Zealand's top female riders.

And there couldn't be anyone better to learn from than the pro riders themselves - afterall they say that the way to step it up is to ride with those better than you. New to Snowpark tuition this year is the NZsnowboard.com Trick Tips Camp, a five day riding fest with the aim to let some of the skill of New Zealand's best rub off on participants. Following on from the Nzsnowboard.com Trick Tips DVD (complimentary with the last New Zealand Snowboarder magazine) professional riders Jake Koia, Nick Hyne, Nick Brown, Bevan Hall, Louis Purucker and Shelly Gotlieb will share their advice to help your riding improve and stay with you on the mountain.

It seems that this trend to learn from the best is a cut to the chase way to get better quicker. FTB is an Ohakune based snowboarder ran company committed to helping young people enjoy snowboarding and the lifestyle through camps at Mt Ruapehu and Wanaka. FTB camp Director Willie Beggs explains that FTB provides for intermediate and advanced riders who want to stay and ride with professional snowboarders.


"FTB camps are unique in New Zealand with our 'living with the pros concept', our camp hosts being top professional snowboarders and round-the-clock mentors.

"Our camp is twenty-four hours, meaning from the time you arrive it is snowboarding and the lifestyle that surrounds it. From having breakfast with the whole crew you will be riding with on the mountain, hitting the park or the back bowls, to our aprs skates on the FTB mini or the Wanaka skate park, to watching the film footage of the day and all the gear for the campers to use from our sponsors," says Beggs.

FTB even caters for riders by helping them manage competition preparation and also assists in gaining sponsorship for riders who want to get to the top.

One thing that these different lessons have in common is the combination of progression and fun to tackle any current challenges in your riding.

"The most common issue riders are faced with in the challenge to improve is mental barriers. Having all of our coaches riding at a high level themselves, means they are no different and know what its like to progress on a daily basis. That puts our coaches in a perfect position to confront mental barriers with their students," says Hall.

Beggs also notes that confidence and sometimes fear are stallers for improvement, but says it does not take long for campers to feel relaxed and realize that they are all there to push and support each other.

So what is instore for the future of snowboard tuition? Hall predicts more focus at an intermediate level, moving people up from recreational to amateur level. "Most resorts focus on first timers (to make money) however I think it is key for the sport's progression to help the riders that are looking to cross the line from recreational to amateur."

Beggs believes more tuition in specialized areas will be on the increase. "We will see more operations like FTB which not only focus on the individuality of each camper but also operations that some say are taking the 'heart and soul' out of snowboarding where the focus is on one discipline whether it be pipe, park or big mountain, and not just looking for lines and being creative on all terrain.

Whatever your expectations from coaching, this season the New Zealand resorts and professional snowboard scene have entrepreneurially put their riding skills out there for you to grab. All you need to do is get amongst and take advantage.




LINKS:
www.snowparknz.com
www.ftb.co.nz
www.nzski.com
www.mtruapehu.com