Which ski or snowboard lesson should I book? Start with your level, then compare five courses

The booking page lists five courses. Most people who get stuck are not confused by the prices; they just don’t know which level they’re at.

This post is for you if:

• you have decided to take lessons in Hokkaido but haven’t picked which kind
• you aren’t sure whether your “turning” counts as turning
• you want to know how the tree lesson and the Companion differ from a regular lesson

Choosing takes three questions, then the table below. Durations, prices and bookable dates are on the courses page; this post doesn’t repeat them.

Answer three questions first

1. Snowboard or skis? The level boundaries differ between the two, so settle that first. If you haven’t decided, start with Snowboard or ski?.

2. How far along are you now? Judge by what you can do on the slope, not by how many days you have ridden. On a snowboard the question is “can you link turns steadily?”; on skis it is “can you make parallel turns?”

3. What do you want from this trip? If you want to learn something new, book a lesson. Only if you just want someone to ride with, plus some suggestions along the way, look at the Professional Companion.

The five courses side by side

Course	Level required	Max per group
Beginner Lesson	Snowboard: zero experience to not yet linking turns steadily; ski: not yet making parallel turns (including those who can snowplough)	6
Snowboard Progression Lesson	Snowboard only; can already link turns steadily	4
Ski Progression Lesson	Ski only; can already make parallel turns	4
Snowboard Tree & Powder Lesson	Fluent linked S turns on red (intermediate) runs; the school checks your level before you book	4
Professional Ski & Snowboard Companion	Can ride S turns on red runs on your own; company and suggestions — not teaching, not supervision	No limit

Two boundaries in this table are the easiest to misjudge.

“Steady linked turns” on a snowboard. If you can sometimes link turns but slip back into falling leaf the moment you get nervous, you still belong in the Beginner Lesson. If you’re not sure, book the Beginner Lesson: its range already includes “not yet linking turns steadily”.

“Fluent on red runs” for the tree lesson. This lesson goes into the trees and rides powder, on terrain more complex than groomed runs, so the school checks your level before you book, and a helmet is required throughout. It runs at only three resorts: Rusutsu (in Chinese), Sapporo Teine (in Chinese) and Asarigawa Onsen (in Chinese).

Every lesson takes place inside the resort’s managed area, in terrain the resort permits and has open that day. The instructor plans the route according to resort rules, snow conditions and the students’ level. The Tree & Powder Lesson is no exception.

Requesting an instructor. Only the Snowboard Progression Lesson lets you request a specific instructor; for the Beginner Lesson, Ski Progression Lesson and Tree & Powder Lesson, the school assigns one based on your situation. Which instructors you can request, and what it costs, are set out in the FAQ. For the widest choice of dates, choose “Any available coach”.

One instructor per group

SnowWind lessons are organised by group. Each group has one instructor, with a cap of 6 or 4 people depending on the course.

Every instructor teaches in Chinese; those who can also teach in English or Cantonese are listed in the FAQ. Principal KAKU leads the team; KAKU’s qualifications and profile are on the instructor page.

Answers to questions you may have before booking are on the courses page and in the FAQ. For anything not covered there, ask us directly before you book.