and isofferedonceeachmonth.KiddCamps$675,Desperados
$540, Jackalopes$595,ArmstrongCamps$495.
steamboat.com
Few familybondingexperiencescanequal thatofaski trip to
Europe,and if that isyour fancy, thebestoption is tohead toZer-
matt,Switzerland.Britain’s top formerskiracer,MartinBell,has
developedavery loyal followingherebycateringhiscampsexclu-
sively to11- to15-year-oldsofmostabilities,withfive-daycourses
coveringallaspectsofskiing, includingmoguls,edging,andoff-
piste
terrain.Around$700.
skimartinbell.com
SummerSkiing
SKI PORTILLOSPECIALTYWEEKS, CHILE.
Skiing
isawintersport, butwinter isarelative thing. In thedogdaysof
summer in theNorthernHemisphere, it is theheightofwinter in
SouthAmerica,whenmore than20 feetof snowburiesSkiPortillo,
theworld’s top“summer”ski resort.Portillo isuniqueamongdes-
tinationski resorts:There is justonegrandhotel, and it isoperated
cruise-ship-style,withweeklongstays includingmealsandenter-
tainment, plusvast terrain (800acres, 12 lifts, and2,664 feetofver-
tical), all for just450orsoguests.This isascloseasmostskiers
will come toaprivatemountain, andPortillooffersmore than
threedistinctweeklongspecialtycampseachseason.Summer
DreamSkiingwithNASTC (NorthAmericanSkiTrainingCenter)
isapureplateaubreakthroughweekaimedat intermediate toex-
pertskiers.Taughtbyastaff that includesmembersof thePSIA
NationalDemonstrationTeam, it focuseson technique, equipment,
andfitness tohelpstudentsski “all conditions, all terrain.”Ski
with theSuperstarsWeek isequalparts immersion instruction
and fantasycampand is taughtby legendsChrisDavenport, a two-
timeWorldFreeskiingChampion;ChrisAnthonyofBeaver
Creek’sTechniqueWeeks;WendyFischer, a three-timeWorld
ExtremeSkiingChampionandU.S.SkiTeamracer; and Ingrid
Backstrom,winnerof theU.S. andCanadianNationalFreeskiing
Championships.Alongwithparties, gear, and instruction, the
groupsof strong intermediatesandaboveare immortalizedbya
professionalphotographerandvideographer.TheAspenMethod
PortilloCamp forAdultsvisitsannually fromColoradoand isrun
by founderJonClendenin, two-timeWorldFreestyleChamp.
Givenhisbackground, ithasanemphasisonmogul skiing, but this
translates to theentiremountain.Clendenin’s“method” isgreat
forbabyboomersandmatureskierswhowant the fundamental
techniques thatwillgive themoptimumcontrol inbumps,
groomed, andoff-
piste
terrain.Eachcamp isofferedoncepersea-
son, inAugustorSeptember.Approximately$4,000 to$5,000per
person, all inclusive.
skiportillo.com
All-AroundPlateauBusting
TECHNIQUEWEEKS, PARK
HYATTBEAVERCREEKRESORTANDSPA, COLORADO.
This is thebestprogram
for intermediateandadvancedadultskiers looking to take itupa
level—or two. It isalsooneof themost luxurious, auniquepart-
nershipbetween theslopesideParkHyatt, oneof thefinestski re-
sorthotels inNorthAmerica, and theBeaverCreekSki&
SnowboardSchool.Ararecamp that includes lodging, italsooffers
mostmealsandendlessaprès-skiparties, ensuringa lotof cama-
raderie, plusphotos, aDVD, andpriceyski-geargifts to takehome.
BeaverCreek iswidelyknown forhavingoneof theworld’s topski
schools, and thisprogramuses instructorswhoare thebestof the
best, including formernational teamandWorldCupskiers from
theU.S.,Australia,Argentina, andelsewhere.Campsareheldear-
ly in theseason, andonebenefit is thechance toapply the lessons
for therestof thewinter.Fortunately,BeaverCreekhassomeof
WINTER 2009
celebratedliving.com
44
SKI PORTILLO
COURTESY: SKI PORTILLO
ADVENTURE
Peak Performance
