Monday – Arrival, Basics & First “Aha” Moments 🏂 Link to heading

Mountains

The first day of the course started with a short welcome and an introduction to the goals of the Level 1 Kids Instructor Snowboard at Swiss Snowsports. The focus was clearly on the basics: clean movements, conscious riding, and most importantly, how to teach these concepts in a child-friendly way.

Warm-up & Getting to Know Each Other Link to heading

For the warm-up, we jogged together in a circle. Each person introduced themselves and pantomimed a hobby – everyone else imitated the movement.
A simple but highly effective exercise to break the ice and immediately bring movement and fun to the group.

Warm-up Ride Link to heading

During the first ride, the goal was to consciously notice:

  • How is the snow?
  • How is the visibility?
  • How does the body feel?

This self-awareness is an important part of teaching children.

Basic Snowboard Position Link to heading

A key topic of the day was the basic stance. We worked with contrasts:

  • O vs. X legs
  • Rounded back vs. hollow back
  • Straight legs vs. bent knees
  • Looking down vs. looking ahead
  • Hips in riding direction vs. hips against riding direction

These comparisons helped develop a clear sense of a stable and functional stance.

Game: Balance & Core Tension Link to heading

In pairs, we stood facing each other and gently pushed. The goal was to remain stable with a low center of gravity and wide stance.
A playful way to explore balance, tension, and body control.

Board Functions & Core Movements Link to heading

An important guiding principle:

Always work from the snow upwards.

We learned how board functions and core movements interact, and why clean movements form the foundation for all further learning steps.

Riding Switch Link to heading

The focus when riding switch was on conscious execution:

  • stable basic form
  • clear core movements
  • no compensations

Challenging but very instructive.

Reaction Game Link to heading

Warm-up game 1 vs. 1:

  • Hands on thighs
  • Command: left, right, or up

If both reacted the same, the next round went on the knees – followed by a high-five together.
Fast-paced, playful, and a lot of fun.

The Waltz on the Snowboard Link to heading

The waltz helped us understand rotational movements better:

  • Traverse like a car
  • “Park” into the slope
  • “Unpark” on the other side

Progression:

  • ride closer together
  • 360° waltz

Helpful visuals:

  • Pick up a box from the ground (kneel) and throw it over the shoulder → rotate & extend legs for better form
  • Like a horse following a fly around its head → lead the movement with head and torso

Slide Exercises Link to heading

Slides on the heel and toe edge with conscious weight transfer:

  • Put more weight on one side
  • Visualization: a cloth at the hips moves first to the board and then over the nose or tail
  • Bend knees and actively move the hips outwards
  • Use hands consciously
  • Look over the hand – not at the board

Practice & Reflection Link to heading

At the end of the day, there was time to practice freely.
Together, we reflected on the current situation, personal challenges, and first progress.

An intense first day with lots of input, clear visuals, and valuable basics – a great start to the training week.

Evening Program & Exchange Link to heading

In the evening, we went back to the hotel. I was paired with Tomak, which worked out very well. Together we used the time to complete the theory exercises and the journal, and to review the first day of the course.

The exchange helped us deepen content, clarify open questions, and reflect on our experiences.
To end the day, we enjoyed a delicious dinner – a relaxed conclusion after an intense and instructive first day.

Tuesday – Switch, Switch, Switch 🏂🔄 Link to heading

Mountains

Tuesday was all about switch riding. The entire program was consistently performed in switch – a real challenge but extremely valuable for riding skills and understanding movements.

Warm-up Link to heading

The day started with a warm-up of demonstrated exercises, aimed more at teens. The focus was on mobility, activation, and preparation for an intense switch day.

Building a Beginner Lesson Link to heading

We then worked on planning a beginner lesson in the beginner area – step by step and hands-on.

Equipment Check Link to heading

We began by checking equipment to ensure safety and correct settings.

One-Leg Riding & First Movements Link to heading

  • Riding on one leg
  • Rotating around own axis
  • Free leg:
    • normally behind the board
    • also consciously in front of the board
  • Small course
  • Relay with dice
    • dice number = points
    • bonus points for the faster team

Playful, motivating, and perfect for children.

Climbing the Slope Link to heading

  • Lead with one leg in front of the board
  • Get used to switch orientation
  • Coordination and balance

Course: Climb & Slide Link to heading

A varied course:

  • Partially climb
  • Strap on board
  • Ride full base down
  • Slide on heel edge
  • Slide on toe edge
  • Full base in different directions
  • Include varied heights

Sliding in Direction Link to heading

  • Image: car gas pedal
  • Look in riding direction
  • Then look back at the slope (especially on toe edge)

Riding Garland Link to heading

  • From edge to full base
  • About 3 seconds
  • Back to the edge

An important intermediate step toward making turns.

First Turns Link to heading

  • First turn attempts (usually easier: toe edge → heel edge)
  • Work with the gas pedal
  • Show direction with hand

Switch Deepening Link to heading

Additional switch exercises to improve at our level:

  • Snowball in front hand
  • Consciously inhale and exhale
  • Counting for even turns
  • Look where you want to turn
  • Riding in pairs:
    • the front person determines where the turns are made

Exaggerating Turns Link to heading

Consciously overemphasize the movement:

  • Start with forward lean
  • Middle: centered
  • End: backward lean

Helpful for understanding movement range and timing.

End of Day Link to heading

In the afternoon, we went back to the hotel. There we:

  • Filled in the journal
  • Reflected on content
  • Ate together
  • Chatted and exchanged experiences

An intense day that showed how valuable switch riding is for technique, understanding, and teaching skills.

Wednesday – Technique Deepening & Mindful Breaks 🏂 Link to heading

Mountains

Wednesday began with a clear focus on board control and technique – both in normal and switch setups.

Morning: Ollie & N’ollie Link to heading

In the morning we focused on:

  • Ollie
  • N’ollie
  • Switch Ollie
  • Switch N’ollie

The focus was less on height and more on:

  • clean stance
  • active use of legs and board
  • timing and control

Especially in switch, it became clear how important clean movements and core tension are.

Afternoon: Individual Practice & Video Task Link to heading

In the afternoon we had time for individual practice.
The task was to make a video of an improved form to track personal progress.

I practiced the slide again. Conscious practice improved:

  • Stability
  • Weight transfer
  • Overall form

The video helped me clearly see and reflect on improvements.

Cooling Down & Relaxing Link to heading

Besides technical progress, we took a few quiet minutes together.
After several intensive days, it felt good to pause, breathe, and process experiences.

A balanced day showing how important learning, practice, and recovery are.

Thursday – Rotation, 180s & First Teaching Experience 🏂 Link to heading

Mountains

Thursday combined technical development with the particularly valuable experience of the first real teaching session with children.

Warm-up Link to heading

The day started with a structured warm-up:

  • 7× turn
  • 3× breathe
  • 7× downward dog → cobra
  • 3× breathe
  • 7× jackknife
  • 3× breathe

A rhythmic routine linking mobility, core tension, and breathing.

Warm-up Ride Link to heading

  • 5 waltzes per side

Activated rotational movements and developed a good sense of rotation.

Ollie – Review Link to heading

Focus on clean stance, active bending and stretching, controlled take-off.

180° – Build-up & Exercises Link to heading

Step-by-step approach:

  • Waltz with arrow up
  • Arrow at knee height
  • Jump on edges
  • Pre-waltz: last 90° in the air
  • 180° with core tension & controlled landing

Teaching Session with Kids Link to heading

In the afternoon, children came for a beginner snowboard lesson.
Together with Elias, we worked on:

  • Riding on one leg
  • Getting used to the snowboard
  • Playful learning
  • First turns

A strict but very interesting and educational experience. Especially teaching children, explaining with visuals, and pacing were valuable.

End of Day Link to heading

A joint evening concluded the day. Ski and snowboard groups presented short theater sketches with humor and creativity.
A fun way to strengthen group cohesion and end the day with laughs.

Friday – Outlook, Reflection & Conclusion 🏂 Link to heading

Snowboarders

Friday was all about concluding Level 1 and looking forward to the next step.

Level 2 Preparation Link to heading

Morning introduction to Level 2 Instructor content:

  • Nose Turn
  • 360°

Focus was on feeling:

  • advanced rotation
  • clean movements
  • higher demands on core tension and timing

A motivating preview of the next course.

Independent Riding Link to heading

Time to ride independently, practice freely, reinforce skills, and focus on quality and awareness.

Discussion with Flu Link to heading

Personal meeting with Flu (instructor):

  • Reflect on personal goals
  • Review progress
  • Discuss grades

Honest, constructive feedback to summarize the week and plan next steps.

Joint Conclusion Link to heading

The course concluded with a shared session for all snowboarders:

  • Review the week
  • Share experiences
  • Celebrate achievements

A challenging, instructive, and rewarding week came to an end.

Snowboarders