The ultimate show of skills comes in the moguls, everything that we do right or wrong becomes easy to see. When we are off balance the next mogul will let us know – it’s difficult to hide any deficiencies in our technique. There are many ways to ski moguls, Thor – ski instructor at DV likes to ski and teach bumps and in the video below he shows his way of doing it. He conducts mogul clinics for instructors at DV as well as teaches it to his clients. Watch the video and if you are interested in advance mogul skiing contact Thor.

Mother nature finally started to cooperate and it’s about time. In the past week we had about 4 feet of snow and the skiing on and off piste is spectacular – it’s what you would expect from Utah. I met a few friends for a day of skiing and in the afternoon we managed to take a little video. Consider joining us – we would love to ski with you.

I’m sorry that I’m not keeping this website as active and current as I was hoping to but we are in the middle of our busiest time at Deer Valley – we are teaching and skiing everyday. As soon as the Holiday rush is over I will make an effort to post ski improvement tips and videos related to events at the resort – Happy New Year to all.

Just yesterday Mike and I discovered a new place to eat Nacho Mamas. Excellent Southwestern and Mexican cuisine just around the corner from the Main Str. Food is excellent, very affordable and the Margaritas are to die for. Click on the link above to get the directions and to take a look at the menu and when you go tell Liza that Mark sent you.

We all have waited and are very excited about the snow that we have received in the recent days. I don’t know about you but I seldom think about the men and women who make the Deer Valley the beautiful resort it is, from mountain hosts, through lift operators to maintenance crew. It takes 2500 individuals to bring this experience to our guests. We, as instructor enjoy the benefits of their labor – next time you see one of them say “thank you” – our job wouldn’t be possible without them.

Finally winter arrived. We got over 28″ of snow yesterday night and it kept snowing entire day and most of the night. It wasn’t the famous Utah powder but we needed a good base off piste and we got it now we can build on this base. The weather is forecasted to be warmer and there maybe more snow this week. So – pack your bags and join us in this winter paradise.

Here is a short video of Renee skiing Deer Hollow run – early season fun.

This is the first post in what I hope to be a weekly serving of tips on how to dress for skiing, what to drink or not to drink and most of all on how to improve your skiing. There are several of then instructors from Deer Valley Resort who will share their experience with you. I hope you find those tips helpful and if you do please contact us to schedule a lesson.
Dressing for skiing is pretty simple – the goal is to stay warm and comfortable. Make sure you dress in layers, have your heat warmers activated while eating breakfast so by the time you get to the slopes they are already hot, bring a neck warmer to keep the drafts around your neck from running down your back, use sunscreen and lip balm to protect them from winter sun, make sure that your long underwear is pulled out of and above the top of your ski boots, only a thin sock goes inside your boot – finally make sure that the color of your boots and socks MATCH.

The snow storm that hit southern Utah very hard, provided a little white fluffy stuff for us as well – no we didn’t get 2 feet of powder but we had about 12″ over the last two days. Deer Valley opened on Saturday with 11 runs and enough lifts to service the terrain. As always the trails condition are impeccable and quality of snow is the BEST in the North America. We are opening new runs everyday and are the #1 choice in the area. Please call Deer Valley at 435-645-6648 to book a lesson with me – ask for Mark Schindler – and I’ll see you on the snow.

Mike, Bill and I went to ski Park City Resort where we met Phil who is an instructor at PC. The weather was perfect and the two runs that were opened were in a very good shape. Deer Valley will be opening this Saturday so this was our last chance to experience another resort and pay for it.
Here is a video of our efforts:

Mike and I went to Brighton Ski Resorts to officially open our ski season. Brighton reported 12″ of new snow over the weekend and 36 inch base. The day was warm and sunny a perfect day for skiing.
I can tell that I have a lot of work to do this year but I’m ready.

National Ski Patrol Responsibility Code
-Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects.
-People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them.
-You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above.
-Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others.
-Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
-Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas.
-Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely.

In my opinion how your ski boots fit can make your day, week, season or brake it. The correct fit is the single most important thing that can improve your skiing. I know this may come as a surprise to you but none of us are perfectly aligned. When we flex the ankles the knees are not traveling over our feet in a perfect alignment, they either go to the outside or inside creating angles which are translated to our skis. What that means is that the skis are not flat on the snow when you are gliding in a straight line and getting the skis on the edge from that stance is very difficult. SOLUTION – get a boot fitter to look at your feet, try on several boot shells, recommend the boot that is suitable for your foot type, size etc. Our feet are a mess, some are wide in the toes and narrow in the heel, some have high instep, some have bone spurs and ankle bones positioned further to one side or the other – like I said a mess. A competent boot fitter can see that and make suggestions on how to address all those issues.
There two elements that could make a major difference in your comfort and performance level – SHELL fit before the liner is in, and a foot bed. Proper shell fit allows the boot fitter to expend certain areas of the shell to accommodate your foot shape and the foot bed corrects the way we stand on our feet and how our knees align when flexed. Proper alignment will eliminate a lot of discomfort caused by your joints not moving in the way they were designed, removed stress from the joints and give you a chance at better skiing performance. A simple correction in your alignment could correct the problem in your skiing that you spent entire season working on.
In conclusion INVEST in your boots and if you are skiing only two weeks a year – rent your skis – this will accomplish two things, you will be comfortable in your boots and always get a chance to ski a new ski.
I just got fitted for a new pair of boots. In the Park City there are several competent fitters but the one I like is at Christy Sports at Silver Lake Village here is their website. His name is Davin and he not only has the knowledge but also the experience to get you fitted. You can contact Davin at 435-649-2909 to make an appointment – and please don’t wait till day before Christmas.

Christy Sports has a store located at Silver Lake – mid-mountain Deer Valley. They carry the largest ski selection in the area – on and off the mountain. If you need to rent skis their ski rental shop is stocked with all new skis and plenty of it. You can reserve your skis on line and get a discount. Go to Christy Sports website to see the selection and the rates.
If you need your boots fitted make appointment with Davin – he will have you comfortable and performing at your best in no time. That’s who is fitting my boots, Mikes and many other instructors at DV as well – you can call the store at 435-649-2909 – ask for Dawn or Davin.

I’m sure many of Deer Valley visitors are aware that there is a new hotel opening this season – St. Regis. The hotel will potentially add new visitors who will compete for the lift tickets with other visitors and owners. To provide the quality skiing experience that Deer Valley clients are accustom to the Resort limits the number of lift tickets sold to 7500 per day. During the busy holiday periods Deer Valley often will reach the Sold Out state by 10:00AM. If you are scheduled to visit DV this holiday season you may want to consider purchasing your lift tickets in advance. You can do it on line at this link .
I hope to see you on the slopes – Mark