The Tukino Squad offers ski development training to children and young adults up to the age of 15 years - most levels of skiing ability are accepted. We recommend complete beginners have some prior lessons to enable them to get the most out of squad.

The Squad meets on four weekends throughout the season. The squad also provides young people with a unique opportunity to experience communal living and to actively participate in the running of a lodge.

What it's all about?

  • Friendship and fun

  • Team building

  • Confidence

  • Personal development

  • Mentoring

  • Ski/Snowboard skill development

  • Race training

  • Racing and events

  • Snow Skills

  • Mountain Safety

This year we are going to be offering a new level of instruction for a select few who have shown abilities that are above an advanced level and are ready for some further development in other areas of skiing. The FREESTYLE ~ EXPERT group will concentrate on advanced slope style and park skills. A new member to our team of instructors - Isaac Brunton - is a passionate skier and instructor who has industry experience in both technical race and freestyle park. Isaac has prepared a ‘seasons syllabus’ to integrate these disciplines into an all-mountain focus which suits the Tukino environment and will provide the most valuable technical skills to our new ~ GROM SQUAD!

We look forward to seeing the skills and confidence in our Grom Squad kids grow and develop throughout the season. This group will be full of fun and an epic opportunity to further develop your kid’s skiing on a whole new level of steeze and style!

Squad training dates - 2024

WE 3 - 4 August 2024

WE 17 - 18 August 2024

WE 31 August - 1 September 2024

WE 14 - 15 September 2024

Reserve WE 14 - 15 September 2024 (beginning of school holidays)
 

Costs (2022)

Ski Squad pricing does NOT include a Tukino Season Pass. Click here to purchase your Early Bird Season Pass (EBSP).

The difference for the Grom Squad price reflects a smaller student/instructor ratio, and a few added extras we have planned.

Ski Squad $330

Grom Squad $360 (expert skiers by invitation)

You will need to make normal booking arrangements with your member club for accommodation on the squad weekends. Please get these Accommodation Bookings in as early as possible to reserve your bunk(s). Here are links to your respective Club’s Booking Systems:

Aorangi Ski Club

Desert Alpine Club

Tukino Alpine Sports Club

Registration

The Development Squad for 2022 is now full. To be added to the waitlist please email:

Caroline - Squad Manager :  squad@tukino.org

Skiing ability guide

Level one - Getting the basics

  • I can safely carry my equipment and know how it works

  • I can put on and take off my skis

  • I can move around on my skis in a balanced position

  • I can side step and/or duck walk

  • I can change the size of my wedge

  • I can control my speed and stop using a wedge

  • I can ride the Beginner lift and get on and off safely

  • I can get myself up if I fall over

Level two - Learning to turn

  • I can ski in a balanced position

  • I can keep my arms in a good position to help me balance

  • I can change direction by turning my wedge

  • I can control my speed through turning

  • I can turn to a stop in both directions

  • I can do a hop whilst skiing

  • I can link my turns on green runs

  • I know how to ride the lift

Level three - Using different turns

  • I know which ski is my outside ski on each turn

  • I can balance on my outside ski when turning

  • I can steer my skis parallel at the end of my turns

  • I can control my speed by making round turns on easy blue terrain

  • I know how to change my turns to slow down around other people

  • I can keep my arms in the correct position in front of my body

  • I can glide backwards in a wedge on a beginner run

  • I know park safety etiquette and can 50/50 a box

Level four - Exploring more of the mountain

  • I can link turns and control my speed on blue runs

  • I can ski with parallel skis all the time on green and easy blues

  • I can ski with my skis mostly parallel on medium blues

  • I know how to ski some easy off trail terrain and absorb bumps

  • I can ski with poles

  • I can sideslip on each side

  • I can ski backwards in a wedge and make small changes of direction

  • I can do a small jump on a natural and/or manmade feature

Level five - Riding the whole mountain

  • I can link small, medium and large turn sizes

  • I have started to learn to pole touch and carry them on the lift

  • I can use turn size to control my speed on easy black runs

  • I can ski parallel on all blue and groomed black runs

  • I can ski off trail making turns on blue and some black runs

  • I can do hockey stops on both sides

  • I can do flatland 180's in both directions

  • I can link turns in switch (wedge parallel) on green terrain

Level six - Ripping the whole mountain

  • I can ski parallel on all black runs (on and off piste)

  • I use a pole touch with ease

  • I can adjust my turns to suit terrain and snow conditions

  • I understand and can make good line choices when skiing off piste runs

  • I can make carved turns on blue runs

  • I can make some railroad turns on easy/flat terrain

  • I can do a jump and land centred over a small park jump

  • I can do flat land 360'