Who better to tell us than Nathan Dumas, a passionate snowboard instructor for the past 13 years at Bromont Ski School?
- Nathan, can an advanced snowboarder benefit from a private lesson?
Of course you can! Everyone can improve and develop; there’s no limit to improvement! Personally, I’ve been snowboarding for 20 years and I’ve been an instructor in Bromont for 13, and I’m still learning. Whether I’m going for expert runs or doing difficult manoeuvres in the snow parks, I always feel in control and safe, and that’s what makes it so much fun. When you’re out of control, that’s when you can get scared, and in fear, there’s no fun!
Group lessons are also interesting, because they give you a workout every week, whereas learning in a private lesson is often very quick because the instructor is focused on one student for the whole lesson. It’s really a matter of preference!
- So what are the 3 good reasons to take a private lesson?
First of all, you get a lesson that’s tailored specifically to your needs, and during the hour or hour and a half together, the instructor’s attention is focused on your learning.
Second, there’s also time to create a bond between instructor and student during a private lesson. The aim of taking a lesson is to develop as a snowboarder, and this bond of trust helps to facilitate learning and your improvement.
Third, when we take lessons, it’s usually because we want to improve as much as possible to get into more difficult terrain, and fun on difficult slopes comes with control. Control can be learned! It doesn’t usually come naturally.
- Why do you like giving private lessons?
As I mentioned, I love private lessons because I have the time to bond with the students and also because I generally see more development. It’s a real passion for me! I love to see people smile when they see that they’re improving, or to see their eyes light up when they learn something new. Another great gift is when snowboarders think they can no longer practice their sport because of physical limitations or old injuries, and I show them another way of approaching the sport that enables them to do so.
Now convinced and interested in learning more about the Ski School’s private lessons?