"Great session and follow-up. This coaching is exactly the direction that I need to continue. After one session, I learned a multitude of “Do”s and “Don’t”s that have plagued me over the years. Despite great fitness for some Birkies, the lack of efficiency and technique certainly held me back!
Time to take notes and practice! Repetition! I agree, the slow and correct approach will be best and safer."
"Dan LaBlanc is the ideal Nordic skiing coach. His ability to adapt to a wide range of skiers' experiences with infinite patience and good humor creates the perfect environment for his excellent technique instruction to shine through. He can pinpoint where you need improvement and lets you know constructively how to fix it. Whether you've never been on skis before or you've completed multiple Birkies, do yourself a favor and take a lesson with Dan!
"Coach Dan, I want to thank you for your time, positivity, and great teaching skills! You make skiing so much fun for me, and have taught me so much. I couldn't ask for a better instructor. It is amazing how talented you are at being a coach. I am even willing to go skiing when it is below zero degrees because of how optimistic and encouraging you are. Thank you so much once again and I hope to see you soon! Happy skiing!"
"Dan is a fantastic cross country ski instructor. I had never used cross country skate skis before my lesson, but within a half hour, he had me skating on flat ground. The new skill felt odd at first, but Dan’s calm encouragement kept me focused as I kept working on it. By the end of the hour, I could skate up and down the hill, feeling more comfortable every minute. I will definitely take more lessons from Dan."
"I have been meaning to reach out and let you know that I honestly feel my lesson with you is what got me through the Birkie! Thanks again! I kid you not - there were many moments when your words played through my mind “I could do this all day long” Grin!"
"I find myself starting every email back to you with WOW! Wow! Thank you for the kind words. I had so much fun skiing with you today. I really appreciate your patience, positivity and encouragement. You broke things down in a very understandable and baby-steps way that totally clicked., and I am grateful!"
"Thank you so much for the great lesson!! It gave me great points to focus on when I skied the Korte! The V2 Alt helped me immensely in conserving energy! I was able to get into that great rhythm you focused on and ski across the lake with a nice glide on each ski. I arrived on Main Street with enough energy to give an extra push!!"
"Hi Dan, Just wanted to send a quick note and say thank you for your coaching and tips. This weekend was a huge success for me and that has a lot to do with you- I had you in the back of my head saying 'relax' 'find the rhythm'. Can't wait for next year!"
"Hi Dan, your lesson was the best lesson I ever had and you did more than I could have hoped for on Friday night, I really appreciate you dedication and enthusiasm. I'll stay in touch and if the weather cooperates, I would love to have another lesson"
"I took three beginner's classes with Dan - classic, skate, and roller skiing - and truly enjoyed my experience of working with him. Dan's style is very supportive, patient, and encouraging and he has the ability to adjust the pace of the session based upon the skill level of the skier. He also approaches his lessons from a foundational perspective and has many effective drills that build seamlessly upon one another.
Most importantly, my favorite part of learning from Dan is that his love and enthusiasm for cross country skiing is contagious. He is able to convey the true joy of this sport in a way that is motivating for skiers of any skill level."
"Dan, I had a blast! The snow was perfect for the downhill. I enjoyed the chairlift and feel like I overcame the fear of going fast on the downhill. Being able to scrub off speed crisscrossing the hill with control helped me feel safe because I knew what to do to maintain control. Your instruction was spot on. It was incredible to be on skinny skis doing the downhill! Again, in less perfect conditions, I don't think I would have chanced the downhill. Negative comments - none. I appreciated how you broke things down, explained and demonstrated then gave feedback. I thought it worked out to have differing levels of skiers in the group. You gave me extra instruction on step turns at speed as well as feedback, so I felt I got what I needed. Thank you!" Don M
"Thanks Dan! I had a blast last night even with the winds. I have already told my family members about the class-they are like me-people who "kind of" know how to ski. I can't wait to get out and practice on trails. I feel so much more confident on hills now." Ellen H after a Downhill on Skinny Skis class at Alpine Valley
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.