Virtual Snow ❄️ Indoor Ski and Snowboard Training — Local services in Santa Monica

I recently bought a Google Offer for a discounted lesson at Virtual Snow; I decided to give it a try, because I am a beginner skier, and my only experience skiing was over 12 years ago, and it was horrible. I have friends who like to ski, so I decided to give the sport another try.

To summarize, I highly recommend this place, especially for beginner skiers; intermediate skiers could probably also benefit from some lessons. Read on for more details!

If you don't know anything about the place, it has three slanted conveyor belts about 6 feet wide, covered with carpet; you get strapped in (with skis or a snowboard) and practice going back and forth in a very controlled environment, with effectively one-on-one instruction (as well as video instruction).

I went in for one lesson, but ended up squeezing in three lessons before my first skiing trip about a month ago, because I found the lessons to be so beneficial. I have since gone skiing a second time, and both times were great experiences (unlike my first ski trip years ago). I highly recommend that beginners take at least 6 lessons at Virtual Snow before heading out to the slopes; I would benefit from more lessons, but haven't had time to go back.

For beginners, this place will teach you the essentials of skiing; the correct posture/stance, how to turn, how to stop, etc. For intermediate skiers, the instructors there can help you get to the next level, increasing your confidence, correcting small errors that may be preventing you from advancing, and giving you the chance to do some very concentrated practice in a controlled environment. (Caution -- your legs will be sore after an hour on the machine!)

The staff are knowledgeable and helpful, and Bob Salerno is a great instructor. If you want to learn how to ski or snowboard, or you want to improve your skills and gain confidence on the slopes, this is a great way to learn a lot in a very short...

I'm a lifelong skier/snowboarder and I took my girlfriend here as a complete newbie. We paid $190 for the 1 hour session. I was VERY impressed with Virtual Snow. The trainer, JD, really knows his stuff. He explains everything in a clear, methodical fashion. JD was professional and hard working. He was ready for our appointment immediately and wasn't pushy at all about upselling future appointments. I actually thought he was the owner with how hard working he is, definitely did not give off the "I'm an hourly employee here and don't care" vibe. To the owners, make sure you keep this guy around.

Overall, as someone who has skied/snowboarded my entire life, I think this place is an amazing value. Factoring in the cost of lift tickets, gas, lodging, and lessons, Virtual Ski is an amazing value for a beginner. Typically, your first day on the slopes is just spent falling 95% of the time and isn't very much fun. It was amazing what virtual snow is able to do in a single 1 hour session. For anyone who doesn't have experience, I HIGHLY suggest booking this first, you'll have more fun overall with lower costs. Having taken real ski lessons before, I actually think Virtual Snow is superior to a private ski lesson on the slope. The treadmills really help you methodically learn the sport with 1 on 1 instruction. Of course, the treadmills aren't a perfect 100% representation of the mountain, but it gets you 90% of the way there with 20% of the effort. I plan to bring my girlfriend back for at least another 1 hour session before our trip up...

This review is long overdue, but here we go. As a 30 something year old who had only been to the snow a handful of times and had a boarding accident in her teens, I had a lot of fear around snow sports and the snow in general. My husband, who's an avid skier and grew up in the snow, wanted to go on a group grip to Colorado over the winter, and do some skiing. We live in San Diego and don't have easy access to snow all the time, so we decided to go drive up to LA to take a ski lesson a Virtual Snow. My instructor, Gokhan, was very warm, welcoming and knowledgable. He was encouraging and a great teacher. And I felt by the end of the hour, that I'd like at least know something when we hit the slopes a few weeks later. They recommend doing at least a few lessons before skiing. Because we were on a tight schedule and had to go back to SD, I only had time for one lesson, but just that lesson alone prepared me for the runs. What I learned at Virtual Snow was immediately applicable on the slopes. The hour in LA gave me what felt like a full day of ski school and gave me the confidence to cruise down the mountain in style. Don't get me wrong, I am no professional, but as someone with a lot of fear, I was able to push past that and do something I hadn't done in over 20 years. Thank you Virtual Snow, the owner Rob, and Gokhan for teaching this old dog some new tricks and...