Children Lessons

What are the tests for?

Created by esf, the tests allow everyone to make step by step progress in their practice of their chosen winter sport.

Our childrens skiing lessons will help aid your child in becoming a safer and more skilled skier, making their experience on the slopes more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Based on precise technical criteria, our esf instructors validate your child's technical level, their achievements and the points to improve in their practice of alpine skiing and sets a recognised level of ability.

Club Piou Piou

Piou Piou (YOUR FAVOURITE BIG YELLOW CHICK!)

The main objective of Club Piou Piou is to introduce children to the mountain environment and skiing in general by playing in the snow. Using the imagination of children, the aim is to take away the stress of skiing yet allowing this pedagogical concept, specific to esf, to encourage pleasure, freedom and games through the implementation of adapted and unconstrained learning.

The objectives of the Club Piou Piou are threefold:

Children must be able to move freely in complete safety, from one workshop to another, choosing their own path.
Progressive acquisition of various skills through the discovery of the key figures of Piou-Piou, Blanchot, Sifflote, Garolou and Titourson.
Discovery of the mountain environment and the first notions of security.

All activities are carried out through activities linked to the discovery of the 5 key characters in the story of the adventures of Piou Piou.

With the first stage of Piou Piou, your child should:

Move in the snow, on foot or on skis.
Learn to put on and take off my skis on my own!
Learn to discover their equipment: skis, boots,
Make snowmen, play on sledges and take first steps on skis.

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Blanchot (WHITE RABBIT)

Blanchot is Piou Piou's closest friend. Blanchot helps your child slide and stop on a small slope descent.

Your child will know how to put their equipment on
Your child will slide and come to a stop unaided.

Sifflote (MARMOT)

Sifflote helps your child descend in snowplough in a controlled movement.

Your child will be able to snowplough down a small slope.
Your child will use their first lifts.

Garolou (WOLF)

Garolou will pop out during your child's descent and your child will learn to turn away from him, both left and right, in a controlled snowplough turn.

Your child will put on and take off their skis and boots un-aided.
Your child will learn to turn left and right as they avoid Garolou.

Children's Tests

Ourson (TEDDY BEAR)

Your child will be be 4 years old and have gone through the Club Piou Piou process or is new to skiing completely. With 'Ourson' they will start to enter the big leagues of skiing. They will be able to do many things on their own and if they follow the advice of Ourson (The Teddy Bear) and learn, they will get the medal at the end of the week. They may even follow you onto the green slopes in the resort.

How your child will get their medal:

Your child will have to manoeuvre around small markers from left to right in a controlled manner and stop safely at the bottom.

Like Ourson, your child will be able to:

Put on and take off your skis by themselves.
Use their first ski lifts.
Control their speed by making turns that mimic the movement of a snake.
Move in several ways with their skis, on a small sloped terrain.
Slide with the skis parallel, facing the slope, and stop with a snowplough turn.
Be autonomous and be able to continue to learn outside of Club Piou Piou.

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Flocon

You already have your Ourson medal in your pocket. Then you can try to reach the Flocon (or Snowflake) level.

How your child will get their medal:

Know how to control their speed, brake and stop.
Descend across the slope, in a more or less straight line.
Finally, start to slip!

When your child has obtained the Flocon level, they will know how to:

Knit 7 to 8 turns with the skis in snowplough and put their skis parallel to go down the slope.
Stay balanced on their skis while doing small jumps, or skiing from one foot to the other, or even over a small bump.

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Ist Star Level

Your child would have achieved the Flocon (of Snowflake) level.
They can now prepare to obtain their 1st Star. They will learn to improve balance, to knit together their turns and even make their first skids!

How your child will get their medal:

Glide on light to medium slopes and keep balance.
Descend in a straight line on a slight slope and take small steps to turn.
Make several simple turns by skidding (rounded or slanted), and of course by paying attention to what is happening around them (other skiers, the terrain of the slopes).

When your child has obtained the 1st Star level, they will know how to:

Make simple turns while skidding and especially taking into account everything around them including the slope and other skiers around them.
Keep their balance to glide on gentle and medium slopes.
Discover their own style on sliding and slipping down the slope.

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2nd Star Level

Your child has now reached or obtained the 1st Star Level. You will now learn to overcome bumps, hollows, bends. With a little practice, you will win your 2nd Star!

How your child will get their medal:

Go through hollow or bumpy passages, facing downhill or across, while remaining balanced.
Take the skater's step, that is, advance on a flat track by pushing on the left leg then on the right leg.
Knit together around ten turns on an average slope, with parallel skis, paying attention to what is happening including the slope and other skiers around them.
Knowing how to take turns with a rounded skid.

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3rd Star Level

Your child will now have reached or obtained the 2nd Star Level.
With this 3rd Star your child will begin to experience superb sensations on the snow. Mastering the turns and learning how to tuck and move parallel going straight ahead is the basis for great ski adventures.

How your child will get their medal:

Knit together several more wider turns between poles, with parallel skis, paying attention to what is happening around them including the slope and other skiers.
Master their balance in a schuss (that is, going straight down the slope) on several types of terrain: like bumps and hollows etc.
Gain speed then brake by skidding.
Make parallel quick slides of skids on the side, interspersed with direct descents.

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Children's STAR team

Bronze Star

Your child would have now reached or obtained the 3rd Star Level.
With the Bronze Star, your child will be able to feel comfortable on any type of snow. The Gold Star is now not too far away!
Your child will now experience the the first real skiers course. Let's go !

How your child will get their medal:

Your child will now be able to quickly make more turns or less tight turns, changing pace, on a course with 15 to 20 gates.
On a piste or on landscaped skiercross type terrain, stay balanced when they are in a schuss (that is, going straight down the slope) then take off on light bumps.
Knowing how to make turns using their poles, paying attention to what is happening around them including the slope and other skiers.
Explore different types of snow.

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Silver Star

You have reached or obtained the Bronze Star level. With the Silver Star, you will be able to feel comfortable on all types of snow. And the Gold Star is not very far away. So put on your skis, you're going to do your first real skier's journey. Let's go !

Perfect your support and your style to refine your sculling practice.
Perform your first simple jumping figures.

How your child will get their medal:

Your child will now have less and less slippage as they move towards longer and more refined trajectories.
Enter the competition category and achieve your first time.
Perfect your support and your style to refine your sculling practice.
Perform your first simple jumps and turns.

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Gold Star

Your child has now reached or obtained the Silver Star Level.
It's time to prepare for the Gold Star now! When they have obtained it, your child will know how to practice alpine skiing in all it's forms. Before that, they have an appointment at the top of the slopes for a real timed course. Ready for the competition?

How your child will get their medal:

Ski without stopping on fairly steep slopes and any type of snow, paying attention to what is happening around them like other skiers and the difficulty of the slope.
To be able to get by on a landscaped terrain: skier-cross or half-pipe.
Knit together turns and quick slides on varied terrain (different kinds of snow, different slopes more or less steep).
Do a timed giant mini-slalom.

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