Why Choose Us
Terrain Based Learning: The Easiest & Safest Way to Learn
Learning to ski or snowboard shouldn't be intimidating and at our locations, it isn't. All three of our hills use Terrain Based Learning™ (TBL), an award-winning teaching method that's changed the way the world learns to slide on snow.
Instead of relying on ropes, poles, or hours of trial and error, TBL uses specially shaped snow features — rollers, banked turns, and gently sloped terrain — to naturally guide new skiers and riders into good habits from their first steps on snow. The terrain does the work of controlling speed and balance, so beginners can skip the fear and focus on the fun!
Every TBL lesson moves guests through a simple, five-step progression:
- The Flats – Get comfortable with your equipment and basic movements.
- Mini-Pipe – Feel what it's like to slide on snow for the first time.
- Rollers – Build confidence as gently rolling terrain controls your speed.
- Banked Turns – Make your first real turns, guided naturally by the terrain.
- The Perfect Slope – Put it all together and ski or ride on your own.
By the end of one session, most first-timers are making their own turns — no white-knuckle grip, no tears, just genuine progress. It's why families keep coming back to Little Switzerland, Crystal Ridge, and Nordic Mountain year after year, and why so many lifelong skiers and riders got their start on one of our hills.
