Lessons

We recommend lesson for just about everyone! Whether you've never skied or boarded before, a beginner who wants to continue advancing, or high level skiers and riders looking to sharpen their skills on more advance terrain, there is always more to learn!

Group lessons for ages 4 and older are available online. 

For private lessons, please email kids@sunlightmtn.com for kids 3- to 6-years-old and lessons@sunlightmtn.com for everyone 7 and older.

Our Sunny Sessions Club for kids 7- to 12-years-old is available online, but please email kids@sunlightmtn.com for kids 3- to 6-years-old.

We do offer private lessons, but on a very limited basis. To check availability and request a private group lesson, please contact the ski school appropriate for your age group at lessons@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 7 and older) and kids@sunlightmtn.com (for kids 3-6).

Please note that private lessons are not offered at peak season times, such as the Holiday Break, MLK and Presidents’ Day weekends, and Spring Break. Private lessons are not available to purchase online.

All of our lessons sold through our Kids' Ski & Ride Schoool (Ages 3 - 6) include rental equipment and acomplimentary lift ticket for the day of the lesson.

All of our lessons sold online through any of our packages include rental equipment and lift tickets as well. If you do not need to purchase a lift ticket or rental, please contact us at lessons@sunlightmtn.com. Please keep in mind that a valid lift ticket is required to attend a lesson at the Sunlight Ski & Ride School.

There is a general rule of thumb that says that skiing is easier to learn and harder to master, while snowboarding is harder to learn, easier to master. While the learning curve for both sports is different for everyone, this saying is usually accurate. For those who may have a limited amount of time to invest,especially for those coming from out of town, skiing is a good place to start.

Lessons are 2 hours, but you can upgrade to a full-day (4 hours) lesson in-person on the day of your lesson. 

Lessons start at 9:30am and 12:30pm. Please make sure to arrive and check-in for your lessons 30-45 minutes before the start of your lesson to ensure that you have adequate time to get your rentals, put your belongings in your car or rent a locker, and make it to the lesson on time. We recommend arriving about an hour before your lesson during our peak season times (Holiday Break, MLK and Presidents’ Day weekends, and Spring Break).

Please make sure to arrive and check-in for your lessons 30-45 minutes before the start of your lesson to ensure that you have adequate time to get your rentals, put your belongings in your car or rent a locker, and make it to the lesson on time. We recommend arriving about an hour before your lesson during our peak season times (Holiday Break, MLK and Presidents’ Day weekends, and Spring Break).

If you are late for your lesson, we will do everything possible to accommodate. However, if the class has left the base area, you may have to reschedule for another available date or time. No call, no shows are subject to full lesson charge.

Our group sizes can vary but our ratios of students to instructors are some of the lowest in the state. For children 6 and under, our ratios tend to be 3:1 or less. For our older students, there may be a big class, but we always try to ensure that there is at least 1 instructor for every 5 students.

Yes! We are in the business of making sure that everyone has the environment they need to be successful in a ski or snowboard lesson. For more information contact joe@sunlightmtn.com. 

Sunlight has several options for multi-day and multi-week lessons. For guests coming for multiple days, our Learn-to-Shine package is a discounted 3-day lesson package and is one of the best deals in the county! Please visit our online store or contact our lesson office at lessons@sunlightmtn.com to reserve this package. 

For parents looking to get their kids shredding on the slopes, we offer multi-week Club programs throughout January and February. Please visit our online store or contact lessons@sunlightmtn.com for our Snowriders' Club (for kids 7-12) and kids@sunlightmtn.com for our Sunny Sessions Club (for kids 3-6).

At the very minimum it is essential to have/wear a single pair of long wool or synthetic socks, waterproof snow pants, a good winter jacket, gloves, and goggles or sunglasses. For a more comprehensive guide, check here.

No. Sunlight is not licensed as a day care facility.

We offer lessons for anyone 3 and older. 

We ask that parents keep their distance from their child’s lesson so the kids can remain focused and stay safe. We have viewing areas so you can watch the lesson without distraction. 

If you are also taking a lesson, we generally separate children and adults for safety reasons and to ensure you can concentrate on your own lesson, as the learning process varies by age group. However, you will be in the same learning area, allowing you to check-in periodically to see how the lesson is progressing and to learn together when possible.

We divide our ski schools and lesson groups based on age and ability for a variety of reasons, but largely because older children will have a different learning curve than the little ones and younger children typically require more hands-on attention.

While there are no safety bars on our lifts, safety is our top priority. Our lifts are optimized to provide our guests with the safest possible experience and our staff is thoroughly trained to ensure safety on the lifts. Furthermore, all students at our Ski & Ride School are given a proper orientation to the lifts during their lesson and all kids 6 and younger ride with an adult.

No, we do not have any surface lifts (magic carpets) at Sunlight Mountain. Our base area and teaching methods are configured to create a learning experience that progresses students faster than many other resorts in the area.

If you need to cancel or reschedule your lesson, please email the appropriate Ski & Ride School at lessons@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 7 and older) or kids@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 3 – 6). Please provide your confirmation email.

2024-2025 Cancellation Policy:

Reservations can be refunded or rebooked* if requested 48 hours or more before your lesson day. Cancellation requests made with less than 48 hours' notice are non-refundable but may be rebooked within the current season*.

Changes to your lesson reservation cannot be made on the day of your scheduled arrival and will result in the forfeiture of the product. This includes no-shows and late arrivals.

Multi-week Club lessons are non-refundable. Each student is allowed one make-up lesson, which must be rescheduled* for another Club Day with at least 48 hours' notice. 

*Rebooked lessons are subject to availability and can only be rescheduled once. Any further changes will result in the forfeiture of the product.

Please email the appropriate Ski & Ride School at lessons@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 7 and older) or kids@sunlightmtn.com (for ages 3 – 6).

For Kids’ Ski & Ride School lessons, you will get your child’s equipment directly from the Kids’ Ski & Ride School located under our Mountain Rental Shop. All Kids’ Ski & Ride School lessons come with complimentary daily equipment rentals.

For lessons for those 7 and older, you pick up your equipment directly from our Ski & Ride School. Make sure to check-in at our Lesson Window first and they will direct you to our Ski & Ride School Rental Yurt.

If you need equipment for more days than you are taking lessons, we recommend booking your equipment through our Mountain Rental Shop located at the base of our resort.