Alta s Deseret News Ski School is for first-time skiers between the ages of 8 and 80. The program introduces individuals who have never skied before to the exciting winter sport of skiing. Emphasis is also placed on safety and skiing etiquette. It is estimated that well over a quarter of a million skiers got their start through the program. Alta has been offering the program continuously for 52 years.
Registration is available in categories of alpine, Telemark and cross-country.
The program starts on Saturdays in November, running over a 5-week period. The late Alf Engen felt that the first-time skiers feel more comfortable learning how to handle the equipment in an environment where they are comfortable standing on terra firma. Many of the first steps in skiing involve a limited movement on a flat or slight incline. Students are shown how to walk, climb, fall and get up, all on the grassy hills of the park, without worry of slipping and sliding. Every child age 6 - 18 enrolled in school in the state of Utah was eligible to participate in the program.