Learn to Ride: Snowboard Lessons with OxySki

Snowboarding can go wrong fast: the wrong kit, the wrong terrain, or no one there to fix your first turns. In 2011, Oxygène (now OxySki) and its school in Val d'Isère became the only Burton affiliated Learn to Ride snowboard schools in France, a partnership now known as The Burton Experience. The aim has always been simple: help future snowboarders take their very first slides in the right direction.

Learn to Ride: what does it involve?

Getting the start right matters more than most beginners realise. Research shows that 7 out of 10 people who try snowboarding for the first time give up within 48 hours, usually because of the wrong equipment, poor teaching or the wrong terrain to learn on. Learn to Ride pairs the best equipment with proper instruction from our team, so everyone gets a real first shot at it.

What makes this programme different is that everyone starts from scratch, whatever their starting point. A patient, experienced instructor takes you through the basics step by step, on carefully chosen slopes, with teaching designed to build confidence and help you master the slide safely. Nobody is rushed here: everyone moves forward at their own pace.

What comes after the basics?

Once the basics click, progress tends to come quickly. It still pays to keep working with professionals, otherwise old habits creep in and small technical mistakes get made without anyone noticing. A well meaning friend who takes you straight to the top of the mountain to help you down can turn the day into a genuinely difficult and frustrating experience, and that is often what makes beginners give up.

Lessons for every level

At OxySki, snowboard lessons cover everyone from complete beginners to the most experienced riders. Our own rental shops in La Plagne, Tignes, Serre Chevalier and Val d'Isère mean we can fit our clients out with good quality boards, bindings and boots. Our instructors are there to give you the best possible experience, at every stage of your progression, from your first turn to the most technical terrain.

If you already have a week's experience and can manage simple turns on an easy blue run, the next step is the intermediate group. You will move up naturally from there, carving more confidently with each session, with the right guidance to avoid the mistakes that put people off.

A few things worth remembering on a board: relax, have fun and let your body feel what is happening. That is usually what makes progress come faster. After a week with our instructors, you will likely be surprised by what you can already do.

Ready to give it a go?

Our instructors have been teaching snowboarding for years, and their expertise goes well beyond the basics. Trust their coaching: it is patient, thorough, and there to help you fall in love with snowboarding for good, whatever level you start from. Come and give it a try, you will feel the difference. Head to snowboard lessons at OxySki to book your first session.