Performance Carving Camp
Mid-February is the heart of the Austrian winter. The snow base is at its deepest, the pistes are in full winter condition, and the days are getting noticeably longer.
It is also the busiest time of the season. That is exactly why this camp roams. When one mountain fills up, we are already on another. First lift on the slope that is perfect at nine in the morning, then on to the area that holds its snow best into the afternoon. Knowing where to be and when is half the quality of a ski day in February — and after many winters in Kaprun, that is something I know well.
The Schmittenhöhe above Zell am See and the lake below it. The Maiskogel and the Kitzsteinhorn above Kaprun. And when the group is ready for longer runs, the wide pistes of Saalbach Hinterglemm and Leogang.
Four days. Peak winter snow. Carving with room to breathe.
Why roaming in February
A carving turn that only works on one familiar piste is a habit, not a technique. Moving between ski areas takes the habits away. A new gradient, a different snow surface, a piste you have never skied — and the technique has to carry you.
In mid-February, roaming does something else as well. It keeps us on empty, freshly prepared pistes while the rest of the valley queues in the same place. We decide each evening where to ski the next morning, based on the snow, the weather, the crowds and where the group is in its progression.
One lift pass covers it all — the Ski ALPIN CARD. Short drives between areas, and the first lift each morning at the mountain that gives us the best conditions.
My February slopes
In February the valley is busy. My favourite slopes are not.
There is a run I ski at first lift that stays empty until the ski schools arrive — perfect corduroy, cold snow, a gradient made for long carved arcs. There is a piste on the far side of one of the valleys that most guests never find, because it takes two lifts and a bit of local knowledge to get there. And there is a steep, wide slope I keep for the last morning, when the group is ready to show what the week has built.
I will not name them here. That is part of what you book. You will see them from the chairlift on the first morning and understand why.
The Technical Focus
We stay on groomed pistes throughout. No off-piste, no moguls. Just the carving turn, taken further every day.
What we build across four days:
Long radius carving — the foundation
Edge angle, angulation, pressure timing, turn initiation. Building the carving turn as a technical movement rather than a shaped arc. On firm February snow you feel immediately whether the ski is carving or skidding.
Speed carving on wide pistes
Wide, freshly prepared runs at the start of the day, where we build speed progressively. Repeat, refine, push the standard further. This is where carving becomes something you feel in your whole body rather than just your legs.
Racing style turns — GS and SL technique
Not gate training — technique education. GS style turns for arc management, pressure building and speed generation. SL style turns for rapid initiation, edge-to-edge quickness and rhythm under pressure. Both transfer directly into free skiing.
Steep groomed terrain — commitment under pressure
The steeper pistes of the Schmittenhöhe and the Kitzsteinhorn. The same carving technique applied where the slope demands full commitment. This is where we find out how far the technique has come.
New terrain, same turn
The final day we ski a mountain the group has not skied yet this week, with the technical framework from the camp replacing the habits you arrived with. Unfamiliar terrain is the honest test.
The Programme
On snow daily:
- Morning coaching session — 09:00 to 11:45
- Afternoon coaching session — 13:00 to 15:30
- Real-time radio coaching throughout every run (Cardo system)
- Individual video analysis every afternoon
Lunch: On the mountain, at a hut away from the main crowds.
Where We Stay
🏠 Your choice — Kaprun or Zell am See
Accommodation is free of choice and booked independently. Any hotel, guesthouse or apartment in Kaprun or Zell am See works well as a base, with an easy drive to all the ski areas. Evenings are your own — half board or a restaurant in town both work well. Book early: mid-February is high season in the valley. Book only after the camp is officially confirmed. I am happy to recommend places on request.
What Is Included
- 4 full coaching days
- Real-time radio coaching every session (Cardo system)
- Daily individual video analysis
- Daily choice of ski area based on snow, conditions and crowds
- Maximum 7 skiers — individual attention every run
Not included in camp price: Accommodation, lift pass, meals, travel and insurance are organised independently.
Who I Want at This Camp
Advanced and high-performance skiers who want to take their carving to a level that holds anywhere — not just on the piste they know.
You ski confidently on red and black terrain. You have the basic carving turn in your repertoire and you want higher edge angles, more committed arcs and real speed. You would rather spend your February ski week training with purpose than standing in a lift queue.
Minimum requirements:
- Confident skiing on red and black slopes
- Basic carved turns on groomed terrain
- Ability to link short and long turns with control
- Genuine motivation to improve technically
Not sure if this is the right level? Send me one run on video. I will give you an honest answer within 24 hours.
Why This Camp. Why Me.
I hold the Austrian Staatlicher Level 4 and the Hungarian Level 4 — the highest coaching certifications in both systems. My qualifications have been formally recognised and converted by the Italian Maestro di Sci programme, IASI Ireland at Level 4 and PSIA USA at Level 3. Five national systems. One standard.
I have represented Austria and Hungary at three Interski Congresses — Cran-Montana 2003, St. Anton am Arlberg 2011, Pamporovo 2019 — and two IVSI Congresses in Lech-Zürs and Hakuba Japan, as a member of the Austrian Telemark Demo Team and the Interski Delegation. As a former examiner and coach at Snowsports Academy Austria I have assessed and certified ski instructors at the highest levels of the Austrian system.
Kaprun is my Austrian base. I know these ski areas the way you only know mountains you ski every week of the winter — which piste is perfect at nine in the morning, which one holds its snow into the afternoon, and where the group should be on a busy February day.
7 Places.
This is the second of three carving editions this spring — 2–5 February, 16–19 February and 9–12 March. This one sits in the heart of the winter.
When the spots are gone, registration closes.
Peak winter. The right mountain at the right hour. Seven skiers. One coach.
