Listing the best Ski Instructors in Colorado is no easy task. With over 10,000 individuals giving ski lessons in Colorado in the past decade there are many professionals who are excellent at their jobs.

While the list of truly elite instructors may only be in the 100s, there is still a lot of subjectivity deciding who to highlight in this article. I’ve stuck to respected instructors available to the public with whom I have had positive first-hand experience during clinics and certification exams. Here goes!

Greg Kelley Skis on Air!

Greg Kelley

Greg Kelley is so smooth while demonstrating efficient ski technique to his Vail clients and newly hired instructors that it looks like he is skiing on air. In fact, that is how Greg spends his summers as a paragliding instructor.

While great instructors like Mr. Kelley can adapt their styles to best fit the needs of their clients, Greg tends to have a relaxed style that is not pushy. This allows his protégés to absorb things at their own pace and delve deeper when they are ready.

With Greg’s calm demeanor and cool persona, I’m waiting for the most interesting man in the world to state in his next Dos Equis commercial, “I’m not a ski instructor, but if I was one, I’d be Greg Kelley.”

Mark Raymond- Pursuing Happiness

When his job as General Manager of Training & Quality for the Vail Ski & Snowboard School evolved into too many administrative days and too few ski days, Mark Raymond decided to make a change. The Professional Ski Instructors Rocky Mountain division (PSIA-RM) & Aspen skiers couldn’t be happier as Mark now splits his snow time and considerable talents as a Highlands ski instructor and traveling trainer/examiner for PSIA-RM.

Mark’s likable personality, talents as a skier, ability to quickly diagnose a skier’s movement patterns and superior communication skills have translated into him being sought after by instructors looking to improve their own skiing and many happy students. Justin Pickens, a top instructor in his own right who has worked with Mark at both Aspen and Vail sums it up nicely, “Mark…will give his honest opinion and attention to me. He is committed to constantly working toward a higher quality guest and instructor experience through innovations and holding high standards for the trainers and for himself.”

Adaptable Catherine Zinn

Not only does Katy have a heart of gold, but the educational background and inner strength needed to help the most challenged individuals reach their snow sports goals.

Katy is proud of the fact that Vail offers a world class adaptable snow sports program with reduced cost private lessons taught by professional instructors. Katy made such a positive impression on one of her clients that he made a $50,000 matching grant to help further reduce the cost of adaptive lessons for those that need financial assistance to fulfil their on snow dreams.

When looking to recruit instructors for the adaptable snow sports program, Katy assures them that most clients just need a bit of extra focus or physical compensations and are not as hard or complex as some of the situations that Katy deals with. Katy willingly accepts the most demanding assignments because she is THAT GOOD!

“Doctor” Doug Sakata

During the past 2+ decades at Copper Mountain, Doug Sakata has studied enough about snow sports to have earned a PhD.

While much of his studying has taken place on snow or watching skier videos, Doug is one of the few instructors to lay claim to inventing a learning exercise during après-ski. Not surprisingly, Doug has a loyal following among Front Range skiers looking to take things to the next level.

Jenn Metz: Precise & Accurate!

Jenn Metz

Precise & Accurate is how Jenn Metz, Vail’s lead Cert 3 trainer, skis and talks. Picture perfect demos and clear, understandable communication are two of the reasons that Jenn is sought after by both instructors looking to advance in the certification process and clients wanting to improve their skiing.

As a member of the PSIA-Rocky Mountain Alpine Committee since 2000, Jenn has helped to write the book that other instructors use to teach their clients.

Jenn not only helps you raise your game on the slopes, but as a Nutrition, Fitness and Lifestyle Entrepreneur (she is CEO of TJM Enterprises, Inc.), Jenn can help you lay the foundation for peak performance and optimal health in all your endeavors.

Domenick Scioli, an up and coming instructor at Vail says it best “Jenn exhibits the traits found in excellent coaches: she cares deeply about others; she has high personal standards and drive; and she has an equally high level of self-awareness.”

Man-Child Mike Evans

With the heart and soul of a child, PSIA-RM Children’s Examiner Mike Evans is one of the best child and teen instructors in the world! Mike’s years of training allow him to easily convert drills that colleagues use with their adult clientele into fun Harry Potter and Star Wars based games that make kids love to learn.

Instructors, want to up your game with young people? Take a clinic with Mike!

You don’t have to spend a lot of time with Mike to realize the children he teaches at the Vail Ski and Snowboard School are some of the luckiest in the world.

Jennifer Simpson- Easy on the Eyes!

It’s not surprising that Jennifer Simpson has been selected to PSIA’s National Team multiple times as it is really fun to watch her ski.

Originally from Wisconsin, Jennifer has plied her trade with a bright smile helping skiers around the world as a PSIA-Central Education Staff member, Examiner in both the Central & Rocky Mountain divisions and as a New Zealand Rookie Academy Coach.

Instructing during the North American winter at the Aspen-Snowmass Ski & Snowboard School, Jennifer, a self-described learning junkie, is also an RN, so she can help patch you up if you don’t heed her skiing advice.

Vail’s Native Wild Child Kolby Knox

Kolby Knox

“That didn’t work out like I was hoping” is something that Kolby Knox has said or thought more than once. While pushing his limits as a skier and cowboy (he went to college on a rodeo scholarship) has put him on a first name basis with Vail’s best doctors, Kolby continues to be one of the best skiers and most passionate instructors you’ll find anywhere.

The skill and joy Kolby brings to Vail Mountain not only puts a smile on his students faces, but has been recognized by PSIA. In 2015, Kolby was named as a PSIA-RM Alpine Examiner and qualified for the finals of the PSIA-RM regional team that will represent the Rocky Mountain division at Nationals in April, 2016.

For those that don’t want the fun to stop when the lifts on our mountain play-ground close, during après-ski, Kolby has been known to entertain Vail customers and fellow instructors with his charismatically told stories of growing up in the Vail Valley and adventures on the mountain.

There you have it- Volume 1 of Colorado’s Best Ski Instructors. All featured instructors can be booked for private lessons, but due to their popularity, many have very tight schedules, so book as early as possible.
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Matt Elston, the founder of Ski School Pros, is a PSIA Certified Ski Instructor (Alpine Level 2, Children’s Specialist 1, Freestyle Specialist 1). His teaching experience includes 4 seasons as a Vail Adult Ski Instructor, 3 seasons as a Copper Mountain Kids Ski Instructor, a number of years teaching friends & family as well as soccer and basketball coaching experience.

For future posts, Ski School Pros would like to get perspectives from qualified guest columnists to learn who their favorite instructors are.