• Women skiers, this is the place for you -- an online community without the male-orientation you'll find in conventional ski magazines and internet ski forums. At TheSkiDiva.com, you can connect with other women to talk about skiing in a way that you can relate to, about things that you find of interest. Be sure to join our community to participate (women only, please!). Registration is fast and simple. Just be sure to add [email protected] to your address book so your registration activation emails won't be routed as spam. And please give careful consideration to your user name -- it will not be changed once your registration is confirmed.

Tipping your ski instructor _ advice?

For private or small group instruction (which is all that I do), I always tip $10-15/hr. depending on the skill of the instructor, the value of the lesson, and the length of the lesson. I budget the tip into the cost of the lesson. At ESA Stowe I think we each contributed $50 or so and pooled the $ to give our coaches a decent tip.
 

jaelni

Certified Ski Diva
What great feedback!
Thank you Diva's one and all for all the tipping information.
It has got me thinking and i am very glad i asked.....
And i will definitely set some money aside for tips

much appreciated
Jaelni
 

Nadine_A

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I agree with you jealni. Thank you Divas for the advice.

I have now included ski instructor tipping in my Tahoe Diva Week budget:thumbsup:
 

cosmogirl

Certified Ski Diva
I confess that I took a lesson last season and didn't tip. I actually never thought about it.:doh: I'm glad I read this thread. I'll be taking some lessons from him again this year and I'll be sure to make up for last season:
 

Elangirl

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
What an interesting topic!!! I have worked at Big Mountain for ten years and tips are always a bonus. I keep my tips in a special fund and use it for stuff that I want for skiing.

When I teach a group lesson, I am really happy to get a tip and most of them are from $5 to $20. I often teach people who have no idea about tipping insturctors--some of them send me cards later with tips in them!!!

With private lessons (3 hours) I almost always get a tip (from $20 to $50). when I have folks who take lots of lessons, I always tell them not to worry about the tip---I do get a bonus with requests--when the person specifically requests you. Many of them tip me at the end of the year.

With my groups that ski with me for eight weeks I have gotton tips from $50 to $100 from the women---I prefer not to know who gave what!! A tip is a generous gift and I appreciate it.

We are only paid for the hours we teach. So, even if we meet at 10 or 15 minutes before the lesson--and if we go 15 minutes over the lesson, that is all time that I am not paid for. There are days when I go to work and get my "show up" pay (which is State mandated) of $7!!!

However, having said all of this, I love teaching---I love skiing. I do need the money that I make, but I do not expect tips from people. I always give the same good service to everyone---since I am happy doing work I love, it is easy to do a good job. Lots of us, like me, spend hours in training sessions both at our hill and at PSIA events that we have to travel to do. I frequently spend $400- $500 at these events (thank you those who give me tips!!).

All of them help me to be a better instructor and I enjoy them. I know how hard it is to afford skiing. I have had some clients show up with homemade cookies or pies after a lesson--wonderbar!!! I have gotton lots of nice notes and pins and christmas ornaments!! All of which warm my soul. So, remember, if you can't afford to tip a nice note or some cookies are a great gift too.

For school groups there is hardly any expectation of a tip. However, they are mostly taught by the young instructors who need a tip. Ditto for children's group lessons. If you are the teacher, there is no need for you to top for the class. I think if the instructor got $10 he/she would be delighted. Most classes send back cute little notes to the instructors which are really fun to get and read.

When I have a private client, I try to use some video and I usually send them a video of their skiing---so, I appreciate a tip since there is extra work. But, I have clients who take me to lunch, knit me hats and invite me over for dinner and wine. A tip is a gift and if you feel that cash in inappropriate, then consider a warm thanks after the lesson or a baggie of M and M's!!!
 

snowmiser

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I normally am pretty generous when tipping....I even tip the exterminator when he comes because he's so polite and always seems to do more than what I would expect of him. It never even occurred to me to tip my clinicians. For the life of me, I can't understand why. I'm so glad you guys opened my eyes to this oversight! I am due for an education event this year, and I plan on bringing some cash to tip the clinician.
 

deannatoby

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm bringing this thread back to life. Just had some group lessons and a private lesson and I couldn't remember tipping protocol. Initially it never occurred to me to tip until reading the original thread because I saw ski instructors as "teachers." I was a high school teacher and didn't get tipped. This thread showed me otherwise. Any updates on tips? I took some group lessons a couple of weeks ago. Had two separate instructors because one got sick. Just had a private with the second instructor from that week. Reading all the above threads has left me unclear as to whether there is an expected difference between tipping for a group or private lesson. Long story I won't go into, but I didn't know the price of the private lesson until after it was over and after I had to guess at a tip. Turns out I tipped the private lesson at 15%.
 

bounceswoosh

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
When I did a private lesson a month or so ago, I took into account how much the instructor might have been tipped for a regular class. I tip $10 for a good group lesson and $20 for a great one - for my last private, I tipped $100 on a lesson that cost $860. I know that a lot of people don't know to tip, but I figure I should base it on a well-educated class ;-)
 
I have only been instructing for this past season, just started. I usually get $10 for a tip from the parent. One parent gave me $20 for his kid's private lesson. Either he was loaded or felt I did a great job with his little one :smile:. When I have taken lessons I usually tip $10.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
Next weekend is the end of our high performance group lesson. I bought the sessions last spring, so it was discounted. So it was around $500 for 10 lessons. I'm a 10% tipper unless things are really great. So I'm leaving that 10% in the box next weekend.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
BUMP since I came across this thread looking for something else.

How much to tip was definitely a topic for discussion when my friends did a Taos Ski Week. The same instructor works for 5-6 days with the same group for 2.0-2.5 hours in the mornings. One group decided to collect tips to be given all at once. The other group tipped individually. The amount that seemed appropriate was definitely not based on a percentage of the cost. The cost is just under $200.

I did a group lesson one day that turned out to be just me and ski buddy JC. The lesson was 2.5 hours for $70. I tipped based on what I usually tip for a 2-3 hour semi-private lesson at a destination resort where the cost is more like $75/hour when splitting the lesson with a friend.
 

QCskier

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm like Deanna - never occurred to me to tip a ski instructor - though I do usually give my season instructor a gift card at the end of the lessons ... usualy $ 30.00 for an 8 week course.

I look forward to what others say!

I didn't realize that it was considered a standard to tip either. I did a round of 7 group lessons this winter and at the end of them we all chipped in $10 and signed a card for our instructor. That was my first time doing that though. I'll be sure to tip instructors from now on.
 

santacruz skier

Angel Diva
Think we tipped $20 per day for Taos lessons...... Yes it was about half the price of the ski week but really worth it and appreciated the instructor.
I got a lot out of the lessons/tips (just need to remember them all!!!) as this was my first lesson(s) in probably 15-20 years.... Wasn't doing too bad though... hips back a little, need more dorsiflexion, pole plants were a little forward, skis a bit too close together, chin up.... ha there were a few good tips but wasn't overwhelmed and really felt like I connected with the instructor....
She was 64 and ripped.
 

CarverJill

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
Do people tip for young kids group ski lessons? I have to say I absolutely avoid tipping of any kind and always opt out if its 'optional' but have always felt a little bad at times with my kids instructors. Sure I would never tip someone who didn't do a good job but the decent ones is it expected? My kids are 4 and 5 and they have never had anything but the basic never ever and a few more advanced lessons on a magic carpet/poma.
 

Audski

Certified Ski Diva
I recently discovered that many folks, particularly if they are not already "skiers", don't realize they should tip ski instructors. This seems especially true for group lessons, and even more so if the lessons are for young kids. I had an experience a couple of years ago where I signed up for a group lesson. Since everyone else was a beginner, and I was looking to fine-tune, they gave me a one-on-one (and I still only paid the group rate of $40). I had a $10 in my pocket so I could tip the group instructor. The 1:1 instruction was good, but we did a lot of free skiing together with him having me follow his tracks, him following me, him giving me feedback while on the lifts, etc. He wasn't working too hard for that hour. lol. I gave him the $10 I had in my pocket and seemed very appreciative. My boyfriend ( a professional coach and former instructor) laid into me that I should have tipped him $20. I was shocked since I only paid $40 for the lesson. That seemed steep. I didn't think I should be held responsible for giving a 50% tip when I didn't ask for or sign up for a private lesson. We still disagree on this one. I don't think the instructor was upset over the $10 and the hour of free skiing.
 

marzNC

Angel Diva
. . . I gave him the $10 I had in my pocket and seemed very appreciative. My boyfriend ( a professional coach and former instructor) laid into me that I should have tipped him $20. I was shocked since I only paid $40 for the lesson. That seemed steep. I didn't think I should be held responsible for giving a 50% tip when I didn't ask for or sign up for a private lesson.
I don't consider the cost of the lesson when thinking about a tip. Meaning I don't start by calculating a percentage of what I paid. I know the instructor isn't getting a large percentage of the cost, even if someone pays hundreds of dollars for a full-day lesson at a destination resort.

For example, a Taos Ski Week was $220 for 2017-18. That's for six consecutive 2.0-2.5 hour group lessons with a very experienced instructor. 20% would be about $45 for all six lessons, but that's really not appropriate to the amount of effort and learning that happens over the course of the week. The guideline I heard from a Ski Week regular who has been skiing Taos since the 1980s was $15 per lesson as a starting point. That matched up with my habit of $20-25 for a semi-private lesson from L3 instructors at destination resorts that last 2-3 hours.

I used to do the Silver Clinic for Over 50 folks at my home mountain. $40 for 2 hours, often as a solo lesson and never with more than 1-2 other people. The instructor is very experienced, L3, and is a trainer for other ski instructors. My tip is no different than when the cost is $250-400 for 2 hours at a destination resort for semi-private lesson with a friend with a L3 instructor. I also do not adjust my tip if the lesson is with two friends, compared to one friend.

For a ski school day with a children's program for my daughter, I would try to have a couple $5 bills and some $1 bills in my pocket. Then would tip based on my observations on the hill (if I happened to see the group) and my conversation with the instructor at pick up.

I consider tipping an instructor more like giving a end-of-year bonus to a piano teacher or personal trainer than tipping a server at a restaurant. Not expected but always appreciated.
 

Pequenita

Ski Diva Extraordinaire
I'm super torn about this. My (pretty high level) instructors have all skied away before I can even reach for my pockets. Not joking.

Kids instructors, I would tip, in part because of how the relationship between the payer/student/instructor is structured.
 

Christy

Angel Diva
I recently discovered that many folks, particularly if they are not already "skiers", don't realize they should tip ski instructors.

Totally. I didn't, for years, until I was made aware that I should be. But it's an odd one--you don't tip other types of sports trainers/coaches, at least that I'm aware of. And given that tipping is just you subsidizing the labor costs of the business...it's a bad system.
 

Jilly

Moderator
Staff member
I instructed at the local bump for about 10 years. I never received a monetary tip. I did get a cute skiing gnome from the ladies group I did.

Now, I did instruct for a week at Tremblant years ago. I did get some tips there. DH and I went out for supper the one night on them. But I wasn't trying to make a living teaching. Some of the instructors are. I've always tipped for lessons that are not part of the CSIA programs.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
26,235
Messages
497,576
Members
8,503
Latest member
MermaidKelly
Top