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Full Day Sessions
From
$850 USD
per day
4 - 6
hours
Hourly Sessions
From
$175 USD
per hour
Minimum
3
hours
Average response time:
More than 7 Days
  • current date
  • Available
  • Booked
Vinny
(Based on 4 ratings)
        
Skiing is a fun and challenging adventure. Discovering new terrain, pushing your limits and perfecting your technique are all things we can work on!
BOOK NOW
Meeting Locations
Whistler, BC V0N, Canada
Blackcomb, Whistler, BC V0N 1B4, Canada
Golden, BC, Canada
Hakuba, Kitaazumi District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Myoko, Niigata Prefecture, Japan
Shiga-kogen, Hirao, Yamanouchi, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture 381-0401, Japan
Madarao-yama, Furumi, Shinano-machi, Kamiminochi-gun, Nagano-ken 389-1302, Japan
Kijimadaira, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan
Rossland, BC, Canada
Will Travel Up To
50
kilometers
Experience
Time on Snow
27
years
Guiding
7
years
Teaching
18
years
Type
Alpine / Downhill Skiing
Specialties
Lazy skiing, Powder, Trees, Moguls, Terrain Park, Cliffs, Beginner, Technique improvement.
Full Day Sessions
From
$850 USD
4 - 6
hours
Hourly Sessions
From
$175 USD
per client
Minimum
3
hours
Availability
Full Day Sessions
Typical Session duration: 5 hours
Price per full day: $850 USD

There is a 20$ surcharge per 5cm at the top station of Yamabiko on the official Nozawa Onsen website. Days of powder snow are precious and should get their proper value reflected in the pricing.

I offer a discount for multi-day booking, ask me about it.
Hourly Sessions Details
Minimum Session duration: 3 hours
Price per Hour: $175 USD
Skiing Experience
I've spent the last 19 years full-time on snow, averaging well over a 100 days a year searching for the steepest terrain and deepest snow all around the world. From freeride competitions to riding the park in the spring, I always thrive to enjoy the mountain to its fullest.

I have been skiing Japan for 4 years, visiting as many resorts as I could in Hokkaido and now in the region of Nagano. I consider Whistler to be my home even though I grew up on the East coast of Canada in Quebec.
Teaching / Guiding Experience
I traveled across 4 continents to teach skiing and this vast experience has brought me the confidence to tackle any objective a skier might want to reach.

I did a ski instructor prep course when I was 15 and started teaching part-time at my local hill at 17. The next year I went for a full-time job at the same ski school and never looked back. In 2010, I did a season as a freestyle coach during the Olympics in Whistler and then started coaching/guiding freelance because I enjoy the connection with the guest much better.

My expertise goes from first timers, clients who are uncomfortable on the hill to experts trying to refine their technique, from groomers to park to the backcountry (to bringing the park IN the backcountry).
Other Info
My knowledge of the local terrain will help you get the most of your vacation. We will be skiing the best runs for your level, finding fresh snow when the resort is all tracked out.

I am available to travel internationally as well as locally. Ask me about my multi-day discount.
Reviews:
ksox
02/20/2020 08:36 PM
We had a fantastic tour of the lift-served side country around Nozawa thanks to Vinny! The piste skiing in Japan is not too exciting and gets tracked out quickly. Vinny knew several secret stashes that made our trip epic, we even added another day of guiding! He also gave us some useful tips on our technique. Totally worth the money!
AndrewC
02/06/2020 10:15 AM
We had a great time with Vinny during our time in Nozawa. He mainly worked with our 9 and 6 year old daughters, and managed their differing levels of confidence very well. It was great to have Vinny with us when we went out together as a family. Not only did he know where to go to avoid the crowds, but he accurately assessed the abilities of the group and we certainly did things we wouldn't have had the confidence to do without him. He also managed to provide tips to all of us, despite our varying ages, abilities and level of confidence. As parents we enjoyed our family skiing more knowing that Vinny was keeping an eye on the children, and his ability to provide a tired six year old with a piggy-back on skis is a sight to behold. Thanks, Vinny!
joeytse
01/01/2020 02:30 PM
Vinny is a super experienced instructor, my son said he was the best instructor after working with different instructors in the past three years. Will definitely seek for his tuition again in the future, highly recommended for any families.
Nina
02/13/2019 07:09 AM
Vinny was a fantastic instructor and took us from beginner to intermediate runs, and even a couple of advanced runs, over a period of several days. He was able to guide and instruct our family of very different abilities without problem, adn was great with the teenagers. He had great knowledge of the local terrain. He is an amazing skier. I would not hesitate to recommend him to skiers of any level, and would definitely seek his tuition in the future.