After the worldwide resonance brought forth by the conquest of the major Dolomite peaks in the second half of the last century, the Dolomite valleys soon became popular summer destinations for rock climbers and mountain lovers.
The practice of alpine skiing, however, did not really take off until the 30s. La Villa in the Val Badia was one of the first ski resorts in the Eastern Alps, thanks to the efforts of pioneers like the two mountain guides Giustino Soraru from La Villa and Francesco Kostner from Corvara. In 1933, both of them already became officially certified ski instructors through the then newly-founded F.I.S.I., the Italian Winter Sports Federation. Try to imagine ski excursions and skiing lessons around the Sella area or on the Campolongopass during a time, when there were no ski lifts and when pistes had to be trodden with skis...
Once the sad event of World War II had passed, times were ripe for the development of modern infrastructures for the continuously increasing number of winter sports enthusiasts. By 1947, the first ski lifts were already constructed. Within a few year's time, the network of ski lifts and slopes was extended in a way so as to connect them all to one uniquely integrated skiing area. When in 1977 SUPERSKI DOLOMITI, whose leading idea is "one single ski-pass for the whole Dolomite skiing area" (the largest in Europe), was founded, La Villa - the true heart of the Dolomites – had the biggest opportunities of being nominated among the most well-known and most attractive ski resorts of the Alps.
It was in the 80s that La Villa gained international fame and won world renown through organizing World Cup slalom and giant slalom races on the splendid piste Gran Risa. Without the huge efforts and the advance work of the ski instructors of the Ski School of La Villa and of the whole Alta Badia, the realization of the races would not be possible at all.
In 1951 there were five permanently employed ski instructors in La Villa. The "old" ski instructors just love to talk about the good old times! Then, ski instructors were not only excellent teachers and unsurpassable mountain guides, but also outstanding entertainers and, according to them, irresistible lady-killers.
In 1961 the Ski School of La Villa was officially founded with centralized office and services in order to meet the rising demand for individual and group lessons and for promotional reasons. It was then that the rising success of the winter tourism gradually started to outshine the very substantial summer tourism.
Successively, the ski schools of the 5 Alta Badia villages (La Villa, Corvara, Colfosco, Badia, and San Cassiano) decided to collaborate and to present themselves externally as one homogenous and compact organization. That"s why the ski dresses, the look, and the rates of the 5 official ski schools of the Val Badia are unified and standardized. So as to guarantee the professionalism and the preparation of every single ski instructor, the very strict guidelines of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano regarding permits, selection, and instructor courses must be followed.
From individual to group lessons, for all levels of expertise, for all ages, from focusing on techniques to discovering hidden and idyllic routes in the Dolomiti Superski area, the ski instructors of the Ski School of La Villa try to satisfy and to realize their customers' expectations and wishes with personalized service. Your vacation can easily turn into a collective experience with the lessons offered by the Ski School. For that purpose, fun slalom races, which can even take place at night, are organized. The races are for all categories and are accompanied by torch runs, there are choreographed performances by the ski instructors and, of course, by music and mulled wine.
The Ski School of La Villa offers families with children a truly unbeatable service, the snow kindergarten. For organizational reasons it is divided up into different localities, which are all furnished with the utmost care and creativity. The snow kindergarten is foremost an all-encompassing and very flexible service for children aged 3 and a half to 12. It takes children for only a few hours, for a whole day, or also for one or more weeks and offers them entertainment and games, group lessons, care and supervision. Their nice and motivated entertainers, as well as the Ski School's fun, 16-meter long moving carpet, SKI MINI GYM, will transform the snow kindergarten of the Ski School of La Villa into an unforgettable holiday experience for your children.
Alpine skiing has existed for more or less a century. Techniques, styles, materials, as well as practice conditions have constantly changed and evolved. Would you like to try snowboarding, carving, telemarking, off-piste skiing, or ski touring? At the Ski School of La Villa you will find excellent advisors, ski instructors, and adventure companions. Are you not sure about your equipment, or would you like to try new materials? The Ski School of La Villa has its own rental facility with excellent assistance. Are you interested in one or more offers? Would you like some information about a package deal, or would you simply like to get a piece of advice? At the Ski School of La Villa you will find friendliness and the answers to your questions.
Yes, it is our philosophy to offer the best and broadest variety of services, in a simple and complete way.
Skiing is freedom, entertainment, and vitality. To that, our ski instructors can add safety, experience, and humanity. The offers of the Ski School of La Villa will simplify skiing and enrich your vacation.
Among the pioneers of the Alpine region, the first ski instructors of La Villa started to record their stories 70 years ago. They were and still are the epitomes of tradition, techniques, fashions, styles, and of the various ways to conceptualize, experience and live skiing, the snow, and the Dolomites in wintertime. And that experience is unique every single year.