Inside Crystal Mountain’s Private Lessons with SRS Director, Ricky Roberts
Inside Crystal’s Private Lessons
With Ricky Roberts, Director of the Ski & Ride School
Crystal Mountain’s private lessons are more than instruction, they’re a philosophy. It’s a philosophy that ties together the mountain’s vast terrain, its culture of teaching, and the breakthroughs that occur when an instructor’s connection becomes a student’s confidence.
Ricky Roberts, head of Crystal’s Ski & Ride School, leads with a simple belief: great instruction starts with connecting to the guest and shaping the lesson around their goals.
When asked what questions Ricky preferred to start with, his reply was telling: “Well, what would you like to accomplish this season?” he asked with a grin. “Let’s see what lands.”
That’s the same authenticity he brings to every conversation, and the foundation of how Crystal’s instructors run private lessons.
“Your Goals. Your Terrain. Your Lesson.”
Ask Ricky about his approach, and you won’t get a technical manual. You’ll get a conversation. “The more fluent we become in your experience with the mountain,” he explained, “the better we can connect. That’s what leads to success.”
For his instructors, that means every student’s needs and goals are unique. A guest looking to ski steeper bowls might need short, sharp tips on edge control. Another might need encouragement to breathe through the fear of variable snow. Someone else could need silence and a guide who skis ahead until they build their confidence.
Ricky has built a school around that principle. Private lessons should start where the guest is, and end wherever the mountain allows them to go.
The Mountain as a Classroom
Crystal is no small hill. With over 2,600 acres, the terrain ranges from wide-open groomers to gladed trees, from the steep faces off Chair 6 to rolling powder fields that catch the morning sun — all accessible from the Mount Rainier Gondola, offering unmatched views and a quick way to explore new zones.
For Ricky and his instructors, the mountain isn’t just a backdrop; it’s a classroom and a playground. Each run offers a lesson: carving precision on groomers, agility in the trees, trust on steeps, and flow in powder.
“You’re not just learning turns,” Ricky said. “You’re learning the mountain.”
That mindset makes private lessons different at Crystal. They’re not just about mechanics. They’re about making guests feel at home on the mountain, teaching them to read the snow, the terrain, and themselves so that every lap becomes meaningful.
A Story of Breakthroughs
Not every breakthrough is about technical skill. Ricky told the story of a woman who came to Crystal after years of struggling with agoraphobia (the fear of open or crowded spaces). For her, skiing was never going to be about carving arcs or charging steeps. It was about showing up, getting on snow, and moving forward without panic.
Her first private lesson was quiet. Slow. Built on small wins. By the end, she wasn’t just sliding down a run; she was reclaiming a sense of empowerment.
And she came back. Again, and again. Private lessons became her anchor, a way to rebuild trust not only in skiing but in herself. What began as one lesson turned into a season-long relationship with the instructors who knew how to meet her exactly where she was.
For advanced skiers, breakthroughs manifest in different ways: finding confidence in chutes, flowing through variable snow, or skiing powder without fighting it. But the principle is the same: start where the student is, adapt to their rhythm, and deliver results they can feel.
Private Lessons as Relationships
That repeat guest story isn’t unusual. Private lessons at Crystal often grow into relationships. Season after season, students and instructors work together, build trust, refine techniques, and find joy in the process.
It’s no accident. Ricky encourages his instructors to think of themselves not as coaches for the day, but as partners in progression. They celebrate the small wins, mark the milestones, and remember where a guest left off. Every lesson starts and ends with momentum.
That’s the culture Ricky has built into the Ski & Ride School: lessons that go beyond transactions and become something enduring.
Guaranteed Results
For beginners, it might be linking confident turns by the end of the day — or starting from square one with our Learn to Ski or Ride program designed to build comfort and confidence from the ground up.
For intermediates, it could be breaking free from the plateau and feeling at home on blue terrain. For advanced skiers, gaining the confidence to tackle Silver King or carve steep pitches with precision.
Wherever you start, Crystal’s private lessons ensure you move forward and your progress lasts.
Why Private Lessons Matter
Crystal’s terrain can overwhelm even seasoned skiers. A private lesson is the fastest way to cut through the noise. It’s a shortcut to the mountain’s rhythm, a way to understand where to ski, when to ski it, and how to keep pushing past your boundaries.
And because the Ski & Ride School is led by Ricky, the program carries his philosophy: adapt, connect, listen, and deliver. Guests don’t just get instruction. They get insight. They get someone skiing alongside who knows the mountain and what makes them tick.
That’s why private lessons at Crystal aren’t just popular. They’re defining.
Interested in Private Lessons?
Private lessons at Crystal are for skiers who want to break through barriers: carving cleaner turns, skiing steeper bowls with confidence, or finally feeling fluid in variable snow.
With Ricky, one lesson is never just a lesson. His philosophy, and by extension, the culture he’s built in the Ski & Ride School, is that private lessons are partnerships, not events. Instructors don’t just teach. They learn the skier or boarder, adapt to their style, and build the momentum needed to carry forward.
The mountain is waiting. Take it on with Crystal’s private lessons.
