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Nicola P.

Nicola P.
The instructor's qualifications have been verified.

  (54) reviews
80
/hour

Trophy award

  • Nicola P. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service
Val Thorens
Ski

Response Time: 2 hours

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Reserve now with a 20% refundable deposit!

Available if you're booking lessons 30+ days in advance.
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Reserve now with a 20% refundable deposit!

Available if you're booking lessons 30+ days in advance.
82% of Nicola`s previous customers left 5 star reviews
About
82% of Nicola`s previous customers left 5 star reviews
Nicola P. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service

Trophy award

  • Nicola P. has received the Trophy Award for consistently providing a fantastic service
  • Experience: 13 Years

  • Languages: English , Italian , Spanish

  • Cancellation Policy: Flexible [?]

I’m Nicola, 34 years old and ski is my passion since when i was a kid. I was a ski racer till i was 18 when i started my ski instructor career. I worked in Italy, Argentina, Australia, switzerland, and then i came to France where i’ve been teaching for the past 5 years.
In the summer i manage my own enogastronomic bike tour company in the north of Italy, where i live.
In my free time, i like to ride my mountain bike and hike with my dog “Dante”.

  • Great with beginners
  • Fun children’s lessons
  • Patient with improvers
  • Superb for intermediates
  • Fantastic with experts
What to expect in a lesson

My lesson is customized for each client. I start with a very brief question and answer session to understand your level and what you want to achieve, from a fun and pleasant leisure skiing and making you acquainted with the ski area, to a more technical analysis to improve your personal skills. We compliment all this with some fun video sessions where you will see yourself before and after and you will be able to appreciate your improvements

54 reviews
Overall Rating 5.0

(54 reviews)

(5.0/5)
Friendliness
5.0
Time keeping
5.0
Communication
5.0
Technical feedback
4.9
Fiona .
19/04/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nicola was fantastic! He was so helpful and patient (I’m a beginner skier) and he was always giving tips on how to improve, never an opportunity missed to help you get better. He is so friendly, easy to talk to and a genuinely nice person. I have improved so much over 3 lessons and can confidently ski and have lots of tips to help me improve my skill. I would recommend Nicola as an instructor to anyone!

Fiona booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

mark jenkins .
18/04/2023

4.9

Mixed

Nicola has really helped my kids to rapidly advance their skiing while having a lot of fun. They love his ski lessons and look forward to having more in future.

mark jenkins booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Niamh .
12/04/2023

5.0

Mixed

We had Nico for 3 days and absolutely loved his lessons! It was our 2nd ski trip so we needed to refresh our skills. Nico helped us do this very easily. We gained so much confidence with him and he taught us helpful tips and tricks when dealing with different slopes. Would definitely recommend Nico to anyone looking for ski lessons.

Niamh booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Deeva .
11/04/2023

4.9

Mixed

Excellent lesson with Nico. He broke down step by step with exercises and guiding us down runs. His lessons are very memorable and we saw an improvement after one session. Definitely recommend booking 3 hours especially in a group of 3 as we were. Nico is very funny too and we got to know him which put us all at ease. His English is brilliant. Our only regret is not booking more lessons in advance with him. We will definitely book him next time we’re in les menuires/Val thoren. Thanks Nico!

Deeva booked a total of 3 hours with Nicola

Joanne .
10/04/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nicola (Nico) was THE best instructor I have ever had. He was perfect for what I needed. He understood that I was nervous because of a previous injury and was very patient. My skiing improved so much with Nico and I even got to a point where I enjoyed the skiing, rather than being nervous all the time. He has made me want to go back again and get better and even more confident. I can't recommend Nico highly enough. Thank you!

Joanne booked a total of 10 hours with Nicola

Rich .
07/04/2023

5.0

Mixed

Amazing week with Nico. He took our kids off piste in powder for the first time. Lovely friendly guy with great technical coaching.

Rich booked a total of 15 hours with Nicola

bindia patani .
26/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

We initially booked 3x two hour days of lessons for two adult absolute ski beginners. Nico was friendly, professional, patient and highly knowledgeable. He gave excellent constructive feedback and was able to tailor the learning to suit both our varying needs/ skill. (Also identified that my friends flat foot was affecting her skiing and advised use of insoles which helped her a lot). We felt safe the entire time whilst advancing at the right pace and after booking a fourth day, were able to complete easy/ intermediate blue slopes! We had a really fun first skiing experience with Nico thanks to his teaching style and general banter ha thanks Nico!

bindia patani booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Ian .
23/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nicola was phenomenal. He single handedly took me from barely being able to get down blues effectively to feeling really comfortable on blues and some reds by the end of the week. We did on-piste and off-piste conditions and his feedback was immensely helpful. I would recommend him to anybody.

Ian booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Nathan Schwartz... .
22/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

Hands down, the best ski experience I've ever had. If you are on the fence about getting a lesson and unsure about which instructor to select - get a lesson, and choose Nicola. Nicola is an absolute expert who will give you frequent and consistent hyper-tailored feedback that translates to maximum learning and skill capacity building. My trip and my overall skiing was completely transformed because of the 3 hours I spent with Nicola. Simply the best!

Nathan Schwartzbauer booked a total of 3 hours with Nicola

Sam .
17/03/2023

5.0

Mixed

All our group had a great time with Nico. I felt I learnt a lot and improved my skiing significantly during his lessons. We even booked extra lessons with him whilst we were at Val Thorens

Sam booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Kate .
05/03/2023

4.9

Mixed

Very friendly. Helped me when I was very anxious. Enjoyed my lessons with Nico.

Kate booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Pauline .
01/03/2023

4.9

Mixed

Nico took my 8yr old grandaughter for 4hrs over 2 days as a complete beginner, today we have had her out for 6hrs and she's skiing independently. Her confidence has blossomed and we can only thank Nico for that. Money well spent and encourage anyone to book Nico up fast.

Pauline booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Markus .
27/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nicola instructed a group of 3 women and they liked it.

Markus booked a total of 7 hours with Nicola

Tom shackeford .
27/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nico was a brilliant teacher, very clear communication and expert skiier. We were all happily skiing by the end of the week.

Tom shackeford booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Lawrence Perret... .
24/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Excellent instructor, explained everything clearly and I felt I improved a lot!

Lawrence Perret-Hall booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Georgie .
24/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

We had advanced lessons with Nico as a group of three. Nico taught us a mixture of technical exercises to improve our technique and then exercises to put them into practice. All of us massively improved in our two lessons. Nico is very clear and gives great feedback on what to improve. He is also very pleasant, encouraging and enthusiastic. We hope to have lessons again with Nico!

Georgie booked a total of 5 hours with Nicola

Claire .
22/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

My 8 year old daughter loved her lessons with Nico. She had only had a couple of lessons on the dry slope before and after 2.5 hours of lessons with Niko was confidently skiing down the blue slopes. Thank you Niko!

Claire booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Giedre .
20/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Very knowledgeable and patient with out beginners group. Highly recommend him.

Giedre booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Ashley Gatehous... .
19/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nico was absolutely fabulous! Working with a very mixed ability group he organised a week of fun and very effective ski lessons helping everyone significantly improve their technique. I would highly recommend him 👍

Ashley Gatehouse booked a total of 5 full days with Nicola

Richard .
12/02/2023

4.9

Mixed

Lovey guy, good with my 8 year daughter

Richard booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Sally Brothwell .
12/02/2023

4.9

Mixed

Over the course of a week I had 8hrs of lessons with Nico. He was friendly, helpful and encouraging and helped me progress a great deal in a short space of time. Nico was able to address issues in my technique and had a ridiculous amount of different exercises to help me improve. Nico was patient and I was able to trust him when he was pushing me out of my comfort zone. I had only skied for one week eight years previously and Nico got me skiing confidently and with control down red runs by the end of the week by giving me the tools to work with when skiing on my own. Nico was good company and very knowledgeable.

Sally Brothwell booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

David .
10/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Had 3 days worth of lessons at an intermediate level on a solo basis. All I can say is I'd wish I'd done this years ago. Nico's tuition was excellent. Would strongly recommend and would book myself again when back in Val Thorens.

David booked a total of 7 hours with Nicola

Ariana Alva .
03/02/2023

5.0

Mixed

Amazing! Nico was always friendly, professional and polite. Felt very confident after having 2 lessons with him 😊

Ariana Alva booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Tamara .
01/02/2023

5.0

Beginner

This was my first time skiing and Nico made it a really enjoyable experience! He is knowledgable, friendly and really creative in teaching! I would highly recommend him as an instructor and would choose him again!

Tamara booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

James Jago .
30/01/2023

5.0

Beginner

Nicola was a joy to learn with. Friendly, chatty, patient, and clear with instruction, and also with a sense of humour which really put me at ease. He took me from complete beginner to confidently taking myself down blues and greens in 3 days. I couldn’t recommend him highly enough and hope to have a refresher with him when I come back next year.

James Jago booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Philip .
26/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

Fantastic experience with Nicola. Really helped to gain my confidence, and took things at my own pace but good at judging when I could do a bit more. Very good way of explaining things and incredibly patience! Will definitely be booking again if back in Val Thorens!

Philip booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Paulo C.
21/01/2023

5.0

Beginner

Nico was perfect for me, my wife and my 10 year old son....all of us beginners. A great instructor and also a great guy. After 8 hours we were all ready to enjoy the green and even blue slopes without any help.

Paulo booked a total of 8 hours with Nicola

Anthony .
09/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

Nico was a great and friendly instructor. His communication and technical feedback was excellent, and much better than previous instructors I've had. He was able to quickly assess what I was doing wrong and suggested intuitive actions to fix it. What I really liked about Nico is how good he was at explaining what the perfect turn should look and feel like, and how what he was asking me to do differed from that as we worked on one element at a time, progressing towards the final goal. Sometimes instructors won't tell you what the final goal is and just give you drills to do without really it - leaving you copying the instructor and not really knowing why. When Nico gave me a drill he explained why we were doing it and what it should feel like - it led to an "aha!" moment for me and drastically improved my turns.

Anthony booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Michele E.
08/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

Persona competente, disponibile e professionale. Top.

Michele booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Joan Kelly .
04/01/2023

5.0

Beginner

We had a great week with Nicola. We were a group and divided up according to ability. Nicola is patient and very knowledgeable. He is good fun also. It is our 2nd year with Nicola and wouldn’t hesitate to book him for next trip.

Joan Kelly booked a total of 20 hours with Nicola

Danielle .
03/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

We had the best afternoon with Nico! Learnt so much in such a short time and we had so much fun! Can’t wait to do our next lesson.

Danielle booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Laura .
02/01/2023

5.0

Mixed

Had a great time with Nicola. There were four of us for the first day and we all appreciated Nicolas guidance, instruction, tips, knowledge of the area and his good humour. We were all a little nervous having not skied for a few years but Nicola made us feel at ease and really helped us with the geography. The second day was one to one and I picked up so many technical tips about my skiing from Nicola. He was fun to be around and I would highly recommend.

Laura booked a total of 2 hours and 1 full day with Nicola

luis .
15/12/2022

5.0

Mixed

Amazing experience, From basic level of only knowing how to put skis on, to feeling confident enough to go down the slopes. Nico made us feel comfortable and confident. Super friendly and fun too!! Gave us really good advice on everything from ski passes to where to eat. We will definitely be booking Nico again next year and highly recommend him to anyone. Thank you for making our time here special Nico!

luis booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Richi .
06/12/2022

5.0

Mixed

Nothing more than feeling to have achieved a great upgrade on technical points. Thanks to Nicola we have perfectionated our ski level.

Richi booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

James .
26/04/2022

5.0

Beginner

If I could give Nico 6 stars I would, organised right off the bat suggesting things before we arrived in resort. Friendly, great instruction with the short time we had available. Would absolutely use Nico again.

James booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Simon Sá Feio .
21/04/2022

5.0

Beginner

Nico was absolutely amazing! He taught four 11-13 year olds all at different levels and improved each of their skiing skills considerably. Always punctual, easy to communicate with and a great teacher the kids and I would recommend Nico to anybody.

Simon Sá Feio booked a total of 12 hours with Nicola

Lynda Thomas .
20/04/2022

5.0

Beginner

Nico is fantastic and I couldn’t recommend more highly. I’m a nervous skier who never seems to progress. By the end of one week with Nico I could really feel a difference in my technique & confidence, and friends who have skied with me for several years were shocked by my improvement. Nico explained things clearly (what I needed to do, as well as the reason why), always demonstrated what he meant (showing me both the right & wrong technique), and each lesson was full of encouragement & laughter. Massive thanks, Nico.

Lynda Thomas booked a total of 12 hours with Nicola

mark jenkins .
19/04/2022

5.0

Intermediate

Nico started by teaching my kids (14 and 12) some tricks on ski's that showed them how much fun skiing could be, and then moved on to carving turns, hockey stops, short turns to control speed on steep slopes, and jumps. My kids had a lot of fun while learning to ski far better than I thought possible during our weeks holiday. They are are now confidently doing red runs with good pace and control after only two weeks on skis. Thanks Nico!

mark jenkins booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Ian Stokes .
16/04/2022

5.0

Mixed

Nico is an excellent teacher and helps the group improve their skiing lots. He also a super guy and we very much enjoyed our time with him.

Ian Stokes booked a total of 5 hours with Nicola

Stephanie Rothe... .
08/04/2022

4.8

Mixed

Nicola was a great teacher - we were a mixed ability group and he was able to cater to each of our needs whilst keeping our 15 year old engaged with additional little tricks she could master - such as backwards skiing. He was warm and compassionate and took into account both our practical and emotional needs. I would not hesitate to recommend him and will definitely use again should we be in the Three Valleys Area - thank you Nico.

Stephanie Rotherham booked a total of 3 hours with Nicola

Sue Wong .
05/04/2022

4.8

Beginner

Our family had 3 private lessons with Nico. Being intermediate skiers who hasn’t skied in 2 years, Nico quickly helped us get our ski legs back! He adapted the lessons based on our needs and focused on improving on each of our weaknesses. I would definitely book Nico for ski lessons again.

Sue Wong booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Ellis .
26/03/2022

5.0

Mixed

Nico planned really well organised lessons for us and was very patient and friendly. Given that one of us was a complete beginner and one was intermediate he split the lessons perfectly to focus on each persons needs. We will definitely look to have lessons from Nico next year again ☺️

Ellis booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Richard Burke .
16/03/2022

5.0

Beginner

Thanks so much to Nico for the last few days of lessons. It was lovely to meet you and hope our paths cross again someday - maybe at the vineyard! Nico really listened to what we wanted to achieve and tailored his lessons accordingly. I was nervous about skiing and his technique really helped me to improve so I felt more confident. I have really enjoyed the lessons and the skiing and would throughly recommend Nico to anyone who wants to get better with their skiing.

Richard Burke booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Ivy .
05/03/2022

5.0

Mixed

Nico was a superb instructor, specifically he was extremely patient (as I was a very nervous intermediate) and understood that I had to overcome some mental blocks as well as physical technique. He has great interpersonal skills and is very professional, he clearly demonstrated many years of training and experience instructing.He helped me overcome some real barriers this week. I would highly recommend Nico for all levels and particularly for anyone like me who needs patience, challenge, honesty and humour!

Ivy booked a total of 18 hours with Nicola

Natalia B.
26/02/2022

5.0

Mixed

My two have had the best time with Nicola - both said in a few days they learned more than in years of ski-school. And they massively improved technically. We really hope to work with him again next year.

Natalia booked a total of 18 hours with Nicola

Ben J.
21/02/2022

4.9

Mixed

My 2 kids had a great experience with Nico. He is very enthusiastic, a good communicator and teacher and always on time. The kids progressed a lot and had a great time. Would highly recommend Nico.

Ben booked a total of 10 hours with Nicola

Irina .
15/02/2022

5.0

Mixed

Nicola is a great coach from technical side and adapts quickly to individual needs. Friendly, calm and enjoyable company! Highly recommended.

Irina booked a total of 12 hours with Nicola

Cara .
12/02/2022

4.9

Mixed

Nicola was a fantastic coach today, he really helped with my confidence and technical skills. He was relaxed and friendly highly recommended

Cara booked a total of 4 hours with Nicola

Paul Casey .
03/02/2022

5.0

Beginner

Very happy with my lesson!! Nico was great - he quickly understood what I was seeking to achieve and tailored the session to suit. Friendly and fun. Looking forward to using him again.

Paul Casey booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Charlotte .
02/02/2022

5.0

Beginner

Had such a great time learning to ski with Nico. He’s so positive, upbeat and a great coach. Honestly recommend whole heartedly.

Charlotte booked a total of 6 hours with Nicola

Lydia Cooper .
24/01/2022

5.0

Beginner

Nicola was so friendly, calm and patient. After just an hours lesson, I really felt the impact of his teaching! Definitely going to have another lesson with Nicola! Having only got into skiing at the age of 22, he really helped me to control my speed and feel more confident on the slopes! I would 100% recommend Nicola to any adult beginners. Reasonable price and priceless lessons!

Lydia Cooper booked a total of 2 hours with Nicola

Sara .
24/01/2022

5.0

Nico was the best teacher I ever had. Competent, patient and friendly. A few hours with him and I improved a lot! Thanks Nico!

Joan Kelly .
20/01/2022

5.0

We had a very positive experience with Nicola. We had lessons for the week and we benefited greatly from his tuition. He was very patient, reassuring and encouraging. Nicola challenged us everyday but never put us at risk. He is also good fun! We look forward to continuing our lessons with Nicola next season.

Olly .
20/01/2022

5.0

Nico has coached my 3 kids over the last 3yrs, the last time being this year in Méribel (aged 10, 8 and 6yrs old). They all love his lessons for the fun that he brings whilst progressing their skiing and technique. Would recommend Nico to anyone with kids. Always on time, highly professional, clear in his communication and teaching and above all fun.

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FAQs
Where is the meeting point?

You can arrange the meeting point with your chosen instructor by using the Maison Sport messaging system. We recommend agreeing this before you book your lessons, but it can always be arranged at a later date. The instructor should be able to suggest somewhere that is convenient for you both.

What qualifications do the instructors have?

Any instructor that has a blue ‘verified’ tick icon on their profile has had their qualifications vetted and verified by the Maison Sport team, the level of qualification required to have a verified account on Maison Sport varies slightly by country. As follows: France – all verified instructors must carry a ‘Carte Professionelle’ licence, the qualification requirements for this licence are very high. The licence is administered by the French Government (to attain a Carte Professionelle most instructors will have studied for an average of 5 years+ to attain the correct level of qualification). Aside from requiring the instructor to have the highest level of qualification, which includes numerous teaching and technical performance diplomas in skiing or snowboarding, European mountain safety courses and the Euro speed test, the instructors are also required to have a criminal record check and a first aid certificate. Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Finland, Scotland, Spain – all verified instructors must carry a minimum level of qualification which must be at the ISIA card level or above. Instructors working independently must provide documentation to show they meet the local regulatory requirements to do so and instructors that are working for a ski school must provide details of the school they work for.

How many people can take part in the lesson?

Unless otherwise agreed with the instructor no more than 6 people can take part in a lesson, each instructor will have their own policy for this, so it is best to just double check with them by sending a message. Most instructors won't charge extra if there is more than 1 person taking part in the lesson, but always best to check with them before booking.s

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