Ski Forever, Next Year

“People sign up for our camp because they want to ski forever,” recalled Laurie Norman, Head Ski Instructor at the Alf Engen Ski School in Alta. And just like that, the Ski Camp at the Peruvian got its name.

If skiing forever is the goal, Laurie Norman is keeping great pace. 2023 was her 32nd year as a ski instructor in Alta. But as experienced as she and her team are, the Peruvian’s Ski Forever Camp is for any skier from intermediate to advanced level.

But how does Ski Forever appeal to a wide variety of skill sets? With a unique approach, curiosity and love of skiing from Laurie herself. After they sign up for the four-night, three-day camp, Laurie calls each skier to really get to know them and prepare the camp for a truly effective and personalized experience. She asks campers how long they’ve been skiing and where. What gear do they have and why they are excited about this. “I don’t know any other ski camp that does that,” Laurie says.

When Ski Forever campers arrive at the Peruvian, they’re reminded to “put their ego in their back pocket,” as Laurie likes to say. “If you’re going to get better, you have to want to get better,” she states. It’s a shared mindset among a group of skiers’ skiers.

But it’s not all business all the time. Just like any other Peruvian stay, the Ski Forever camp goes hard on the mountain and takes it easy back at the lodge. This camp is unlike any other because the instructors stay at the Peruvian with the skiers, so everyone eats together in the dining room and enjoys some libations together at P-Dog. And each night a new expert comes by to talk with the camp in the Alf Engen Room about anything from the importance of the right boots to everyone’s favorite, Lucy the Alta Ski Patrol dog.

Ski Forever at the Peruvian is complete for the 2023 season. It was such a success that the camp plans to return next year and add more groups and dates. Laurie said she’s already had skiers ask when they can sign up again for 2024 (the answer is August, by the way). “Every single camper leaves after four days doing new moves they’ve never done before and skiing places they’ve never gone before,” she mentions with a smile. It’s not too surprising when you’re reminded the goal is and always has been, to Ski Forever.