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Ski Clinics for the 2026-2027 Season
CONC offers XC ski clinics for its members to learn and improve their skiing on groomed and backcountry ski trails while having fun in a safe learning environment. Here are the clinic offerings for the 2026-2027 season. Conditions permitting, we offer clinics starting in December, with most clinics occurring in January and February.
If you have any questions, or are interested in helping with any clinics, please email our Ski Clinic Administrator Laura Seaver.
You must be a CONC member to participate in any clinic, which are free to members. Instructors are members who have experience teaching XC skiing or have recently attended CONC instructor training. Like most CONC events, the clinics are all powered by Volunteers!
Full details for each clinic is available on the Events Calendar. Links to each scheduled clinic are provided below. The links are activated when the events are posted to the calendar.
If you are interested in a clinic that is full, please add yourself to the event waitlist. This way we can gauge interest and will consider adding more sessions.
Three main categories of clinics:
- Beginner XC Ski Clinics on groomed terrain
- Advanced XC Ski Clinics focused on XC downhill skills at Hoodoo Ski Area
- Beginner and Advanced XC Ski clinics on ungroomed terrain.
Beginner Clinics on Groomed Terrain
CONC offers a series of Beginner XC ski clinics instructing members on the basics of cross-country skiing on groomed XC trails. With this instruction and additional practice, clinic participants develop the confidence to ski on easy XC trails and participate in beginner ski events. Learning on groomed terrain allows for focus to be on skills and techniques rather than adapting to the additional challenge of variable terrain and snow conditions experienced in the ungroomed environment.
Clinics will be scheduled as soon as conditions allow.
XC 101: Introduction to XC Skiing
A two-hour lesson introducing cross country (XC) skiing to those new to XC skiing as well as others desiring a refresher on the basics. Instruction includes: learning about your equipment, how to put on and take off your skis and poles, foot work to gain comfort balancing on skis, understanding the importance of weight transfer in making skis grip and glide under control, how to fall down and get back up, how to control skis in and out of tracks. The goal by lesson’s end is for you to be able to ski using diagonal (kick ‘n glide, aka classic) technique on easy groomed XC trails. Are you a long time or occasional skier without formal instruction? Or been away from skiing for a number of years? Sign up for a refresher.
Scheduled session:
TBA
XC 102: More XC Skiing Basics
Having developed ski legs and learned the importance of weight transfer for basic diagonal in XC 101, we refine the basic diagonal stride technique through the development of several skills: weight transfer, continuous forward movement, rhythm and flow, flex and extension, engaged upper body. Applying and blending these skills, you’ll learn to diagonal ski in and out of the tracks as snow conditions vary across the flats as well as up and down gentle hills. Double pole and kick double pole techniques will be introduced as well as how to slow down and stop on gentle downhills. This two-hour lesson on easy groomed trails is for graduates of XC 101 or XC skiers with some experience who want a skills refresher.
Scheduled session:
TBA
XC 103: Basic Hills
XC skiing on hills can be fun and at times challenging. Building on skills learned in XC 102, this lesson focuses on going up and coming down gentle downhills on groomed trails. You’ll learn to climb hills in and out of the tracks emphasizing weight transfer to grip the snow. Additional uphill techniques include herringbone and side stepping. Starting with a balanced body posture for downhills, you’ll learn to ski in control on downhills in and out of the tracks using a straight run, half-wedge and full wedge, aka snowplow. We’ll finish up learning how to make simple turns on the groomed downhill trails.
Scheduled session:
TBA
Equipment for XC 101, 102, and 103 Clinics
Clinics will be offered on groomed XC trails with set tracks. The set tracks can accommodate a ski up to 70 mm in width. Recommended skis are double-cambered classic no-wax skis. Skis, boots and poles are available for rent at local ski shops. Please ascertain that your skis, boots, and poles are properly sized for your weight and height. Skis should be waxed prior to the clinic. We recommend applying MaxiGlide available at local ski shops.
Venues for XC 101, 102, and 103 Clinics
CONC beginner ski clinics will be held on groomed XC ski trails with set tracks at either Meissner or Swampy sno-parks west of Bend. A sno-park permit is required to park.
Advanced Downhill Clinics at Hoodoo
Both the XC Downhill clinic and the Telemark clinic will be offered at Hoodoo, at Santiam Pass west of Sisters, taking advantage of their Thrifty Thursday discounted lift ticket. Participants will have to buy their own lift ticket. The benefits of conducting the clinics here is that students can focus on downhill skills, rather than expending time and energy climbing the hill before skiing down.
X-C Downhill Clinic at Hoodoo
This clinic is for anyone wanting to continue to progress your skills, especially working on better ski control in the downhill mode. Coaches will work on a progression to include: Basic Body Positioning, Step Turns, Snow Plow Wedge, Wedge Turns, Kick Turns, Edge Control, Proper Hand Position, Pole Use, and much more. This is not a Telemark clinic. See the next clinic listing for an Introduction to Telemark Clnic.
This clinic will be held at Hoodoo, and each participant will have to purchase a lift ticket.
Prerequisites for this clinic are strict. Novice to intermediate skiers with some downhill experiences are invited. However, if you have lesser skills, the clinic will get frustrating for you and slow others down. The following equipment is required: skis of 88-90 or wider mm in width, three pin or cable bindings and appropriate beefy boots to match, wider skis in the 100 or more-shovel range are even better. REQUIRED: LEGITIMATE RUNAWAY STRAPS, SKI HELMET, ADJUSTABLE BACKCOUNTRY OR ALPINE POLES AND APPROPRIATE DRESS (ALPINE SKIING AND RIDING THE LIFT IS MUCH COLDER THAN A NORDIC TOUR). NNN-BC boots and bindings are not allowed unless you modify to allow for use of a ski leash (not easy to do). Pine Mountain Sports rents nice beefy backcountry skis with the new Rottefella Explore binding system and it is easy to add a leash to that system.
Scheduled session:
TBA
Introduction to Telemark Clinic
Learn the oldest and most graceful turn in skiing. Join us at Hoodoo ski resort for an introduction to telemark skiing. We will focus on a progression of skills and drills that will guide you on your way to learning to telemark.
Skills covered: proper weight distribution, the telemark stance, lead changes, proper hand placement and pole use, wedge to tele turns, telemark to stop turn, step tele, and linking turns together.
This clinic will be held at Hoodoo, and each participant will have to purchase a lift ticket.
We will start by using the very beginner lift at Hoodoo, The slope on this lift is super mellow, great for teaching and learning without being intimidated. If folks are progressing and comfortable, we can move on to other lifts and slopes. We will clinic for 2.5-3hours and break for lunch. You can bring lunch or grab something from the café in the lodge. I plan to free ski after lunch and folks are welcome to join me practicing and learning the mountain. Will stay on greens and easy blues after lunch.
Prerequisites: CONC’s XCD clinic or solid downhill ski control including snowplow wedge and wedge turns, P turns, Step turns and generally comfortable on skis on downhill landscapes.
Equipment requirements: Wide and beefy backcountry set ups with fish scales is OK, skis need to be 110mmwide at shovel (front) and 90mm wide under foot (or wider) with 75mm and 3 pin bindings or cable bindings. All skis must have retention devices or ski brakes. Even better for the clinic would be a true telemark setup: 75mm bindings (cable) or NTN, and tele specific skis with no scales. I have a few pair of loaner 75mm skis if you have 75mm boots for backcountry and want to try a true telemark ski instead. Please contact Woody for this as we would need to adjust bindings the week prior to the clinic. REQUIRED: LEGITIMATE RUNAWAY STRAPS, SKI HELMET, ADJUSTABLE BACKCOUNTRY OR ALPINE POLES AND APPROPRIATE DRESS (ALPINE SKIING AND RIDING THE LIFT IS MUCH COLDER THAN A NORDIC TOUR).
Scheduled session:
TBA
Backcountry skiing is the heart of CONC. The miles and miles of trails we maintain are ungroomed, marked only with blue diamonds and perhaps the tracks of someone who got going earlier than you did. This is a much more uncontrolled environment. Conditions vary widely. A trail that was easy last week could be mildly terrifying today with different snow conditions. As such, it is necessary to adapt to changing conditions. These will be Coached ski outings, where instruction happens along the way as the terrain dictates, rather than a more formal instruction focused clinic.
Scheduled session:
TBA