SNOWIN Ski School

I lived in the US for five years from 2012~2016, and after my first visit to a ski resort in New York, I fell in love with skiing. Back in Taiwan, skiing wasn't really popular at the time — about the only option was the artificial snow slope at Hsinchu's Little Ding-Dong Science Theme Park for lessons. Then in May 2024, SNOWIN Ski School opened in Kaohsiung with very modern facilities: two ski simulators and one dry-slope teaching area, making it a great place for kids or skiing beginners to give it a try.

SNOWIN Ski School: At the Far End of Taroko Park's Boulevard East

I'd recommend learning to ski here first — compared with the eye-wateringly expensive instructor fees at real ski resorts, it's a much more painless way into the sport. This time I brought Lers along for a ski experience; I'd already used up all my leave this year and couldn't fly to Japan, so it was the perfect chance to let Lers, who had never skied before, get a first taste of how fun skiing is! SNOWIN Ski School is at the very back of Boulevard East at Taroko Park (草衙道) — if you're coming by MRT, just head into Boulevard East and walk all the way to the end.

SNOWIN Ski School location

SNOWIN Ski School: Brand-New Gear and Equipment

The moment you walk over, the space feels bright and roomy, and all the equipment looks well maintained — if you already know how to ski, your feet will be itching to give it a try.

SNOWIN Ski School — a beginner-friendly ski experience

SNOWIN Ski School: My Snowboarding Experience

We came mainly for the ski experience session. At the time we got a two-person deal at NT$1,998 (regular price NT$1,500/person); the current promotion is NT$799/person, and you can choose snowboard or skis. As a way to try skiing without making a special trip to Japan, that's really not too pricey.

●Check-in, Gearing Up & Warm-up

Arrive about ten minutes early to check in, and a coach will take you to get geared up. The gear includes knee pads, elbow pads, a helmet, padded shorts(?), and wrist guards. The wrist guards were a bit damp — not sure if it was hand sweat left by the previous person… but all the other protective gear was fine. Once you're suited up, the coach leads you through some lower-body warm-ups — skiing relies heavily on your legs and core, and a proper warm-up helps you avoid injury. After warming up, the coach shows you how to strap into and out of the snowboard.

●Dry Slope Practice

Then it's straight onto the dry slope to practice standing on the board and getting a feel for sliding downhill — you'll learn heel-side braking and straight-running to work on your balance. Personally, I think even people who can ski won't necessarily do well here; this surface is genuinely a bit hard to steer on. Lers did really well though — first time on a board, but super steady. A natural, honestly.

SNOWIN Ski School dry slope practice
Dry slope practice at SNOWIN Ski School, Taroko Park

●Ski Simulator Experience

Once the dry-slope practice is done, you move on to the real ski simulator. I'd only ever been to actual ski resorts before, so this was my first time on a simulator, and I was quite curious whether it would feel like the real thing. Verdict: to me it skis more like man-made snow rather than completely soft fresh powder — but if you just want a fix, it's more than enough! The coach has you drill heel-side a lot here — after all, once you've got heel-side down, you should be able to slowly make it from the top of pretty much any run to the bottom.

The simulator is very safe: a coach stands right beside it and hits pause the moment you fall, and with full protective gear on, falls basically don't hurt — a really suitable learning environment for beginners who are afraid of falling. The session ends with plenty of practice time on the simulator, and the coach also introduces a few different riding techniques. The whole experience lasts about 1 hour, but for a first-timer, it's absolutely worth it to get a feel for what skiing is like.

Ski simulator practice at SNOWIN Ski School, Taroko Park
Ski simulator practice at SNOWIN Ski School, Taroko Park

SNOWIN Ski School: Course Prices for Reference

They also offer formal courses, and after joining as a member you can pay to rent the venue for practice with no limit on the number of people (NT$1,500/hour) — worth a look if you're interested.

SNOWIN Ski School prices

SNOWIN Ski School: Contact Information

Address: 1F, Boulevard East, No. 1-1, Zhong'an Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung

Phone: 07-7915557

Facebook page: SNOWIN Ski School

Keyword search: ski lessons, ski classes, skiing in southern Taiwan, Taroko Park skiing, Kaohsiung ski experience, snowboarding, skiing, indoor skiing