Two Olympic golds and five World Cup giant slalom titles taught Ted Ligety a thing or two about speed. But on family ski days at Deer Valley, Utah, the pace is set by his three boys: Jax, 9, and six-year-old twins Al and Will. The Park City local — who learned to ski on this same mountain — has laid out his family's ideal day, and it features in a new segment of Warren Miller's film 'Days Off', which kicks off its North American tour this month.
The day starts curbside, where Deer Valley's famously attentive staff help the family of five haul gear — a service Ligety calls essential rather than extravagant once you've tried wrestling three kids into ski boots. From there it's straight into the trees. Aspen Slalom, off Sterling Express, threads through an aspen grove dotted with homemade-style 'gates', while Ruby's Tail beneath Ruby Express is a swooping, bobsled-run gully that never fails to thrill. The kids aren't confined to one beginners' zone; marked tree trails are scattered across the whole mountain.
When the family wants to open it up, Ligety — nicknamed 'Mr. GS' for good reason — heads to Wizard under Wasatch Express for high-speed carving with his oldest. Fuel comes from Deer Valley's legendary chocolate chip cookies stashed in pockets, and lunch is at Silver Lake Lodge. On sunny days he rates its slopeside 'beach' seating as unbeatable; the boys demolish chicken fingers while he orders tacos, then immediately bolt to the Magic Carpet or lap the unmarked tree run 'Toilet Bowl' off Judge Chairlift — giving the parents a rare quiet meal.
Afternoons belong to the NASTAR racecourse on Bald Mountain, where the twins love head-to-head racing and Jax challenges his mum, Mia. Ligety's main struggle? Persuading the boys to stop. 'I have to pump the brakes on how many runs they take,' he says.
The resort's recent expansion — which more than doubled its skiable terrain — gave the family a fresh reason to explore, since even dad didn't know the new runs. Ligety has his eye on steep, north-facing Hellcat and Nemesis off Revelator Express, while the kids favour the tree hits on Age of Reason and the novelty of skiing all the way down to the new East Village base. The day ends at Snow Park Lodge, where live music and a drink for the parents coincide with kids lapping the Snowflake Chairlift or playing in the snow.
Why does this matter to ordinary families? Because Ligety's blueprint works without an Olympian's legs. His core argument is that varied, playful terrain — trees, jumps, race gates, cookies, room to roam — keeps kids engaged for hours and quietly makes them better skiers. Deer Valley's service-heavy, ski-only model also removes much of the friction that makes skiing with young children hard work. His long-game goal is simple: kids who ski for life. 'My main goal is that in a handful of years, they won't slow me down,' he jokes.
Story via Ski Magazine.
