Many thanks to my customers for the great time on our skis and for the permission to publish their reports on my website.
I was looking for a coach who can really help me improve my form and become a better skier. I’ve booked with other instructors before but Toby was by far the best instructor I’ve had. He shared useful drills, adjusted them to my level, broke down information in an easy-to-understand way and gave very technical feedback. I had a lot of fun learning from Toby and also feel I’ve improved a lot! Before my 3 lessons with Toby I could only do blue runs. After my lessons with Toby I feel confident going down all reds and some blacks as well!
It was great to get back to basics with Toby – really appreciated his patience and learned a lot over the two sessions that we had (culminating in me almost joining the Hahnenkamm Race…!).
Toby met us on our first day in Sölden for 4 hours. We had asked for a “guide” to show us around the mountain, as well as some instruction as we went. He provided the perfect balance of both, guiding us all over the various areas – including the glaciers – and was great to chat with on the lifts. After our lesson, we felt comfortable finding our own way around the slopes the rest of the week without ever feeling lost or disoriented. A few callouts: he helped with the less experienced of us on a very challenging run (getting down with comfort and confidence), had a focus on safety that we really appreciated, and pointed out a few on-mountain restaurants on certain runs. We had a great experience and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Toby.
Toby has an incredible technical background, he was able to explain the concepts in easy to understand ways (his English is great), and we learn’t by doing as well. Toby did an excellent job of providing us what we requested, drill on the technical. He also gave us some solid recommendations for places to eat and stop for drink. One of the most knowledgeable instructors I have had over the years. Highly recommended! (Andrew) Toby was a phenomanal instructor who helped hone in my skiing fundamentals which led to a very enjoyable day. Learnt so much and had such a blast would definitely recommend to anyone looking to improve or learn more about the wonderful arlberg area! (Nick)
Toby gave us some excellent technical advice on the first day when the weather wasn’t good enough to go off piste. On the second day he took us on some fabulous off piste routes away from the crowds and found all the fresh tracks. We had Ana amazing day.
Toby led our group throughout the entire area, taking very diverse skiing levels into account, making sure everybody had an amazing day on the slopes.
Toby was great, tailored the lesson to exactly what we wanted/needed. Got loads of skiing done and he showed us routes and gave tips for the rest of the week. Would highly recommend has made the rest of our trip so much better.
I am an intermediate skier and wanted to improve my skills while getting to know the Arlberg area better. Toby was an excellent guide and provided valuable feedback on how to improve my skills. Both me and my husband spent a great day with Toby checking out all the ski areas. He was extremely professional and knowledgable and I highly recommend him.
Toby was an excellent guide and instructor. Knew the mountain and conditions. Provided quality feedback. Was responsive to guest input. Definitely enjoyed our time with him and improved our skiing.
I wanted a technical lesson that would improve my skiing. Toby provided that and I noticed the improvements as the day progressed. I’ve taken quite a few lessons over the years and while I had maybe had points raised on my technique before really enjoyed how slight changes would help me in any terrain. Would certainly rebook with Toby if I’m back in this area again.
I’ve had a number of guides and instructors over the years, Toby’s experience and way of teaching is excellent and by far top 3 for me! His way of explaining and then taking us through some training drills really help to build the muscle memory needed. Having sorted some of my ski technique, i’m now able to ski better for longer. I would recommend Toby to anyone looking for a guide or instruction whilst out on the slopes in Austria.
I had 3x entire-day lessons with Toby. He is a super experienced teacher and a true gentleman of the sport. Toby is friendly, accommodating and very professional in his approach. The lessons were well-balanced with emphasis on safety, respect for fellow skiers, technique, flow, momentum and equipment. Toby also gives one a great overview of the ski area and how to best navigate the slopes. Toby’s ability to assess one’s ability and weaknesses that need fixing is superb. This clearly stems from many years of experience as a guide and teacher. This is what impressed me the most – his aptitude to give you exactly what you need to improve. Step by step, slowly at first and then putting it all together. I can therefore strongly recommend Toby as a top-class instructor, guide and teacher that will certainly help you to take your ability to the next level.
We had 3 lessons with Toby, each lesson was in a different location. One was in Sölden, one in Obergurgl and the final one in Hochoetz. Each area was completely different, with differing conditions so the lessons comprised a bit of guiding and teaching. Toby is good at communicating and helping you to improve your technique. He teaches you really good all terrain skiing which can be applied to all situations. We were a mixed family group of adults and teens and really enjoyed our time with him. He is punctual, friendly and very helpful. Thank you
Last week we spent a day skiing with Tobi in Obergurgl and Hochgurgl. His guidance was excellent, very professional and exactly as I requested. Clear communication and very technically skilled. We were a group of one adults and three children and it went very well. Thanks again Tobi and if we are in the area again we will definitely book you again!!
Toby was amazing, very friendly and giving good feedback on technical abilities. I wanted to improve my fundamentals and he gave me a lot of tips, had a lot of fun touring around with Toby. He also taught me how to steer off-piste as well, good fun!
St.Anton am Arlberg
We had a fantastic afternoon with Toby and really enjoyed his company. He was extremely helpful and really helped us work on our off piste technique. Genuinely interested in helping us improve our skiing. He was really knowledgeable about the terrain and picking out routes that worked for our level. We’ll be looking forward to a longer tour in future seasons. Highly recommenced
We had Toby every morning last week and he was excellent. Really helped with technique in some quite difficult snow conditions. Felt like we really improved over the week. He also gave lots of good restaurant and food recommendations!!
Toby was fantastic. We had a 4 hour lesson with him and he was extremely helpful. He had a great knowledge of the slope and knew where to take is us to improve technique.
I enjoyed two 3-hour lessons with Toby and at the end of it I felt a more confident and better skier than when I started and not only that, I enjoyed the process too: job done! Toby was meticulous in understanding not just what I wanted (and needed) to learn but also how I wanted to do so. I like technical explanations and I was given them with each exercise we did: not just what but also why. Toby’s explanations were clear and imaginative so that if one explanation didn’t make sense to me he would approach the problem from a different angle so that we were both sure that I understood the skill we were aiming for and how we were getting there. The advice and explanations have also stayed with me so that, skiing on my own afterwards, if it didn’t feel right I knew what to do and, if I did it, it worked immediately. Put all this in the context of Toby being very friendly and easy to talk to and great company, I spent six hours with him that were not just useful but thoroughly enjoyable too.
Would highly recommend Toby. He was good company to speak half a day with, very patient and helped a large group with varying levels of ability.
As experienced, even advanced, skiers, we wanted our technique to be checked and fine tuned to counter any rustiness or bad habits creeping in – Toby helped us become more efficient and economical in our turns improved my symmetry and made our turns more rounded and stable – so we got what we wanted and backed up by clear explanations and drills.
Toby was clear, easy to follow his instructions and skied at a good peace. Felt very relaxed which meant I was making great progress
Toby is a very experienced instructor and we all (family of 5) improved our technique and confidence thanks to his advice and the exercises we practiced in our sessions.
I’m glad I met Toby after having struggled to improve my skiing for years. He identified my problems quickly and gave me different drills to fix them. After 2 days , I could ski more efficiently , less sore legs , and a lot more confidence. I will be back for more lessons with him.
I really enjoyed my lesson with Toby. He delivered exactly what i wanted – guidance on how to fix bad skiing habits ive picked up after years of no lessons. He clearly adapts his teaching style dependent on the learning style of his students and we ran through some exercises that were great at hammering home correct technique. He also adapted the lesson well to a day of terrible weather and not many pistes/lifts open. I’d deffo recommend him to friends and book him for myself again. Thanks, Toby 🙂
If you already met many instructors and still looking for someone to help you improve your ski, try Toby. What made my lesson different is his ability to sequence different techniques to correct my flaws. At first it seems like those drills are in random, but at a look back I just know they are not. He will listen to your reflection carefully and try to build what is right for you. He is friendly and funny. I learn a lot after two half-day lessons. His experience may help you improve like mine. Highly recommended
After skiing for 30 years I have not found many lessons helpful – Toby is the exception. Over three hours he gave me a completely new technique for using in difficult / chopped up snow. Would highly recommend for good / expert skiers who want to continue to improve
Toby was excellent. I wanted to regain some confidence skiing again and that’s exactly what happened. I had 3 hours with Toby and covered more runs in that time than the previous 4 days spent in St Anton. I’ll look forward to getting back on the slopes again tomorrow now. Thank you Tony 🙏
Toby was just what we needed. Good technical advice explained in a well balanced way with a sense of humour. When we come back to Austria, we will request Toby again.
‘Toby is one of the best ski trainers in the business. He is a fantastic skier himself and has the experience and technical knowledge to develop world class performers. Toby offers his students a unique approach that is driven by an unsurprised passion and energy for developing skiers’.
Hi Toby, thanks for a great three days. I enjoyed the camp very much. Needless to say, I really got on with my skiing. My weight is now really shifted forward for the first time – I can jump over bumps and bumps with confidence. I can now go down a mogul slope and keep going for me!!!! I’m getting better at short turns. I’m already thinking about the next one. I enjoyed every minute of it. Thank you all for being so patient with me. I know I can do this. Thank you all very much and I look forward to continuing to work with you all. Take care Allie
Toby and Andy are both really excellent instructors/trainers and I have met quite a few! We were a group with mixed experiences, but I think we all took away personal tips and strategies – we all had one-on-one instruction, which is very valuable …. not to mention the excellent video feedback and the relaxed, happy atmosphere on the day. I finally felt my skis carve and saw some nice clean tracks behind me. I came away with a big smile on my face, and that’s the most important thing for me. When you translate that to ‘real’ mountains, I can’t wait to see more of them.”
I booked a three-day Develop Your Skiing course with Toby after seeing him with a group in October 2018. His group made such amazing progress that I signed up for the course when the 2019 dates were released. Toby not only pays attention to your skiing technique. It also deals with the tactical, physical and psychological part of skiing. The whole group I was traveling with made great progress. By the end of the course I was definitely a much better skier. I will be taking another Develop Your Skiing course.
Thank you for a fabulous three days in Manchester. A big thank you to Toby, Andy and Brian who were actively supported by Billy. They helped create a great team spirit and provided a technical contribution to an impressive venue that provided an excellent learning experience and confidence building.
Many thanks to Toby and Andy from DYS for a brilliant bumps course this week at Chill Factore. Finally, aware almost competent! I’m looking forward to taking what I’ve learned to the mountains and playing on real snow.
Just a quick email to say thank you for your guidance over the last few days – it really has been a revelation! There was a lot to digest (which I still do!) and I definitely feel like I made big leaps in my abilities! I know I’ve said it before, but I’ve never had coaching that was anywhere near this good, so it was awesome to just be there and listen and do! Thanks again to you and the team, and please forward my thanks to Andy, Billy and Brian as well.
I feel like I benefited from the 3 days and would recommend the course to anyone who wants to increase their confidence and improve their skills on the mountain. I feel more confident skiing and can do a lot of exercises, which is good for me. This was the first time I’ve ridden moguls and I’m not scared, although I still have a lot of room for improvement. The carrots were a lot of fun, and it was the first time I had ridden such curves. It was a shame that there was another event on Saturday, but I would attend again if I get the chance. Thanks again. Cath Higgins
Hi Toby, I just wanted to thank you for the help during the development day, it was great…. Must work to complete suicide attempt…. Billy gave me the advice to slow down the exercises, so I will work on that. I wish you all the best and look forward to seeing you next time!
Toby – you took Chrissie, Gaye and me to a ski lesson in Morzine last Friday … you went with us to Les Gets and the surrounding area. We all really enjoyed the session and also learned technically, which is a perfect combination for me. Chrissie and I are talking about going back in three quarters of an hour for a long weekend, and I think that’s because we ended the vacation on a high, and I think that’s probably due to our session with you on Friday morning.
Toby has already twice spent four weeks helping to run an annual alpine skiing exercise for around 120 British Army soldiers. His duties were to assist the Chief Instructor (CI), instruct and coach skiers, develop training plans for groups and individuals, and set race courses for training and competition. He also supported the exercise by liaising with the Stubai Valley Glacier management team as needed to ensure we had the right support.
Toby is a kind and personable individual who has been a pleasure to work with over the past 2 years. From our first meeting, it was clear that he had extensive knowledge and experience, which was confirmed by recommendations from other local sources. His communication is positive and considerate, he speaks both English and Austrian and is responsive to the individual needs of each person, but also works well to develop teamwork and discipline. He was responsible for providing training services for beginners to experienced racers and was always professional, courteous and helpful.
Our informant has great respect for Toby. The support he provided in all areas of the informant’s responsibilities allowed for simultaneity of activities and deepening of coaching skills and exercises. When it came to setting courses, he delivered exactly what was asked for and was also able to design relevant and appropriate courses to get the most out of his ski groups. The slalom and giant slalom courses, which were run during the competition phase, were excellent; they were really demanding where necessary and allowed a challenge for the whole spectrum of participating performance levels.
Toby has added real value to so many different elements of our ski training and race practices. We enjoyed his company very much and were able to benefit from his wealth of experience in various areas of the alpine environment. He is a true professional and is so versatile that he has improved the experience of our entire team on the hill.
I really liked the fresh approach to teaching and learning in our day course. We tried out some fantastic exercises and enjoyed the collaborative group learning that was delivered with a down to earth teaching style. Toby makes skiing what it should be: progressive, challenging, but always fun. I will book again!
I just wanted to thank you for the great training week in Pitztal. Her coaching was excellent and I accomplished much more than I expected, especially off the slopes! You helped me develop my basic skills so that you could guide me safely through a number of more challenging conditions. I found the video analysis particularly useful and felt that at the end of the week I had a better idea of how to improve my own skiing in the future. The great snow and beautiful hotel were an added bonus!
I have since taken a few indoor ski and mogul courses at various ski schools. I found that Toby was very attentive and paid great attention to each of us no matter what level we were at in the group. Toby used several ideas to teach us balance that are very effective. I’ve found that most ski instructors are in a hurry to leave after class, and they don’t care how the clients learned or how they feel every step of the day. Toby, on the other hand, asks us questions throughout the day and takes extra time to get us together after class. This gesture allowed us to see the last part of our day on video and get first-hand advice or ask questions. So everything was much easier to understand while the memories were still fresh. If you are looking for a great ski course with a coach who cares about you, I highly recommend Toby.
Thank you for a great day at the Moguls class at Chill Factore in Manchester last week. I really enjoyed it and found it very useful. I found your approach very easy to understand and appreciated being shown how to simplify what is often presented as a complex technique.
The main things I took away were:
keep my legs beautiful and soft
less is more, i.e. I don’t overdo it with stretching and artificial absorption (old school!)
slowing my descent more (by turning my feet a little more).
Skiing in a smaller group definitely helped and the people in the course were all very nice and fun to ski with, without any pressure. Thanks also for the video, which I look back on fondly; all in all, a great day. I look forward to skiing with you again, either indoors in the UK or in the mountains.
Great 3 days in Hintertux. Focused on the core issues, clear in message and delivered with humor! I have the feeling that I have improved significantly. As Arnie said, “I’ll be back!” Ian Copley
I have known Toby since the winter of 2013/2014 when I met him on the training slopes in Kühtai Tyrol together with my daughter Rikke, a member of the Norwegian national ski team. Rikke competes at the European Cup level. Since meeting Toby, my daughter Rikke and I have had the privilege of getting to know Toby as a person and his excellent approach to training on the mountain and his communication skills that we have found inspiring and motivating. Toby has shown us a new, inspiring approach that has helped Rikke progress technically and mentally in her skiing and put her in a very positive direction for her future.
Toby showed excellent principles on the slope in all situations and led very safely. In the short time we have known Toby, he has worked very hard for us. He has very high standards for his work on the slopes, and his punctuality and organizational skills are undeniable.
In the short time that I and my daughter have known Toby, he has consistently shown his love for his work, his love and passion for skiing and helping others develop.
I feel privileged to have met Toby and I want to say that I am confident that wherever Toby goes and whatever he does, he will inspire and motivate others. I would recommend Toby to any skier or organization as a person and as an excellent trainer/coach.