The Charlie Rice Ski & Ride Academy at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa provides children’s programs that not only develop skiing or boarding skills but also allows for growth in social skills.

Here we provide specialized equipment, appropriate terrain and instructors certified to provide safety, fun and learning to insure  success and self confidence.  The Charlie Rice Snow Sports School is expert in delivering personalized ski instruction experiences to children in a relaxed non competitive setting.

The instructors emphasize learning by doing.  Positioned at various stations on the training hill the instructors keep the children moving and direct them to perform various tasks.  Using special props and cartoon themed guides, the children soon learn to control speed, turn and stop.  Parents marvel at the progress made in a short time.

After experiencing our programs, the following are observations some parents expressed comparing team sports VS individual ski training.

Others provide Skiing as a Team Sport

TEAM organized coach-driven experiences through school or club organizations emphasize winning as the objective and create a high degree of competition.  These activities require a specific number of team players and facilities. Practice and event scheduling can control a family’s calendar. Youth teams are age, size and weight specific. The parents don’t participate along with their children and after a few years, participation often drops off.

We provide Individual Ski Training in Groups

SKI TRAINING emphasizes individual goals while in a group setting as children receive personalized instruction. Measurement of success is not dependent on team performance (scoring). Children advance at their own rate as they interact with each other in a fun exciting adventure – sharing the same passion without judging each other. As the children progress they can free ski with their parents in an all-family experience for years. This early training leads to an activity one can enjoy for a lifetime.

Here at Grand Geneva, two ski and snowboard programs are offered to families which help their children progress through our safe, fun and skill progressions:

The Snow Cubs for 4-6 year olds, and the Mountain Mite for 6-14 year olds.

Snow cubs:  4 – 6 yrs.

Classes are available Sat-Sun, at 10 am and 12:30 pm, lasting an hour and a half, within a group setting, utilizing the Wonder

Carpet area as the child progresses.  Reservations can be made two weeks in advance; single session are available. Helmet use is mandatory.

Mountain Mites: 6-14years.

Select a series of three week sessions on either Saturdays or Sundays throughout January and February.  Classes begin promptly and run 11 am – 2:30 pm. Students are placed in class based on age and ability level.  Helmet use is mandatory.

Kids learn skills under the supervision of professionally trained instructors, using a specialized teaching system.  Mountain Mites is fun for all!  Beginners to advanced students; children spend a lot of time on the snow having a great time and becoming better skiers or snowboarders.

Come skiing with us!

Comments (0) Feb 20 2012

Since it’s getting so close to the start of the 2012 golf season we wanted to talk about the new 2012 Golf Products that are coming out this season.

New to the Grand Geneva Rental Club: TaylorMade White Out

The “WHITE OUT” is in full force. TaylorMade started last season with the New R11 and Burner 2.0 Superfast white headed golf clubs and they took over the market. Every Sunday almost half of the PGA Tour players had a White driver, white fairway woods and even white hybrids in their bags. The trend has continued and Taylrmade has even went to a new level.

The Taylor Made "WHITE OUT"

TaylorMade R11S and RocketBallz

The new TaylorMade R11S and RocketBallz line is still white but has added more technology that has never been seen before. The R11 S driver had added more adjustability with loft and face angle that will help golfers of all levels max out their launch angle and spin rate which in turn will maximize distance and control.

TaylorMade R11S and RocketBallz line

The New RocketBallz fairways and hybrids may absolete everything else on the Market. The New Speedslot technology has added a thinner face and lower center of gravity that will produce on average a 15 yard increase over any product golfers have played in the past. The new RocketBallz irons are going to test the limits of accuracy and distance like we have never seen before.

Grand Geneva will have all products in our New 2012 rental club program as well as numerous demo clubs available for anyone to try the most incredible new technology in golf ever!

We will also be hosting a fitting day on Friday May 18^th from 4-7 pm.

Comments (1) Feb 10 2012

It’s time to suit up and hit the slopes at The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva. Located at GrandGenevaResort & Spa, the Mountain Top is one of Wisconsin’s premier ski and snowboarding destinations, with 18 trails on three hills, 10 kilometers of scenic trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and a terrain park for snowboarding. In honor of the 2012 ski season, Grand Geneva and its sister property Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark are unveiling new initiatives, promotions and packages to fit all skill levels.

In January, the snow sports team will take part in national “Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month” (LSSM), an initiative that encourages children and adults to take lessons from professional instructors and challenges current skiers and snowboarders to improve their skills with advanced classes.

“Participating in this nationwide program was a natural fit for us,” says Snow Sports Director Hans Hauschild. “The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva has a separate area just for beginners, and we make sure our instructors are in-tune with new skiers’ needs.”

Weekday Ski Specials

Visitors can take advantage of all the Mountain Top has to offer with special weekday promotions, including:

Twenty Dollar Tuesdays: Travelers looking for a mid-week ski break can take advantage of this special that offers each family member a $20 lift ticket, $20 group lesson or $20 ski rental, saving guests $15 on the bundle of all three services over the weekend rate of $75.

Half-Off Wednesdays: Guests receive special half-off pricing on all equipment rentals, from skis to snowboards.

Two-for-One Thursdays: To coincide with LSSM, every Thursday in January, the Mountain Top will offer a special Two for One deal, when visitors can receive two lift tickets and two beginner group lessons for the price of one.

Reservations are required for lesson times at 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. For more information or to reserve a spot, please call the Ski School at 262. 245.7516.

After a day of instruction and snow, guests can extend their stay at the resort with the Stay and Ski Free package, featuring:

Two tickets valid for one day of skiing or snowboarding at The Mountain Top

Overnight accommodations in a newly renovated deluxe guest room

The Stay and Ski Free package is valid for Sunday through Thursday night stays, now through March 11, 2012. This package is not available on holidays or during holiday periods. Rates start at $159 per night, exclusive of resort fee and tax. Package is weather permitting.

Hit the Slopes with Family

The Mountain Top also offers a variety of programs for families looking for a structured lesson for their snow bunnies-in-training.

“Parents that visit the resort can relax knowing their kids are with professionals,” says Hauschild. “We have over 70 instructors, with a select group that specializes in children’s programs.” Hauschild and his staff offer two ski school options:

Snow Cubs – A special club offered in January and February, designed to introduce children 4 – 6 years of age to a snow experience. Professionally trained instructors coach children within a group setting.

Mountain Mites – This three-week program was created especially for children 6 – 14 years of age.  Kids learn skills under the supervision of professionally trained instructors, using a specialized teaching system.

The fun continues at Timber Ridge Lodge & Waterpark, where families can experience two vacations in one with the Splash and Ski package, featuring:

Overnight accommodations in a one-bedroom suite

Four passes to Moose Mountain Falls Waterpark

Four  lift tickets for one day of skiing or snowboarding at The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva

50% off ski rentals for children 11 years and younger

Rates for the Splash and Ski package start at $249 per night for a one-bedroom suite, exclusive of resort fee and tax. Rates for a two-bedroom suite start at $349 per night and include six waterpark passes and six lift tickets. Saturday stays require a two-night minimum stay with the package. Package is weather permitting.

“No matter when you visit, our team helps kids learn at their own pace amongst their peers,” Hauschild says. “We’re proud to be able to accommodate the whole family at Grand Geneva.”

To reserve accommodations at Grand Geneva, please call 800.558.3417 or visit www.GrandGeneva.com. For reservations at Timber Ridge Lodge, please call 866.636.4502 or visit www.timberridgeresort.com.

Comments (1) Jan 04 2012

The official countdown to when The Mountain Top will be open for Opening Ski Weekend 2011! More weird things keep happening at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. This time, Ski Fever has hit the Housekeeping department.

Ski Fever! Do you have it?

Print off your free area lift ticket to The Mountain Top for opening weekend, December 3-4, at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa!

Comments (3) Oct 31 2011

The official countdown to when The Mountain Top will be open for Opening Ski Weekend 2011! It’s usually around this time in late fall when some pretty weird things start to happen at Grand Geneva and Timer Ridge Lodge.

Let’s stop by the Grand Cafe, check up on the waitstaff and see if we can see anything fishy going on.

Ski Fever! Do you have it?

Print off your free area lift ticket to The Mountain Top for opening weekend, December 3-4, at Grand Geneva Resort and Spa!

Comments (3) Oct 28 2011

On Sunday, November 20, 2011, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa invites guests near and far to celebrate the magic of the holiday season at their annual Illumination Ceremony, when more than one million lights will brighten the resort’s 1,300-acre campus. Now in its 17^th year, the ceremony marks the official beginning of the resort’s six week-long “Christmas in the Country” celebration, featuring a variety of festive events including a musical revue, a dazzling display of home-made gingerbread houses, and appearances from Santa himself.

This year the Illumination Ceremony festivities begin in a new venue, the resort’s expansive Grand Forum Theatre, where guests can take in some of “Christmas in the Country’s” lavish holiday displays. Guests can marvel at the hand-crafted, intricate designs of the resort’s newest holiday exhibit, Quilts of Christmas, featuring the work of local quilters.  The Forum will also serve as the home for the popular Festival of Trees display, comprised of trees decorated by area residents and businesses. Guests will also be treated to live performances by the Badger High School Bach Group and the cast of the Grand Geneva’s annual “Hooray for Holidays!” musical revue, while enjoying complimentary hot cider and holiday cookies.  As dusk settles on the resort, attendees should be on the lookout for special guests Mr. and Mrs. Santa Claus, who will be making their first appearances of the season to light the campus’ million-plus lights. The evening concludes with a fireworks grand finale over the night’s sky.

To commemorate the charitable spirit of the holidays, the Grand Geneva will host a special auction at the end of the season, during which, entries to the Festival of Trees and Quilts for Christmas will be auctioned off to benefit the Walworth County Alliance for Children. This year, the resort is once again partnering with the Walworth County Deputy Sheriff’s Department to support the Toys for Kids organization. Illumination Ceremony attendees are encouraged to bring one new, unwrapped toy or article of clothing as a donation. Guests will also have a chance to enter a special charity raffle to benefit Toys for Kids, with a live drawing during the Illumination Ceremony presentation in the Forum Theatre.

In celebration of this special event, the Grand Geneva is offering a special overnight rate of $59, exclusive of tax and resort fees, on the night of November 20. As an added bonus, upon check-in, guests staying overnight with children will be entered into a special drawing to be named “Santa’s Helper” for the evening.  One lucky child guest will be chosen from a drawing during the Illumination Ceremony to help Santa press the button to light the resort’s decorations and officially signal the beginning of “Christmas in the Country”.

Admittance to the Illumination Ceremony is complimentary and open to the general public. From Monday, November 21, through Thursday, December 29, guests are invited to enjoy the Grand Geneva’s “Christmas in the Country” festivities, which will include a plethora of musical and theatrical performances, special dining opportunities, afternoon holiday teas, festive snow sculpture displays, trolley tours of the lights, and more.

RSVP on Facebook!

Comments (3) Oct 25 2011

Every year, the Fall Color Report issued by the Wisconsin Department of Tourism predicts when trees will hit their peak of color in cities across the state. Yet, due to a little known secret, Lake Geneva has always been the place for the most dramatic, longest lasting autumn display.

The next time you take a drive in Lake Geneva in the fall, you can thank America’s foremost landscape architects for the spectacular view. When many of Chicago’s elite built estates on Lake Geneva beginning in the late 1800s, they didn’t stop with just their mansions. Several went on to hire America’s foremost landscape architects to design the grounds.

To learn more about the fall colors in Lake Geneva, visit lakegenevawi.com.

Lake Geneva Fall Color Guide

Comments (0) Oct 07 2011

Grand Geneva is proud to invite you to participate in our 1st annual Quilts of Christmas Charity Event.

Now, we’d love to see YOUR creativity! Get involved today and create your own quilt for Christmas.

We are looking for area quilting talent to use their skills and creativity to create Christmas themed quilts to be placed on display at the resort during the Christmas holiday season. These quilts will be considered a donation and we will be auctioning them off at our Charity Awards dinner with all the proceeds going to the Walworth County Alliance for Children. This charity provides resources and a safe haven for children who have become the victim of physical or sexual abuse or violence. Quilt entry includes 2 tickets to the charity dinner to see all the quilts on display.

At the charity dinner, view an elegant display of Christmas quilts from area quilters.  The charity auction dinner will be held December 29, 2011. Reservations are required, please call (262) 245-7528.

Help us to support this great cause!

Please contact Heather Dahlman directly any questions you may have. If you’re interested in making a quilt for a great cause, feel free to fill out the Quilts Entry Form and send it to the following address.

Quilts will not need to be completed or delivered until Sunday, November 20, 2011.

Quilts of Christmas: Registration Rules & Information

Comments (1) Oct 06 2011

Red Rockin Dueling Pianos

Weekends were made for “rockin” at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. Every Friday night, from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., guests are treated to lively sounds from the Red Rockin Pianos duo, featuring resident duelers Kathy Fry and Todd Greene. After performing at resorts throughout the United States, as well as in Europe, Asia and the Caribbean Islands, Fry and Greene have taken up a weekly residency in Grand Geneva’s Lobby Lounge.

Kathy Fry’s musical journey started as a way to help support herself through medical school, but became a 20 plus career as solo pianist, vocalist, guitarist and band member. Prior to her residency at the Grand Geneva, Fry performed at 5-star resorts throughout Europe including The Montreux Palace in Switzerland, the Grand Hotel Esplanade in Berlin and the Sheraton Hotel in Stockholm.

An accomplished radio and TV jingle writer, Todd Greene is a graduate of the esteemed Berklee College of Music in Boston, MA. In addition to a storied career in music publishing, Greene was a founding member of Milwaukee’s Instructor’s Guild and served as a principal percussionist for the Milwaukee Opera Company.

Providing a rousing sing-along on two red Grand Pianos, Fry and Greene take requests from a versatile musical repertoire that includes pop, jazz, country, Broadway show tunes and everything in between. Guests are welcome to enjoy this act fireside with a drink from the resort’s lobby bar.

For more information, please call 262.248.8811 or visit Nightlife and Entertainment page.

Comments (0) Sep 27 2011

On September 10 and 11, 2011, the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa was the site of the Tim Cup Invitational, a networking and charity event hosted by Marcus Hotels and Resorts and HelmsBriscoe. To celebrate the strength of this partnership, $40,000 was bestowed to four different charities, each committed to making a difference in their communities.

With 145 hoteliers and 70 HelmsBriscoe associates from around the world in attendance, Marcus Hotels and Resorts presented a check of $15,000 to St. Joan of Arc Parish School in Nashotah, WI and $15,000 to the Milwaukee Chapter of the United Way, Marcus Corporation’s charity partner. An additional $5,000 each was given to Marriott International’s charity partner the Children’s Miracle Network to benefit a local children’s hospital in Denver, CO and the Nevada Cancer Institute, a MGM Resorts International charity partner.

HelmsBriscoe Regional Vice President Tim Lamont, the man responsible for cultivating a partnership between the two corporations, stressed the importance of relationship-building during the event. “It’s important to us to bring people together that have not only done business together, but also support organizations with a strong presence in their communities.”

Now in its second year, the Tim Cup Invitational was created as a way for Lamont to link HelmsBriscoe associates with hoteliers “outside the normal framework of an expo or site selection. This year, we really wanted to step it up a notch in terms of the donation and the overall event line-up.” During last year’s event, a $15,000 donation was made to the Prairie Hill Waldorf School in Pewaukee, WI.

Guests of the Invitational stayed at the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa for two nights, during which they participated in a volleyball tournament, dine-around, golf outing and closing Monday Night Football party. Sponsors such as MGM Resorts International, Marriott Corporation, and Meliá Hotels International convened on the resort’s championship course, The Highlands, for an interactive golf outing.

“We have a great relationship with Marcus Hotels & Resorts.” says Lamont. “Each year the event keeps getting bigger and better. We can’t wait until next year.”

For more information on Helms Briscoe and Grand Geneva, please visit www.helmsbriscoe.com or www.GrandGeneva.com.

Comments (3) Sep 22 2011