Reviews

BEST SKI INVESTMENT YOU CAN MAKE!!! 14 years ago, I took 3 lessons at a local midsized mountain with 3 different instructors being taught 3 different ways. I was so frustrated after the 3rd lesson I gave up. This year I decided to give it another try but this time I would do it with my own gear and YouTube. After 2 days at the mountain, I was stuck on the bunny slope unable to control my speed or stop in a controlled manner. Now I knew I needed real help but didn’t want to be stuck with whoever the mountain had available. I came across Joe’s website and after reading all the reviews I decided to send him an email. Joe responded quickly and was very accommodating by agreeing to meet me over 2 hours from his home. Joe was on time and communicated with me days and hours before our lesson. Before starting Joe asked if there was anything I wanted to know. I told him my shin bone hurt and within 5 minutes I learned everything there is to know about how to properly wear your ski boots. Joe’s teaching methods are easy to follow. Instead of the do this and that Joe uses examples of everyday movements the human body makes and how to incorporate them with skiing and follows up with a demonstration for you to demonstrate back. By the end of our half day lesson Joe had taught me skid stops, how to skate on skis when on flat terrain, controlled parallel turns, turning myself around safely if start to go down the hill backwards and I skied the most difficult green trail on the mountain. I got more than my money’s worth from my lesson with Joe and plan to meet with him again this season once I have time to practice all I have learned. I agree with other reviews to tip Joe well. You will save a significant amount of money compared to what the resorts charge and gain 3 times the knowledge. Thanks Joe!

Our family and friends’ families LOVE Joe! We started calling him Uncle Joe! He is great with kids including timid ones. My two daughters really enjoyed learning from him and the progression they made during their first season with him was astonishing to witness. We hired him a lot starting winter of 2020/21 and again the following winter, and have recommended him to other families who have also said only great things about him. PRO TIP: get two or three families together and book him for a day rate. Form groups of 2 kids per skill level, coordinate 45 min lessons, two for each kid, one in morning one in afternoon, and tip him well! You will save a lot in the end vs resort lessons.

Spoke with Joe two weeks ahead of our 1/2 day lesson. We learned how to ski in our late forties via lessons/youtubing. Goal was to gain better speed control on icy terrain and form (to save energy/relax while enjoying at the same time). Going down a slope fast is easy, learning it the right way to do what we want/need takes a bit of work. Joe was extremely patient with us the entire time. We stayed on a green trail almost the entire time working on pole planting and transition from edge to edge. latter half of the day, weather turned to foggy, hard packed and icy at certain spots. We were not pretty, but totally able to slow down and carve turn by turn doing pole planting. Being able to trust oneself to lean forward while the slope gets steep takes a bit of trust, Joe was able to thoroughly explain to us the biomechanics involved and the reasons behind the moves. We took home quite a bit of useful knowledge and have the rest of the season to work on them. This is by far one of the best private lessons we have ever had. Definitely will be back after we make more progresses on what we gained.

Joe turned a scary sport into a fun sport for me. He has multiple teaching approaches and tailored them to the way I learn. He is patient, exciting, and professional. I recommend him without reservation.

We are a family with four young kids, ages 7-13) and have twice skied with Joe. He combines the right method (no more snow plow!) with a patient disposition. He has been outstanding for our kids and helped advanced their skills and capabilities. We love Joe and hope to use him again in the future.

If you’re looking for a great ski instructor who’s bright, patient, responsive and talented- Joe is your man! He helped my 12 year old son pick up skiing in less than 2 hours and taught him the skills he would need to develop independently!!! Thanks Joe!

My husband and I needed a ski instructor for our quick weekend getaway to Hunter Mountain and we were so lucky to find Joe! We spent 2 hours with him and I was able to quickly brush up on my childhood skiing muscle memory but needed help turning and stopping without doing a “pizza”. My husband had only snowboarded a few times so he was learning how to ski from scratch. After spending 2 hours with Joe on Hunter Mountain, we were able to move off of the bunny slope and enjoy the weekend on more challenging slopes. We most appreciated Joe’s understanding of how being a brand new skier feels, and showing all his tricks to improve your skills within minutes, as well as his contagious passion for skiing. And the added bonus of getting instructed by Joe is his fun and easy going personality that makes you want to get drinks with him afterwards. Thank you, Joe, for helping us have a fulfilling ski weekend with you and then on our own due to your guidance!

I am an older skier who took a number of lessons with Joe. I have been the perpetual intermediate for years. Joe was quickly able to determine where to plug in and my skiing and control improved significantly . I recommended him to a friend who also felt he was great.

The best, most patient ski Instructor around! As a more mature first time skier I was petrified! That being said, I was part of a large group at various ages with varying ski abilities. Joe Took the time to work with each one of us individually and get us to the point where we felt comfortable. The kids loved his carefree, fun loving personality and the parents loved his guidance and technical advice. He is extremely patient, extremely kind and extremely motivating. His rates are competitive and he is flexible in traveling to different mountains as per his clients geographical needs. When I met Joe I was completely at the point of giving up, if not for his expertise and a motivational chat I would never have skied again. Thanks to him I look forward to enjoying the slopes for years to come. See you next season Joe!

Joe gave a private lesson to my girlfriend and I at Windham. It was our first time skiing and we were fortunate to find Joe. He was very patient and flexible with his approach to the sport. Was able to move from the bunny to the slopes on day one “with some downhill assistance” lol from Joe.

We had a great time and already made plans for our next session at Camelback for the upcoming season!

Joe is an excellent instructor and is well suited for all age ranges, and levels of experience.

Joe spent two days with us in Stowe. We had two very productive days during which the kids got some good technical tips. I was very happy to see my wife improve in two days to the level of a solid beginner. Joe was very engaged & active the whole time. Thank you.

Joe was awesome with my 8 year old daughter. She couldn’t stop talking about him after the lesson. She learned a lot and I really loved how great Joe was with her. We will definitely use Joe again in the future!

Joe is a great instructor for all ages from kids to adults. Both I and my 9 year old were much more confident after 1 lesson. He is great at explaining and very easy to schedule with. Will be calling him again next season to work with my youngest.

We just finished our first ski season and our best decision during this COVID winter was having Joe as our ski instructor. At the beginning, my 5-year old daughter and I were even afraid to get on and off the conveyer belt (yes we were those who always cause stopping of the belt). And with Joe’s lessons, we could enjoy ourselves going down blue trails.

My 5-year old daughter absolutely loves Joe and his lessons. We were so proud to see her get better and better at skiing and at the end of the season, she became the one to encourage us to go for a steeper slope. Joe’s lessons also helped with her character-building. Joe told her that once you go to higher mountains and ski from there, you would always want to go higher and find the lower ones less exciting. I really appreciate that Joe always tries to safely push her boundaries. I saw my daughter’s building confidence in herself over the process. And it’s the best direct experience for her to learn that she can get better at things with more practice. At the end of the season, she got so attached to Joe that when I asked her if she wanted to join a soccer class in the spring, she told me she’d only go if Joe is the instructor. She often mentions she wants to invite Joe for a sleepover at our place (that’s her way of expressing how much she likes someone).

As a non-athletic adult who can be clumsy at times, I really like Joe’s techniques. I found his technique to be very intuitive and easy to pick up. He focused on practices that improved my speed control and balancing on the snow, which I found so helpful! Joe is also very flexible. We did both private lessons with him and also semi-private (my daughter and her friend together), we found Joe to be great in both scenarios. I recommended him to my other friends and they also feel the same. We definitely look forward to our second season with Joe this coming winter.

Joe was great, worked with my oldest daughter to up her skill level and confidence. I will definitely have Joe work with our other kids next year.

My ski lesson with Joe was amazing! With just one lesson I went from skiing “pizza” and barely being able to stop to skiing parallel and learning how to safely stop! The skills he taught me were incredibly helpful and I was able to ski almost every single trail at Mt Creek by the end of the season!

Joe worked with my family a number of times this past season, 2020-21. He first worked with our 4 year old daughter who had never gone skiing before. By the end of the season she was doing Blue intermediate slopes all by herself, with no fear. She loved learning with him, and after the first day was comfortable working with Joe alone.

Joe also worked with my 10 year old, and on occasion with a friend he would bring along. He helped him increase his confidence, taught him how to do jumps, and had him on the most difficult trails by the end of the season. Joe also worked with my wife, helping her hone her skills.

Joe was affordable, accommodating, and a pleasure to hang out with. We highly recommend him and look forward to another fruitful season with him next winter.

Ski lessons with Joe were excellent ! Joe was responsible, on time, relatable and professional. He gave us adult experienced skiers new tips and tricks and ran thru the basics with our children with ease adjusting his style to each child’s personality and skill level. Would highly recommend Joe!

Joe was an amazing instructor who made me feel much more comfortable on the skis after just an hour of lessons. His approach to teaching is excellent, and he’s a great guy who I enjoyed talking to as well.

A friend of mine with whom I was discussing my lack of progress on skiing, told me how he was going through the same until he took some lessons with Joe Gombos. I took his number and made a reservation hesitantly as previous private lessons had not helped at all. Since the first lesson with Joe, my skiing changed dramatically. He really knows how to make it simple, without so many rules to keep in mind that only confuse and scare me. I went from green (with difficulty) to confidently taking on the blue square trails and even light black diamond. I brought my children and my girlfriend to him and they all felt the same way. I strongly recommend him.

Joe was excellent! It was my first time on skis and by the end of the lesson I was comfortable going down the mountain. I highly recommend him!