Lost between Flocon and 3ᵉ Étoile? The ultimate guide to ESF levels

Published on 05/01/2025 - Written by Amélie

This season, the school holidays are the perfect opportunity to enrol your child in ski lessons at the ESF Les Menuires.

Club Piou-Piou is the essential gateway for all little ones who want to discover skiing through a fun and caring approach. Over the years, your apprentice skier will be able to validate different levels:

• Piou-Piou: children are able to put on and take off their skis independently and move around in the snow on foot or on skis.
• Blanchot: moves around on flat ground and starts to slide down the slope.
• Sifflote: controls his speed, ploughs down the slope and uses his first ski lifts.
• Garolou: they put on and take off their skis and make snowplough turns to the left and right.

Club Piou-Piou Les Menuires is ideal for teaching children from the age of 3.

From the age of 4, apprentice skiers can reach the Ourson level and many others depending on what they have learnt:

• Ourson: the child glides with the skis parallel and stops with a snowplough turn. They move around on their skis in several different ways and gradually become able to ski outside the Club Piou-Piou area.
• Flocon: after obtaining the Ourson medal, the young skier will link several snowplough turns and will be able to put his skis back in parallel to continue the descent. He has mastered several balance exercises.
• 1ʳᵉ Étoile: he can link turns and skid taking into account the elements that make up his environment, but also glide on gentle and medium slopes.
• 2ᵉ Étoile: skater's stride, hollow or bumpy passages, medium slope turns and rounded skidding are acquired.
• 3ᵉ Étoile: the child masters schuss balance, links tight turns between poles, executes festoons and brakes with a skid after gaining speed.

By acquiring these skills, your child will feel at ease on the slopes and be able to move serenely alongside you. Have they developed a passion for skiing and want to perfect their technique? Then it's time for the Team Étoiles courses!

After reaching 3ᵉ Étoile level, your child can take courses designed to reinforce their skills and help them progress on all types of snow:

• Étoile de Bronze: the child or teenager is able to complete a course of 15 to 20 gates with tight turns, stay balanced in a schuss and do sculling turns.
• Étoile d'Argent (Silver Star): children and teenagers show greater precision in long trajectories, achieve their first time and their first jump tricks, and perfect their support.
• Étoile d'Or (Gold Star): skis on a variety of terrain, performs a timed giant mini-slalom, skis on all types of snow and on steep slopes. He's ready for the competition!

To make learning to ski enjoyable for your child and guarantee their safety, it's essential that you choose ski lessons that are adapted to their level. Book your child's lessons with the ESF Les Menuires now and follow their progress through the seasons!