
Professional skier turned VP of marketing and product development for the sustainable ski brand WNDR Alpine, Pep Fujas is one of the most accomplished and well-respected skiers in the industry. The creative and innovative skier has done it all, from moguls and X Games slopestyle competitions to award-winning film segments to developing his own trick (the Pep Roll) and landing and skiing switch in powder before anyone was doing it. Based in Salt Lake City, he’s been a fixture at Alta Ski Area for two decades, but now his core ski crew comprises his wife, Claire, and his three kids, Zoe (8), Hazel (6), and Finn (2).

I’ve been lucky enough to ski all over the world with some of the best skiers and snowboarders. But to me, nothing is better than family ski time. Seeing my offspring zoom down mountain, narrowly avoiding certain catastrophe, is sometimes more exhilarating than doing it myself. When our oldest daughter, Zoe, was born, skiing as a trio felt easy as pie. Then came Hazel, who changed up our routine by redistributing responsibility back to both parents. Hazel needed bottles, diapers, and naps, while Zoe wanted to go hunting for tree trails. By ages six and four, we were a finely tuned skiing machine, and a complete four-pack on the lift. Then, two years ago, my son Finn joined the crew. As easy as it would have been to drop him off at day care at the base and continue shredding the entire mountain all day, we wanted to ski as a family. What we’ve learned along the way is that even with kids of varying ages and abilities, it’s still possible to ski as a family—you just need the right attitude and approach, and maybe Alta Ski Area.

When your eight-year-old wants to rip double black diamonds and your two-year-old still skis between your legs, how do you keep everyone together? One of the many reasons we love Alta so much is that you can ski and ride the lifts with a baby in a backpack. So we take a few rope-tow runs as a family, then throw Finn in a backpack and ski the rest of the mountain with his older siblings. Most ski areas don’t allow this because of obvious liability concerns. I don’t recommend skiing with a baby unless you’re an expert, you pay attention, ski at the side of the run, stop in safe places, go where you know conditions are smooth, and don’t make erratic moves. All my kids loved being in the backpack and even napped while we skied. It also gave us the opportunity to bundle them up and expose them to less than desirable conditions at a young age.
Without this option, you’ll have to find a way to keep everyone entertained, which is fine as long as you communicate your plan and balance the needs of every individual. That might mean skiing in a power wedge with your youngest between your legs while your oldest skis something challenging. Or, while your youngest is practicing their pizza, you might challenge older siblings to ski the same beginner run with one ski, or while balancing their poles across their arms, doing whirly birds, skiing backwards, or working on carving. What’s beautiful about skiing is that the difficulty of the run doesn’t determine the experience, and more often than not, no one argues over which run to do next, especially if everyone gets a turn choosing.

Of course, a family ski day can include some separation (for us at Alta it’s minimal because of the variety of terrain). Most lifts offer an easier way down, with small offshoots for varying levels of challenge, so when one parent uses the ropes on the cat track, the other can break off into moguls or tree runs with the older sibling and meet back up on the slope or at the lift.
As the kids grow, progress, and develop their own preferences, I know that our family ski days will evolve, but I’m confident we’ll find time and joy in skiing together. Beyond the tremendous effort, energy, and patience it takes to accommodate the simple act of sliding on snow, the benefits will always outweigh the challenges. Skiing has taught my children so many valuable lessons, like camaraderie, resilience, encouragement, overcoming fear, developing confidence, and understanding body awareness to social skills, focus, and math (counting lift towers and divvying up fruit snacks). There isn’t much the skiing experience doesn’t cover.
In sum, keeping our crew together really adds to the experience for everyone. We see our children growing closer while doing something we all love. The girls want to show Finn all their favorite tree runs and jumps while always making sure he’s having a good time. As much as skiing is an individual sport, it’s best experienced with the ones you love.

Tips for Family Skiing Success
New skill, old hill
Turn terrain that older kids might consider boring into a learning experience. What games can you come up with to challenge them on a beginner slope? The sillier, the better.
Be organized
This isn’t the time to wing it. Pack the night before. Keep your kids’ gear in bins with duplicates of critical items like socks, gloves, balaclavas, layers, hand and toe warmers, and goggles. Whether you’re on a ski vacation or going to your local hill, being organized pays off.
Transition with strategy
Gearing up to ski can be a long and arduous endeavor with just one kid, let alone three or four. Getting ready in the lodge might seem comfortable, but we’ve found the parking-lot transition to be the most efficient. To get toddlers to the lift in their ski boots without losing gear or motivation along the way, put that ski harness to work. Ignore any skeptical looks you get in the parking lot while carrying your child like a suitcase.