Which medal for which level of skiing: from the little ones ("pioupiou" level) to the gold star skiers ☆

You've decided to take your child skiing this winter, but you're afraid they'll soon get bored. The ski schools have taken this into consideration and, to keep children motivated throughout the season, they reward the progress of all the children by giving them medals.
From the nursery ski school to the highest level of the sport, here is a presentation of these rewards that tell you the level of ability of your child while encouraging them to persevere from one year to the next!

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1- Medals for beginners

If you learned to ski in the 80s and 90s, you are going to tell me, "OK, but what are all these new medals? In my day, we got our 'snowflake' medal and then got our first star." Indeed, but this meant that those children who only came skiing occasionally had a hard time getting their first star because the jump from the "Pioupiou" (birdie) and "Ourson" (teddy bear) levels was too big. Now, with the new system, each improvement can be rewarded with a medal which helps to keep the children motivated.

The nursery ski school medals

Pioupiou
The Pioupiou ("birdie") club teaches the youngest skiers to start going downhill on gentle slopes and have lots of fun trying to touch the different bells on the course. This is an intuitive way of learning how to steer their ski tips. Your child will be very proud to be able to wear their medal bearing the famous chick at the end of their week at the club.

Blanchot
The little rabbit is the reward for those children who know how to move about with skis on a level surface, go downhill facing the (gentle) slope and get on the famous magic carpet to go back uphill after a descent.

Sifflote
The marmot (called "Sifflote") is awarded to those children who can descend in the snowplough position in the nursery ski school and tackle some obstacles.

Garolou
Watch out for the werewolf. Garolou is the medal for those young skiers who can avoid it! They are therefore able to control their trajectory and their speed, within the confines of the Pioupiou club. They are also able to get their skis on and off unaided – a big step towards independence!

Making the jump from the nursery ski school to the pistes

Before getting down to business, there is still the Titourson (little teddy), which is the level at which the children start to follow their parents on the green slopes! At this point, the children know how to take the drag lifts, make turns, control their speed, glide in the snowplough position and stop!

2- The first medal for those who can ski on the pistes

The "ourson" (teddy bear)

Your child already has several medals that they earned at the nursery ski school. Now is the time to start their lessons for the "Ourson". At the end of a week of skiing, they will be able to go downhill making gentle turns on piste, glide along facing downhill and stop with a snowplough turn.
The "flocon" (snowflake)

Now the serious work begins. To get the "Flocon", the young skier must be able to fulfil the requirements of the "Ourson" level. What's more, there must be able to slow down,
control their speed and stay balanced on their skis, while making some small jumps, for example.

3- The cycle of stars

The first star
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The renowned first star, probably one of the most famous medals!
After successfully completing their "Flocon", your toddler can start preparing to earn their first star. They can descend the piste by completing a series of skidded turns, they are well-balanced when skiing across the pistes and they have learned the different types of skids.
The second star
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You can get this star once you have obtained the first star. It seeks to confirm what the child has already learnt and develop new techniques. The child is able to descend by making elementary turns while skidding, they can ski downhill with their skis parallel and they can maintain their balance while going over small hollows and bumps.
The third star
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This medal closes off the first cycle of learning. From the third star onwards, your child is able to ski on more difficult slopes because they know how to manage their speed. They can control their balance in any schuss and even on small hollows or bumps, and they know how to manage turns by following a course marked out by poles and skid to stop after picking up speed.

Bronze star

The course to get your bronze star is technical and incorporates the notion of speed in completing the course. A course of about 15 gates must be completed by varying the turns and the speed. The skier can start to make small jumps after taking a bump in a schuss, and is becoming familiar with skiing edge-to-edge (slalom).
Gold star

The ultimate star, to earn this star, your child will need to complete a timed course, know how to negotiate a prepared course, such as a half-pipe or boarder-cross, and alternate between turns and skiing edge-to-edge to descend a steep piste.

And then... competitive skiing!

At the end of this cycle of stars, your child has mastered the basics of skiing and more. They can now have fun on all types of pistes in complete safety. If they want to hone their skills, they can continue to take ski lessons to improve their speed. Arrows and Chamois are awarded to the fastest skiers on compulsory courses, whether it is the small turns for the Chamois, or the giant slalom turns for the Arrow. Completing these tests generates a ranking that allows you to compare your performance with those of the most seasoned skiers! But, naturally, this is for skiers who already have a lot training.