Inspired by the Winter Olympics? You Can Learn to Ski in San Francisco

Kellan Hirschler is standing in a large room in San Francisco — learning how to snowboard.

Hirschler, a 30-year-old nurse who lives in the Castro District, is a student at Adventurous Sports, an indoor ski school in the city’s Hayes Valley area. Here, aspiring skiers and snowboarders like her can get some turns in — snow and ice not included.

Hirschler said her partner being an avid skier made her want to be able to keep up on the mountain. “So I was like, ‘You know what? It’s time,’” she said. “I need to get a little serious.”

Adventurous Sports has been in business for around two decades. But in January of 2024, the ski school moved from its Potrero Hill location to Hayes Valley with upgraded “ski decks” — carpeted treadmills that attempt to simulate skiing on a real hill — and plans to build out an area for boot fitting as well.

Adventurous offers lessons for new and experienced ski and snowboarders alike, with an emphasis on perfecting the technique of carving: the smooth arc of the ski or snowboard that’s accomplished by slowly rolling the ankles and knees onto one edge, then the other.

• Jump straight to: Facilities in the Bay Area that offer dry land ski training

Owner Sarah Cooper said training indoors is not meant to fully replace learning and progressing on a real ski hill, but rather to accelerate muscle memory and confidence once a person hits the actual slopes.

The setup of the facility — where teachers are positioned below the incline of the treadmill, eye to eye with their students’ hips and legs — allows them to watch and critique students’ every move, said Cooper, even at high speeds.

“We can see everything on every single person’s body,” she said. “Every movement, their timing, their confidence, their comfort.”

Joad Stein, an instructor at Adventurous who is also an expert outdoor skier, had just returned from a ski trip to Tahoe. Getting on the deck to demonstrate, he said he found skiing on the simulator to be the much more demanding option.

“I have to remind myself to be more patient with my movements, which makes it harder,” he said. “If I want to have nice, graceful turns, I really have to take my sweet time.”

Movement matters

But does all this indoor work on carving actually produce results on the slopes?

There has been very little scientific research on these types of ski decks. A 2013 study found the benefits of training on ski simulators to be minimal, but it only tested two types of ski simulators — neither of which was particularly similar to the type of deck used at Adventurous.

Cooper said many Adventurous clients have reported positive impacts of their indoor training, and that Olympic athletes, including Mikaela Shiffrin, have spoken about their experiences of using indoor decks as part of their training.

And on-hill ski instructors say any type of dry land training, especially the kind that works the same core and leg muscles as skiing and snowboarding, is going to help performance on the mountain.

“That fitness will translate,” said Jon Tekulve, director of ski services at Diamond Peak Ski Resort in Tahoe. “The movements are still there, and learning those can be helpful.”

Around 80% of the adults taught at Diamond Peak have never been on snow before. But Tekulve warned that beginners who start indoors may be taken aback by the role that being outside plays in skiing, because the carpet and indoor environment are so consistent.

“Being out in the elements is different,” he said. “Sun and shade spots on the mountain can be the difference between going really fast and really slow.”

Plus, he said, who would want to miss out on the mountain views?

Cooper acknowledges there is one major factor about skiing for real that she cannot prepare her students for on the Adventurous simulator: “The snow is just gonna ‘feel slippery’ — that’s what everyone says,” she said.

Hirschler said she’s proud of the progress she’s made so far with her indoor lessons. She’s even able to ride on the indoor carpet without keeping her hands on the safety bar, and is working on visualizing being on a mountain instead of inside.

“But is it gonna transition well to the mountain? I don’t know,” she mused.

“I’ll be starting with the bunny hill for sure.”

Where to learn how to ski indoors in the Bay Area

Adventurous Sports, San Francisco

Located in Hayes Valley, this indoor ski school emphasizes carving and requires all first-timers to complete an hourlong intro class to get familiar with skiing on their carpeted treadmill.

Cost: The intro lesson costs $185 in the winter and $145 in the summer. You can then purchase packages of multiple lessons, and more experienced skiers and riders can also book cheaper conditioning sessions.

Freeslope, Fremont

Want to practice your skills on mats and dry slopes before heading to the park? The East Bay’s Freeslope offers beginner lessons and workshops most days of the week, plus drop-in sessions to practice what you’ve learned.

Cost: Intro lessons cost $120, and workshops range from $40-$80. You can purchase a drop-in session for $35.

House of Air, San Francisco

This indoor trampoline park near San Francisco’s Crissy Field offers a Slopestyle Workshop for free skiers to work on aerial tricks and hitting park features like boxes and rails.

Cost: $40 for per hour for adults and $60 for kids.

Clarification: The radio version of this story, which aired Feb. 18, 2026, discussed the lack of research into the impacts of indoor ski decks. The broadcast mentioned “little scientific evidence” in reference to a lack of peer-reviewed studies from universities and similar entities. In a follow-up email from Sarah Cooper, owner of Adventurous Sports, she acknowledged the well-established positive experiences of some Olympic athletes who have used indoor ski decks, and shared similar testimonials from Adventurous clients.