Ski like Vonn? Learn Where She Did at Minnesota’s Buck Hill

Let’s face it, many Midwestern ski areas feel just like Rodney Dangerfield: They don’t get no respect from their larger and taller brothers in other parts of the country.

However, that changed a few winters ago when a young female skier who first learned to scoot down the slopes of one of Minnesota’s small metropolitan ski hills at age 2, later wowed the world as the four-time World Cup champ. Her name: Lindsey Vonn, and the area she learned to ski on: Buck Hill. Former Olympian Kristina Koznick also emerged from Buck Hill’s slopes, where Austrian Erich Sailer is a coach.

Located right along Interstate 35 south of Minneapolis, Buck Hill, boasts 16 runs served by nine lifts and tows, including a new lift for the tubing area. They are offering a special beginner-only ticket deal for anyone aged 13 and up who’s never skied or snowboarded before.

Lessons are available Sundays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The deal includes a lift ticket, equipment rental and 90-minute lesson for only $35 with pre-registration also a requirement. A regular day lift ticket here costs $39. Ski rental is $25, and a regular lesson is $20, so you'll be saving nearly 60 percent off the regular price.

New this year at Buck Hill is a covered wonder carpet for riding back up the tubing hill, additional snowmaking as part of a three-year project to quadruple capacity, and a new rope tow on the upper part of the hill. Tour Buck Hill online here and call 952-435-7174 for pre-registration.