Lucía Aguirre

I grew up in San Martín de los Andes, in Patagonia, Argentina – basically village life in a ski resort. I learned to ski at 3 with the amazing instructors of Ski Club Lácar, and I was on the mountain after school and every weekend. I competed at the club as a child, but quickly discovered competition wasn’t my thing-I stopped at 12, as soon as I could choose! What I loved was simply skiing every day. After 39 years in the mountains, it’s almost impossible to pick one best memory: the mountain was my playground, my social life and the place of my first adventures, so from childhood in Patagonia to unforgettable off-piste days in the Arlberg, my best memories are a collection of moments rather than a single day. These days I do a bit of everything-I love a relaxed sunny day cruising the pistes and stopping for a coffee just as much as a four-hour ski tour that takes me to new limits. Every experience is different depending on who you share it with.

At 17, after finishing school, I had the chance to do my instructor course and travel around Europe working as an instructor. Combining skiing, travelling and working sounded pretty tempting, and what started as an opportunity became my profession. I’ve been instructing since 2005: 21 years and 32 ski seasons, thanks to many double-season years between Patagonia and the Arlberg. This is my 14th season in The Arlberg and my 4th with New Generation.

My favourite thing about the job is that every lesson and every guest is a new world. I love meeting people, hearing their stories, understanding their expectations and even their frustrations. For me, it’s not only about teaching skiing, but it’s also about sharing the mountain lifestyle and everything that comes with it.

Since 2023, I’ve lived permanently in Austria, and my summers are spent white-water kayaking, biking and working as a qualified Wanderführer – finding as many ways as possible to stay in the mountains year-round. I love hiking, yoga and Pilates, travelling and discovering new places, and I’m always happy to try something new. One surprising fact about me: I wear EU size 35 shoes – very small feet for someone who has spent most of her life in ski boots!