REVIEWS

Just got back from a week at Borovets.. Booked lessons with John and Boyko.. Best decision ever..John is a brilliant instructor, very calm and patient.. Nothing is to much trouble for him. He had the kids skiing in no time, they confidance kept growing all week and within no time had my daughter going up the chair and down a blue.. She flys past me now🤣Big thank you for sorting out the ski rental the guys at Snowshoe are extremely friendly and helpful. You give the kids a experience they will never forget they are already asking to return.. They had a fabulous time and that was all down to having a awsome instructor.. Anyone looking for lessons I 100% recommend John Dummer. Hope to see you soon.

Big thanks from us all

Donna. March 2024

I highly recommend John Dummer for private lessons. We booked our children (12 & 9) for several lessons with him during our visit. It was their 3rd time skiing and they had previously been in a group ski school which one of them didn’t enjoy. We found the kids progressed extremely quickly with John in comparison to a group. I am actually in awe of them. We feel he tamed the one that was maybe too confident and encouraged the one that was less confident. The least confident child ended up skiing blacks the remaining of the holiday safely and with what I think great technique. What he initially feared he ended up doing without thinking. Most importantly, for kids especially, they loved John and found him fun. When we do come back I’ll be booking John for them long in advance as I don’t think the kids would want anyone else now. Aside from their lesson, John was helpful with his local knowledge when we needed it and also secured equally fantastic private lessons for the rest of our group with great instructors he knew. Was our best family ski holiday for sure. If the kids are happy everyone is happy.

Janet M.  Feb 2024

A huge thank you to John who has been ski instructor for our 2 sons for 2 years running now.  This year we also brought along my niece and nephew and all 4 children aged 9, 9, 11 and 12 benefitted massively from John's kind nature, endless patience and excellent teaching techniques.  I would recommend John to anyone needing lessons who visits Borovets.  He was really good at adapting to the needs of each child individually and he recognised and played to their strengths as well as supporting any weaknesses.  He had a massive contribution to making our family holiday and excellent one! 

The Colton and Ottewell families, Feb 24

A big shout out to John Dummer, who took myself and my wife Eva out on the 26th/27th of Feb we can’t thank him enough. Last year was our first year skiing and learn’t very little due to not being told how to carry out basic procedures. John taught myself and my wife Eva more in a couple of mornings than we did in three full days last year, an absolute legend and would be the first person I would recommend to others. Many thanks.

Eva and Chris.    End Feb 2024

John, the Ski Ninja. Conquering Fears and Slopes with confidence.

John taught my daughter and son for a week. 10 and 7. Ski Ninja was the name given by my daughter. 

My son, usually fearless, turned extremely anxious as the slopes got steeper. But John, with his infectious enthusiasm and bottomless patience, worked his magic.

Turning Tears into Turns:

John's approach was exactly what was needed.

Celebrating Small Victories:

John celebrated even the tiniest triumphs. Boosting my son's confidence with every step. He never spoke down to him, using encouragement and humor to create a safe space for mistakes. It was amazing to see my son's fear melt away, replaced by a genuine desire to learn and explore.

More Than Just Skiing:

John went beyond just teaching technique. He built a rapport with my son and daughter treating them with respect and understanding. 

Beyond Five Stars:

If you're looking for an instructor who can magically transform nervousness into excitement, then John is your guy. Thank you, John, for making our ski trip an unforgettable experience! Highly recommend to all.

Steven H, Feb 2024

Big shout out to John Dummer for helping me achieve my goal and overcome my fears. He somehow managed to build my confidence from 0-10 in 4 lessons. I could have easily quit after he took me down a red but I persevered and am so proud of myself. Me and my children have skied previously but i could never get out of a plough or even contemplate moving away from blue runs. But with his help and coaching, I did it. Would highly recommend him. He helped with everything from ski lessons to ski hire and made the planning of our ski trip so easy. We’ve already booked our flights for next year, so see you soon 😂

Zoe F ....Feb 2024

Hi John, that's our trip to Borovets wrapped up and many thanks for looking after my boys and getting them off to flying start with their skiing. Hopefully that's the start of many family ski holidays. I got your contact details after seeing your name come up over and over again on  a Borovets Facebook page and it's easy to understand why. Great to have contact within the resort to answer my many questions and get ski pack etc sorted prior to arriving. You were great with the boys and left a great impression with them. Hopefully we will be back next year and booked in with yourself to take them on another level.

Thanks again.

Eddie. 

N.Ireland. Feb 2024

Spent 3 days with John, myself, husband and 2 children, 13 and 11. All differing abilities! John was patient and knowledgeable really great with my daughter who was scared and was so reassuring to build her confidence. Within 3 days we were on a blue run! Genuinely nice guy wanting us to get the most out of our holiday. Guidance on our kit, restaurants, times to hit the slopes etc. can’t recommend him enough. Made our holiday! Thank you John!

Feb 2024,  Hannah G

Thanks for making our first ski trip excellent! After your time teaching us we will definitely be making a second booking and bringing the children next time. Thank you for going through everything from basics to within 2 hours we were able to ski independently, although not perfect of course) but we no longer looked clueless on the slope as we did on arrival! John your teaching way is excellent! We both felt comfortable and safe in your hands! I can’t believe you even managed to change my husbands mind about skiing - we look forward to returning with our children next time and we will be sure to book u in again - thank you so much! Huge thanks for sorting our ski gear out too - you make things so simple for those who are first time and clueless 😀

Debbie V R, Jan 2024

John was a fantastic English speaking ski instructor, I had 2 x 3 hour lessons 1-1. Following those I felt confident to ski on the greens and blues we had been practising on. John takes the time to talk through the theory as-well as practice. I had full confidence in the lessons that John knew exactly my capabilities and how far to push me on each lesson. Would highly recommend John!

Jess...Jan 2024

What can I say….we are over the moon with John and his ski lessons with our kids. We have a 9 and a 10 year old, both of whom have ADHD and one is mildly autistic too. They had 10 hours of ski lessons over the week with John and enjoyed every minute of them. With John’s patience and skills they improved tremendously in skill, confidence and safety. We really hope to visit Borovets again very soon, and if we do the first person we will be contacting is John for lessons! Highly recommend 😁 

Thanks John!

Beth D.  Jan. 2024

Hi John, just to say thank you for arranging private lessons for our twins this week. We asked at very short notice but you made it happen and both you and Boyko were amazing with our boys. They are only 5 and had never skied before and you instantly made it fun and put them at ease! We are hoping to come back to Borovets soon and will definitely be in touch for more lessons! Many thanks, Angela.

Jan 2024  

Hi John, thank you for all your support this week.

We've had a fantastic week with John, despite us all being at different abilities, John adapted his lessons accordingly, made sure we were all challenged and went above and beyond to ensure we all got the best out of his lessons. There was no pressure to go beyond my capabilities and my 8 year old son loved having him as a teacher-thank you John for getting him on his first black run and me on my first red run despite all my nerves!

Lisa, Kieran and Seb

December 2023

I had 2 lessons with a private English ski instructor, John Dummer. 

From the initial booking with John, he had answered all questions thrown at him. 

John is very patient with teaching you how to ski. Adapting each lesson with my abilities on the skis. Started from skiing on the green and blue slopes. To getting myself confident with my technique to get myself down a black slope. Which I would have never thought I’d be capable of at the beginning of the week. 

I would highly recommend John as a ski instructor for anyone looking to book a private instructor.

This was our first visit to Borovets. We are already planning 2024! My son and daughter had an hours beginners course in the UK a week before. They had several lessons with John over the week and my daughter started as a beginner and on her last day she completed two black runs with John. The smile on her face when she returned from her last lesson was absolutely priceless. If you want a calm, patience, experienced, professional and amazing instructor contact John. 

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Well what can I say,If anyone is coming to Borovets and requires lessons,a would highly recommend John Dummer.I gained all my confidence back and good technique after picking up some bad habits from previous seasons,and only had a few hours with him.John is so patient and explains everything there is to know about skiing.Thank you again See you next year

Lindsey T, Mar. 2023

John thank you sooooo much for my incredible ski lesson with you. I was traumatised from my last ski holiday and you made me feel so at ease and made skiing fun for me. The fear has gone - I did chair lifts and green / blue runs this holiday and it’s because  of you, your teaching method and your kindness. Highly recommend you to everyone especially if you are a nervous beginner or had a tricky time skiing before. Thanks again John and until next time. Xx

Nicole G, Feb. 2023

I would highly recommend John to anyone looking to learn to ski or improve technique!!  Having lost my confidence last time I was skiing John put me at ease straight away. He talked through simple changes to my technique and allowed me to build my confidence back up within hours.  John was brilliant and we will definitely be booking again next year.

Charlotte W, Jan. 2023

Hi John

Just a little email to thank you so much for being such a wonderfully kind, patient and knowledgeable ski instructor, we all really enjoyed your company and felt safe and content knowing we were in good hands.

We really loved our first ski holiday and were so grateful to have gained so much confidence from your private lessons. You were able to  get us all skiing & progressing so quickly and really took the time to focus on our individual need despite teaching us as a group.

Really amazing how well the kids took to you and loved the experience of learning from you.

From initial contact you were really informative and helpful, from booking our ski equipment, giving us directions to ski hire shop and recommendations throughout our holiday.

Many thanks again and we will hope to see you again next year

Marcia M, Jan. 2023

Off home after another fabulous week with John. Thank you so much again John for your patience and wisdom. 

We always feel incredibly lucky to have met him 4 years ago and one of the first things we book when coming to Borovets every year since is him. He has taken our family of 2 inexperienced adult skiers and 2 total beginner children to be confident and capable on the slopes. Our 5 year old skied the blacks this year!! 

He is superb with both adults and children and my 9 year old especially loves that he can find all the jumps! 

Would always always recommend John to anyone coming to ski in Borovets

Thank you again John,

Big Love, from the Buckles x (Jan. 2023)

We are just back from our first ski trip to Borovets. To the man who picked us up when we kept falling…John Dummer, thank you! 

From our initial booking John answered all of our questions and organised our ski rental in advance with Snowshoe.

We had 4 lessons over the week and as complete beginners John adapted each lesson to suit our individual abilities. John has the patience of a saint and massively grew our confidence on the slopes, progressing to blue runs by the third lesson. 

For anyone considering lessons we cannot recommend John highly enough. Looking forward to 2024 already⛷️

Alesha R, Jan. 2023

We highly recommend John for ski instruction. He taught our 8 and 9 year old children who were complete beginners. They had so much fun and looked forward to their lessons with him. We were impressed by their improvement in just a few lessons and that they had been taught in a patient, safe and fun way.

It was our first visit to Borovets and John was very helpful and happy to advise on any questions we had. 

We very much hope to come back to Borovets to ski again and hope to be lucky enough to have John as an instructor again when we do.

Beth and Charlie, Jan. 2023

Thank you so much John Dummer. I can 1 million % recommend John as an instructor.  He took my 2 boys and wife out for three mornings. His patience was out of this world and he managed to do what we honestly thought was the impossible and got our eldest skiing ⛷️. Thank you.

James H, Jan. 2023

I would wholeheartedly recommend John for skiing tuition. Myself and two children (ages 12 & 9) met John as complete beginners. We found his tuition was tailored to our needs and we really enjoyed ourselves! He gave us the confidence to want to do a future skiing holiday and we will most definitely seek him out next time we visit Borovets.

Best wishes

Kristy, Jan. 2023

Hi John, I just wanted to say a huge thankyou for making our first family skiing holiday so enjoyable. The patience you had with us all, but specifically the children, was amazing, and we are so grateful for your perseverance with Ethan. He was so happy to have finally made the progress.  We will definitely return, hopefully the same time next year and in the meantime we'll recommend your services. 

Thanks again

Sarah, Jan. 2023

We have just got back from 5 days in Borovets and 4 days of lessons with John. We were a group of 7 beginner skiers, adults and children (aged 3, 6 and 7). I have to say I didn’t think it was possible to feel as confident on skis as I now feel and that is all down to John. He is so calm and patient and he is especially fantastic with children. Our boys loved him and have come home with a real love for skiing which I genuinely think is down to John. 

We will definitely be returning to Borovets and definitely booking in with John again. Thanks so much for a really lovely experience. See you next year! 

Emma W, Jan. 2023

I panicked 5 days before leaving for our first family ski holiday as we went for a family lesson at the Snowdome in the UK, and my autistic 12 year old really struggled.  We were booked onto group ski lessons in Borovets, but I saw that he would need one to one lessons.  Due to poor early season snow conditions in Borovets we were lucky enough that John had availability to teach my son for two hours a day for 5 days.     He was amazing with him, incredibly patient, kept him calm and happy, and he taught him to ski!!  When we started I didn’t think my son would manage at all, the slopes were incredibly busy (as there were very few open), there were long queues for the lifts (he doesn’t normally cope well with queuing), it was noisy - all things that can make it difficult for autistic children to cope let alone concentrate and learn anything.  Yet thanks to John, he quickly learned to turn, use the button lift (completely independently after a couple of lessons), and made more progress than I could ever have hoped for over the week.   We will definitely be trying to get John for lessons aga

Helen B, Dec. 2022

I just wanted to thank all those people who recommended John Dummer to teach my autistic 12 year old when I posted on here for advice a couple of weeks ago.  He was amazing with him and I would never have believed the progress he would make over the course of the week.  We got very lucky due to the fact snow conditions weren’t great so John had some cancellations, but if you want an instructor for your kids who is patient, will make them feel comfortable, and will get them skiing and using the lifts in the least possible time, I thoroughly recommend John, but book early if you’re going at a busy time!!

Helen B, Dec. 2022 

Just got back after the week in Borovets. Obviously not ideal conditions and it was the first time we’ve brought our kids (age 11 & 7) to get them in to skiing.

If you are looking for an instructor then John Dummer is who we would recommend. Despite the conditions he still managed to get our daughters skiing in the first few days by getting driven up and down the mountain. After 3-4 hours over a couple of days they were flying when the button lifts open. Haven’t stopped going on about it so we have re booked again for February 2023.

James S, Dec. 2022

Hi John,

We have just returned home after a fantastic week skiing, (I never thought I would say that sentence).  We are a family of four ages 9 and up, with a varied range of skiing abilities.  We had been skiing a couple of years previously and I didn’t have a great experience, this trip was my last attempt of giving it a go.  Our friends recommended John Dummer for Ski lessons, so we booked him and I can honestly say it was the best thing we did.

We met John the day before our lessons and had a chat about where we were and past experiences.  On our first lesson he watched to see what we could do and explained the basics of skiing in an easy to understand way. 

John was able to give us all something different from our lessons, and we all made great progress whatever our abilities.  He was always very patient and calm and even put up with my tears and worries, explaining what we would be doing fully and changing our lesson plan when I had a wobble,

By the end of our lessons I was going down blue slopes with ease and the others were confidently hitting more blues slopes and even red ones.

I would highly recommend John for anyone wanting a fantastic instructor whatever your ability, we will definitely be booking John for our next visit.  Thank you.

Suzanne C Feb 2022

As a first time skier and a very nervous skier we found John to be very patient and excellent to work with. 

He was an excellent teacher and helped us learn the skills needed to confidently ski. 

I would definitely recommend him as a ski instructor. He was also  excellent for his tourist information and local knowledge.  

We are looking forward to working with him next year if he will habe us xx

Michelle R, Feb. 2022

We booked 3 ski lessons with John. As there are 5 of us and we are all at different levels of proficiency it was never going to be easy, but he was great, completely unflappable and kept everyone happy. He is very calm, explains and demonstrates how to stay safe like a true teacher but also knows that teenagers want to test themselves on the tougher runs.It is a testament to John’s ability that all 5 of us enjoyed our lessons. Thanks John!

Paula G, Feb. 2022

I have been skiing for over 30 years and I am at an age that kinda doesn’t really feel that lessons are going to materially improve things and do I really want to start changing things now, besides the Olympics has started so I have missed that opportunity. Ok I thought, it might make me look better when I ski but will it really make a difference at this point. I have been going to Borovets for the last 7 years and I have recently found that my legs are burning when I go down a red or a blue at any decent speed. I thought it was age, but I’m pretty fit so it had to be something else. I decided I would do a lesson, just for someone to take a look and see if its something I am doing wrong.  

I found Johns name and sent him a message before I travelled. I arranged to meet up and have a chat before we went skiing. 30 min later I was skiing without any pain and better than ever before. I had one of the best days skiing that day than I had in a long time. I was thinking of giving it up, at one point,  because I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I really enjoyed the remainder of the trip and looked forward to coming all the way down from the gondola at a pace and without pain or falling. I found a new level of control that has been missing for a long time. With that comes confidence to tackle the toughest runs and off piste. 

John explained things in a way I could easily understand and put into practice. When you can feel  and see tangible results, it puts a great big smile on your face, it did on mine, thanks John.

Derek (Ireland) Feb. 22

As an intermediate skier who felt like I was lacking control I decided to get some lessons whilst out in Borovets. A few people on the Impartial Borovets page recommended John so I decided to book 4 hours of lessons with him across two days. I am SO glad I did, across those 4 hours John helped me to completely transform my skiing. He is patient, makes things so easy to understand and also a really nice man. If you are thinking about booking lessons, don’t wait, book John now! I couldn’t recommend him enough, I thoroughly enjoyed my lessons with him. Thank you John!!

Feb. 22

We booked a lesson with John on our first day in Borovets and it was the best decision we made! As first time skiers John was patient and approachable throughout the entire lesson. He showed us all the basics of skiing and after the lesson we had a lot more knowledge of skiing than we began the day with! Could not recommend him enough. Excellent service. Thanks John.
Lucy Foley and Aaron. Jan 22

We couldn’t recommend John enough, my wife is a nervous person at the best of times, never mind when trying to get down the slopes.
She had been to Borovets twice before in the groups lessons and both times quit after 2/3 days.
This time we decided to try private lesson and John was recommended to us by some friends who skied with him a couple of years ago.
His calm demeanor and broken down steps of everything meant my wife enjoyed skiing and actually progressed more than we could have imagined.
If you’re thinking of booking private lessons, John is the guy to go with. We are already looking forward to next winter ⛷⛷
Rhys Bevan, Jan 22

My girls and I visited Borovets in the New Year and had the best time ever! Just wanted to say thank you to a few people. Thank you to everyone at Ollie Moly Borovets, not only were their rentals great, but they were so kind and helpful! We even celebrated our final night together! (One too many tequila shots haha)
Also massive thank you to  John Dummer- who gave some beginner lessons to 3 of us who had never skied before. Absolutely amazing- had a brilliant time and learnt loads!  He also gave us great food recommendations and which bars got his seal of approval.
Finally, Chris Borovets Transfers!! Brilliant service and welcoming upon arrival. They also give you a card to use at certain restaurants and bars. Allowing you discounts from 10% off food to free shots.
We will definitely be visit again!
Scarlett Sargent, Jan 22

Anyone looking for a teacher - cannot recommend John Dummer highly enough! Wonderful coach who will move you on so quickly and so gently!! Lovely guy.
Rachel Hudson. Jan 22

Early (by our standards!) start today for a lesson with John Dummer ... He had his work cut out undoing 30 years of bad habits (me!), Graham's chaotic ski style due to his previous instructor (also me!) and keeping his eye on all 7 of us! We had a great morning and all learnt loads and, after a quick hot choccy stop, went to put it all into practice in the great conditions. I think we all learnt lots and  improved in style and control. Thanks John, we highly recommend a lesson with you 🎿⛷️🌨️❄️
Jo, Dec  21

🎄🎄Best Christmas present ever … Christmas Day run with my kids to end another fantastic week in Borovets. 🎿🎄🎿
⛷ Thanks John Dummer and a massive 5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ shout out. The kids spent 4 lessons with John, enjoyed every minute and really progressed their skiing. His patient, relaxed approach allowed them each to develop their skills at their own pace and build confidence to try new things. 🎿 It was a joy to watch them handle themselves safely on the slopes at the end of the week. 🎿
Will definitely book John again next time and would highly recommend him to anyone. 🎿⛄️⛷
Dec 21 Emma Summerscales

Early (by our standards!) start today for a lesson with John Dummer ... He had his work cut out undoing 30 years of bad habits (me!), Graham's chaotic ski style due to his previous instructor (also me!) and keeping his eye on all 7 of us! We had a great morning and all learnt loads and, after a quick hot choccy stop, went to put it all into practice in the great conditions. I think we all learnt lots and  improved in style and control. Thanks John, we highly recommend a lesson with you 🎿⛷️🌨️❄️
Graham, Dec 21 

​

My lesson with John Dummer saved my family ski holiday. He is a very talented instructor and took me on as a shaking, terrified 48 year old. With his calm guidance I felt calm and in control after two lessons.
Before I had some private instruction with John I was ready to give up. The group lessons had moved on too quickly for me. I was taken on a long forest track before I had the skills to cope with it. By the time I got to the bottom I was completely confused, in tears, and never wanted to put my skis on again. I felt shaken, sick and terrified.
John took me to the nursery slopes and gave me a simple shape to follow. He gave me lots of opportunities to repeat this. He was quietly spoken, calm and did not shout instructions at me whilst I was skiing. He assumed no knowledge on my part and carefully broke down every activity including using button lifts, and eventually a rather aggressive chair lift. After two lessons I was confident of the technique needed to turn and remain in control. I could come down a blue slope without any moments of terror! I would now definitely come skiing with my family again.
I highly recommend John to anyone who wants to master skiing The benefit of private lessons is that you can go at your own pace without the social pressure of slowing down classmates. As an English speaker, there was great benefit in having an English instructor. My Bulgarian instructor only had one way of explaining, due to his limited English. He repeated this at volume, but it did not work as an explanation for me no matter how many times he repeated it! John was able to re-phrase, use different explanations and understand my questions. (I like to clarify my understanding by questioning). None of this was possible with my Bulgarian instructor.
As a 48 year old who has not had many positive experiences of sporting activities, his patience and simple clear instructions, calmly and encouragingly given, were exactly what I needed.
Claire E. Feb. 2018

John was my daughter's and my ski instructor. We have always been tutored in a group, and weren't quite sure how individual tuition would go. My daughter was a much better skier than me, and I hadn't been skiing for years and was nearly a newbie, although I could remember how to put skis on!
John was brilliant, he was very patient and understanding, and paced my daughter accordingly so that she also felt she was learning. John evidenced his knowledge of skiing and I felt assured by his tuition. He was respectful also to others, and we witnessed him helping others too.
I would highly recommend John for ski tuition, and his local knowledge, and won't hesitate to book him for our next trip.
Many thanks John, it was a great week which we enjoyed immensely.
Diane S. Feb. 2018

Hi John,
I just wanted to say thank you so much for the lessons you gave me over the past two days. Felt like I'd been stuck at end stage beginner level for so long, and now finally I've made the leap to skiing a bit more dynamically. Your patience, feedback, kindness and teaching style have been just what I needed, and it's parallel skiing all the way from now on! Really enjoyed myself, thank you.
Hayley, Feb. 2018

Thank you John Dummer for an amazing four days of your expert tuition, could not have got down those red runs yesterday without you. See you next year xx
Lucy H, Feb. 2018

If anyone heading out to Borovets is thinking about ski lessons I can highly recommend John Dummer. My son and I had a night ski with him a couple of weeks back and it made a huge difference to our week. We went from borderline parallel to skiing parallel confidently in 2+ hours with John, and this was our first time on snow. By the end of the week my 12yr old was skiing down the odd red with me.
It really does make a huge difference following an experienced instructor down the slope, so if you get the chance save a few of those beer pennies and spend it on a 1:1 lesson. 
A. Boultsy, Feb. 2018

I honestly cannot recommend John Dummer enough! Amazing instructor. He took my 4yr old out this evening and within one hour had built his confidence so much! So patient. Thank you John x
D. Jones
Mar. 2018
If anyone is looking for a ski instructor in Borovets, I cannot recommend John Dummer more highly!! Had an excellent time and really improved our skiing.
D. Groves, Mar. 2018

I hadn't skied for over 7 years, and I booked a lesson with John to help me get some mountain mojo back. He watched me ski, then explained how to ski efficiently with the carvers that I had, talk about a lightbulb moment! When I put into practice what he taught me, I could feel straight away the difference, my skiing was more relaxed, less effort and more enjoyable, which in turn, improved my confidence. I hope that as I establish this improved way of skiing, I will also be less prone to falling and injuring myself (a priority as a busy mum of 2). John was really approachable, friendly, flexible when it came to booking, and you could tell he was very familiar with the ski resort and its runs and geography. I booked John to give my 5 year old son a lesson too, and after only one lesson, my son was skiing with noticeably more control. I would fully recommend John as a ski instructor for any age and ability.
Gillian, Mar. 2018

I and my partner visited Borovets for the second time for our annual ski holiday. We are both intermediate skiers. Sadly my partner suffered a crisis of confidence on the slopes and I was unable to help her overcome this. We sought the help of John after many recommendations from the locals and seasoned Borovets visitors. John managed to aid my partner in overcoming her fear and within a few lessons had her smiling again and loving skiing like never before. John not only has a passion for skiing but also for teaching and helping people. It was obvious he genuinely enjoyed the lessons and would do his utmost to help his students. When we return next year, he will be the only instructor we will use. Thank you John!
Rory Oliver, Mar. 2018

Three days into our skiing trip this year I had a nasty fall on a red run which was sheet ice. It left me absolutely terrified and not wanting to ski ever again. Until John Dummer was recommended to me. I was sceptical that anyone could help me as I was absolutely petrified at the thought of skiing again so John suggested meeting the night before my lesson for a chat. He immediately put me at ease and after listening to my concerns reassured me that he'd do all he could to help. John did more than just help, he has made me love skiing again! After my first lesson with him I felt my technique improve enormously which made me feel safer and got so much of my confidence back. I came back from my lesson grinning and immediately booked another one. Over the next three days John worked relentlessly with me and got me back down the red run which had left me so scared. Not only did John get my confidence back he has made me a far better, far safer skier and helped me face my fear of icy runs. John calmly explained each exercise and gave constructive and clear feedback, he pushed me to be better without me even knowing, I felt that comfortable with him! He knew my ability and how to get me to progress better than I did! He is the most kind, patient and understanding teacher and I quite honestly can't wait to come back and have more lessons with him next year! Not only did he save our holiday he has made me so excited for many many more! I can't thank John enough!
Amelia Harrison, Mar. 2018

Hi Jon here is your review!
We have had John for 2 private lessons for a group of mixed ability skiers. He was brilliant from start to finish. He helped my competent skier husband improve his technique. He managed to keep my youngest child’s interest for the whole lesson which was amazing. My daughter was terrified and he put her at such ease that she was able to overcome her fear and learnt to ski well enough she could join the family going down from the 4 man chair lift. Thank you John!!!!
Amy Kitching,  December 2019

My son and husband have just finished a 2 hr lesson with John Drummer, (can't tag you John sorry) . They had a fantastic time! And both said John was amazing and so easy to understand, Sid has had a huge improvement as was struggling with the turning a little but John's technique really helped him. 
Sophie Funnell, December 2019

We highly recommend John Dummer for ski lessons. He taught my son who is 6 and who has never skied before. After just 2 lessons, john had him up the mountain on the 6man ski lift! John is Fab with kids and we would recommend him highly to everyone. He also taught my wife who is a very nervous skier. He was very patient and put her at complete ease! Our time at Borovets was amazing and john had a big part to play in our fabulous holiday.
Shane Tarrant,  6th January 2020

Just returned from another brilliant skiing holiday in Borovets. For the third year in a row we have asked John to take my son (11 years) and his two friends for lessons and as usual they have had a blast! Each morning they cannot wait to hit the slopes and they are always keen to ski with him until the last lift. John is excellent with the boys, he is a very calm and clear communicator as well as being a lot of fun. It has been incredible to see the boys progress through each week, John's attention to detail means that they learn quickly and are already skiing parallel down the more technical slopes. Already looking forward to next year although slightly worried that after another week with John the parents aren't going to be able to keep up!
Will and Zoe, 29/12/2019-04/01/2020 

Hi John, Just to say a huge thank you for the lessons over Christmas. As you know I had an accident the year before in Finland and damaged my ACL. When I arrived in Borovets I told my husband I had changed my mind and I wasn’t putting any skis on ever again! Had it not been for you I really don’t think I would have! The lessons gave me the confidence to get going again and also taught me things I should have learnt in the first place. I would highly recommend you to anyone who asks. I think in our two days I learnt more than in a week of ski school! I will be back in February and have already booked for next Christmas again so will be hoping to book for more lessons! Thanks again. Caroline
Caroline, Dec/Jan  2019 

Sue and I would like to thank you for helping us so much, we can't believe how much you have helped us improve, your coaching is 5 stars. We look forward to next year and March if we can fit it in. Thanks, Geoff and Sue
Geoff and Sue, Jan 2020

Our experience with John Dummer in Borovets, Jan 2020.
In our party, 2 of the children aged 5 and almost 5, had some basics on skis the year before in the snow park with the rila kindergarten, in addition we'd got them some lessons on the dry ski slope at home, their ability was very basic, skiing a few metres then falling over seemed to be their main activity on the dry slope. We decided therefore to find a private instructor for the children for Borovets to share the cost between the 2 families. The decision was the best one we made for the holiday. The first 3 days the children were with the ski Nanny, then dropped off with John at lunchtime for their lesson, the last 3 days they were with John all day. This worked extremely well as the children were eased in gradually, and by the middle of the week were very ready and eager for all day skiing. Firstly, I can say that the level of skiing demonstrated by the children in such a short space of time was staggering. The children were using the button lifts and chair lifts within the first day, skiing alongside their instructor down the blue runs. By the last day, the children were practicing and perfecting parallel turns , with red runs (and one black run) being no obstacle to them. They frequently skied down to the gondola mid station, which was grueling for several adults within our party! The skills imparted by John were amazing, I had hardly expected them to be able to ski with such confidence in just one week. Secondly, John made the whole experience enjoyable for the kids, even when not skiing. He has a gentle manner and is terrific with the kids. He speaks to them calmly but with authoritive instruction, they were keen to listen to every word. John chatted with them, he was interested in listening to their stories and singing whilst going up in the gondola for example. John made every day exciting, he would take the children to restaurants and snack bars and encourage them to eat different foods. When they came down the gondola, John would get the kids a ride on a horse and trap to take them back to the rila lifts. They absolutely loved that! At the end of each day, a good days' skiing was rewarded with a small Jigsaw toy, which the kids found great pleasure in collecting. At pick up each day, John would de-brief us on the day's activities and progress of each child. Most days, John would offer to take us up to re do some of the runs with the kids so we could see them in action with h.is caring help and guidance! This in particular we found was above and beyond, as our group of adults is rather mixed ability so this meant John skiing down with the kids followed by our rag tag group as well as our older children, altogether I think we caused more problems than his 2 students, but John was happy and calm and keen for us to see and enjoy watching the children's skiing.  John was friendly with us and often enjoyed Après ski coffee with us at some of the slope-side restaurants, debriefing us on the kids and chatting to us about our skiing. He was a great asset to us on our bad skiing days, offering suggestions to improve as well as sympathy! We are very much looking forward to coming back and booking John again, definitely for the children, but certainly to help one or 2 of us adults improve our skills too. In short, our experience with John was very good value for money, but also surpassed our expectations completely. We were very pleased we made the decision to book him! 
The Ashcrofts, 12th-17th January 2020

Had lessons with John Dummer, he is a very patient  guy, easy to ski with and there is no pressure. He gave great advice and tips which improved my skiing. Thanks John
Angela, Jan 2020

We recently returned from another wonderful week.  I managed to get 2 flights at a real good price , and built the trip from there. We stayed with Nick and Mariana at Four Seasons chalet which was great. Nick would deliver and collect us, and recommend places to eat and visit too. Four Seasons Chalet was spacious and nicely laid out, would definitely stay again, even its own hot tub and sauna .Ski hire, Nick sorted that out in the chalet with a large range to use, and a lovely heated boot rack �� boots so good! And helmets.We had ski instruction with John Johnski Dummer who was as ever was extremely patient with me,  even when I’d had enough,!!and would also take Kirstie Stage and improve on her techniques and style, I would recommend John Dummer highly, he was professional and knowledgeable and improved our skiing no end. We met Cheryl his wife, and was able to witness her passion for her work at Ski Scamps,  I wish they had been around when my children were smaller. We ate in several places in Samokov, chicken house, old house, and other places I can’t pronounce and never had a bad meal, all really good value and service. Transfers to and from Sofia, were arranged by Nick. 
So in conclusion , thank you, was again a wonderful time in Borovets , never disappoint.
Diane, January 2020

Hi John. 
Just wanted to say thank you very much for helping our 4 year old. After only 5 hours of tuition she was skiing all by herself.  Your calm and patient approach was brilliant as she felt relaxed and extremely happy. Thank you 
We also have some vids we can send you if you want any thanks.
Terry T, January 2020

If anyone is thinking of booking personal lessons do not hesitate to book John Johnski Dummer, he has the patience of a saint and taught my extremely nervous wife to ski! His gentle approach and calming manner put her at ease, all at the same time as teaching two of us the more technical side of skiing and taking us up on the slopes to help us brush up on the basics as it was only our second week skiing. Our first week skiing we stuck to greens, with John's tuition we done all the resort blues confidently and even touched on reds. We cant thank him enough.
Martin B, January 2020          

100% recommend John for private tuition, our group of mixed abilities all benefitted massively from our time with him, putting ourself in good stead for the week ahead. He is so patient and a genuine nice guy!
Jordan F, 02/02/2020

As this is a impartial site... Just wanted to recommend John Dummer. Had him for two 3 hour lessons. I wanted more tuition to get me down reds confidently and improve my technique. John saw exactly what I needed to improve and worked at it from the start to finish. Been going down yasterbets today more confident and safer! Seen a huge improvement and has opened up lots more slopes. Will be recommending John's patient and on point tuition to others. You never stop learning and improving with skiing and John is great at all levels. I know he is fully booked for Feb half term but if anyone wants his contact you can find him on this site.
Claire  R.  07/02/20

John, Again this week you have taught Nelly and Megan and We really can’t thank you enough these little girls have grown in confidence and Now flying down the four-man chairlift on the blues with ease and confidence.
Lorna Jane D, 14/02/20

We have been home from Borovets for almost 2 weeks now, and i have just realised that I forgot to put up a post about Ski Scamps and John Dummer. To make sure the adults in our group had the best possible time them self, we were VERY lucky to be able to use the services of ski scamps to care for our 5 year old in the mornings, she arrived ta 8AM everyday at  our apartment so we could leave early and make the first Gondola, with her case full  of toys and arts and crafts materials, such a lovely and caring lady, we were so confident and happy that our boy would be enjoying his holiday as much as we were, following a fun filled morning of playing indoors and out in the snow he was taken to meet John for his skiing lessons, after his first 1 hour lesson our boys was coming down the Sunhar on his own, turning and stopping all by him self, by the end of 3 days of lesson (5 hours in total) we were all as family on the 6 man chairlift and skiing the blue run all the way down together. absolutely amazing couple of people. if you need these services and are lucky enough to be able to book and use them, they will make yours and your children's holiday so much better... A* services, and cant recommend them enough, Thank you Cheryl & John, total Legends in my eyes.. See you in 2021...
Mark G, Feb 2020

Hi John. 
I can’t seem to add a message to your Facebook wall. I just wanted to say a big thank you for helping Ollie learn to ski. We were so impressed with the skills he learnt in such a short time seeing as he had never skied before. 
He loved the lessons and has been reminding me about pizza and chips all week and pretending to lead me around on his pretend ski poles.
Vicky K Feb 2020

Home from another fantastic weeks skiing. For the second year running we (2 adults, 17 year old and 15 year old) had lessons for the week with John Johnski Dummer and again he has been fantastic. Such a great instructor and lovely man. We have all improved so much again and have thoroughly enjoyed our week with him. Can’t recommend him highly enough!
Tracy E, 15/02/2020

Recently back from Borovets, having previously teaching myself and wife last year John gave our 9 year old girls lessons this year. They absolutely loved there first time skiing, they became very confident and capable very quickly with johns 2 hour sessions. Excellent tuition and kept our girls in safe hands at all times, Would highly recommend John for both adult and children’s lessons. Looking forward to getting back on the slopes.
Thank you John Dummer
Peter Moore, 23/02/2020

John Dummer thank you again for being a brilliant instructor for Frankie and Sadie!!!! Oh and me,  highly recommend!!
Hi john
Well I have to say today was amazing
I have had the best day skiing ever and I have done ski runs I never thought I would ever do.
You make me feel so safe when I ski that it gives me to do any ski run with confidence.
You are patient and amazing and when I did that black run today I felt totally safe and confident and really enjoyed it.
Can’t wait to come back for new year and ski with you again.
Thanks again
Amie and Paul.  06/03/2020 

I would highly recommend John, I love skiing but am not good with heights, John had me feeling totally calm and in control at the top of the mountain on the blues, he assessed my skiing and talked me through how I could improve, then asked me to show him the difference, can’t believe how much my skiing has improved after just one lesson ! Thanks John will definitely recommend you to my friends and see you again next season.
Kelly Mills, 7 March 2020

For any one taking their child for the first time to learn how to ski but is to young for ski school. 
This is my 5 year old after 3&1/2 hour lesson in 2 sittings with JOHN DUMMER private English instructor. 
He was leading the way to me after his 2 lessons. 
Amazing coach & calm & very patient with kids & too cheap for his experience. 
Obvs every child will learn at different speeds. 
Contact John Dummer on fb for lessons
Brent Clarke, 3/03/2020