Turn Lab vs Elate Media Ski School: structured mental cues and drills for $9.99 vs. video lessons by Darren Turner across multiple paid apps.
Elate Media created the “Ski School” series of apps featuring Darren Turner, a former British Ski Team member and experienced ski instructor. The apps combine professionally filmed video lessons with a split-screen analysis tool that lets you record your own skiing and compare it side-by-side with the demonstration. Turn Lab takes a different approach, delivering text-based mental cues, drills, and a structured progression through 20 skills.
Both are app-based ski instruction tools, but they solve the learning problem in very different ways. Elate Media says “watch this and compare yourself to it.” Turn Lab says “think about this specific cue on your next run.”
Turn Lab is free to download with a one-time $9.99 premium upgrade. All 20 skills from beginner through expert are included in that single purchase.
Elate Media’s Ski School is split into three separate apps — Ski School Beginners, Ski School Intermediate, and Ski School Advanced — each sold separately on the App Store. To access all levels, you need to purchase all three apps individually. The apps are one-time purchases with no subscription.
Elate Media also maintains a YouTube channel (“Ski School by Elate Media”) with free content, though the channel has had inconsistent upload activity over the years. Darren Turner recently returned with his own channel after an extended hiatus.
Turn Lab’s advantage is simplicity: one app, one purchase, all levels. Elate Media requires buying the right app for your level and upgrading to the next app as you progress.
The Ski School apps have several notable features:
Elate Media’s biggest strength is the video quality and the comparison tool. Being able to film your skiing and compare it frame-by-frame with an expert demonstration is a genuinely useful learning technique that few other apps offer.
Turn Lab approaches instruction through internal cues rather than external video:
Turn Lab’s biggest strength is actionable simplicity on the mountain. You do not need to set up a camera, film yourself, or review footage. You read a cue, hold it in your mind, and ski the run focusing on that one thing.
Instructional method: Elate Media teaches through visual demonstration and self-comparison video. Turn Lab teaches through mental cues and deliberate practice drills.
App structure: Elate Media splits content across three separate paid apps by level. Turn Lab includes all levels in one app for one price.
Video vs. text: Elate Media is video-heavy, requiring you to watch and ideally record yourself. Turn Lab is text-based, designed for quick reference.
Self-assessment: Elate Media’s split-screen tool lets you objectively compare your form. Turn Lab relies on your internal sense of the movement.
Where Elate Media wins: Visual learners who want to see technique demonstrated and compare their own form will get more from Elate Media’s video approach and comparison tool.
Where Turn Lab wins: Skiers who want quick, actionable guidance between runs without setting up cameras or watching videos will prefer Turn Lab’s mental cue approach.
Elate Media’s Ski School apps are a solid product with a genuinely useful comparison feature. The ability to film yourself and compare against Darren Turner’s demonstrations provides visual feedback that many skiers find valuable. The video production quality is professional and the instruction is sound.
Turn Lab is better suited for the skier who wants to stay in the flow of a ski day. Pull it up on the chairlift, read your cue, put your phone away, and ski the run with a specific focus. No camera setup, no video review, no playback logistics.
If you are the type who learns by watching and reviewing video, Elate Media is the better fit. If you are the type who learns by focusing on one internal cue at a time and building skills through repetition, Turn Lab is the better fit. Both are affordable one-time purchases, and using both together — Elate Media for visual understanding at home, Turn Lab for on-mountain execution — is a reasonable strategy.
They take different approaches. Elate Media's Ski School apps feature professionally produced video lessons with split-screen comparison tools, so you can film yourself and compare your technique to the demonstration. Turn Lab focuses on mental cues and drill-based practice rather than video. If you learn best by watching, Elate Media is strong. If you learn best by doing with clear internal cues, Turn Lab fits better.
Turn Lab is a free download with a one-time $9.99 premium upgrade for all 20 skills. Elate Media's Ski School is split into three separate paid apps — Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced — each purchased separately on the App Store. Turn Lab gives you all levels in one purchase.
Yes. Elate Media's video lessons help you visualize technique, while Turn Lab's mental cues help you execute it on the mountain. Use Elate Media to see what a skill looks like, then use Turn Lab's cues to practice it on your next run.
Turn Lab organizes mental cues, drills, and progression milestones into a structured path from beginner to expert. Free for all beginner skills.
Download Free for iPhone