Rafael Perez

Two years at LMRT. Seventeen years teaching skiing. A lifetime in the mountains.

Rafael grew up skiing in Spain, watching young racers fly down the slopes and thinking, "I want to teach that." Fast forward seventeen years of ski instruction and a PSIA Level 3 certification later, and here he is—coaching LMRT's U10 athletes and loving every minute of it.

His coaching superpower? Keep everything simple and work on one thing at a time. No overthinking. No information overload. Just clean, focused skill development that sticks.

Rafael's a water skier, a tennis player, and someone who can beat most people at pull-ups (including young athletes—yes, really). His best ski day ever? Skiing in Montana with his kids. His guilty pleasure? A beer or two with ski friends after a whole day on the slopes. His dream ski destination? Sierra Nevada in Granada, Spain—going back to where it all started.

He's a night owl fueled by coffee, and his pump-up song is "Nací en el Mediterráneo" by Juan Manuel Serrat—a Spanish classic that hits different when you're about to drop into a race course.

What he loves most about coaching LMRT: "Amazing families and coaches."

What he wants athletes to know: "Have fun!!! And listen to your coach sometimes."

Why he coaches: "I get to ski with an amazing group of kids every winter."