Any Snowboard/ Ski Instructors Here?
Posted by: dave brubeck on 10 April 2009
So.... someone mentioned to me the other day that a friend of his in the UK was jetting off to the U.S for a couple of months to take a course to qualify as a snowboard instructor. This has got me thinking of a possible escape for a few years from the rat race... (I'm 36).
I have been looking at courses on the net, but of course it's all just sales pitch and I have no idea which are good/ bad or what qualifications I should be looking for. Working in France or the U.S however would be a preference. And my current snowboarding ability is crap to poor level.
Does anybody here know anything at all about this?
Any help much appreciated.
Posted on: 13 April 2009 by dave brubeck
Mr Munch,
In the process of getting lessons, however from what I have gathered one does not have to be very very very good to be an instructor, one just has to be good. Apparently the best skiers usually make the worst instructors, as it is more about teaching ability than skiing ability.
Anyway I'll let you know when I fail miserably!
Posted on: 13 April 2009 by garyi
Well I did a couple of seasons and perhaps your best hope is via one of the UK ski holiday companies.
There are plenty of people chasing a few posts though. I should have thought the criteria would be leadership skills as well as skiing skills.
Posted on: 13 April 2009 by Huwge
I think it will depend on your definition of good. At the very least you will need to pass both competency and first aid / mountain aid skill tests - most resorts offer the certification, typically affiliated to a ski school. You will need to be comfortable to lead in adverse to severe conditions, a test when you are on your own never mind with a group. You also need to be comfortable with the various snow conditions from ice to slush.
You may also find it easier if you are competent in a second language at conversational level as this will extend your usefulness. In the Arlberg last year you could notice a real shift away from English to Russian! The balance of Dutch and Scandinavian seemed to be the same as prior years. This may not be an issue if you propose to limit yourself to North America.
It may be to your advantage if you are not dependent on the income.
The best bet is to get out before the end of this season to a location you prefer and ask around the ski schools. In my experience, you are very dependent on who you know rather than what you know.
You will need to be fit and make sure that you have all the necessary medical insurance.
Posted on: 17 April 2009 by csl
I taught skiing in Telluride in 88/89. there was no course you had to take to qualify for the job. However, there was a week long tryout session where they weeded people out for various reasons. they couldn't ski, or they couldn't teach or they looked like a bum etc. I think i would go for the language instruction as stated above, and or try and get a job as a bartender. For the first few years of ski instructing-there really is no money in it as all the good clients are scooped up by those who have been teaching for 20 years.
wish i could do it again.
Posted on: 18 April 2009 by Simon Douglass
Hi Dave
Have you thought about becoming a GB ski club rep? The course is 3 weeks, usually held in Tignes late Nov./early Dec. You are not allowed to instruct, but are expected to be a good team leader and a competent skier.You can find out more on their excellent website.The advantages of being a rep are you can still get to do off-piste skiing and enjoy a good social life, all with intermediate skiers and above: we've had some great skiing experiences with them over the last 3-4years.
Simon
