Experts say that if you can turn your hobby into your work then life will be enjoyable, and for people passionate about skiing, it is all too easy to do – just become a ski instructor
The last run of the season is always a sad occasion. You choose a long one so you can really soak up the alpine air, but before you’ve even got to the ‘Slow Zone’, you start counting the days until you’re back on the white stuff. And then you see a kid, all bundled up, practising her snow plough, and you realise there might be a solution to the agony of summer after all…
Firstly you have to be able to ski well and have good people skills, to be able to deal with everyone from difficult six-year-olds to determined adults. Becoming a ski instructor can also be a great option for a gap-year (or two).
Ski instructing is not just for young adults, parents looking for a lifestyle change can become an instructor and move the family to the mountains. At Sun Peaks resort in Canada, there is a school on the mountain so parents can pick them up from school on skis.
A career as a ski or snowboard instructor can take you around the world, imparting your wisdom and passion to hundreds of burgeoning snow bunnies. You need never see summer again! It’s not all breezy babysitting of kids in mittens, though. Courses for snow sports instructors are intensive and comprehensive, requiring qualifications with an association recognised by the International Snowsport Instructors’ Association (ISIA).
There are two ways to become a ski instructor in Australia. Do a level 1 course with the Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors Inc. (APSI) or apply directly for a job at an alpine resort and they will organise your training. The ASPI qualification is recognised overseas, allowing you to instruct in the northern hemisphere and teach year-round.
You must be over 16 to commence the program which is a three-day course followed by a one-day assessment. Once you compete you can apply to Australian and overseas resorts.
While the ASPI qualifies you to work overseas it may be more fun to learn in a new country. Austria is the home of the very first ski school, established in 1922 by Hannes Schneider in the Arlberg. Pundits acknowledge that The Austrian certification program is universally accepted as the most comprehensive and rigorous in the world. It can be tricky with little experience so it is better to do a basic course in an English speaking country and skill-up in Austria.
Canada is extremely popular as a place to go to learn to be an instructor, and one company that offers tours for interested skiers is Nonstop Ski & Snowboard. This company offers CSIA Level 1 and Level 2 courses at Fernie and Banff, conducted by CSIA course facilitators over 11 weeks. Anyone over the age of 16 can attend, with the courses, held January – April, covering everything from effective technique and safety, to skill development.
English company SnowSkool organises courses for CSIA courses at wonderful resorts such as Big White in Canada and at Cardrona, New Zealand. Over a five or eleven week period, you can do a Level 1 Instructor, Level 2 Instructor course at Big White.
Red Mountain in Canada is another option. Its Snowsports School has CSIA Levels 1, 2 and 3, and for snowboard instructors, CASI courses for levels 1 – 3, and the Park Course.
Niseko is a bit closer to home and the Instructor Training Academy is the only program available in Japan offering courses that cover internationally recognised qualifications. Choose from the four-week CSIA Level 1 course or the eight-week CSIA Level 1 and 2 course. You can also get New Zealand’s NZSIA CSI and Stage 1 Certification in Niseko.
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