Ski/Snowboard Instructor Courses in Ireland

IASI

Hello!

I am Kathryn from the Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors (IASI). For those of you who don't know us we are the only Irish providers of snowsports qualifications. Our varying levels start at dry-slope/snowdome level and progress to fully international qualifications.

We are running our basic Level 1 courses this September / October in Ireland. Visit our website at http://www.iasisnowsports.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=29 for more details on starting off.

Associate membership is required to book on the course, all this is available at our website http://www.iasisnowsports.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=52&Itemid=71

If I can answer any questions post them here!

Yours in the fluffy stuff,

Kathryn

Hi Kathryn can you do me a favour and explain the differences between your course and this one from a technical perspective ?

http://www.nzski.com/products/09/coronetpeak/instructor.jsp

IASI

Good Morning!

Well thanks for the question.

Basically we are offering four levels of qualifications,

Level 1 - basic Ski instructor qualification - can be used on artificial surfaces & snow-domes

Level 2 - Ski Instructor- can be used on snow in countries like NZ, Australia, Canada etc

Level 3 - Ski Teacher (ISIA) - international ski award from the International Snowsports Instructors Assoc.

Level 4 - National Ski Teacher - highest internationally recognised award.

I don't really want to comment on why the NZ course is different as thats the courses they do. Our system is quite simple and currently we do not do "Gap year" type courses. To get the same level from what I can see the NZIA system is in IASI it requires the following

Pre-selection - attend 3 nights out of six for training
Training weekend - three day weekend
Assessment Level 1 - assessment weekend

then

Level 2 - optional training week then assessment.

The main difference is that the NZ one can be done in one season whereas we would be over a slightly longer time frame. However IASI is growing and we have various plans afoot to offer more choice in the coming seasons.

Hope this helped!

IASI

Sorry forgot to mention the IASI system would be the same as the BASI one in that Level 1 awards take place mainly off snow on dry slopes or snow-domes.

I see you are keen on going to NZ, lucky you! Basically we are offering the same qualifications but to those who aren't able to head off for a season.:)

AndRoiD

Hi,

I was just wondering is there anywhere in the north that you can do the level 1 qualification?

IASI

Hello there!

We have tried in the past to work with the slope in Craigavon but sadly nothing came of it, we are still talking with them about the possibilities for the future. Sorry I can't be more helpful just yet!

Fattes

AnDroid,There are some cheap and chearfull B&B near the slope in Dublin if you where thinking about it.

Snowie

how does is skill level assessed on planks ?
If you don't mind me asking ?

IASI

Hi Snow-Monkey, sorry if I'm being daft but don't understand your question?

AndRoiD

IASI wrote: »

Good Morning!

Well thanks for the question.

Basically we are offering four levels of qualifications,

Level 1 - basic Ski instructor qualification - can be used on artificial surfaces & snow-domes

Level 2 - Ski Instructor- can be used on snow in countries like NZ, Australia, Canada etc

Level 3 - Ski Teacher (ISIA) - international ski award from the International Snowsports Instructors Assoc.



Level 4 - National Ski Teacher - highest internationally recognised award.

I don't really want to comment on why the NZ course is different as thats the courses they do. Our system is quite simple and currently we do not do "Gap year" type courses. To get the same level from what I can see the NZIA system is in IASI it requires the following

Pre-selection - attend 3 nights out of six for training
Training weekend - three day weekend
Assessment Level 1 - assessment weekend

then

Level 2 - optional training week then assessment.

The main difference is that the NZ one can be done in one season whereas we would be over a slightly longer time frame. However IASI is growing and we have various plans afoot to offer more choice in the coming seasons.

Hope this helped!

Hi again! Thanks for answering my previous question. I was having a look at your website and this is similar to the kind of way i wanted to become a qualified instructor rather than the 3 months in a resort as its hard to get the free time for it.

I apologise if you have already answered this but before I thought I had a fair idea of the international qualification set up. If I was to get the IASI level 2 qualification that would be the same as the CSIA and the NZIA level 2? all i want to know really is what level would i be required to be at before I can really teach all levels of skiers?

Can you please explain what is the difference between a ski instructor and a ski teacher? I had a look on the website there at the technical outcome standards but unfortunately the link doesnt work.

Aswell would the IASI course be recognised world wide and is there any figures of pass rates in previous years?

Sorry about all the questions, just in the states at the minute and have only an hours access to the internet which is really slow per day.

Snowie

IASI wrote: »

Hi Snow-Monkey, sorry if I'm being daft but don't understand your question?

No im sorry I've had a few to may head landings...
How do they asess the skill level of an instructor when snowboarding ? is it on dendex or do you disappear to the alps for a few days ?

sarmer

I've been thinking about doing the level 1 course later this year. How good at skiing do you need to be in order to start it? I haven't been skiing in a while so worried I'd be a bit rusty!

Fattes

I wouldnt be to worried if you can ski parallel comfortably you would be all right to start. But Ideallly if you could carve and do short radius turns and some braquage you would be much more comfortable.


The six weeks training will improve your skiing and get you ready for the course and give you a good idea of where you stand.

IASI

Firstly sorry for the delay in replying, real jobs get in the way!!

Our Level 1 courses are assessed usually on the dry slope but we have recently run a L1 snowboard course at the Snowcentre in Hemel Hempsted. We are actively looking at new opportunities for IASI to keep an eye on this space!

AndRoiD

AndRoiD wrote: »

Hi again! Thanks for answering my previous question. I was having a look at your website and this is similar to the kind of way i wanted to become a qualified instructor rather than the 3 months in a resort as its hard to get the free time for it.

I apologise if you have already answered this but before I thought I had a fair idea of the international qualification set up. If I was to get the IASI level 2 qualification that would be the same as the CSIA and the NZIA level 2? all i want to know really is what level would i be required to be at before I can really teach all levels of skiers?

Can you please explain what is the difference between a ski instructor and a ski teacher? I had a look on the website there at the technical outcome standards but unfortunately the link doesnt work.

Aswell would the IASI course be recognised world wide and is there any figures of pass rates in previous years?

Sorry about all the questions, just in the states at the minute and have only an hours access to the internet which is really slow per day.

just wanted to bump this thread, and was hoping for an answer to some of these questions.

Fattes

Level 2 covers you to teach pretty much everything on piste up to Basic Carving. Had a CASI level 4 trainer once tell me that the IASI level 2 he had meet where all above the standard they would expect for CSIA level 2

Not sure about the diffrence between a ski instructor and teacher and how it is defined?

IASI qualifications are recognised worldwide and have ISIA Approval. Pass rates vary from year to year from what I have seen. One year all 6 participants passed another year none of those taking the exam passed.

Few of the guys going forward for the assesment in October are quite close to the standard. But they have to ski well all weekend.

I am sure IASI will be along now to fill in the blanks.

AndRoiD

Fattes wrote: »

Level 2 covers you to teach pretty much everything on piste up to Basic Carving. Had a CASI level 4 trainer once tell me that the IASI level 2 he had meet where all above the standard they would expect for CSIA level 2

Not sure about the diffrence between a ski instructor and teacher and how it is defined?

IASI qualifications are recognised worldwide and have ISIA Approval. Pass rates vary from year to year from what I have seen. One year all 6 participants passed another year none of those taking the exam passed.

Few of the guys going forward for the assesment in October are quite close to the standard. But they have to ski well all weekend.

I am sure IASI will be along now to fill in the blanks.

thanks! alot of helpful info there.