Season/ Ski-snowboard instructor courses

Ajfunky

Hows it going boys and girls!

Was considering doing a season away and trying for a snowboard instructor course next winter after im finished college. Was gonna start trying to estimate costs, find where to go and who to do the course with but ive realised i dont even know where to start!

If anyone has recent experience with this type of trip, i'd really appreciate some advice on how to go about it. Any help is appreciated!

Cheers,
Aidan

robinph

Have a look at this thread:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056057058

Ajfunky

Cheers mate! was looking for an older thread assumed there would be one.

Gave it a read thru although am still a little out of my depth. I knew that there were different classifications and such, but seeing them all talked about has confused me further!

I know much of this will have to be trawling the internet looking for what suits best etc, but if there was any advice anyone could give assuming zero prior knowledge of the system, it would be very helpful! or even links to further explained threads elsewhere!

I guess if it helps: Im a boarder, would consider myself good enough at holding my own on most slopes and hopefully after this year will be far far better with a lot of training. Looking to get a qualification in Europe but which would allow me to teach in the likes of Canada and New zealand eventually. Would like a course that, if possible, could accomadate having a job also so that i can pay my acccom and living expenses whilst doing it as opposed to having to save the entire lot before hand.

All of that might sound a bit too tailored to my needs but if anyone has any ideas as i said!

Cheers!

SnowSkool Nick

Hi AJ,

It can be confusing for sure with so many different courses and qualification bodies to choose from! I tried to unravel this mystery in an article I wrote for the Ski Club of GB, take a look if you fancy it:

http://www.skiclub.co.uk/skiclub/news/story.aspx?storyID=8167

If you're definitely wanting to get qualified in Europe then you'd probably be best off looking at getting qualified through BASI (the British association of snowsports instructors). Once you reach level two you'll be sweet to teach in most places around the world and one of the main advantages of their system is that you have to clock up a fair few hours work experience within a ski/snowboard school to gain the qualification, which in turn makes you that little bit more employable! Many other qualification bodies such as the AASI also roll work experience into their assessments, but if you're looking at europe then BASI is probably your best bet.

Anyway I hope the above helps, any other questions feel free to drop me a message.

Here comes the plug... and trying to do it in the least spammy way possible! I work for SnowSkool, we're a ski & snowboard instructor course provider and would be more than happy to chat on the phone or via email about any questions that you may have.

stephencaso

You can do the Austrian course for about 900 euro.

Ajfunky

Austria for 900 euro?! tell me more!

stephencaso

In fact its around less than 900 euro,

All these companies that offer snowboard instructor courses in 4+ Weeks and costing thousands of euro are a rip of, deigned for rich kids with more money than sense.

You can do Level 1 in Austria in about 5 days, the course is around 500 Euro (lift pass & course), and around 100 to 200 Euro for accommodation ( i think more like 100, you can even get your own accommodation if you want). Most of the courses are done either before the season starts or during the summer. (They use resorts with glaciers so they always have snow.) I now they do these courses in Hintertux and kitzsteinhorn (kaprun).

I remeber sending them a e-mail a year or 2 ago so I will check my email to get the details.

robinph

All depends on if you think you can ski in the correct manner that the examiners will be expecting and know how that particular country expects the skiing to be taught and if you can get all that figured out in 5 days or not.

Ajfunky

Yeah, I would have assumed the reason they are expensive is because you are being taught to pass the course with flying colours as opposed to just going over and doing the exam? Couple that with a seasons worth of boarding lessons, accomodation and flights then it doesnt seem overly expensive (relatively speaking).

But again if it can be done for that price at a good standard then savage!

stephencaso

The courses are designed for people who can snowboard or ski already, you don't need to be a super skier or boarder. In fact I am off the opinion that teaching snowboarding or skiing is got more to do with the ability to teach rather than snowboard or ski. I now some boarders that can throw down double flips and don't teach because they have not got the patents to be teaching. And I now instructors who's boards never get anymore that 5" 's off the ground and they are great instructors.

The majority of instructors you will find in resorts would have obtained there qualification through doing a 5 day course.

And thats my point if you have never seen snow in your life and have lots of money than pay 5k and spend 10 weeks learning to become a instructor.

Or , the way which i prefer, learn to snowboard and then take the 5 day course. If you can already board you should have no problem doing the 5 day course. It’s not rocket science.

stephencaso

Costs of doing a season last year in austria, 400 euro season pass, 200 euro return flights dublin to munich and train into Austria, I think I paid about 10 Euro a night accommodation. (had my own room, on them courses most likely unless you pay more you will share a room)

Total price ( excluding food and drinking) about 1600 euro for 100 days

How much is the cost of the 10 week course?

Ajfunky

Sounds great! What qualification did you receive at the end of it?

stephencaso

I didn't do the course.

Level 1 the qualification is called Anwarter

Level 2 is Landesskilehrer , you can do level 2 after completing level 1 and gaining around 12 days working with a ski school (around 12 days not sure of the exact figure).

I think the below school teaches the course in English.

http://www.sbssv.at/en/welcome/

Ajfunky

Ah right I see. I cant tell what accreditation you get from the website though, ie BASI or CSAI or any that have been mentioned, do you know which it is? Thanks for the help on this by the way!

stephencaso

Ok i think I now what you mean. BASI are the people the British government have given the job to look after snowboard and ski instructors. So when you complete the course you say your qualified to BASI level 1.

I am not sure of the organisation in Austria that is equivilant to BASI, think it might be something like ÖSSV. If you did the course in Austria you would say your qualified to Austrian Anwarter Standard.

And for example when a ski school in NZ are looking for instructors they will say they are looking for somebody qualified to Basi level 1 or Austria Anwarter or CSAI level 1 etc.

As far as I remember the french qualification is known as the best, with Austria and Switzerland next than BASI and than Canada. The NZ one is the least.

I think in true , the qualification at level 1 stage is only good for teaching really in that country and than you need to get level 2. I don't think you would get a job in NZ with either BASI level 1 or the Austrian Anwarter (which is level 1). You need level 2. But this might also be due to the fact that there are only a handfull of jobs in NZ for instructors compared to lots in europe, so when it comes to NZ winter (our summer) Nz resorts can pick the cream of the crop.(which will be the people with the higher qualification and years of experience) I know somebody with BASI level 2 and 3 seasons experanice who applied for a few NZ resorts and did not even get an interview.

But in saying all that I did a bit of instructing in Austria with nothing. It is not all that is made up to be. You wont really progress that much as a boarder and it is sick to be stuck with a group of beginners that don't want to be there on a powder day and seeing your mates speed by heading off piste.

Ajfunky

Yeah i getcha, but i guess id much rather be up on the mountain with kids who dont wanna be there, as opposed to behind a desk somewhere!

Thanks for all the info there by the way, really helpful stuff!

stephencaso

or just save a few quid here and ride all season

Ajfunky

Ha well that is the plan pretty much, but it would nice to have a source of income over there if i ended up wanting to stay longer!

stephencaso

Yea it has its god points. Including free food on the mountain.

If you plan on going this season you should sort out your course and contact ski schools about work ASAP. If you have a second language it will help you all lot. The ideal person a ski school is looking for is somebody that can teach both snowboarding and skiing and has a few languages. (Most instructors want to teach either boarding or skiing, but schools like those who do both and there is less chance of them running outta work for you)

markhenry5

I run Proski Training in Soldeu in Andorra. We specialize in training guys to be ski instructors but we don't do snowbording. However, I do know that the Canadians ( CASI ) run all there qualification courses in Soldeu at different stages over the season. Hope this helps!