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We've lost count of the number of times we've been asked 'How do
I become a ski (or snowboard) instructor?' The new
Natives Guide
to Working in Ski Resorts can offer some advice, and our friends
at Base Camp Group run
some excellent courses.
  
Being a ski or board instructor is
a fantastic way of making a living, but it takes dedication to achieve.
It is vital to have the proper qualifications to enable you to work
legally with a ski school or as an independent.
There are various ways of qualifying, and these vary depending on
the country you are taking the exam in. It is very important that
you are aware of any working limitations a particular qualification
may cause. The easiest option may not be the best one for you, and
courses vary widely worldwide.
 Become
an Instructor with Base Camp
Base Camp run a number
of instructor courses each offering a unique combination of coaching
and qualifications to compliment the surrounding environment. Courses
are designed to provide a blend of adventure and training to help
you achieve your goals and qualify as an instructor.
While each programme is unique, all share a similar structure to
provide you with a course that is demanding and fulfilling. Each
programme is 11 weeks long and you have lessons 5 days a week combining
a mixture of coaching and examination courses.
  
Develop technical and teaching
skills
Each programme initially focuses on improving your technique while
developing the teaching skills you will need to be an instructor.
Classes are small and personal and decided on experience and ability.
Coaches rotate between groups so that you benefit from their collective
knowledge and expertise and experience a variety of different teaching
styles and techniques.
Once you have acquired the required skills and knowledge you go
on to explore the more high performance disciplines such as freestyle
or off-piste. Every programme is designed to be flexible so you
can tailor it to suit your needs and develop the disciplines that
interest you.
  
As well as on-snow coaching, each programme
also consists of evening workshops, video analysis and weekly feedback
sessions. These compliment your on-snow work and along with the
Ski and Snowboard Tuning Clinics, Avalanche Course and First Aid
Courses are designed to give you an all-round approach to skiing
and boarding.
Which Course is Right For You?
Courses run in Meribel,
Whistler
and Verbier.
Each course is different depending on the qualifications you can
gain, the type of coaching offered and the resort in which it is
based.
Qualifications
Both European and North American qualifications are offered.
While all qualifications are affiliated through the ISIA, each country
has its own ethos to instructing and its own qualification system.
These are accepted in different places throughout the world depending
on the ski schools and countries you intend to work in.
   
Type of Coaching
Courses combine different types of training and qualifications.
Some concentrate more on high performance disciplines such as off-piste
while others specialise more on the teaching side. Each country
has its own style and ethos towards instructing and this is reflected
through the coaches worked with and the different disciplines courses
focus on.
For more information visit www.basecampgroup.com,
drop them a mail
or phone them direct on +44 (0) 1403 820 899.
Mail
this page to a friend
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