How to Become a Ski Instructor
Skiing is an incredibly enjoyable hobby and pastime that can be enjoyed by people of all ability.
Whether you’ve never skied before or are seasoned on the slopes, it is a wonderful activity with millions of people travelling to resorts across the world each year.
For some people, it is much more than a hobby. – It is a way of life.
With this in mind, working as a ski instructor is an occupation that many skiing enthusiasts turn to. While working as a skiing instructor is undoubtedly a great choice of profession for those who love the slopes, if it is a role you’re considering it is important you understand exactly what is required and how you become a ski instructor.
In this article, we’ll take a look at what it takes to become a ski instructor and outline the steps you can take to become one.
Read on to find out more…
How To Become A Ski Instructor
Here at Alpine Fleet, we’ve spent many years providing visitors to the Alps with leading private transfers and shared transfers and this has given us a great insight into the skiing world.
This includes knowing exactly how you can become a ski instructor.
If you love skiing and are interested in becoming a professional ski instructor, by following the steps below you can ensure you’re well on your way to achieving this dream.
Do Your Research
Before you get going and enrol yourself on a course to gain your ski instructor qualifications, you need to do a bit of research. Think about where it is you want to work. While the Alps is one of the most famous ski regions on the planet, there are also ski resorts across North America and other parts of the world.
Maybe you don’t want to be tied down to one region and have plans to be a ski instructor in different places around the world?
Whatever the case, you should ensure that you thoroughly research the various ski instructor qualification programmes and make sure you choose one that is recognised worldwide. This is because some courses will only be accepted as valid qualifications in certain regions.
There are four qualification systems that are part of the International Ski Instructors Association – meaning they will be accepted worldwide.
This includes:
- BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors)
- CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance)
- PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America)
- NZSIA (New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance)
If you are not in an area that offers one of the above courses, it is worth checking which territories alternative courses are accepted in. Sometimes, ski resorts will provide ski instructor courses that comply with the regulatory body. You don’t want to have to re-train later in your career if your course is not accepted so it’s important to find out this information as early as possible.
Gain Experience
Even though being a ski instructor might seem like your dream job, you should make sure this is the case before embarking on a course. This is particularly the case if you don’t have a background in teaching as teaching someone else how to ski is very different to enjoying the slopes yourself.
The best way to do this is to volunteer at your local ski school.
Volunteers are always welcome, and this will allow you to shadow a professional ski instructor, ask questions about the career and give teaching a go yourself to see if it suits you.
Getting this kind of work experience will also be beneficial when it comes to enrolling on courses and, eventually, applying for jobs.
Take A Course
The next step is to enrol on a ski instructor course.
We’ve already explained the various qualification bodies, but there are also various levels of courses you can take.
While each qualification system will have slightly different ways of working, they all tend to follow the same format.
This includes:
- Level 1 – An entry level ski instructor qualification, this is very basic and will only allow you to teach indoors or on dry slopes. You will also likely only be allowed to teach children or beginners how to ski. However, this is the first step to becoming a fully-fledged ski instructor and will cover all the basics of teaching skiing. The course normally takes four to five days and is followed by an exam.
- Level 2 – There is a big jump between Level 1 and Level 2, but if you’re planning a career as a ski instructor then you should get a Level 2 qualification as a minimum. It will provide you with the skills to teach beginners and intermediate skiers on the piste. It will focus on how to analyse students and provide constructive feedback. The course normally takes around 10 days (including an exam) and should give you the skills needed to teach anywhere in the world.
- Level 3 – This is where you can start teaching more advanced skiers and even lead groups off-piste where appropriate. If you achieve Level 3, it means you are considered an expert skier and people normally take this course after having several years of teaching under their belts.
- Level 4 – The highest level of ski instructors will reach Level 4. It takes many years to get to this level and many instructors never even climb this high. Mainly, it is because the course is extremely challenging and is for those deemed to be among the best ski instructors in the world.
Start Teaching Others
No matter what level of qualification you’ve earned, once you have it you can begin applying for ski instructor jobs and teaching your own students.
It’s likely that you will begin teaching children or beginners before working your way up to more advanced skiers.
There’s nothing quite like spending all your time on the slopes, so if it’s something that appeals to you, start your journey today!
Whether you’re a ski instructor making your way to the slopes or simply visiting for a holiday, Alpine Fleet can provide you with private transfers and shared transfers that will make the journey as convenient and as seamless as possible. Get in touch with our team today to find out more.
