The Sunday Times Friday, 01 October 2004

Looking For A New Challenge? The next step may be to make the leap from pupil to teacher. Here's how to become an instructor...

In the pecking order of the ski resort, there's no doubt who'e king (or queen) of the hill - the instructor. But all of these were born in the shadow of an alp, and came out of the crib on skis, right? Not so. Thanks in great measure to the British Association of Snowsport Instructors, many skiers from the UK have ended up turning a winter pastime into a rewarding career.

Becoming fully qualified to teach - particularly in Europe - is a long and involved process, requiring you to pass several increasingly harder examinations and even a speed test. However, it's normally possible to teach under supervision while you train for the higher levels. More importantly, even if you've no intention of taking up tutoring as a long term job, many experts think that learning to teach is the best way to improve your own standards on the slopes.

So, how do you begin? The first BASI qualification to aim for is 'Ski Instructor' status. The ability to ski parallel in all conditions, on or off-piste, is the required standard for entry. To make the grade, you need to complete a 5-day Trainee Instructor Course, take part in 70 hours of shadow teaching with a qualified instructor and then pass another 10-day Instructor Training Course. You will also need to join BASI . After this you can teach up to intermediate level in many places.

The quickest way to this qualification is to take a gap course. These are not exclusively reserved for gap-year students, but attract skiers of all ages. Base Camp group provides both European (BASI) and North American (CSIA) qualifications, and run courses in France and Canada. Its 11 week gap-year courses start at £5,545 including transfers, accommodation, some emals, lift pass, course materials and training, but exludes flights.