Saturday, 25 September 2004
The Independant: Our Son Wants To Be A Ski Instructor During His Gap Year. Where Should He Go?
Q: Our son, who is a good skier and will be 18 in November, wants to do an intensive residential ski-instructor-course either in Europe, Canada or the US this winter during his gap year. Can you suggest reputable organisations? We know some expensive ones, but have heard that others might be able to offer both work placements and instructor training.
A: Alas, you're right - intensive residential courses for ski-instructors do tend to be very dear. To answer your second query, the chance of combining a work placement with instructor training is rare, if not almost impossible.
Training to become a ski instructor is fun, but intense. Students are immersed in all aspects of snow sports and must be highly motivated to achive the final qualification. Due to the expense and dedication required, it's not something to opt for on a whim.
If your son is hoping for a less pressurised break between A-Levels and university, he might consider woirking a ski season as financially viable alternative. Though, inevitably, this still requires hard work, it is less goal-focussed.
Plenty of courses nthat lead to a ski-instructor qualification in one season are available.
But ski certification is a tricky business . For example, some resorts in France demand extra skills, while the CSIA or PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) Level 1 (of 4) are not considered advanced enough to find a teaching job in France or New Zealand.
Your son should look at courses that lead to qualifications recognised by the International Ski Instructors Association (www.isiaski.org), the unbrella organisation for snowsport instructors.
The basic qualification of the British Association of Snowsport Instructors (or BASI) is the minimum qualification needed to teach on snow and it is widely accepted in Europe. Base Camp Group offers training for BASI qualifications and has courses in Europe and Canada from £5,545.
