So you’ve decided that a skiing or snowboarding instructor course is for you, well you’ll probably be wanting to teach a bit too? Get the desirable ski school uniform so that you can talk the talk in the après bars? Or just want to share your passion with others?

Well whatever the reason for you wanting to teach the best way is to be qualified going into the winter season. You can head down to the southern hemisphere (Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina) and get your ski instructor certificates, have a laugh and improve your skiing. This, obviously will give you much more of a chance of getting to teach on the hill over the winter here in the Northern Hemisphere.

You’ll find few guarantees of work with any instructor course operators, a select few will get jobs from each course – but don’t be disillusioned into thinking that with this you’ll be working everyday.





By being qualified in advance of the winter you’ll increase both your chances of getting a job and the amount of work that you’ll get whilst there. Another query you may have is on which awarding body you should become qualified with: there’s the British Association (BASI), Canadian (CSIA), American (PSIA), New Zealand (NZSIA) to name a few. Firstly consider where you want to go and secondly take time to look at what each of the associations are offering and their progression through levels – does what they’re offering fit with your ambition? If you are bi-lingual you could even consider the French or Swiss systems too.

Try these summer instructor courses to get you on your way to becoming an alpine virtuoso:

Warren Smith Ski Academy has a summer course in Saas-fee Switzerland – Qualification BASI 1 + 2

Sit-Co run courses in New Zealand – Qualification NZSIA 1 + 2

International Academy run courses in Mt Hood, USA – Qualification CSIA 1 + 2