Becoming a Ski Instructor

If you have a passion for the slopes, why not spread your skills and your passion for skiing and snowboarding on to others? You could spend all day on the slopes... and get paid for it! Read on to find out more about what you need to do to become a ski instructor.

But before you jump into your ski clothes and start passing out fliers, you’ll need to get certified by the British Association of Snowsports Instructors, or BASI. BASI will then put you through a course that could vary in length - anywhere between five days and three months' depending on what level of certification you are going for and which skills you are looking to then coach.

To sign up for a BASI certification course, you will need to be at least 18 years old and to have had 35 hours’ worth of ski schooling under your belt to prove you are able to ski at least at an intermediate level.

Other qualifications will vary within the BASI courses in regards to the teaching you intend to pursue and these range from basic skills, nordic, adaptive, snowboard, and more.

Each discipline has different levels of certification; a certificate from a level 1 course will let you teach on only a dry slope or indoor where the environment is stable and controlled. Whereas, for access to a mountain, you will need to have completed a level 2 course. You will need to complete level one before taking the level 2 course.

From Manchester to Milton Keynes in the UK, as well as foreign destinations like Chamonix and Champery, there are multiple venues for you to take these certification courses. For specific dates and prices you can go the the BASI website here: https://www.basi.org.uk/, where you can find further information on each place regarding accommodation and even weather.

After you have earned your certification, you can look forward to becoming an instructor in Europe, Canada and the United States and, come ski season, you can begin contacting ski resorts that can hire you to work for a ski season.

Be aware that, for the best chances of landing the job of your choice, you will want to start applying earlier rather than later. There is a high demand for ski resort jobs so, to get a jump on the competition, start your search before heading out.

The training to become an instructor may be rigorous and even costly at times but, once you have passed the courses, you will be given the reward of spending copious amounts of time with your ski gear and out on the snow doing what you love. And before you head out, be sure to pick up your ski gear, including ski goggles, ski helmets, ski accessories, and warm ski clothing from Simply Hike!