‘Passion’ is the first word that comes to mind when choosing a career in the ski industry. Why passion? Well because no one does this job for the money. I will warn you now. Being a ski instructor is not the most lucrative career choice. It is about the lifestyle. Don’t get me wrong, highly motivated folks can rake in a reasonable chunk of cash and make a decent living teaching skiing. It is just important to note that a passion for skiing and a desire to share that passion with others needs to be the motivating factor before you to quit your office job and move to the mountains.
Ski instructors come from all walks of life… and do an even wider variety of jobs. Some teach children, some teach beginners, some teach private lessons while others teach groups. There are advanced clinics and ski weeks, seasonal programs, race programs, park sessions, moguls sessions, tree skiing, steep clinics, powder tips, backcountry basics and just about everything else you can dream up. Many instructors will get a combination of the above, but it is typical in your first season to get stuck with all the beginner and kid’s lessons that the more experienced pros try to avoid.
Don’t be fooled though, kids lessons can be a lot of fun. They often involve more skiing and games then long winded explanations of technique. You get to trick them into learning with lots of mileage through the trees and over bumps and jumps!
Teaching beginners, although perhaps not as fun can be extremely rewarding. Especially seeing how rapidly someone new can pick things up with a bit of direction. Of course knowing that you played a big part in introducing them to the world’s coolest sport also contributes to that warm fuzzy feeling.
One of my favourite types of lessons is a ski week where you get a group for several days at time. You really get to know everyone pretty well and grow together as a group throughout the week. You get to dig a little deeper into your bag of instructor tricks and really develop skiing skills over a longer period of time, often with dramatic results. There’s lots of skiing mileage and you get to show people all your favorite runs. And then of course there is the social side of ski weeks, where you get paid to attend après ski with your clients, who naturally shower you with beer and stroke your ego (because “you are the most amazing skier!”) I know it sounds a bit like a fantasy, but believe me it does really happen. Oh yeah… and then they give you a big tip at the end of the week… It’s a tough way to make a living!
One of the disadvantages of being a ski instructor is the fact that it’s a seasonal job, right? Actually that’s one of the things I love about it. Not only do you get a welcome break to rest your aching body when a season finishes… but you have the opportunity to go check out somewhere new. Now some pros are fairly settled and stick to one resort, perhaps doing construction or outdoor education in the summer months. But for those nomadic types, every ski school locker room is filled with pros from all over the globe who are be sure to inspire you with plenty of places to check out on your next season. Getting certified from one of the major ski instructor associations such as the CSIA, PSIA, BASI or the NZSIA (to name a few) gives you international recognition and a ticket to travel. Being a ski instructor has allowed me to venture far and wide, teaching on five continents… North and South America, Australasia, Europe and Asia… and before I’m done I’m even hoping to do a little skiing in Africa! Skiers tend to be adventurous folks and being able to explore a new culture is a pretty good way to keep things fresh.
Us ski instructors certainly love helping others to reach their goals… but we occasionally have some selfish needs too. Working as an instructor just so happens to be a great way to improve you own skiing as well. Almost every ski school offers training for their staff so you have access to all sorts of top qualified instructors and coaches… for free! Improving your technique of course allows you to ski harder, faster, steeper and gain more performance in more conditions… and ultimately that means more fun! Isn’t that what it’s all about?
There are rare occasions when I consider it might be time to give up the ski instructor dream and perhaps get a ‘real job’. However these disturbing thoughts quickly fade when I remember all those poor doctors and lawyers who work hard all year long… just so they can come live my life for one week a year.
So even though my body seems to be getting a little older and my joints a little creakier… I think I’ll keep being a ski instructor. You however, should probably keep your desk job… someone needs to pay for all those ski lessons!
"Improving your technique of course allows you to ski harder, faster, steeper and gain more performance in more conditions..."
Tobin Leopkey is a Course Conductor and level 4 certified Instructor with the CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructor’s Alliance) and is the Program Director for Section 8 Snowsport Institute, who run ski and snowboard instructor training and mountain leadership courses on Vancouver Island, Canada.