Did you ever think about being a ski instructor?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mregan 

One of the people training at Section 8 Snowsport has started a blog " BLINDED BY THE WHITE - EXPERIENCES OF A TRANSIENT KIWI" at http://goo.gl/jhI75 describing his experiences. 

 

Check it out.

Buy an add? 

IMHO attending an ITC at a respected mountain to prepare to be an instructor is something every serious skier should consider.

Even if you prefer to laugh at perfect turners skiing on race carvers in short coats it pays to know the enemy.

Ski technique is something every good skier should learn about. Keep what you like and throw out the rest.

If you decide to put on the short coat and take a position you get lotsa perks.

(like free skiing and more free clinics with more guys in short jackets)

Good deal I think. 

just my .02....

Quote:

Originally Posted by hrstrat57 

IMHO attending an ITC at a respected mountain to prepare to be an instructor is something every serious skier should consider.

 

Even if you prefer to laugh at perfect turners skiing on race carvers in short coats it pays to know the enemy.

 

Ski technique is something every good skier should learn about. Keep what you like and throw out the rest.

If you decide to put on the short coat and take a position you get lotsa perks.

(like free skiing and more free clinics with more guys in short jackets)

 

Good deal I think. 

 

just my .02....

I learned the "perfect" turn

....just so I could bastardize and start trying to rethink what everyone is doing.

still trying to figure out why ski school have stupid short jackets!! I want a big baggy patagonie, flylow or TREW.

I thought about it. And did it. Best move ever. Now I don't worry about silly things like paying to ski. Today I showed up to the mountain, stood around for a half hour getting paid, and then got to free ski for the rest of the day. Sitting on a lift with a group of people who have just dumped thousands of dollars to be there, it's nice to think I'm walking off the mountain with more money than I arrived with.

Let me see.....Hmmm I have an active CSIA card but don't have time to teach at the moment. The card so far this year has gotten me pro deals 1/2 price at Whistler and a free day at Appy today with CRGildart and his son.

When I was active I got tons of free skiing and free lessons with LVL4s and I think I actually covered my gas!!

Besides like someone said earlier ,Nice to know what they are all doing on the skis, Ive seen some pretty amazing high end instructors (check out the powder 8 comps)

You get to attend pro days and lots more.

Makes a small hill big

Ya Id say its time well spent ( and ya know its actually alot of fun some days).

Quote:

Originally Posted by BushwackerinPA 

I learned the "perfect" turn

 

....just so I could bastardize and start trying to rethink what everyone is doing.

 

still trying to figure out why ski school have stupid short jackets!! I want a big baggy patagonie, flylow or TREW.

One of my former SSD's said the shortie is required so the student can clearly see upper/ lower body separation in demos.

I fought the trend at first but could clearly see what he was talking about when we started doing video of our demos at the time.....he pointed it out, it was clear and everyone gave in and agreed to the shorties as ski instructor uniforms..... 

I still wear a Karbon shortie, tho they are not as short as my old Descente ski school jackets. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Boot 

Let me see.....Hmmm I have an active CSIA card

Wow, very cool, what is the history behind the CSIA Old Boot?

I thought about it, but remembered that I don't ski very well.  

Yes, then I became a ski instructor. As for the short jackets, perfect carves and race skis, I wear a long, baggy Saga jacket, ski in the park, and ride twin tips.

I taught in public schools for 31 years.  When I retired I considered going into ski instruction, then I remembered that I had just retired from teaching.  I think I'll remain retired.

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Originally Posted by Posaune 

I taught in public schools for 31 years.  When I retired I considered going into ski instruction, then I remembered that I had just retired from teaching.  I think I'll remain retired.

The thought of you standing there with a pile of kids on Daisy on a big powder day seems, well...let's say, improbable....

I get asked all the time why I don't teach.  My answer is the same every time.  I don't have the patience! 

But I am grateful for the patience all of my insructors had with me during my 40 years of skiing and taking lessons.

Rick G

As a retired patroller, I kind of fell in to ski instructing. I started to have problems picking up kids that were hurt. I find it rewarding to see the looks on the faces when a new skilled is learned. And if I can keep someone safer by teaching them how to ski, I feel much better about my day.

Plus getting paid to ski, whats not to like about that.

Yep, hate the short coats too. The one thing I am glad snowboarders add to the sport are the longer (warmer) parkas for the slopes.

Yep, best job ever. Not all uniforms are short though, for my first month in Portillo mine was nice baggy Patagonia, then I had to change to the tight Avalanche one you can see behind me :(

It's a lifestyle job, for the young. I'd recommend anyone who wants to do it, go for it, but it pays to have a backup skill, trade or profession. Nearly all the ski instructors I trained with and worked with, which was about ten seasons in total, have all left, or do the odd bit of work on their home mountain. Family life put an end to it for most of them.

Although the money is rubbish, it's not about the money, it's about the people you meet, the powder days, the women, the parties, the madness, it's a great experience, can't be beat.

I thought about it just today as I was contemplating my unfulfilling job ...  But, I have anchors, lack youth, and probably could not be trained to ski the "proper" way anyways.  Guess I'll save it for another life.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bplatt03443 
Yep, hate the short coats too. The one thing I am glad snowboarders add to the sport are the longer (warmer) parkas for the slopes.

 

I dunno about anyone else, but our instructor jackets are heavily lined (Karbon) and painfully warm in the springtime.  I much prefer an unlined shell, but not an option here.  At least they have zip-off sleeves, and the ski school also sells a variety of other acceptable uniform outerwear (soft shells, vests, etc.), though that stuff isn't warm enough for cold days.

I still think the parkas that go halfway down the thigh look absurd on the park rats, but to each his own... style is nothing if not subjective.

As far as the actual teaching -- it's work, especially dragging beginners and little kids up the bunny hill for 90 minutes at a time.  Patience is mandatory.  You don't get to free-ski as much as you would think (though that depends on the hill and time of year).  In terms of opportunity cost, you're better off buying a season pass and working nights if you want to maximize skiing time.  It's pretty sweet when someone really 'gets it', or when little kids spontaneously declare it to be the 'best day ever', though. 

Working part-time, it pretty much pays for the gas to/from the hill and the food I eat on shift, plus a few bucks in my pocket.  The free pass and pro-form discounts help, but as the saying goes it's a hard way to make an easy living.  Not a bad seasonal gig, if you have other work in the warm weather.

You do get a LOT of free training, though, and I certainly wouldn't have progressed as much over the last 3-4 years without doing this.  (PSIA/AASI courses aren't free, but they're pretty cheap on a $/hour basis.  My limiting factor on taking them is that they're mostly on weekdays and I don't get much vacation time from my day job.)  Almost all the really experienced instructors and senior PSIA types I've interacted with are absolutely ripping skiers, even if you don't get to see it while they're teaching lessons.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Old Boot 

Let me see.....Hmmm I have an active CSIA card but don't have time to teach at the moment. The card so far this year has gotten me pro deals 1/2 price at Whistler and a free day at Appy today with CRGildart and his son.

And we put him to work!

I really enjoyed working as an instructor and fine tuning my own abilities while skiing free and getting paid for what can be much harder work than it appears, especially with beginners.  It was extremely cool to be wearing an instructor jacket in high school and college.

That said, since I'm pretty satisfied with my skiing and don't really want to earn livelyhood teaching.  I'd rather try patrolling if I ever lived near a resort again.  There are many more beginners needing attention than there are casualties in need of transport.  I could be wrong, but I think patrolling would be more fun on average... at least for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matthias99 

 

I dunno about anyone else, but our instructor jackets are heavily lined (Karbon) and painfully warm in the springtime.  I much prefer an unlined shell, but not an option here.  At least they have zip-off sleeves, and the ski school also sells a variety of other acceptable uniform outerwear (soft shells, vests, etc.), though that stuff isn't warm enough for cold days.

 

We had puffy TNF jackets for cold days and Mother Karens shells for warm days, but they weren't free.  Most bought the shell and wore stuff under it on cold days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rickg 

I get asked all the time why I don't teach.  My answer is the same every time.  I don't have the patience! 

I'm always surprised when people say they don't have patience. When you're instructing, it's actually really difficult to become impatient. You always want the people in your group to have fun, so you have a built-in motivation to be encouraging and positive. Also, it's interesting when things don't work--it's an interesting challenge for you as the instructor to sort out, rather than a failure on anyone's part. 

I'm impatient in some domains, but it's hard to be impatient teaching skiing. Unless it's a powder day.

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy giving tips and helping out friends that I ski with.  But teaching beginners and helping them with their equipment plus spending my day on the bunny slopes would be torture for me. If I could only work with intermediate to expert level skiers I just might do it, but I know that if I were to start teaching now, I would be saddled with those begginer lessons and have to work my way up the totem pole.  I just wouldn't make it.  Too bad I didn't do this when I was younger as I would surely be a level 3 instructor by now.  Instead I joined the Safety Rangers where we got paid to ski and yell at kids.  LOL

Again, I thank all of the very patient instructors, without whom I would not be the skier I am today.

Rick G

Quote:

Originally Posted by crgildart 

We had puffy TNF jackets for cold days and Mother Karens shells for warm days, but they weren't free.  Most bought the shell and wore stuff under it on cold days.

Jacket usage is free for us, but there's only the one option.  If you want one of the lighter-weight pieces you have to buy one, and they don't sell a true unlined hard shell that you could layer under.

The extra pieces they sell are great for springtime, but sometimes I work a 1PM-9PM shift where it can go from fairly warm to bone-chilling.  That's a little tricky unless I want to bring multiple outfits with me and change several times.

I am a Ski Instructor in the EAST.  Best part time job out there.  I love working with my customers and most of all new brothers and sisters you will have ( instructors)  I work in an area that everyone has your support.  Its like a very large family.  Our Ski Director makes it all work and we all have respect for each other and the sport.  I have been on snow for 46 years,teaching for 13 and its been a blast. Oh yea and there are benefits other than Pro deals, Free pizza, snacks, lodge discounts -  and a few cold ones -

Raced -- loved it

Patrolled --  loved it

Instructed (not very much) --  hated it

Ski rep -- all work no ski

Coached -- loved it

Now I just ski which is the best of all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skiingaround 

It's a lifestyle job, for the young. I'd recommend anyone who wants to do it, go for it, but it pays to have a backup skill, trade or profession. Nearly all the ski instructors I trained with and worked with, which was about ten seasons in total, have all left, or do the odd bit of work on their home mountain. Family life put an end to it for most of them.

 

Although the money is rubbish, it's not about the money, it's about the people you meet, the powder days, the women, the parties, the madness, it's a great experience, can't be beat.

I agree 100%, even if I started late in life instructing. I'd been hanging around our resort a few years, an gotten to know and ski with many of the instructors when I was asked if I could help out a little.

From the service I had a B-trainer cert ( not ski-related, but it has merit in Norway ). This all led me to take certs-courses and instructing is now my full time winter profession.

I wouldn't call the money I make rubbish, but I earned a lot more in my former occupation. I am, however, a happier and almost stress-free person, healthier and more easy-going. Most of my friends envy me making this choice. The reward of seeing joy and happiness in students eyes is priceless.

It's not only for the young, it's also for more mature skiers. If we're under-represented in any age group, in my school it's the 30-40 yo. One of my colleagues is a top-notch lawyer who took early retirement to ski full time. We have an MD who works part time, he's got small kids. I think it depends on how much you love skiing, and of course if you're finacially able to make this a full-time occupation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Metaphor_ 

I'm always surprised when people say they don't have patience. When you're instructing, it's actually really difficult to become impatient. You always want the people in your group to have fun, so you have a built-in motivation to be encouraging and positive. Also, it's interesting when things don't work--it's an interesting challenge for you as the instructor to sort out, rather than a failure on anyone's part. 

 

I'm impatient in some domains, but it's hard to be impatient teaching skiing. Unless it's a powder day.

 

Yep, agree good call. 

Take the ITC at your local well respected hill to see if it is for you! 

I expect a lot of you will be surprised how much you like it.....and how much it supercharges your own skiing.

My mom was ski patrol, so I knew that wasn't the way for me to keep skiing. I started to teach to get the pass, and to learn how to ski. I'm still hoping to learn how to ski, but I tell those who ask, that once you get past the vow of poverty thing, teaching skiing is the best job in the world.