What You Should Know First

Want to become a Snowboard Instructor?

I was in the same position about 5 years ago. I had a desire to change my life and wanted to snowboard, I had no idea where to find information or what to look for. I’m going to provide for you all the information I wish I’d been able to find.

If you do a Google search for “Snowboard Instructor” or “Snowboard Instructing” you will be overwhelmed by ads for expensive Snowboard Instructor courses.

I know this from personal experience because I ended up going on an 11 week Snowboard Instructor course with Base Camp Group in Val D’isere, France.

Snowboard Instructing has enabled me to travel to France, Vermont, California, Australia and Austria.

My morning commute is on a chairlift!

The following are common questions that you may wish to ask.

Why become a Snowboard Instructor?

Because it rocks! Well, other than because it rocks then?

Snowboard Instructing is fun and it’s a rewarding career, you will improve your skills as a Snowboarder and teacher. Your office is outdoors, you get the freedom to be creative and you don’t have a boss breathing down your neck all day. Sounds good.

I would say that the worst day working as an instructor is 10 times better than the best day working in an office, and yeah, I used to work in an office.

5 reasons you should become a Snowboard Instructor

1. You will become a more proficient snowboarder
2. Everyday is a new challenge
3. It’s as challenging as it is rewarding
4. You will deal with a wide range of people and gain a range of people skills
5. Teaching someone something new feels as good as learning something new yourself

How good do you have to be?

Your riding experience is something to consider. As a general rule, you should probably have about 6 – 10 weeks Snowboarding experience before training to get an instructors certification. Some people may need less.

If you aren’t at this level yet, then why not take some lessons or practice at your local hill/dryslope/indoor slope. It shouldn’t take you too long to pick it up.

It’s more important to be patient, out-going and have good basic technique, rather than be a great rider that couldn’t communicate with a monkey.

What characteristics are employers looking for?

• An outgoing, friendly personality
• A problem solver
• You like a challenge
• Your not afraid to talk to people
• You enjoy helping people
• You have previous coaching or teaching experience (not necessary but a definite plus)
• Patience (this is very important because it will definitely get tested at some point)

If you feel that the above list describes your personality then you have the qualities that employers are looking for. It’s easier for an employer to teach you how to Snowboard than it is for them to change your personality.

Perks of the job

The benefits vary from resort to resort. Here are some of the perks I have received:

• Free Lift Pass
• Lockers or a place to store your gear on the mountain (a big plus, trust me)
• Discounts on food
• Discounts on equipment from leading manufacturers (called “Proform”)
• Complimentary lift tickets and discounts on season passes for friends/relatives
• Free ski and snowboard lessons
• Free training clinics
• Members of the opposite sex (or maybe the same sex) will be more attracted to you
• Get to be on a snowboard almost everyday
• Get to snowboard on the days with little or no lift lines
• Working outdoors with a variety of people
• Getting to travel the world
• Keeping fit and active

Develop a wide range of skills

• People Skills
• Conversational skills
• Presentation skills
• Leadership skills
• Confidence
• Patience

There’s lots on offer.

Pay – How much should you expect to earn?

The short answer is, if you are in it for the money then it isn’t the job for you.

Pay rates vary depending on where you go in the world and your certification level. You will earn enough money for living expenses and a little extra. It’s more about enjoying the carefree lifestyle and Snowboarding as much as possible

Those who work more, focus on getting higher certifications, and spend less time free-riding will earn more money.

Private lessons enable you to earn the most money, you may also get tips from guests (depends on the country).

How many days a week will you be expected to work?

This will vary depending on how busy the resort is and the time of year. Holidays and weekends are the busiest times, so expect to work lots over those periods.

Generally, you will work from three to six days per week and sometimes seven over holidays (Christmas, bank holidays etc). Some places in the world you will get assigned a class for a week (Europe), some for a few hours (America, Australia), and sometimes for the day.

You will definitely get time to freeride wherever you work in the world.

What’s the catch?

To teach snowboarding you have to be a patient person.

Most lessons will be with people completely new to the sport (at least for the first couple of seasons), some may never have seen snow before.

Points to Consider

• Not everyone is going to be as physically fit or co-ordinated as you are
• Some people won’t be motivated to learn or enjoy being in the mountains
• Not everyday will be good snow/weather conditions to teach
• You may have to teach on a powder day
• You will have to teach classes with mixed ability levels
• You will have to teach people that find it incredibly challenging
• You will have to teach lots of first timers (for the first one or two seasons at least)
• It’s very physically and mentally demanding

But don’t let that put you off because there are LOTS of positives.

The good students more than make up for the bad. There is little more rewarding than helping someone to make their first turn or stomp their first jump.

What’s next?

Still interested? then check out Certifications – How They Work which is the second article in Become A Snowboard Instructor 101

About the author: David Raybould is a Snowboard Instructor and Writer. You can connect with him onTwitter or make friends with him on Facebook.

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