The adventure seeker - becoming a snowboard, ski and surfing instructor - image courtesy of the Ticket to Ride Group
Surfing, snowboarding and skiing are very popular pastimes and their pull towards mainstream careers is a natural one. OriginalSteps.com spoke with the Ticket to Ride Group about the hard work and dedication needed to become an instructor in these fields.
What are the characteristics needed to become an instructor in either field?
Our top three characteristics are:
1. Passion for the sport.
2. A driven and determined attitude - to not only put in the training hours, but to pass the exams and make it in the industry.
3. The ability to communicate with different types of people on a daily basis and gauge the best way to teach them.
In terms of each field what training, qualifications and tests are needed to become an instructor?
The adventure seeker - becoming a snowboard, ski and surfing instructor - image courtesy of the Ticket to Ride Group
To become a surfing instructor:
Can vary from country to country, but in order to make sure you have fully recognised certifications, you will need a surf lifesaving qualification (for example in the UK the SLSGB Surf Lifeguard and first aid qualification) and an International Surf Award (ISA) Level 1 (which can be varied regionally with similar qualifications).
In order to pass the ISA level 1, you need to show that you are able to:
1. Surf unbroken waves, left and right consistently (you will be assessed in conditions of up to 3ft).
2. Enter and come off waves in a controlled manner.
3. Generally handle yourself in open water and manage the people you are training in a safe manner.
4. Be a strong swimmer by passing the lifeguard qualification whereby you need to swim 400 metres in under 8 minutes, and show that you able to do open water rescues.
These qualifications mean you will have the necessary certifications to teach, but you will also need to amass 20 hours of signed off teaching experience before you are ready for paying customers.
Long term career opportunities: You’ll be able to teach at surf schools and camps worldwide. If you wanted to progress as an instructor and teach intermediate to advanced surfers, you will need to gain your level 2 qualification.
The adventure seeker - becoming a snowboard, ski and surfing instructor - image courtesy of the Ticket to Ride Group
To become a ski or snowboard instructor:
Note: According to which country or region you are in this can vary. To be accepted on to a skiing/snowboarding instructor training course, you must be able to ride confidently down a red run and be able to go down a black run (as well as ride switch in terms of snowboarding). You’ll then be assessed on your ability whilst taking the qualification, and will need to demonstrate a solid theory and understanding of the criteria.
There are a number of different governing bodies worldwide (for example BASI in Britain, CSIA/CASI in Canada etc), but the ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association) acts as the central body, to ensure that there is a similar system in place between all of them. Each of the governing bodies therefore have a 4 tier qualification ladder in place, with Level 1 being the entry level, and Level 4 being the most advanced.
As a general rule of thumb, with a level 1 qualification, you can teach in the country origin of that qualification, for instance in the UK if you had a BASI Level 1 for skiing or snowboarding you could teach in a snow dome, or in the mountains. In Canada this would be CSIA Level 1 (skiers) CASI Level 1 (snowboarders) and New Zealand would be NZSIA Level 1 (skiers) and SBINZ Level 1 (snowboarders). When you have a Level 2 certification you can work in different countries, and internationally, although there are still some exclusions.
On top of the relevant instructor qualifications, some countries will need you to have an up to date first aid qualification which has specific ski or snowboarding features, and with most instructor training programmes this would be included as a standard. From an employability aspect, the more qualifications you have, the more likely you are to be employed. Therefore it is always a good idea to get more specific qualifications such as avalanche training, freestyle and park qualifications.
After Level 2 the qualifications start getting harder to achieve. In order to pass your Level 3 you will need to have a couple of seasons worth of experience in coaching, have a much finer technical analysis, and a handful of other qualifications in addition (e.g. mountain safety, race coaching, second discipline, second language etc). To pass Level 4 you need all of these and more, including a speed test.
Obviously, once you’ve gained your instructor qualification, working visa rules and disclosure and barring checks (previously known as CRB checks in the UK) apply if you would like to work abroad.
Long term career opportunities: You can teach all over the world, depending on which qualification you have.
Advice for aspiring instructors?
Work hard. It is a dream job and lots of people want it, so it won’t come easy - but it is worth the graft.
About:
Find out more about a career as a surf, ski or snowboarding instructor with the Ticket to Ride Group on tickettoridegroup.com or connect via Twitter @ttridegroup.
Also check out the Basecamp Group on basecampgroup.com or connect via Facebook @basecampgroup - Twitter @Basecampgroup - Instagram - @basecampgroup.
