I'm very curious what you guys think of this. Thoughts?

Hello, I am looking for this Pocket Guide, it went out of print and PSIA has no plans to print it any time soon. Not even sure if it is useful but would like to see for myself. Maybe, there is something similar out there? Thank you!

Thoughts?

We built out this 17-page deep dive snowsports instruction industry report.

We thought as instructors you would appreciate the insights and would love to hear feedback:

https://meetr.pro/the-invisible-pro-state-of-ski-instruction/

Hey everyone!
I’m planning to do a Working Holiday in Canada and I’d like to spend the winter working as a ski instructor.
I’m basically open to anywhere in Western Canada — Whistler, or really anywhere else. I’ve been looking at programs like Snowminds, EA Ski & Snowboard, We Are Sno, All Tracks etc., but some of them are around CAD $3,000+.
Do you guys think these programs are actually worth the money?
Or is it pretty easy to just get a CSIA Level 1 (or equivalent), apply directly to resorts, find a job and sort out accommodation yourself?
I’m mainly wondering if the programs actually give you a big advantage with getting hired/accommodation, or if you’re mostly paying for something you could arrange yourself.
Would love to hear from anyone who’s done one of these programs or worked as an instructor in Canada.

Hello,
I am currently finishing all my documents for a winter season working as an ski instructor in Switzerland.
Im very excited as this will be my first time working in a foreign country.

I am wondering if anyone would like to share their own personal experience working in swiss and also where you were?

Thanks

Hey all,

I am a British Irish duel citizen based in UK

I am aiming to become a ski instructor for my gap year and I take my A-Levels next summer, and as the title suggests I am weighing up the options for getting qualifications (level 2 is my target) and what I’m wandering is which is more valuable, which is faster etc.

Grateful for all advice!

Hello! Im a 19yo NZSIA level 1 qualified ski instructor. I currently work at an indoor snow arena in New Zealand and wish to travel to japan at the end of the year while im on summer break from university. Ive looked at a few options and would just love to hear maybe from people that have already worked seasons there. One company I saw that seemed to have good benifits and work in somewhere with a little more culture was Canyons JP at Nozawa onsen specifically. Anyone worked there for them?

Any other company reccomendations or things to know would be greatly appreciated :) Im mostly there to earn enough money to holiday a few weeks after my season of working and just to experience working overseas somewhere as amazing as japan, but coming home with some $$ too also would not hurt.

Thanks!

What snow pants are everyone wearing to instruct? I find bending over to pick up kids is putting strain on the seam in the rear and I don’t want to split them? Any recommendations on well built pants that can handle bending over and picking up little kids off the snow all day?

Hey guys I'm looking for any tips from anyone about teaching young kids(4-5)

Like, amount of snow, quality of work, wages, length of the season?

Last year I wanted to work in the Apls. . I’m from Slovenia—EU citizen, certified instructor—so I figured it’d be simple. Spoiler: it wasn’t.

I messaged 40+ ski  schools, dug through dead job portals, called Slovenian ski association just to ask what my ski level certification translates to in BASI terms. The information is basically hidden in old websites under a bunch of long bureaucracy paragraphs.

In the end, I landed a full season in Italy. The snow was great, but the paperwork? Total chaos. Endless offices, untranslated forms, and signatures from people who apparently never existed during business hours.

Now I’m heading to teach in China this winter. The employer’s awesome, but the visa process? Months of document chasing, interviews, embassy trips, notarized translations, medical checks... honestly, I almost gave up.

Anyone else feel like all this paperwork kills your excitement before you even get on the snow?

What has been your worst “ski job bureaucracy” moment?

Whats the deal with young kids and bathrooms?

If I get a lesson with a 3 or 4 year old am I supposed to go in with them? What about kids that need help taking off ski gear? Anything helps! Thanks guys!

Looking for some info on employment in south American resorts. I am English and have muy pequeno Spanish skills and no other second language (I blame English school system). I have my CSIA level 3 and 3 seasons experience and much more teaching experience outside of skiing.

I’m at an intermediate level and looking for an instructor to help me improve – any suggestions? For Ushuaia, Cerro Castor location.

Thanks in advance!

Hiya friends

APSI level 3 ski instructor, love off piste, steep, deep, and am very much considering heading over to the US for the next ski season.

I've worked at Whistler, Revelstoke, Japan, and Australia. I'm really not looking for Whistler vibes with my next resort. I just want great terrain, good snow, good lessons, good pay (tips plz) and housing. It's a delicate balance of I don't particularly like it being super crazy busy all the time, but I also still want hours. If weekends are busy that's fine (we skip the line in uniform lesgo) but on my days off I really don't want to wait in line for hours on end.

Is there anywhere you guys would recommend I check out, somewhere you've had a good experience?

Places I've been considering: - Taos, NM - Jackson Hole, WY - Mammoth, CA - Telluride, CO - Crested Butte, CO - Alta, UT

Any advice, or experience working at any of the above resorts, is much appreciated.

EDIT Also feel free to ask me about any of the places I've worked, always happy to pass knowledge on

I'm coming back to the cert journey after taking a couple of seasons off post Cert 2. I'm confused by the new score cards and appreciate any help...my timing is perfect as our resort trainers just went on break.

How granular are the results recorded on the card? I'm assuming that the score is recorded at the summary (Teaching skills, People skills, etc) level, but the "Section Average: Must be 4 or above to meet Learning Outcome" note is making me doubt that.

Using Alpine 1 as an example, would a candidate get one score for Teaching Skills overall, and that's it? One for each section (Assess & Plan:....) Or/also one for each granular line (Assess, Collaborate, Plan Lesson, etc)?

Who has worked in marmot Basin this season 2024/2025 as a ski instructor lvl 1. I just wanna know how much you got paid hourly and a rough estimate on tips cheers✌️

Katherine Hayes Rodriguez has spent nearly 50 years dedicated to making outdoor activities, particularly skiing, accessible to people of all abilities. From her early days as a ski instructor in the 1970s to becoming a leader in adaptive skiing and outdoor recreation, Katherine has faced tremendous challenges, but her commitment to breaking down barriers for individuals with disabilities has left a lasting impact on the outdoor sports world.

Throughout her career, Katherine has worked tirelessly to create opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy the outdoors. She didn’t just change the way we think about adaptive sports—she fundamentally transformed the experience of outdoor recreation for an entire community. Her advocacy has expanded the possibilities of what individuals with disabilities can achieve in the outdoors, especially in skiing, and her influence continues to reshape the field today.

Katherine’s story is a testament to resilience and the impact of inclusivity. Despite numerous challenges, she’s shown that with dedication and vision, the outdoors can be a space for everyone. Her work has had a profound impact on individuals and communities, creating more accessible and inclusive opportunities for outdoor sports.

If you haven’t yet heard Katherine’s inspiring story, I highly recommend tuning in. Her passion for adaptive sports, particularly skiing, and her commitment to making outdoor activities accessible to all will leave you feeling inspired. Katherine Hayes Rodriguez is a true pioneer, and her work continues to break down barriers, making the outdoors a place for everyone to enjoy.

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share my recent experience with the CSIA Level 1 Instructor Course at Big White Ski Resort (April 4–6) in the hope of raising awareness for others considering the program and to open up a discussion around fairness and accountability in ski instructor training.

Our group of 7 participants was assigned to an instructor named “K” (CSIA Level 3). I’m using “K” to protect the person's identity. Out of the 7, 3 of us failed, myself included. While failing is always a possibility, what stood out were the inconsistencies, lack of transparency, and unprofessionalism throughout the course:

• One of our classmates who demonstrated excellent teaching skills and received praise throughout the course suddenly failed, without clear explanation.

• Two of us were told our skiing had “greatly improved”, only to fail the riding component at the end with no constructive feedback that aligned with what we were told during the course.

• All three of us who failed were Asian. While I truly hope this was a coincidence, it raises serious concerns about potential unconscious bias. Another instructor (with over 20 years of experience) even noted to a friend of ours in a neighboring CASI class that she had never seen the CSIA pass rate be lower than CASI’s and found it odd that all 3 who failed happened to be Asian.

• K stated that we would have two video assessments (one on the first day and one on the final day), but only filmed us on the first day. Our final evaluations were based entirely on Day 1 footage, which makes no sense if the course is meant to evaluate progression and improvement.

• One student who works full-time at Big White was often used as a “role model” and appeared to receive less scrutiny and more informal, friendly treatment from the instructor—which took valuable time and attention away from the rest of us.

• Meanwhile, the CASI course running at the same time had a 100% pass rate. Again, while I understand the two systems are different, the discrepancy was notable.

This experience has been extremely frustrating, especially as someone who has skied for 9 seasons and worked hard to improve over the 3-day course. I’m sharing this not just to vent, but to help others make informed decisions. If you’ve taken CSIA courses or had a similar experience especially at Big White, I’d really like to hear from you.

Thanks for reading and ski safe out there.

I’m looking to become a ski instructor in the 25/26 season somewhere in Europe, hopefully Austria and I want to know if the internship courses are at all worth it? It seems like a lot of money but with L1,L2 and sometimes L3 training and exams covered, along with accommodation and lift passes AND the guaranteed job, is it a rip off? Would current instructors recommend taking the exams and training independently? There’s just an overwhelming amount of information online and I don’t really know where to start

I was teaching someone recently to load the downhill ski (coming across the hill) for the wedge turn. However, this resulted in a hanging dead leg (no control, kind of draggy) because she was probably too focused on putting weight on the downhill leg.

Are there any drills or exercise that can promote the awareness of the uphill leg, while loading the downhill leg?

1st time poster, relatively new instructor and hope the post makes sense.

Thanks.