School's out in Fernie

With our credit crunching, our quality of life being reduced to within an inch of its life and Woolworth’s no longer offering pick and mix, many of us are thinking “What the hell are we still doing in England?”

Record numbers of people are using the unstable economic climate as a get out clause. They are opting out of the rat race and choosing to pursue long cherished dreams. Most use their annual holidays as a time to investigate possible career changes. But what can you really do in a few short weeks?

If you don’t fancy following the sheep to Dubai, taking a TFEL course in Barcelona or getting drunk with the rest of Lehman Brothers in Thailand, perhaps the mountain can offer inspiration? A few savvy people have made the ultimate life style choice and qualified as ski and snowboarding instructors. So of course, as a savvy girl myself, I had to try too.

After many months of trawling the internet and speaking to about a thousand guys called Tom who had just graduated from Brunel University and had a best friend called Chopper, I settled upon a company called Nonstop Ski and Snowboard. A specialist in Instructor courses their three-week December programme would allow me to qualify as an instructor in the least amount of time possible and keep my London job. As I wired thousands of hard earned pounds across to their bank account I prepared myself for a temporary move to a town they call Fernie and seasonal living accommodation with a bunch of spotty 18 year olds.

Fernie is based in the heart of British Columbia, Canada. It began its days as a prospecting town, which I believe is a place one looks for coal, and has not moved on much since. There is a railway line running along one side of it, it has one high street and a large freeway running through the middle. It also has some rather cool mountains. Well that’s what it said on Google. On December 28 in the dead of night (after an eight hour Air Canada flight followed by a three hour bus journey) I finally arrived in Fernie. Sure enough there was a big highway, a 7/11, and our accommodation, which turned out to be a rather luxurious hotel.

Nonstop informed me that they had bought the hotel and refurbished it to accommodate all their wannabe instructors. I was rather glad they had. With a swimming pool, sauna, and hot tub to take care of any weary limbs; a boot room, laundry room and workshop for any maintenance issues; free wi-fi and an internet room for any connection issues and a movie theatre, plush restaurant (three course dinners and huge buffet breakfasts) and lounge bar I could think of little else I would be needing for my three week stay.

With everyone too exhausted to socialise on the first night, I met my fellow ‘nonstoppers’ for breakfast the following morning. Sure enough there were a splattering of 18 year olds, a hand full of newly graduated Cuthberts and a sprinkle of ski bums. But mostly there were adults, actual adults, ones with mortgages, careers, possibly a few kids and certainly there were some bald heads among them. Some worked in IT. An awful lot seemed to be qualified accountants. Some had just retired and really were working their way through their bucket list. Most importantly they all seemed nice and were all contemplating a life change.

The programme for skiers and snowboarders was pretty much identical. Two and a half weeks of intensive training then three days of on-mountain exams. With that in mind we all headed to the mountain to meet our instructors and begin.

The next few weeks became a blur. I would start every day by waking in my hotel room at seven, tiptoeing into the ensuite for my morning shower. I would then walk seven long metres from my hotel room to the hotel restaurant, where I would find three tables brimming with breakfast goodies and about 50 other sleepy trainees.

Next was the long walk back to my room to change into my kit, followed by another long walk (10 metres) out the front door of the hotel and onto one of three yellow American high school style buses. We would then be driven to the foot of the slopes, and walk (15 metres) to our private locker room where we stored all our equipment. Equipment collected I would then opt for a quick espresso from Starbucks (yes I just said Starbucks) drinking it on the way up my first chair lift. We would then do a couple of warm up runs before meeting our instructor and training all day.

I have always had European tuition, mostly French, a little Austrian. I am a huge fan of the ESF (Les Ecoles du Ski Français) and was prepared with little notepad and pen to write a scathing critique of the Canadian style of teaching. Sure enough there was nothing French about it. No one talked about my bottom, my pretty smile, my ‘hips’ or the way my hair catches the morning sunlight. No one held my hand on the chair lift. And there was absolutely no après ski kissing.

What there was, was focused, driven, technique based coaching, but with creativity. For six hours a day our instructors came up with a million different games for us to play on snow. We went imaginary motor-boating, warmed our hands on imaginary heaters, pretended we were Spiderman, played with a gravity midget, and even switched snowboards with other members of the group. While having the most ridiculous amount of fun our snowboarding technique was stripped back to the basics before being built back up to an almost unrecognisable level.

Amongst all this training our instructors always found time to take us off piste. For such a small resort Fernie offered infinite possibilities both on and off piste. With some of the steepest deepest off piste tree runs I have encountered, every day we were constantly challenged, ripping through the deep fresh powder, the untouched powder bowels, gulleys and tree runs that Fernie is now becoming so famous for, before heading back on piste and perfecting the art of a beginner turn riding switch. 

At the end of each week our instructors would meet and review video footage of all the students. We would then be handed us over to a new instructor. The continuity of teaching was remarkable and outside of our lessons they continued to work with us, offering technical lessons on equipment, accompanying students when they were purchasing new equipment and allowing us to shadow real classes with their ski school. This was the crux of why we were all really there. Could we handle looking after beginners on their snowboards? Would we want to? The answer was a resounding “Yes!” I love off-piste snowboarding. I love the powder. But teaching someone to turn for the first time is the most incredible experience.

When you are working with your students they put every ounce of trust in you to keep them safe. Sometimes there are tears. More often than not there is an injury. But at the end of the day they all look ridiculously happy and are so thankful for your time and expertise (yes I did just say expertise).

By the time we came to do our exams not only did we as a group understand the teaching methods and progression of snowboarding inside out, we were snowboarding at a completely different level. And the Canadian exams are no walk in the park. We completed three days of constant assessment. For six hours a day our riding was critiqued. We conducted lessons and were marked on every aspect of our decision making, from where we decided to stop our group on the piste, to whether our demonstrations were accurate for the level of students we were teaching.

Of the several members of the public who joined us to take the exam, many failed and one was even asked to go home after Exam Day One. Thankfully everyone from Nonstop aced their exams. 

Amongst all this training and exam-acing Nonstop also managed to fit in a few extra treats. We went to watch the local ice-hockey team play, they threw us the most amazing New Years Eve party, they hired a bar in town for our leaving party, and they took us Cat Skiing which is by far one of the coolest things any of us have ever done.

I couldn’t recommend this programme highly enough. I plan to take my Level Two exam next year with Nonstop and then begin teaching full time. I know that several other students on my course will do the same. The rest of them are planning to come back to continue improving their skiing and snowboarding. Whether you decide to teach or not, this programme really shouldn’t be missed. I don’t care how good you think you are on snow, I challenge anyone to go on a Nonstop programme and not improve. For me Nonstop appear to be top of the class. Thank God for George Bush and the dreaded Credit Crunch!

Visit www.nonstopsnowboard.com for more info on Non Stop's snowboard instructor courses. Ski instructor courses are also available at www.nonstopski.com. For more information on visiting Fernie go to www.skifernie.com

What next?

In all honestly, with a Canadian Level 1 instructor certificate (CASI 1) the options are limited. You are employable in almost every country (excluding France who has their own overly complicated elitist system that I yearn to be a part of) but the chances of gaining employment without a higher qualification and second language are limited.

Ski Fernie said they would consider hiring me for next winter season and the job offer would include further training towards my Level Two exam.  But on a Level 1 instructors salary of $9 per hour I’d need some serious savings behind me to do it.

The reality is, as with any career, the more highly qualified you are the more highly paid. Having missed the boat for further qualification this winter season I guess I will just have to pack my bags for a summer spent in Argentina where several other companies are offering value for money and lots more certificates. After all points mean prizes and the prize is a lifetime spent teaching on the slopes.