UKC

Hi all,
After years of snowboarding/splitboard mountaineering I'm looking at finally doing some quals and getting into instructing.
Whenever I search for BASI courses etc though it's all season long all inclusive gap yah programmes that cost almost my annual salary. I don't need accommodation and all my food cooked for me. I live in my van and am a chef! I also don't think I need the weeks of coaching advertised (not being arrogant, coaching on how to teach would be great, but presumably covered in the actual course. The riding things I think I could do most of what is asked...)

Can anyone suggest alternative methods? I'm assuming it is actually possible to gain the qualifications for the prices listed on the BASI website?
If I was staying in Scotland this year I could probably get in with the local ski school for shadowing and book my level 1 and 2 direct through BASI. But I'm hoping to spend the winter in Europe. Not decided where yet (maybe italy, maybe spain?), but would head to a certain place if it made a difference to this.
Am I best taking the same approach? Find a part time job somewhere and make friends with the ski school?
Would I be better getting my level one on a dry slope/indoors before leaving?
Any help would be much appreciated.

Thanks,
Kahti

In reply to Kahti:

Post on a ski forum? That might get you better responses!

In reply to Andy Say:

haha thanks Andy. I'm putting up a similar post on SCUK or the like. Just used to being on here and figured more people might relate to living on a tight budget. The snowboard scene is rather full of posh kids that got their gap yah paid for them by mummy and daddy, and imo the "gap courses" just continue this by being priced way higher than most can afford. Of the two working class people I know that have done them, one saved up for years and the other is still paying back the loan he took out 5 years ago. Neither would do the course again.

In reply to Kahti: Unlike you have the resources and time to qualify to at least level 3, I can't really see the point.

BASI seems to be an organisation mostly designed to part wannabe L1/L2s from their money. Or their parents' money. The proportion who end up making a living from ski instruction is tiny.

Ask on Snowheads, there are quite a few instructors there.

In reply to Kahti:

Being a chef is probably someting that could land you a job anywhere so could you barter? Bit of cheffing in return for snowboard time?

In reply to Kahti:

When I did it (2007, gap year style, because I wasn't fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ski much before, and I wanted to get good at skiing) there was nothing stopping you just signing up for the exams. The BASI 1 was a one week assessed course and the BASI 2 was a 2 week assessed course. The rest of the gap year was training to get to the required standard. For level 3 and 4, it's made up of individual 1 week assessed courses. Maybe base yourself in a resort where BASI holds the assessments. Also, I recommend Switzerland for teaching as you can teach with a level 2, and if you contract ski schools there I'm sure someone can help with shadowing.

In reply to Kahti:

You can book all the courses on their own - less than one minute on the BASI website reveals that there are 9 Snowboard Level 1 courses running between now and the end of the year - some of them UK snowdome based so you could actually get a head start on everything before the winter.

Back in the day gap courses didn't exist and that is what everyone used to do - sadly that culture of doing a course or two (enough to get a job somewhere/anywhere) and then actually working as an instructor and gradually working your way up the quals seems to have been replaced by a culture of 'do a course then go on enough training courses to go and do your next course and do the bare minimum hours then finish up with a high level qual without really having any experience'...

Personally I would highly recommend the DIY approach if you have a good background of riding/sliding. Way cheaper (by a long way) and generally much more fulfilling and interesting.

In reply to Kahti:

PS the trickiest bit in the Alps will be getting the hours of shadowing/experience in between 1 and 2. As someone said above Switz is not a bad place to look - loads of ski schools to approach there (but cost of living/lift passes etc quite high). Might be worth getting in touch with Interski in the Aosta valley, and checking out Andorra - they both used to be big 'stepping stones' for instructors coming into and working their way up through the system.