Starting ski instructors qualification on sunday

psia or just training at the mountain? i'm a second year instructor. but don't have psia yet. but definantly just suck up to your supervisors so you get the 8 year old rich kid who skis in aspen instead of the group of 15 palistinians. also act proffessional in front of parents to get tips.

rewarding job, and at the same time teh suck job.


i enjoyed it for the most part, got to meet some cool people, love the PSIA discounts.

taking some little kid from not knowing how to put a ski on to being able to make wedge turns down a green run can be the coolest thing ever if theyre having a good time and stoked.

unfortunately skiing can also be a very hard thing to master, so having to curb expectations and teaching to a variety of skill sets inside a class can be very difficult. also teaching siblings in one class basically sucks. the nature of the beast is that one will be better than the other, and THEY BOTH KNOW IT. making for interesting group dynamics.


biggest thing i can say is though dont go into it thinking youre hot shit, because i promise you, you arnt. stay humble and always willing to learn. the other biggest thing is teaching ability =/= skiing ability. I could out ski my PSIA examiner and he knew it, i wouldnt pretend for a second i could out teach him though.

Second year ski instructor here, not PSIA though. It's a good job over holidays when all the people are there, and if you are professional and nice your sups will start to hook you up with the good privates. I got a private lesson this Christmas that landed me a $1,000 tip. Patience is the name of the game. You will struggle to grasp how some people can possibly be so bad at skiing or have such bad athleticism in general. Lower your expectations and go to your happy place. Explain things in simple terms, and if possible relate it to things that your students know. When it comes to kids, make sure they're having fun. Safety, fun, and learning are the most important things in that order. Keep everyone safe, try to make sure they have a good time, and hopefully they'll be able to learn something to. Obviously if you teach intermediates or above you will have to actually deliver with your instruction but that's probably not a concern for you if you're just starting. Generally those lessons go to certified instructors. Getting certified is probably a good idea if you plan to continue to teach multiple seasons, but even if you don't get certified, go to the training for the certification courses (it's free at my mountain, talk to your sups). It will really improve both your instructing AND your personal skiing. You may not think that doing wedge chrsties and side slips will help your skiing but it will once it's beaten into you, especially in the steeps.

ty a ton, btw its PSIA

Everyone seems to be giving you tips on being an instructor, but i'll give you a few tips on doing your qualifications. I 'm Australian and have my APSI level 3, and it's alot of work man. This is your first qualification, but if you're planning on doing a few more, be prepared to train, a lot. All i would say is, listen to your trainers.
Some people need more time than others, but if your trainer can see you're dedicated, listening to him/her and trying to improve and change, then they wont care how long you take. That's the most impressive thing.
Also, i would recommend, if you can, using a pair of carve skis and proper sized poles (if you have them), not using your park set up. I know from experience that whilst it isn't against the rules, it is frowned apon when someone rocks up in steezy gear and twinnies and park poles. It just doesnt seem legit. You know? But yeah, they're my tips. Hope they help! I'm sure you'll be fine. I love instructing, i think it's the greatest job out there! Hope you love it!