Megan

Current involvement with ski school

I work for New Generation ski school in Morzine as the sales team leader.

Current Qualifications

BASI Level 2

Other experience

I have worked as a legal editor and spent a summer teaching sailing.

Future ambitions

I am not 100% sure yet, I know I would like it to involve skiing and sailing so lets watch this space.

Courses completed with New Generation

Courchevel 10 week BASI 1 and 2 2014

When did you decide to do your Ski Instructor training?

Sitting in a London pub after a long day at work on a drizzly October evening, I was having one of those, ‘if you could do anything, what would you do?’ conversations with a friend. I replied with my standard response ‘well, I’ve always wanted to do a ski season’, half keeping an eye on my watch to make sure I didn’t miss the 19:15 train home or else I’d miss my connecting train and have to walk the long way home, in the rain, in heels. And then my friend asked ‘so, what’s stopping you?’…

A quick Google-search and visit to the London ski show later and I was booked onto the Courchevel course for that winter.

What happens when you arrive to start your season?

It’s difficult to sum up all the experiences, but as an attempt, I thought that the 10-week course structurally felt like an extended family ski holiday. It begins by meeting your new ‘family’ of course mates at your chalet, realising you share the same excitement and nerves about day one of training. Like the first few days of a holiday, it takes a bit of time to find your ski legs and accept the changes your instructor is highly recommending you make (‘legs wider apart..no, wider than that…even wider…’).

You try out new styles and terrains, shuffling back onto the piste as your group collectively loses a ski, a couple of poles, a glove and a little confidence on the first off-piste attempt (our instructor: ‘ok, so we’re not ready for off-piste yet then…!’). There’s the inevitable mid-week/season dip, where you feel you’ve lost your technique and will never improve, then before you know it, exams are over, you’ve had that all-important last run down and it’s time to have one last night together to celebrate (or commiserate) exam results, before heading back to the airport.

What did you do after your first season?

Since the course, our group has gone in various directions. I knew I wanted to do another season, but I wasn’t sure whether I wanted to continue my training to take me to the next instructor level. My motivation for doing the course wasn’t to ultimately teach in France, a dream of many, but to have a challenge, push myself, and come out a good skier and with the option of teaching. I spent the summer working for a flotilla sailing company in Greece and on returning to the UK, I realized how I wanted to spend the next winter season.

What do you do now you are fully trained?

I am now employed by New Gen as a Sales Team Leader, helping to set up the new ski school in Morzine. It means that I can stay within the ski environment, but can develop other skills such as sales and even PR, areas which I have always been interested in.

Why else do a Ski Instructor season?

Despite its name and the obvious purpose of the New Generation Ski Instructor course, it doesn’t limit you to becoming a Ski Instructor. Through the training, shadowing of ski schools, technical exams, mock lessons and generally experiencing the running of a ski school, you are given the opportunity to discover where your strengths and weaknesses lie; it puts you in situations you just wouldn’t encounter sitting in an office or trawling through job application websites. So for whatever motivation you have for considering the course, go for it!

Contact Us

Get more information

Becoming a ski instructor may seem a daunting task and the variety of courses available certainly does not make it any easier, but here at New Generation we have over 10 years experience of running ski instructor training courses and during that time we have come across most situations, problems and variables.

We are available 7 days a week and will be able to guide you through all steps of the BASI system, at every level. So contact us today and find out more.

Note: If you contact us regarding a specific course we can also send you a full brochure, so don’t forget to enter your address details.

Choose Your Ski Instructor Course

Here at New Generation we offer a selection of complete ski instructor courses. You can join us on a residential course from 1 week to the whole season training, practicing and taking exams. We offer both BASI accredited training and exams, depending on the level you are trying to achieve.