Barney is one of our ski instructor courses mentors in Courchevel

David Barnett aka Barney

Current involvement with ski school

I work for New Generation Courchevel 1650 and coach the following courses;

Current Qualifications

BASI Level 4 ISTD

How did it all start?

My first experience on skis was on a dry-slope in 1996, in preparation for our first family ski trip. My family had decided to go on a holiday to Avoriaz persuaded by friends that we would enjoy it, as none of us had skied before. After a week’s skiing my ability could only be described as kamikaze! My parents had said if I wanted to go skiing again I would need to take some lessons.

On returning to the UK I joined the local dry-slope race club, which was brilliant as they wanted me to go fast! Every week we would train and then on some occasions we would travel to other dry-slopes and race other clubs. I progressed through this system until the age of 16 and was given the opportunity to train and race in Europe and loved every minute of it. Whilst at college I had a break from skiing and after finishing college did not know which path to take; whether to go to Uni or work. My parents suggested that I do a ski season as they could tell skiing was something I really enjoyed.

How did you go from doing one season to becoming an instructor?

During my first few seasons in Courchevel I worked as a chalet host, which gave me plenty of time to enjoy the mountains and skiing, I even ended up staying for the summer. After a few years I knew that working seasonal jobs was a fun experience and wanted to find a way to make a career out of it. I took my BASI Level 1 exam as a standalone course alongside working as a transfer driver and was lucky enough to be able to build up my required Ski School Experience hours with New Generation during the winter season. Having completed my Level 1 qualification I was then able to take my BASI 2 exam at the end of the winter, which allowed me to find a work placements with Interski over the Easter period. Interski was a great experience and reinforced the idea that ski instructing was for me.

What about the summers?

To fit in with the seasonal work I found employment on a sailing boat which allowed me to save for my Level 3 exams. Whilst I was in the UK I also worked part time at my local dry-slope and started to build up my 200 teaching hours required for my BASI 3. During my fourth season I passed all of my Level 3 exams which was a great achievement and New Gen offered me a place on their Training Team in Verbier.

How did you go about completing your BASI 4?

My season in Verbier was my first full season as a ski instructor. The course that New Gen offered allowed me to train during quieter weeks of the season and also build up my teaching hours during peak weeks. The training we received was great but due to a knee injury there was a setback in my progression, but having said this I was determined to still take my exams at the end of the winter and passed my tech, teach and EMS, just leaving the Eurotest to go.
With the aim of passing my Eurotest early in the season I booked on to a four week race training course in Tignes which really prepared me for the test. I passed my Eurotest on the 11th Dec 2008 on my 3rd attempt and finished the season as an ISTD instructor in Courchevel for New Generation.
After working and training hard to achieve my goal I decided to take some time out to travelling the world. The following season I found employment as Assistant Director of a ski school in Canada. It was good to see how another ski association teaches. Whilst in Canada I also found a love for back country skiing/off piste.

On returning to Europe and to New Generation I took on the role of Gap mentor and love passing in my enthusiasm for teaching skiing.

What has been the highlight of your career?

This year I have seen my first Gap student, Josh Maddison, progress right through the system to become a full time ISTD Instructor for New Generation. This makes the job worthwhile!

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.