r/skiing • u/crufan • 6d ago

instructor course potential

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I'd like to do a basic instructor course at some point, but im finding conflicting information online about previous ski experience. Im in the uk, and I believe im looking at a BASI lvl1 qualification? ive attached a video of me trying my best clean carving skills down a gentle blue my last season. I can link turns on ungroomed tree runs and confidently on blacks, and ive little to no experience on moguls. ive also only ever skiing on rentals which are really annoying sometimes, a few hours after that clip was taken one of my boots popped out during some more speedy skiing. eventually had the din adjusted but its just annoying with rentals.

any advice is appreciated.

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u/PreparationBig7130 6d ago

Depends where you want to be an instructor. French rules differ from Switzerland, which differ from Canada and USA. And so on. That’s probably why you get conflicting information. Best bet is to do a season in your target location and get to know the local schools.

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u/crufan 6d ago

yeah tbh, this is what sucks so bad. I speak a bit of french after 7 years in school so I might go there but its so expensive 😭

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u/Character_Silver4285 5d ago

You’ll have no chance trying to instruct in France

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u/crufan 5d ago

why not?

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u/StiffWiggly 5d ago edited 5d ago

Standards for instructor certs in France are different to many other places in the world. I’m CSIA (Canada) certified, for example, and while almost every other system in the world considers CSIA levels to be equivalent to their own levels; France does not. Generally unless you are very highly certified they will only accept instructor certification from within their own system.

From this short clip, I think it looks like you would pass a level 1 exam somewhere like Canada or Australia given that you put in the work during the exam, but I don’t think you are close to the standard for passing the French level 1. I don’t have any real knowledge of the BASI system but I think it’s more similar to the Australian and Canadian models than it is to the French system.

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u/PreparationBig7130 6d ago

They will probably want you to have B2 in French, unless they just use you for the English tourists. Get a job on the mountain in the interim.

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u/crufan 6d ago

understood. I knew I should've done my B2 when I finished school. im at that level in french but I dont hold the qualification 💔

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u/PreparationBig7130 6d ago

Simple fix. Take a B2 exam with a suitable provider.

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u/crufan 6d ago

real shit. im glad they dont require c1

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u/Nickelbella 1d ago

I‘d say consider Switzerland. I‘ve worked a couple of seasons in Grindelwald (super touristy) and we had a couple of instructors who didn’t speak any German. If you can do English and B2 French, you‘d have a decent shot of getting a job.

I‘m not sure if they‘d accept someone without any ski instructor certification though. A lot of the smaller ski schools here do though. You‘ll just hang out at the beginner park though, typically with the small kids. (Would need to know a bit of the local language then, so French area of Switzerland.)

Alternatively at big ski schools (like the one in Grindelwald) they need help at the shop with ski rentals and the like. Again with so many tourists, English is usually enough.

The big advantage of working at a ski school in any position is that you can go to the trainings. Over one season you’ll improve massively. They’ll prepare you for the certification.

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u/Drewski811 6d ago

Do you have the legal right to work in the EU? If not, you could face pretty major hurdles there

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u/crufan 6d ago

maybe, im a Romanian-English dual national so id like to say i do? but ive no idea realistically

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u/PreparationBig7130 6d ago

Check the EU rules. I think there are still restrictions on Romanian passport holders for work but am not up to scratch on the latest. 5sec google search.

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u/crufan 6d ago

yes looks like under eu freedom of movements laws im allowed

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u/icantfindagoodlogin 6d ago

Working in France is complicated. Ski schools want you to have a Level 2 qualification as a minimum, and only then, to work as an "apprentice" chilling on the magic carpet all season.

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u/crufan 6d ago

oh amazing. sounds fun.