Level 1 Experience Required (CSAI or BASI)

A snowHead

Hi,

I am currently looking to take a BASI or CSAI Level 1 instructor. I have completed 4 weeks of snow skiing experience (1 of which was as a tail-end volunteer at a National Competition) and volunteer weekly at Special Olympics sessions at a dry slope on the nursery slope. I understand that BASI advises 16 weeks of experience before completing a Level 1 but also know that I am never going to be able to afford to gain 12 weeks of experience in the future or even near future. With regards to my skiing ability; I am able to perform parallel turns and am confident skiing a maximum of European red runs despite understanding that I need to improve my confidence on blacks.

I would greatly appreciate some advice on what level of experience anyone feels is necessary for a Level 1 instructor course?

Thanks Smile

A snowHead

Why do you want to do an instructor course?

Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?

@misstaliebee, welcome to Snowheads.

I was perusing this page earlier http://www.insideoutskiing.com/level.html and happened to notice that they suggest you'd want to be a level 8/9 on their scale before doing a level 1 instructor course. If you can work out where you fit on their scale that might help you.

You need to Login to know who's really who.

@sugarmomma666 I'm hoping to do an instructor course in order to qualify me to instruct our ski group on my own and therefore further it's life.

@tubaski that page was wonderfully helpful, thank you! I reckon I. Probably about a level 8 I think

Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.

@misstaliebee, When we did our CSAI level 1 the people who passed were able to ski confidently everywhere on the mountain including Andorran blacks (not hard), also change technique on demand - do edge rolls, basic carved turns, pivot into braquage etc. Also, good snowplough demo was needed. Because of conditions on our course we were also needed to ski confidently in all conditions including heavy fresh snow - one failed largely because she had never been out in heavy snow before! If you do the Canadian in Andorra definitely do the two day pre-course as well.

You'll need to Register first of course.

You might be better off going for a UKSS Level 1 instead - this is a basic qualification which only allows you to teach on the dry slope and in fridges.

Courses run pretty regular: calendar is here. You'd need to do the L1 Training, then shadowing, then the L1 assessment.

Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...

@misstaliebee, I had done a lot less than the recommended experience, the key is having the ability to ski technically well, carving part of your long turns and short turns, demonstrating good posture, snow ploughs etc. I had similar experience in length to you when I took my BASI level 1.

You could look at inside out skiing already mentioned they do a 3 day course to see if you are at the standard for the basi course. I did this and brought my weaker points up to scratch, and also gave me an idea of what I could expect on the basi course.

There's also IASI to consider this is the Irish association, similar to the BASI in terms of levels.

In terms of instructing, Level 1 allows you to work in the UK on indoor and outdoor plastic slopes.

Whatever you decide, good luck, I really enjoy instructing and so glad that I started doing it.

After all it is free

@misstaliebee, If you are at our level 8 you would be at the point where specific training of the L1 course would be of use. I run the professional development for Inside Out Skiing and our FastTrack course starts in May, have a look at http://www.insideoutskiing.com/uk/fasttrack.html

Any questions give me a shout snowHead

I took my L1 on after just 1 week experience in the mountain. Granted I failed the technical due to pore posture but a few tweaks over a few weeks I passed the re-sit no problem. I still maintain that doing the course prevented me from picking up "weeks" of bad habits and was much easier for me to adjust to the required level than if i had been riding for years etc.

I say do the BASI L1. Very Happy

*Ski* the Net with snowHeads

@misstaliebee,

My Daughter has been BASI L2 SB for 4yrs. The ski school that she now works for wanted her to take L1 ski as she's good with small kids. She'd previously skied for one week when she was 11yo, she's now 23. (that's inexperienced!) . After 3 weeks of training, she passed her L1 ski at the first attempt. Go for it, you'll be fine.

snowHeads are a friendly bunch.

Thanks for posting this topic - I have been wondering exactly the same thing! I'm hoping to book myself onto a BASI L1 course soon, and I have only 7 weeks experience. I was curious to find out whether the recommended 16 weeks is a little excessive, given what they're asking for from a technical point of view. With that in mind, it's been really useful to see everyone's comments... Looks like everyone's saying it should be ok Smile

snow reports

The worst that can happen is you don't pass, and you've had five days of top notch training, with an action plan of what to cover for your resit. But it's well worth getting an opinion from an instructor who will tell you if you're wasting everyone's time. Inside Out's course is ideal but that depends on if it's convenient for where you live.

@BPGoodman, As @Maireadoconnor, just said even if you fail you will get an action plan on what to work on if you decide to do the re-sit (if you fail that is) The course will strip your riding back to the bare bones and you rebuild with correct technique. The best thing I have got from doing mine is self awareness. If something is not feeling right I know how to correct it.

Help!!

Level 1 Experience Required (CSAI or BASI)

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