 Poster: A snowHead
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From some looking about online, it’s clear that qualifying as a ski instructor in France is extraordinarily difficult, involving a 4+ year apprenticeship or holding a BASI level 4 cert and passing the Eurotest, which requires you to be an accomplished ski racer; AFAIK the situation is similar in Italy if you plan to instruct for a full season. However, the information I’ve found on snowboard instructing in France is minimal and conflicting - that you need to be a ski instructor before becoming a snowboard instructor, that snowboarders can qualify without skiing but there is no Eurotest etc. I’ve found absolutely no info whatsoever on Italy.
I’m planning on becoming a snowboard instructor for a few years, probably starting in Canada / Japan, where I know the pay is poorer but lower qualified applicants can get work. However, I was intrigued by the premise of making €50 / hour someday (as French ski instructors apparently do) if I rose up the ranks, as this would make instructing a viable career choice for raising a family and living a comfortable lifestyle in the future. The info on this might affect the certification I choose to get (e.g. if it is possible to qualify as a snowboard instructor only in France and the salaries are equally good, I would probably train with BASI as I’ve heard it’s easier to work in France with them), whereas if I had to become a semi-pro ski racer just to instruct snowboarding I’d just train and teach in Canada until I hit my 30s and need a grown-up salary (I can ski French blacks comfortably but I’m no racer and much prefer snowboarding).
Sorry if this question has been asked before, I feel like it should have been but couldn’t find anything when I searched the forums. I have decent French so if anyone had an actual official website or something I could probably muddle through that.
Thanks in advance!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| Quote: |
I was intrigued by the premise of making €50 / hour someday (as French ski instructors apparently do)
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they mostly don't. Or not for that many hours in the year!! Even in the winter.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@cailian, From a laymans understanding. But I have friend's here who are ski and snowboard instructors. English, Italian and French. There is no specific snowboard qualification for the french it is I think snowsports so I believe any french instructor can teach snowboarding as well. The french generally come from a racing background then stagiaires before full qualification.
In Italy there is a Maestro di Snowboard qualification (ISTD) they can teach snowboarding in France but not skiing (from an Italian snowboard Instructor friend).
For English Snowboard Instructors they need ISTD ie BASI l4 plus a certain amount of FIS points at snowboard events (instead of ski speed test). English snowboard instructor friend here accrued his at snowboardcross events. He can't teach skiing, in fact I don't think he can ski 
They can earn good money in the winter but all of them have to have other jobs outside the winter too.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thanks for that guys - I understand that no matter how well it pays I’ll always have to find a job for the other season. What I would do in summer is a different question altogether - I’ve been toying with the idea of working in events / festivals. I know this too is poorly paid to start with but I also know it’s possible to make a killing as a successful concert promoter or planner, and I’m alright with working for subsistence as long as there’s the chance of a brighter future.
If anyone does know of great summer jobs or threads etc for finding them give me a shout though ☺️.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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No-one snowboards anymore do they?
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| under a new name wrote: |
| No-one snowboards anymore do they? |
Only when the rental shop has run out of blades..................
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@GreenDay, too funny. And also true.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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@GreenDay, too funny. And also true.
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| Claude B wrote: |
@cailian, From a laymans understanding. But I have friend's here who are ski and snowboard instructors. English, Italian and French. There is no specific snowboard qualification for the french it is I think snowsports so I believe any french instructor can teach snowboarding as well. The french generally come from a racing background then stagiaires before full qualification.
In Italy there is a Maestro di Snowboard qualification (ISTD) they can teach snowboarding in France but not skiing (from an Italian snowboard Instructor friend).
For English Snowboard Instructors they need ISTD ie BASI l4 plus a certain amount of FIS points at snowboard events (instead of ski speed test). English snowboard instructor friend here accrued his at snowboardcross events. He can't teach skiing, in fact I don't think he can ski
They can earn good money in the winter but all of them have to have other jobs outside the winter too. |
The chap who taught me snowboarding at Chillfactore a few years back was heading out to Eastern Europe a few weeks later to hunt his FIS points, said it was pretty easy as there are tons of FIS ski cross events which hardly anyone enters .
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
Quote:
I was intrigued by the premise of making €50 / hour someday (as French ski instructors apparently do)
they mostly don't. Or not for that many hours in the year!! Even in the winter.
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No comment. 
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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@cailian, PM me if you have any questions. The info above more or less covers it - BASI 4 + FIS points from Snowboardcross competition.
It's possible to do no skiing at all if you do the Adaptive Snowboard course as your second discipline (other options are ski, telemark, XC ski and adaptive ski). Ski level 1 may give extra employment opportunities (in Switzerland, Japan, Austria, etc) while you're training, although it's not recognised in France.
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| Claude B wrote: |
In Italy there is a Maestro di Snowboard qualification (ISTD) they can teach snowboarding in France but not skiing (from an Italian snowboard Instructor friend).
For English Snowboard Instructors they need ISTD ie BASI l4 plus a certain amount of FIS points at snowboard events (instead of ski speed test). English snowboard instructor friend here accrued his at snowboardcross events. He can't teach skiing, in fact I don't think he can ski |
It is interesting to see how the differences and equivalences play out. A French ski teacher can also teach snowboarding and basic nordic (nordic is a part of the training or an option) (despite France having a separate nordic track).
A Basi ski teacher with his carte pro can, legally, teach snowboarding and basic nordic without having done those as part of his training, telemark too (afaiks - happy to be corrected on this (Steve?) but I recently discussed with some fully qualified instructors - legally in that Basi may not allow it and they may not be insured (I don't know) but the French authorities will do nothing if they see a carte pro ski).
A Basi nordic L3 ISIA can teach basic alpine in France if they have their carte pro (but would probably have already done alpine as a second discipline).
A French nordic teacher has to do a test de capacité in that discipline. I believe ski jumping is part of the training! A qualified nordic instructor can take people ski touring as long as they are on nordic/telemark gear.
The crossover between nordic / alpine in terms of technique isn't huge, I would imagine a fully qualified nordic instructor is a better ski teacher than an alpine stagiere and the L4 alpine don't seem to have huge problems with nordic technique.
I'm surprised an Italian snowboard maestro can teach in France without FIS points, maybe you know more about the training? The ski maestros do the Eurotest as an entry requirement I believe - the comment is they are generally damn good skiers and not necessarily great instructors.
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You know it makes sense.
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| Quote: |
| I'm surprised an Italian snowboard maestro can teach in France without FIS points, maybe you know more about the training? The ski maestros do the Eurotest as an entry requirement I believe - the comment is they are generally damn good skiers and not necessarily great instructors. |
I'll ask, I know two well, they are partners. She only got everything necessary a couple of years ago.
Someone commented to me that Italian ski maestros don't cover moguls in their training and generally aren't good at them. Based on skiing with them.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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@davidof, a BASI Alpine ISTD can teach any discipline. A snowboard ISTD can only teach snowboarding (but hey, we're not bitter! ) . I don't know anything about Nordic!
I'm not bothered in the slightest about teaching skiing, but I do occasionally lose off-piste bookings where there is a group of mostly snowboarders with one ski buddy. This is irritating but not really a big deal.
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Poster: A snowHead
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@cailian, Do you carry an EU passport? If not you might to reconsider working in FR long term. With your good French Canada may be a better option even longer term.
Brits that are already in the FR system should be okay but a fresh qualification post Brexit who knows? Most guys I know who teach snowboarding in FR also teach alpine. Unless you are a top freestyle guy, very well established or an examiner I think it is tough to get a lot of hours just teaching SB. Even at 50+ euro an hour
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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@skimottaret, all of the pure snowboard instructors I know work pretty-much flat-out all winter. Certainly nobody is struggling to find work. And none of us are allowed to teach Alpine. I have no idea who is perpetuating that particular myth, although the French powers-that-be do love it as an excuse not to offer a snowboard qualification.
I started out as an independent instructor immediately after qualifying and worked over 600 hours in my first winter. I don't think that's at all unusual.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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@stevomcd, That's good to hear, does that hold for recently L4 qualified SB only guys as well? I would think with the FIS points requirement these days new L4 snowboarders only are pretty scarce..
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@skimottaret, the FIS points requirement has been in place for as much as 10 years. I, and all my friends, qualified in this way (i.e. by gaining FIS points). There were around 30 snowboard ISTD's who got grandfathered in back then, pre-FIS requirement. I don't have official figures, but I would estimate that around a further 30 or so have qualified since.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@stevomcd, cool I hadn't appreciated that many have gotten through ! , I will bow out now as you are much better placed to give the OP better factual advice 
@cailian, whatever you decide good luck to you man !
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Claude B wrote: |
Someone commented to me that Italian ski maestros don't cover moguls in their training and generally aren't good at them. Based on skiing with them. |
I'd heard that but I would never assume that someone who skis to a very high level is not good at some aspect of skiing but yes, maybe not expert.
All the top level nordic skiers I know are good alpine skiers, including cross and off piste and conversely Ive recently seen a Basi L4 do a 360 on nordic gear a few days after standing on nordic skis for the first time.
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Fascinating reading all this. From experience, the level of instruction in Europe is exceptional. This past May, I decided to get a private lesson at a resort in Colorado to work on technique and I was told, "you got the best... he trains all of our other instructors." One of the least helpful lessons I've ever had.
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FAQ
