Youngsters BASI

A snowHead

I've posted on here before that my daughter is quite keen on taking BASI qualifications. She still seems to be enthusiastic about this and as she's 16 in January we're looking at her doing it next summer once GCSE's are out of the way. I know that the children of several Snowheads did theirs at a similar age. How have they progressed since, have they taken the next level, are they using the qualification? Any particular issues, etc.

A snowHead

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Colin B, can't help with your question about how much kids have progressed but I think that to do Level 2 you have to be 18, so your daughter wouldn't be able to progress straight to the next step on the BASI ladder.

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rob@rar, Thanks! Are you sure that's the case? It specifically states in the pre-requisites for L1 that you need to be 16, there is nothing shown on L2 or L3 about 18 (although there is for L4). Not that it would be a particular issue I guess a couple of years is more realistic anyway.

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Colin B, mine did her L1 last summer after GCSE's and it took almost a year to get all the shadowing hours in and the first aid course whilst doing her first year of A levels.... My only advice would be to do the course early in the summer hols and then bang out the shadowing hours asap, that said she struggled to get lessons to shadow in the quiet summer time and i wasn't too keen on her just spending time in rental or the office. When lessons picked up she was back in school and as we live a fair journey to the slope it was quite a few full days out for her to get all her time in with other commitments.

another issue which may come up is that with all these people getting L1's i really doubt that there will be much paid for work at the various domes and dry slopes for newly badged L1's to then get the next 35 hours which you need before attending the L2 course. Pure speculation on that but worth thinking about...

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skimottaret, Thanks my daughter will be in a similar position, starting A levels in September 2012. We're thinking about going to Hintertux to do it in the summer holidays and follow it up with a week of leisure. She would probably do her shadowing at Tallington which is a smallish dry slope fairly near to here although they are not that busy in the summer so a day or so at Hemel or somewhere similar may be on the cards also. She might be able to get some work at Tallington next winter but that would be dependent on getting shadowing, first aid, etc sorted by the time they are recruiting.

After all it is free

rob@rar, I remember it being posted before too, not sure it is the case though.

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fatbob, I guess it depend what your motivation is. My daughter is only 16, will do A levels and may well go to uni after that. She does seem very keen on it though and I've said I'll finance her to L2 if she gets that far, if she wants to go further it will be down to her. It will also hopefully help her skiing. It's another string to her bow and as a Saturday job as a teenager it is possibly more attractive than Sainsbury's (although probably not as well paid).

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Both my kids have done this.
Son did L1 in summer between AS and A", followed by L2 summer after A2.
He then worked the season in Switzerland in his gap year.
He is at Uni now and is 1/2 way to ISIA.

Daughter did L1 with skimottaret's lass, she will do L2 next summer at Hintertux and will then teach the season of 2012-13 in her gap year.

Obviously loads of youth do Gap Year Courses, get BASI L2....and then never teach a day of their lives. That is fine, their choice, but not what mine wanted to do.

I did my L2 at 17/18 along with 20 other people. Around 4 of us still teach to this day. Thats not to say everyone else wasted their time or money though. It is still a worthwhile course, especially if you get a trainer you work well with, although they are all good some are more likely to push you harder beyond the current required level. The L2 works out as very good value training, you have a top trainer for 9 1/2 days for a price a ski school cant really match as you are in a group lesson, although you will still get plenty of attention via video feeback etc, also there will very very rarely be a person who holds the group back (unlike real group lessons) So really its great value instruction with a qualification at the end!

So level 2 is worth it I would say. Level 3 is another thing altogether, its so expensive and time consuming to complete that its only worth considering if you want to be a snowsports professional really. By the time I complete my level 4 my skiing will have cost a touch more than my sisters 4 year university degree, but then there is no real point in staying put at L3 if you have the ability to finish it all.

You know it makes sense.

BASI alpine pathway states you must be 16 to do your L1 and 18 to do you L4. So she will be fine for her L2.

It may be that Apline ski school will not take L2's until they are 18.

Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:

A snowHead

Thanks all some really useful input based on first hand experience. Waiting for next summer's dates to be published now. I suspect that she may have a similar problem as skimottaret's, daughter getting everything in while at school full time.

A snowHead

Colin B, rob@rar, you can do the L2 course before you're 18, you just wouldn't get the License until you're 18 - although with a L1 could still work on artificial slopes.

Shouldn't be a problem for L1s getting some work in the winter. Plus the second 35 hours can also be shadowing.

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scooby_simon, I've looked and I can't actually see any mention of age on the L2 section of the website. I'll point this out to the office.

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skimottaret, there will be a L2 course at Hintertux next summer, I have had that confirmed this week from BASI. Details will be up on their web in a few weeks.
My daughter will be doing that for sure...why not get yours on it too, since they did L1 together they might both enjoy it just a bit more if they have someone they know to share with etc?

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let me know when the young 'uns book the L2 so I can avoid those weeks and not be shown up Wink

After all it is free

kitenski, it is a sad fact of life that there are always young 'ins on every BASI course you'll ever do!

rungsp, Im not sure she will be able to get in her 35 hours prior to as it is nose to the grindstone for A levels and i dont want any distractions... but if it isn't too close to end of exams she should be able to bang out the hours in the summer prior to the course. email me when you have details from BASI and i will have a think ... as you say it would be great to have a familiar face and same age roomy for the the week scott at insideoutskiing.com

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To clarify - the rule is now that 16 year olds can take their L2, and get a license at that age. However, please bear in mind that not all gap year providers will accept under 18s, and some employers may not.

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Youngsters BASI

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