Eli's Blog - My Ski Season, Part1

I went skiing for the first time when I was 12 years old and loved it, but certainly didn’t imagine that 10 years later I would be about to train to become an instructor. Yet here I am! I graduated from Lancaster University this summer with a degree in History, Philosophy and Politics. Doesn’t exactly scream a clear career path so why not become a ski instructor, right?

In all seriousness I’ve been keen to do a ski season for a while and I just thought that if I didn’t do it now then I probably never would so decided to bite the bullet and go for it. After quite some time spent browsing jobs like chalet hosting I ultimately opted to train to become an instructor because although it will be more expensive and require more effort I think it will be much more fun and rewarding and provide me with a great skill and life experience.

The Ski Instructor Academy soon stood out as the clear choice of instructor course – with its guarantee of a job if you pass, no need for a work visa and, from everything I’ve seen on the site and on Facebook, a friendly, dedicated and hard-working team.I’ve also decided to do the 1 week ‘beginner’s course’ prior to the main course as although I have been skiing quite a bit it’s been around 6 years since I’ve had any kind of instruction and I know my technique could do with some improvement!

I did study German at school but that seems a long time ago now so I’ve been using duolingo to brush up on my skills, as well as the key words and phrases on the SIA Facebook page.

I know the course will be physically challenging so I’ve been doing a mix of things such as swimming, cross-training and walking as well as some of the exercises from the videos put up by Paul on the course Facebook page. However I’m planning to step up my efforts for the next 6 weeks before I arrive in Kaprun. I’ve also dragged some friends along to the Tamworth Snowdome, my nearest indoor ski slope, for some practice and am planning to try and go once a week before I leave.

I’m sure I will be nervous as the course draws closer but I’m also really excited for what I’m confident will be an amazing and unforgettable experience and am very much looking forward to my time in Kaprun!