What Qualifications Are Available on a Ski & Snowboard Course?

We are often asked in detail about the qualifications that are available on ski and snowboard courses in Canada.

Instructor Qualifications

There are a wide variety of ski and snowboard instructor qualifications available with most principal skiing nations offering a series of levels. Particularly popular ones are the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) & Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI), British (BASI), French (ESF) and American (PSIA & AASI).

At ALLTRACKS we concentrate on offering the Canadian System for two main reasons. First of all, the CSIA & CASI are well respected internationally, with a progressive outlook and extremely well considered coaching framework. Secondly, Canada is a great place to ski, train and work.

Where to Work?

If you are considering an instructor career, choosing where to train is an important decision as it can affect where you will be able to work. The Canadian qualifications are widely recognised but it would incorrect to say that you will be able to work unrestricted internationally as there are limitations. The potential options for working as a CSIA or CASI Level 2 instructor are Japan, New Zealand, Australia, Switzerland, Italy, UK and of course Canada itself. With the CSIA/ CASI Level 1 you are probably restricted to working in Canada, although there are previous ALLTRACKS clients who have worked in Switzerland as CSIA Level 1 ski instructors.

Qualifications on Offer

ALLTRACKS have the capacity to train you all the way to Level 4 if you wish but typically we offer the following:

CSIA/CASI Level 1 – Included on the 4,5,7 & 11 week instructor courses
CSIA/CASI Level 2 – Set into the schedule of the 7 & 11 week instructor courses but the exam fee is an additional charge paid directly to the examining board.
CSIA/CASI Level 3 – We are able to run Level 3 training in a bespoke training course with ease and this can be an addition if you are interested in extending your course.

What About Freestyle or Racing Certification?

We typically schedule the CSIA Snowpark Certification, CASI Park Instructor and Canadian Ski Coach Federation Level Entry Level (CSCF) exams into the longer 11 week programmes for those who are interested. However, this can be dependent on their being enough interest and coaches available. As Whistler is a big resort with regular exams, often these exams are also available to people on other shorter courses too.

These additional programmes are great to develop your own freestyle or racing skills and can also be useful for employment if you are looking for a career in snowsports.

What Format Do the Exams Take?

Most CSIA & CASI exams are split into two parts: One focuses on your actual ski technique and the other on your teaching ability. Before sitting any exam, our instructors, who are examiners themselves, will have trained you so you know what to expect on exam days.

Additional Benefits

Undertaking instructor exams are useful in developing other skills unrelated to skiing or snowboarding. These include communication, presentation and teaching skills.