GAP SKI INSTRUCTOR PROGRAM

2007 GAP Ski Instructor Course Review

Sophie Donges, 23 - Restaurant Manager I chose the Warren Smith gap course because I had already been on a couple of his other courses in Verbier and another in the summer out in Saas-Fee. I found that the improvement that I had made over these two 1 week courses had been so much that doing the 9 week gap course would be exactly what my skiing needed - an intensive hit!!! Also, I think I can safely say that the courses I did with Warren and the boys were some of my best holidays…not only on the mountain but the social side of things as well, the people you meet and the fact that everybody goes out in the evening too (if they have any energy left!!!).

Warren didn't appear to have a particular expectation of level from the skiers that came on the course. I think the most important thing in his eyes was that everybody had the same passion for skiing and just wanted to improve their own personal level, whether this meant moving from a very basic parallel turn to a more dynamic on piste turn, or whether they wanted to hit the variable terrain with more power and control. However, one thing was for certain, everybody's skiing improved beyond all recognition and even if they hadn't intended on hitting the powder or the moguls, they all did, and flew down, loving every minute! To cut a long story short, there was pretty diverse range of levels, from those who were happy cruising down red runs to those who have skied for years who were much more happy off-piste.

A typical day on the mountain would be between about 10am and 3.30pm with the boys. However, a lot of us decided to get up there a bit earlier and have a blast before coaching began, either to practice what we had been taught or maybe just to hoon it around a bit before having to concentrate! We'd meet the boys at the stretch area at around 10.20 and swing our legs, jump up and down like plonkers, lie on our backs (to work our core!!?!) and do other related exercises (they all worked, I promise!!) for about 15 minutes, before splitting off into our groups. We'd then have coaching (not all serious, pretty mega fun too!!) until lunch which was usually at about 1ish. After a quick lunch (about 20 minutes or so) we'd be back on the mountain until about 3-3.30pm when we'd usually finish up at 1936 (this pretty awesome bar up on the slopes) for a beer or two before skiing back down to the bottom.

The level of coaching was the highest I've ever experienced. The boys know exactly what they're talking about and exactly how to correct any problems that you might be having with the tasks they set. They're all young, full of personality and know how to get the best out of you individually! Oh, and they're pretty honest too! If you've done something pants, they're not going to butter it up and say that it was fab, they'll tell you the truth and say how to put it right next time. It's not as harsh as it sounds because you know that when you've done something right, you'll feel 100 times better when they give you a high five, or even sometimes, a hug (normally only for the boys though!!!).

The course ski coaching content was pretty varied, working on the on-piste elements, such as carving and short radius turns, to the off-piste variables and bumps terrain. My main demon to get over was that of fear! Before I came on the course I couldn't even stand at the top of a black run without freezing and deciding whether it was really what I wanted to be doing! Normally I wouldn't have opted for the easy option out! However, I set myself the new years resolution of ‘Getting some balls' and this really worked! I think that my best decision (although I certainly didn't think about it like that at the time!!) was to tell the boys that I had made this resolution, because they used it against me all time…if they saw me coming down something hesitantly they'd shout “WHAT'S YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTION SOPH?!!?!”. It totally worked though, and now I'm skiing things that I would never had even thought about skiing before. It's opened up a whole new world, it's incredible!!!

The Gap course didn't only consist of skiing, there were other integral parts to it that meant we could get our qualification. We all took part in a 2 day first aid course which involved discussions and practicals on and off the mountain. We also did an avalanche safety course which was incredibly useful as we were hiding transmitters in the snow and having to run around digging and probing for them! (Hint for that one though…make sure you wrap up mega warm - digging in the snow for a couple of hours gets pretty chilly!). We also did a pilates class with one of the local girls out in resort which was awesome to get us thinking about which parts of the body we need to use when we're skiing, particularly focusing on our core muscles. Warren also gave us exercises to do when we had our video analysis sessions. These exercises were designed to help us work the most important areas of our body (particularly focusing on ankle flex, lateral control and thigh steering). Within the first couple of weeks, Rob (one of the coaches) gave us a short lecture on ski maintenance, just so that if we decided to give servicing our skis a bit of a go, we would have a rough idea how to.

I think that one of the best things about the course for me was the fantastic mix of people that were on it. There was an age range from 16 to 53, professions varied from rocket scientist to Jack Bower to student to school teacher to barrister to……need I say more?!?! One might expect that with almost 30 people all from very different backgrounds, there might be conflicts or difficulties in relations!! Of course there are going to be niggles but at the end of the day, everybody had one incredible passion in common - skiing, at that was all we needed! I know that I have certainly made some of my best friends ever through this course and I know that I'm going to stay in touch with them for a very long time to come! Cheesy I know but I'm afraid to say that it's true!!!

As part of the course we had to focus on work involved with teaching and the central theme (that is the progression from total beginner to parallel turns). This involved us doing work on the mountain in order to get our demos up to scratch (pretty funny seeing 30 people, who are mainly interested in freeride skiing, snowploughing around the mountain in a proper ski school line!!) as well as preparing lesson plans that we presented in front of the groups. It sounds pretty daunting but believe me, it's a real laugh as you're doing it in front of your friends and peers and you can all have a giggle about it! We also completed a couple of weeks work experience with a local ski school. During this we shadowed the instructors as well as teaching for ourselves with our own clients. There were certainly some stories to tell on this one believe me, but a wicked experience all the same!

Having completed the Warren Smith gap course I can now officially say that I'm a qualified ski instructor!!! I passed my BASI 3 exam which means that I am now qualified to teach beginner to intermediate skiers, which I plan to do next season when I return to Verbier (it's pretty addictive, beware!!).

I am planning on returning to Verbier next season (and living with some other fellow gappies from this season just gone) and hopefully working for one of the international ski schools out there. Talk about perfect life, living and working in the mountains!

I don't think it does compare to be totally honest! I was chatting with one of the boys after the gap course had ended about the level I was at when I arrived on the course, thinking that I was pretty intermediate, and to my horror, he told me that I was pretty beginnerish!!!! Couldn't believe it! However, I think I can now safely say that I am an advanced skier who could get down pretty much anything (apart from perhaps a mega gnarly section involving cliff jumps, etc, etc!!!) and I'm trying things now that I never thought that I'd be doing. It's all about confidence, and that is exactly what I gained over the course, the confidence to know that the skills I had learnt meant that I could tackle anything and everything that was put in front of me!

Verbier is most definitely the best ski resort I have ever been to! It has such a small town feel and people are all so friendly. The night life is incredible too! I was told before I went out there that I'd be out most nights, either to dinner or out in the bars and clubs and I totally didn't believe them. However, I probably only stayed in about 1, maximum 2 nights a week, and although my bank balance didn't particularly appreciate it, it was incredible! I chose not to stay in the catered chalets that the Gap course included as I already knew that my plans would be to stay for the season, rather than just the 9 week course. With Warren's help, I managed to get accommodation right next to one of the gappy chalets, at a very reasonable price, which meant that I could cook for myself and stay out in Verbier longer.

 

I already have!!!! I honestly can't think of anything negative to say about the course, it's been totally awesome and I just wished that it had never ended! In fact, I think a few of the gappies are thinking of invading the course next year (and just hoping that none of the coaches notice!!!).

Can I say everything?!?! Ok, if I had to say one particular highlight of the course for me then I reckon it would be the people. You get to know so many people really really well and I know that I've certainly come out of my shell a lot this season, and I truly believe that it's the people that have helped that to happen! Ooh, and the fact that I'm now a better skier than my brother, and he hates it!!!!!

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