GAP SKI INSTRUCTOR PROGRAM 2008 GAP Ski Instructor Course Review
Julia Laycock, 31
Managment Consultant, LondonI started skiing eight years ago and usually managed to fit in a couple of weeks per season on trips to the Alps with friends. I was good enough to get down black runs, but always aspired to be a much better skier, one that could handle different types of piste and off-piste terrain with skill and style! As part of a longer career break I decided to do a ski instructor "gap course" and did all my research online.
The Warren Smith Academy appealed the most because of the focus on developing technical skills and really training intensively to improve my level of skiing over a short period of time. I could tell from the testimonials on Warren's website that the course was aimed at a wide range of ages and backgrounds and that appealed to me as I'd heard from friends that some gap courses are mainly targeted at younger people. After speaking to Warren on the phone, I was reassured that his course would attract people of all ages with a shared motivation: to ski hard but to have loads of fun at the same time!
The course was excellent. The Academy coaches are fantastic skiers and made it a lot of fun for us to work with them and train every day. Everyone on the course got on really well and socialised from the start, with plenty of mad apres-ski sessions, dinners and late nights out. From the beginning we were grouped into similar ability levels, which made it easier to focus on the areas we each needed to improve. The coaches rotated through the groups so we got to experience different teaching styles and benefit from all the Academy had to offer. Not only did I dramatically improve my own skiing (beyond recognition say my friends who have visited me at the end of the course), but I learned how to breakdown and teach skiing and have an instructor qualification that I will probably use in the future to justify another ski season! The course was excellent. The Academy coaches are fantastic skiers and made it a lot of fun for us to work with them and train every day. Everyone on the course got on really well and socialised from the start, with plenty of mad apres-ski sessions, dinners and late nights out. From the beginning we were grouped into similar ability levels, which made it easier to focus on the areas we each needed to improve. The coaches rotated through the groups so we got to experience different teaching styles and benefit from all the Academy had to offer. Not only did I dramatically improve my own skiing (beyond recognition say my friends who have visited me at the end of the course), but I learned how to breakdown and teach skiing and have an instructor qualification that I will probably use in the future to justify another ski season!
A typical day on the gap course would involve all meeting at the "warm-up" area on the piste and then heading off in our groups to train specific skills. On the first week I found skiing non-stop from 10.30 to 13.30 really tough, but soon adjusted and got into the swing of things. Lunch was usually 30 minutes and then we'd get another 2.5 hours' training in before finishing with a "cool-down" as one group again. We were always encouraged to go practice what we'd been working on, but usually only managed to ski as far as "1936", a great on-piste bar to start apres in. Three of the weeks on the Warren Smith Gap Ski Instructor Course are actually BASI assessment weeks: one week for level one "trainee instructor" and two weeks for level two "instructor" qualification. These are pretty intense weeks but great fun and the quality of the BASI trainers was outstanding. They coach you throughout the continuous assessment period to their own standards and skiing style and really do their best to make sure everyone stands the best chance of passing. We had 100% pass rates on both level 1 and level 2 BASI courses - and massive celebrations on both Friday nights of course!
Within two days of passing my BASI level 2 instructor qualification I was in a Swiss Ski School uniform and working as an instructor. This was another reason I chose Warren - because of his partnership with the local Swiss Ski School who not only provided us with work shadowing experience, but also gave many of us immediate employment on completing the course to cover the busy Easter period. I worked with both groups of children and groups of adults - both challenging and rewarding in their own ways.
To anyone considering this gap course I would say.. "get involved!!" You'll have an incredible season in a top resort, meet some great people who will become real friends, and ski more than you've ever skied in your life. If you're willing to work hard and play hard, your skiing will improve beyond belief and you'll definitely not want to leave Verbier!"
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