How To Become A Certified Snowboard Instructor In New Zealand?
Want to become a snowboard instructor in New Zealand. We have created this ultimate step by step guide to help you.
Why New Zealand for a ski season?
A ski season in New Zealand is about a lifestyle of adventure. It's laid back, authentic and pure. A ski season in New Zealand is more than just the pursuit of riding. You will come back home with stories of adventure, friends for life, and a stoke for testing and pushing your limits in nature.
New Zealand is known for its remarkable mountains, stunning lakes and landscapes. There’s endless wilderness to get out and explore. Snowboarding in New Zealand has steep lines, epic backcountry terrain, and amazing views over the Southern alps. New Zealand is so diverse. On your days off you can surf remote beaches in rural farmlands, hike national parks, and stay in huts in mountains under a beautiful starry night.
...Oh and if that's not enough to convince you in New Zealand, there are 9 sheep for every person.
So if want to take on this epic lifestyle, then download our New Zealand Instructor Guide HERE
Which destinations in New Zealand does EA Ski and Snowboard Training offer courses at?
Queenstown
Queenstown skiing is synonymous with winter in New Zealand. It’s the first destination that comes to mind when you think about heading south for a ski season, with good reason. The Queenstown ski season is popular because it's a short drive from 4 epic ski resorts AND it’s home to adrenaline pumping adventure activities! If the weather isn’t playing ball on the mountain, you can head out for a road trip or go bungee jumping instead! If you are looking to get into the backcountry you've come to the right place. The Remarkables have some of the best and most accessible big mountain terrain within a short tour from the lifts.
Watch the video of our training consultant Julie discussing why Queenstown is the perfect place for a ski season
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/XKjh2PN6hg4
Mt Hutt
Located near Christchurch and at the very tip of the Southern Alps, it often gets loaded with snow. The wide-open bowls and steep chutes mean there are plenty of options to get your powder fix. In comparison to the busier Queenstown area, a season in Mt Hutt is the very definition of the laidback Kiwi lifestyle. If you are less interested in hitting the bars and clubs on your ski season but still want epic mountains this is your spot. In the Canterbury region, there's also the chance to explore some of the countries best club fields. These club fields offer a unique alpine experience but are often described as the ultimate backcountry experience. At Mount Hutt you can see the ocean from the top and the Canterbury plains. Its a place where mountain meets sea.
Watch Kai talk about his winter snowboarding instructing at Mount Hutt HERE
Mt Ruapehu
The North Islands unmissable giant Volcano in the Tongariro National Park is called Mt Ruapehu and is home to two unique ski fields (there’s also a small club field), Whakapapa and Tūroa.
As an active volcano, the terrain features tonnes of natural jumps, expansive bowls and some of the most challenging riding in the country! On a clear day you can see all the way to Mt Taranaki, another famous volcano at the bottom of the North Island. For any Lord Of The Rings fans out there it’s directly opposite Mt Ngauruhoe AKA Mt Doom so you can reenact Frodo saving middle earth to your heart's content.
Mark talks about the Snowboard Internship at Whakapapa. Watch HERE
For more information read our Ultimate guide to a ski season in New Zealand HERE
What's life like as a snowboard instructor in New Zealand?
Watch this instructor story with Allison HERE
Allison did a snowboard instructor internship at Mount Hutt, New Zealand. The course opened her eyes into how fun a career in snowboard instruction is. Allison chose an EA Ski and Snowboard program because EA helped sort out her accommodation, you come in with a group of friends from the get go, and you get a guaranteed job offer at a ski school. The course made it super easy for her to move across the world and start a new career as a snowboard instructor.
New Zealand is an unquestionably special place to snowboard and explore. Want to call it home? See if you qualify HERE
The 10 Step Guide To Becoming A Qualified Snowboard Instructor In NZ Starts Here!
Becoming a snowboard instructor in New Zealand can be an exciting adventure, whether you're taking a winter gap year, seeking a career change, or fulfilling a lifelong dream in hunt for perfect powder. Here are the ten steps to get you started:
Step 1. Is The Snowboard Instructor Lifestyle Right For Me?
Many people think becoming a snowboard instructor is their dream job. To carve it into a career path and make it to the top takes commitment, hard-work and tenacity, but the extraordinary lifestyle attached is incredible. It consists of exploring the world, living in the mountains, high job satisfaction and amazing après.
If you are considering a career as a snowboard instructor, you need to have a passion for the sport, patience, desire to learn, with potential to develop into a top snowboarder. It’s a hard industry to break into, but the easiest route is via an instructor training course. You don’t need to be an amazing snowboarder, but it is recommended to have some experience on the mountain.
When starting out as a snowboard instructor, you will be at the bottom and have to work your way up the pecking order. As a new instructor, you will be teaching a-lot on the magic carpet. While this may not be your end goal, it is extremely rewarding seeing the progression. As you do a few winter seasons, and progress through the instructor ranks, more opportunities arise. If you fully put your eggs in the basket, in the long term you may become a trainer for future instructors, manage a ski school, go down the adaptive instructing route, or become a guide. There’s many epic avenues this career can lead you!
For An Insight Into The Snowboard Instructor Lifestyle, Read Stephanie's Story HERE
Stefanie left her corporate office job in Switzerland and moved to New Zealand to become a snowboard instructor. If you spend half your time at a desk, dreaming of turning your passion into a career, then why not turn those dreams into plans like Stephanie? Read her journey from having a career break, and pursing a life as a full-time snowboarder HERE
Step 2. Have A Goal To Guide Your Journey In The Snow Sports Industry
It is important to have aspirations and goals for a career in the snow-sports industry. An end goal to work towards, to help you progress, improve and become a better instructor. Some decisions such as which instructor course to train with, may be influenced by where you want to work as an instructor. You need to choose a qualification that won’t limit your opportunities. A qualification from an internationally recognised instructor system, allows you to work throughout the world.
In the video below our training consultant Kang discusses the internationally recognised qualification we offer at EA Ski and Snowboard. We offer level 1 and level 2 qualifications, which is recognised by most of the ski schools throughout the globe. You can then chase snow, explore, and travel around working as an instructor!
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/ki8nHZKDztw
Step 3. Pick A Internationally Recognized Snowboard Instructor Qualification
In the world of snow-sports instruction, qualifications are the foundation and a prerequisite to launching a career in the mountains.
You need to get an international recognised qualification if you want to use snowboarding as your ticket to travel the globe. All of the qualification systems below are issued by a national governing body and are overseen by the ISIA (International Ski Instructors Association). The ISIA is the world body for professional ski and snowboard instructors. All these systems are highly regarded and popular systems around the world.
- NZSIA/SBINZ (New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance)
- CSIA/CASI (Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance)
- BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors)
- PSIA/AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America)
Step 4. Pick A Qualification Level
For snowboard instructors, there are 4 levels of certification. The lowest level is Level 1, and the highest level is the Level 4 certification. Knowing what level you would ultimately like to achieve can help you plan out your career accordingly.
There are minor differences between each qualification, but they are similar. For aspiring instructors, the most popular qualification systems are NZSIA, CSIA, and BASI. These are very well recognised across the world and offer an achievable pathway to get started in the industry. All have very high standards for the final level, but allow you to begin working while training for these higher levels.
The qualification systems consist of three or four levels of certification, are internationally recognised offering employment prospects across the globe.
Step 5. Pick A Snowboard Instructor Course
To kickstart your career as a snowboard instructor, it is required to choose a snowboard instructor course. The course will help give you the fundamental ingredients to start your journey as a snowboard instructor. You will be trained on different criteria to pass the exam, have practical teaching experience, make industry connections, and have valuable career advice.
These are courses run by companies like EA Ski and Snowboard Training. We offer the following courses below:
Snowboard Instructor Training Course:
We offer instructor training courses from 4 - 11 weeks long. The Snowboard instructor course has been specifically designed to improve individual snowboarding ability and provide program participants with world-class instructor qualifications. This is the perfect way to get a head start in the industry without committing to work.
Snowboard Instructor Internship Course:
This allows you to get qualification, train, and guaranteed job offer at a ski school all in one season. Although a snowboard training course gives you the qualifications you need to teach, a snowboard instructor internship will provide you with a guaranteed job offer so you can train and work in the same season. Step straight into a ski school and start earning money working as a snowboard instructor. This is our most popular course due to the guaranteed job offer.
Step 6. Complete The Snowboard Instructor Training Course
Once you're up in the mountains, the real adventure begins. Your primary goal here is to solidify your qualifications, so it's crucial to stay focused during your training as you refine your technique and master the art of teaching others. But don't worry, it's not all work and no play; there will be plenty of opportunities for shredding, exploring the mountains, and enjoying some epic après-ski.
By the end of your course, you should emerge as a certified snowboard instructor with internationally recognised qualifications. It's important to seize any opportunity to gain hands-on experience by shadowing real lessons and getting involved in instructing whenever possible. This practical experience will not only bolster your skills but also make you a more attractive candidate to potential employers.
Step 7. Get A Job At A Ski School
After landing your qualification, it is time to apply for an instructor job. With EA Ski and Snowboard Training we guarantee a job offer. This is typically hard as most people become a qualified snowboard instructor and then struggle to find a job as most ski schools require practical experience. EA Ski and Snowboard eliminates this issue, as we have world class training and a reputable course that has relationships with ski schools to slot into a job and hit the ground running.
At EA Ski and Snowboard, our extensive network of ski school connections can be a valuable resource for you to tap into. Additionally, our trainers we offer will serve as excellent mentors.
Step 8. Get A Working Holiday Visa For New Zealand
You will have to rely on a working holiday visa to become a snowboard instructor overseas. As you work up the levels and become more experienced, you may be able to look to sponsorship. But to start off, you’ve only got the one option of a working holiday visa.
You can’t just become a snowboard instructor and start making money there—you’ve got to get some sort of visa for that. The whole visa process can get confusing, and our training consultants help guide you through the entire process, as well as secure you a guaranteed ski resort job with staff accommodation before you arrive in New Zealand.
To learn more about our training consultants, find out more HERE
Step 9. Soak Up The Epic Lifestyle Of Being A Snowboard Instructor.
Life as a snowboard instructor is extraordinary. Get paid to teach your passion, work with like-minded people, and live an adventurous and exciting lifestyle!
Step 10. Career Development As A Snowboard Instructor
Continuing professional development is indeed crucial for those aspiring to build a long-term career as a snowboard instructor. Progressing through certification levels and gaining experience over multiple seasons are key steps in this journey.
Typically, individuals spend 2-3 seasons at the level 2 instructor stage before having a crack at their level 3 certification. To ensure success in this career path, aspiring instructors should focus on gaining experience, pursuing higher levels of certification, and continuously honing their skills through professional development opportunities. By doing so, they can establish themselves as knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the field of instruction.
Why EA Ski and Snowboard Training?
EA Ski and Snowboard Training is the world's largest and most reputable ski and snowboard instructor communities. Besides being one of the worlds largest ski instructor communities, the unique opportunity to offer a job placement. This means that, as long as you pass the exam, we can guarantee a job offer at a ski school.
“So become a ski or snowboard instructor with us! Get training + qualifications + job offer – all in one season with EA”
The video shows the benefits of doing a ski or snowboard instructor internship program or training course with EA Ski and Snowboard Training.
