Jonny's journey to becoming a ski instructor in Canada
At 18, most people his age were figuring out uni applications, part time jobs, and what comes next. Jonny was on a plane to Canada.
It was Lake Louise. It was the Canadian Rockies! One of the most beautiful places on the planet. Five months of skiing every single day, learning to actually teach the sport he'd grown up loving.
Here's Jonny, in his own words.
Q) Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
My name is Jonny and I’m an 18 year old from Buckinghamshire, England.
Q) Why did you decide to become an instructor with EA Ski and Snowboard Training?
Well I have been skiing since I was 3 years old and since I can remember they were always my favourite holiday. So to do something that ends up with me skiing for 5-6 months straight was a no brainer!
Q) What resort did you choose to go to and why did you choose that?
I chose to go to Lake Louise in the end. The reason why was that I heard it was an excellent resort to ski and live in with a long ski season.
Q) Tell me about living in Canada?
It's chilly but in general people in Canada are significantly nicer than the UK. It’s a different culture and the tipping culture is a bit weird but overall it was an awesome experience.
Q) Why do you think other people should consider a ski internship?
I think you should consider an internship for the work experience and most importantly for the fun. My favourite part of becoming an instructor was the improvement to my own skiing going from what I thought was good skiing to actually being a good skier.
Q) Since becoming an instructor, what opportunities have you had?
I’ve been able to talk to some and be taught by the best skiers in all of Canada. I’ve also been able to learn to snowboard too.
Q) What is your favourite place to ski in the world?
I love skiing in the French Alps. My favourite resort has to be Meribel Valley. The après there is just a different level.
Q) What do you enjoy about being an instructor?
I loved seeing people implement the changes I was talking about and watching their skiing improve in real time. It felt super satisfying watching someone’s technique come on tenfold after a couple hours.
Q) What’s your go to chairlift snack?
Sour patch kids and crunchie bars
Q) For those people out there who are considering doing a course with EA, what advice might you give them?
If you don’t really know what you want to do with your future and absolutely love skiing/snowboarding it’s definitely a laugh and worth doing just for the experience alone but the best thing you will get out of it is those lifelong friends you make along the way.
Jonny's Winter in the Canadian Rockies: What He Brought Home
Jonny went to Canada at 18. No big plan, just a sport he'd loved his whole life and the feeling that a winter in the mountains was better than anything else on offer. He came back a qualified ski instructor. He came back having been coached by some of the best skiers in Canada. He even picked up snowboarding. But ask him what the best part was and he doesn't talk about any of that, he talks about the friends.
He's 18. He's from Buckinghamshire. And he's already lived a winter that most skiers only dream about.
If you've grown up loving the mountains the way Jonny has or you just feel a pull towards this lifestyle, then download the Instructor Guide to learn more.
