Skiing has always been a source of pure joy — the feeling of gliding through the trees, spray and fresh powder hitting your face on a perfect day is truly unmatched. There’s nothing more special in a career than being able to turn your passion into your work,” says Simone. Read her full story below.
A Day In The Life Of A Ski Instructor At Northstar
Working as a ski instructor in Tahoe opens your life up to a world of outdoor adventure. Surrounded by mountains, rock walls, and water, there are endless possibilities for outdoor excursions. Living in Kings Beach, my daily commute starts every morning with a drive past Lake Tahoe, where I’m greeted by the glow of the sun across the water and the glisten of fresh fallen snow over the mountains encircling the far edges of the lake.
Once at Northstar, group lessons begin around 9am and conclude between 3 and 4. During this time we explore the trails with guests, searching for wooden animals hidden in the trees throughout the kids adventure zones, taking skiers on their first greens, blues, and blacks, and breaking throughout the day to warm up with snacks and hot chocolate. After spending the day at Northstar, I often meet up with other instructors in the village at Copper Lane, a perfect place to relax, play games, and unwind with friends. Some days, I will head to the bouldering gym to get a climbing session in, others I will explore the lake, or head to Whitecaps for a delicious slice of pizza. Many friends will take the evenings to head to Woodward to practice park tricks and take advantage of their extensive skate park.
Why Chose Northstar For A Winter Ski Season With EA Ski and Snowboard Training?
The Lake Tahoe area is chalk full of options for adventurous excursions and various activities. For those who are in search of outdoor expeditions, the area provides endless opportunities. In the winter, the ski mountains around Lake Tahoe including Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood, Palisades, Suagarbowl, Diamond Peak, Mount Rose and more, provide a multitude of options and varied terrain for sliding around in the snow. I spent every full moon doing moonlight boot packs and backcountry skiing under the stars. Towards the end of the season as it begins to warm up, the area’s outdoor rock climbing walls start to emerge from under the snow, and I would pass the afternoons climbing, playing volleyball by the lake or taking a sunset dip. Both Reno and Carson City are nearby if I ever wanted to shop at stores or partake in activities that weren't in my immediate area. However, between Kings Beach, Truckee and Incline Village, I was never at a loss for things to do, and spent numerous nights playing trivia or bingo, line dancing and joining in on Karaoke nights.
In addition to all the activities that the area provides, Northstar itself has an unbelievable training program. Highly certified instructors and trainers at Northstar have created an incredible program to help grow the skills of instructors looking to obtain higher certifications or improve their abilities. I had the privilege of being trained by some of the best skiers in the world, and by utilizing this incredible training program, I managed to become a fully certed level 2 ski instructor in one season. What a special opportunity.
Why do I ski and instruct skiing?
Skiing has always been a source of pleasure and the feeling of gliding through the trees, being whipped in the face by spray and fresh flakes on a powder day is unmatchable. There is nothing more special in a career than being able to combine passion with work. As a ski instructor, I am able to spend endless time in an environment I love, while refining and growing my skiing abilities, meeting and working with incredible people from all over the world, and gaining confidence instructing clients of all ages. It is so rewarding to see the same passion I share for the sport, alight in the eyes of my students as they make breakthroughs, learn new techniques, or even step into skis for the first time! Ski instructing has been an endlessly rewarding position, and I am constantly engaged, learning, growing, and having fun.
