Name: Amy Wardman
Pathway: 10 Week Gap Course (Courchevel, 2009/10); Worked in Italy for 3 weeks (Interski, 2010); Season in Cardrona (NZ, 2010); ISIA Seasonal Training (Courchevel, 2010/11); Qualified Alpine Level 3 (2010/11); Season in Cadrona (NZ, 2011)
Future: Joining New Generation Ski School Verbier and completing Alpine Level 4 Training (2011/12)
Posted: 15 August 2011

Why did you join the GAP course? 

From the outset I hoped to pursue my skiing qualification further than my BASI level 2 so when I started looking into GAP courses I was keen to choose a ski school that provided an opportunity for progression through to the ISIA or ISTD. I was already aware of New Generation’s strong reputation, having worked in Courchevel for a season. After speaking to some of their instructors and researching the training provided by New Gen for the progressive levels, deciding to join their GAP course was an easy choice.

What did you enjoy most - on snow and off snow?

On snow, the training was a good mix of developing our own skiing and learning the progression to teach beginner to intermediate skiers. The opportunity to shadow New Generation’s instructors was hugely beneficial during the course, especially as they have so much experience in the industry. The knowledge gained during this time proved invaluable when starting teaching for the first time and highlighted the benefits of taking part in a GAP course. Off snow, living in a chalet with all of the other trainees provided an immediate group of friends and a good atmosphere in which to relax after training. This was also where we did our first aid course, video analysis sessions and our theory, which made the whole process easy and stress-free.

Would you recommend the GAP to others / and why?

I would thoroughly recommend the GAP course – it was a fun fast-track way of achieving the level 2 and the coaching and mentoring offered by New Generation was great. The main benefits of GAP courses are that all the different parts of the level 1 and 2 are organized for you, allowing you to concentrate on skiing and enjoying your time in the Alps.

What makes New Generation stand out from our competitors?

New Generation stood out as it was one of the few Ski Schools that has a direct link with BASI as an official BASI GAP course. Having researched the various schools and spoken to people within the industry New Generation was clearly a well-known and reputable school to train with.

What did you do after the course? Did you go and work? What did you do in the summer?

New Generation went beyond the training required to pass the BASI exams and provided invaluable support in getting jobs after we passed our level 2. The careers talk during our training provided information for whatever your aim was within the ski industry and covered options all over the world. After passing my Level 2 exam in March I was lucky enough to go straight to Italy to teach for the last three weeks of the season. I’d definitely recommend trying to gain experience straight after the course as it allowed us to build our confidence in a real teaching environment. New Generation also provided an invaluable reference that resulted in a job at Cardrona Ski Resort, New Zealand for the summer. It was a great experience to work for the season so soon after gaining my level 2 and it allowed me to commit to a full seasons training during the next European winter.

Why did you join the ISIA course (Alpine Level 3) and not go and take the 'work' option?

The leap from BASI Level 2 to BASI level 3 is renowned for being a big one so I decided to do an ISIA training course rather than go into full time work, as I was keen to go into my exams confident that I would pass. I hoped that the course would provide the opportunity to make substantial progress in my personal skiing as well as build my technical knowledge and develop my teaching skills and I wasn’t disappointed.

How did you find having to do all their own accommodation search etc.?

Accommodation was relatively easy to find as we had organized it whilst in Courchevel after finishing our level 2. We were lucky enough to know a group of people all of whom had committed to the ISIA training and arranged a 7 bed apartment. It was easy to arrange viewings in La Praz, and New Generation also have contacts for those not in resort.

What was the best part of the ISIA course?

The variety within the training really made the course for me. Despite the ultimate focus towards the exams, week on week we were able to concentrate on different aspects of our skiing and teaching and having a range of trainers ensured we were kept on our toes.

Did you work during their time on the course?

Thanks to the structure of the training programme we were able to work in Italy during the peak weeks of the season i.e. Christmas, February Half Term and Easter. This meant we managed to gain extra teaching experience and to earn some extra money during the course.

Did it help with the course starting in January?

Thanks to the course starting in January it meant that we were able to earn as much money as possible before starting the season, which was a huge benefit as we were committed to exams until the end of May. As it finished in March we also had a month between the course ending and starting the exams to carry on training together, to free-ski, work and relax.

What did you do after the course?

After I finished the training I took my Mountain Safety module, which was also in Courchevel and then went to Hintertux Galcier to take my Technical, Teaching and Development Coach Level 2 modules. It was an intense month of exams but having taken part in the ISIA training I felt fully prepared and it made a huge difference to go into the exams in a positive state of mind. Thanks to the training I was not only confident in the standard of my skiing but I felt able to make changes to my skiing when required and to use a range of teaching techniques to a high level. Training in a small team of 8 meant that there was a good support network during the exams and we managed to cut costs considerably by sharing transport, accommodation and food during the month in Austria. 

How did the course prepare you for your modules? 

The course covered the various aspects of the ISIA from the mountain safety through to the technical and teaching modules. The holistic approach to the training meant that we not only progressed our personal skiing but we learnt how to help others progress and developed our understanding of numerous teaching methods. Our main trainer, Euan, was a fantastic coach and an invaluable support to the group throughout the season. We also had different trainers from New Generation to cover specialist areas giving us the best possible training in piste performance, bumps, off-piste, navigation and teaching. Throughout the course we were required to teach the group so by the time the exams came around, we were comfortable teaching our peers at our own level – a criteria required by the level 3 teaching exam. All in all I felt I couldn’t have been better prepared for the exams and this can be shown by the success of the group as a whole during the month in Hintertux.

What are your plans now? 

Having passed all of my exams I am now back in New Zealand, teaching at Cardrona and I have just been offered a position on New Generation’s training team in Verbier for the 2011/2012 season. I have no doubt that the level 4 training provided during the non-peak weeks of the season will yet again stand me in good stead for my final stage of exams and I am thoroughly looking forward to being able to represent New Generation.

Name: James Wheeler
Pathway: 10 Week Gap Course (Courchevel, 2009/10); Worked in Italy for 3 weeks (Interski, 2010); Qualified Alpine Level 3 (2010/11)
Future: Joining New Generation Ski School Verbier and completing Alpine Level 4 Training (2011/12)
Posted: 15 September 2011

Why did you join the GAP course?
After a lifelong love of skiing I started to consider the possibility of making a living doing something I loved!  I thought the GAP course would be a fantastic opportunity to improve my skiing, meet a load of new friends and to see how I got on actually teaching in a proper environment, then from the experience I could decide whether I wanted to pursue my skiing career further, which of course I did!

What did you enjoy most - on snow and off snow?
On snow I simply loved the training, every training session was so much fun and very exciting, the variation was fantastic from flying down variables and steeps to practicing the central theme on the Altiport (Ed: Awesome ski run in Courchevel).  There was never a moment where I found myself bored or uninterested.  The trainers were all very inspiring, they made me driven to ski like them!  I also really enjoyed shadowing lessons, to be put in realistic situations with clients ranging from 4 year old children to 1st time skiers in their 60's  is so valuable when deciding on whether to pursue a career in instructing, help and advice from the instructors I was shadowing have proved priceless in exam and teaching situations since.

Off the snow for me was all about the people I met, in such a relatively short time I met some really great friends for life!  The fantastic thing about the GAP course is that 30 strangers ranging from 16-60, from different parts of the world,  from different back grounds, on the course for different reasons and all have a huge love for skiing are thrown together under one roof, this lead to such a good atmosphere in the house - there was never a dull moment!

Would you recommend the GAP to others / and why?
Yes!  The GAP course is a fantastic introduction into the life of a ski instructor, if you decide that ski instructing is for you after the course start looking forwards to the next levels, if not the 10 weeks will have been one of the best experiences of your life and your skiing will have greatly improved!  If you are off to University after the course use your BASI 1/2 to work during term time in local snow domes and head off in the holidays to work for companies such as Interski in the alps!

What makes New Generation stand out from other GAP providers?
The thing stood out for me whilst deciding which GAP course to choose is that New Generation are an operating ski school as well as a GAP course provided, unlike many competitors who just offer GAP courses.  I felt being in the environment of a proper working ski school would give me a far better insight into the career I was considering.  Secondly New Generation is the only company to my knowledge that has a natural progression through the BASI system after the GAP course, offering Level 3 training and Level 4 program.  This was very attractive to me and others who were already considering a career in ski instructing at the time of booking on the GAP course.  New Generation also employ more BASI trainers than any other company, this means during training both on the GAP course and ISIA we were training at the right levels in the right areas, the trainers were also able to offer us a realistic idea of where we were in relation to the levels. 

What did you do after the course? Did you go and work? What did you do in the summer?
After the course I had a week's introduction into Level 3, I would highly recommend doing the Level 3 week as it gives an insight into what is required at that level and an early indication of what is needed to get your skiing there.  Following that week I then went to work for Interski in Italy for the last 3 weeks of the season, all organised through New Generation it gave me the opportunity to put everything i had learnt over the past 10 weeks into action in a real teaching situation.  It’s a brilliant way of getting into ski instructing, very stress free as everything is sorted for you from accommodation to uniform, all you have to do is turn up on time, pick your group up and they are yours for the day.  My 3 weeks with Interski confirmed that ski instructing was for me!  Over the summer i worked at home on my family farm, this works in great with the winter ski season in Europe and gave me the opportunity to earn money to start my ISIA the following season.  Friends headed out to the southern hemisphere to put their BASI 1/2 into practice in New Zealand, Australia and South America.

 

Did you know?

New Generation employs more BASI trainers than any other ski school in the world!