Florentina Mercedes Oblau

I learned to ski at 3 and snowboard at 12, taught by ski and snowboard instructors. I didn’t grow up in the mountains, but my parents made sure to take me on ski holidays for at least one or two weeks every season. As a kid, I joined the ski races at the end of ski school weeks, and later I was part of the snowboard team at a Canadian high school. These days it’s alpine skiing with a bit of off-piste, and on the snowboard it’s all-mountain, off-piste, occasional freestyle and splitboarding. I have so many amazing memories, but one of the best is snowboarding with friends on Grouse Mountain in Vancouver: the best view of the city, the sea and Vancouver Island as the sun set, painting the sky in vibrant colours while the first stars appeared. I don’t think I’ve ever had a better view while riding.

I’ve loved skiing and snowboarding since I was a child and can’t imagine life without them, so I became an instructor to pass on my passion and bring others the same joy. My favourite thing about the job is seeing how much joy it brings our guests when they learn something new, or when beginners finally get the hang of it. I’ve been instructing for a year.

I’m just starting university, and otherwise I travel a lot and spend time with family and friends. I play volleyball, go to the gym, and love hiking, surfing and bouldering-but really I’ll try almost any sport. One surprising fact about me: I enjoy planning trips, but when a last-minute idea strikes, I’ll book a flight or train for the next day without even knowing where I’ll be staying.