Season at Banff

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pow_pow~

Active member
Hey so while i only made an account recently and i think this is my first post, i have been lurking NS for a while now and just decided to make an account.

Just looking for some advice.

but yeah im from sydney, australia and as you can imagine, theres no snow. nearest fields are about a 10hr drive away.. saying that, ive been about 4 times so have about 3 weeks on snow experience, and would say im about an intermediate. im not all that great but im not a beginner either. i absolutely love it and im devastated every time the trip is over. but anyone that skis in australia knows that you pay almost the highest price for very average snow. but still people come because its the only fields in australia. because of this price and distance difficulties (and having a single parents with 3 siblings) its hard to get down to the snow every year.

i am now in my last year of school and was looking at trip options for next year, as im quite indecisive about what i want to do, and i dont particularly want to go to uni (college). we had some careers expo the other day ( a whole bunch of companies come to a confrence centre and advertise what they do) and one that caught my eye was a snow shcool.

So pretty much you spend about 15 weeks on snow and they train you up and to obtain level 1 and 2 CSIA etc.

its expensive as fuck but i was interested, so i spoke to my aunty about it (currently living with her) and she said she would fund it if i would take it seriously. she also suggested a week skiing in new zealand just a sort of refresher (havent skied for a couple of seasons) and to see if its something i would potentially like to do.

we've priced it up and its actually cheaper to do it through the course for a season with everything included, breakfasts, dinners, accomodation, lift passes etc than it is to just book it yourself.

on the website it is recommended for this specific course that you should have atleast two weeks on snow experience, which i have, but havent done for a while.

just curious as to what you guys think and if anyones done something similar etc

cheeers.

 
More time on snow. outdoor education. doesn't sound too bad to me,

had a friend go through a school like this and got some pretty cool experiences and lessons out of it,

if you want to be outside and have something different than the traditional college experience it might be pretty cool,

definitely take up that offer in NZ though hah
 
I just finished 2 seasons in Banff but worked at a hotel. I had the Big 3 pass so I went wherever the snow fell the most and it was sick living in that town. The thing is, if you work at Lake Louise, it's cool but your stuck in a small place outside of work. At Sunshine Village, near Banff, tons of Aussies and Brits work for the hill but if you live at the village, after 5pm the gondola closes and your stuck up there or down in Banff for the night. My friends who lived up there says it's a fun fuckfest of an experience. Norquay is real small but it's only 10 minutes from Banff so you don't live at the mountain. The hill is very small but it has a decent little park and a tight vibe. If I were an Australian looking to work for a hill, of the 3 I would probably choose Sunshine Village and you won't necessarily have to live up there anyways. Working for the mountain is good for ride buddies. Banff was great but there are a lot of people that lacked dedication to shred as much as possible, like, "nah bro I'm gonna be way too hungover to go skiing tomorrow" like wtf right? Lots and lots of drinking and partying in Banff because it's so transient and it's always someone's birthday or last night before they move away. I moved to Banff for skiing primarily and most people moved to primarily party. That's just my experience though and I'm only one person with one perspective of the place. What about Whistler? I wish I did a season there instead of the second one in Banff...
 
oh yeah nz is defs a go haha. just buying some new gear now and then will look at skis etc when i get back, only ever rented before haha was too poor
 
well the company i was looking at doing it through does it at banff and big white, but banff goes for a bit longer. no whistler.

oh by the way i wouldnt be working, its all inclusive, and if my aunty pays i have this whole year to save up money for spending and that and buying fresh gear
 
Do it for sure man. I did my level 1 this year and it was with some people that had barely skied at all in there lives and weren't even doing the snow school(you will be trained for like a month before you have to do your level 1) and they passed easy. Lake Louise is a riot, better then Banff if your keen on actually shredding alot. We are only an hour away from Kicking horse which is epic. It is a small town but there is plenty of partying, and its an awesome community anyday you want to go skiing if you hangout at the base for a littlewhile you will run into someone to shred with. Just finished our season today though your snow school thing will most likely be done in april.

Only thing I have to say is be open minded and don't get stuck/be a little rich bratty entitled kid. Like 50% of the people I've met in that program are super cool and still friends after 2 seasons and the other 50% are just stuck up little bitches.
 
Oh yeah, will definately be open minded, ah and trust me where i come from there are so many people that are like that and pisses me off so much, i always pay for my own stuff. but thanks for the input im so keen
 
Okay, I just got back from doing a season course to get my level 1 and 2 in banff and it was the best time of my life yet! Definitely do it! You will not regret it. Make sure you're 18 when you go so you can go out and party and enjoy the night life which is fucking awesome and there were a bunch of people in my group who had 3 weeks or less on snow so you'll be fine. BUT, don't do it with Snow Skool. There are 3 mountains you can ski in Banff and Snow Skool only ski at 1, and trust me, you want top be skiing at all 3! You should do it with Nonstop (

http://www.nonstopsnow.com/). They are by far the best company in Banff and have the best instructors, sweet accommodation and awesome people. When I was on it, we would just laugh at people on other courses. Seriously if you don't choose Nonstop, you need your head looking at! The biggest thing is that they are the only course in Banff that skis at all 3 resorts. Good Luck!
 
my brother did a season in banff training for level 1 and 2 and he loved it! it was expensive but he said that he would have paid for it again. he said he met loads of really cool people, and the skiing was amazing. generally a sick time.

i think he did it with international academy, dunno if that is who you were thiknig of doing it with..
 
Yo I did a season in Banff and am currently living in Whistler. I loved Banff but after skiing the pow in BC I couldn't go back to the rockies. I've also been an instructor for quite a while and personally I think those extended level 1 and 2 programs are a waste of money. Any strong intermediate skier can get their level 1 if they are willing to learn and I've seen some pretty shitty skiers get their level 2. I ski instruct on weekends to pay the bills and have a free pass but I can honestly say I have been pretty unimpressed with the CSIA's standards of skiing. You will become a far better skier chasing your friends around the mountain than working on the different phases of a turn.

Also another thing worth considering is what do you get on becoming a ski instructor? Like its been a pretty fun part time job for me, but the pay is pretty shit because everyone wants to be an instructor and level 1s are dime a dozen. Unless you're able to obtain your level 3 and 4 there isn't much of a career out of it, its more just something to do if you enjoy teaching and skiiing. That being said, if its what you want to do, then all the power to ya.

But personally I'm going to invest the rest of my time getting all my certs for the CFSA rather than trying to keep skiing by the silly standards of the CSIA.
 
oh yeah id much rather spend a season with friends skiing but thats not really an option, im not really friends with anyone that skiis except for one and i dont think he would be all that keen considering the cost.

i cant afford to go over for a season just by myself, and my aunty has agreed to pay for it if i do a course-type thing whereas she would just tell me to fuck off if i wanted the cash just to chill and ski.
 
imo, dont pay for course to train you, waste of money, i rocked up to thredbo a couple of seasons ago, did the hiring clinic, got a job as in instructor with no certs at all, worked the full season, got my level 1s at the end of the season, got a job with Whistller, did the season there, got my level 2s at the end of the season.

honestly ithink those courses are just a way to get some money off kids who dont realise how easy it is to get a job as an instructor.
 
also man, when you get a job with a ski school you can go to free training provided by the ski school on your day off, of course the variety of trainging depends on the ski school

whistlers program is fucking awesome, on my days off i can choose between any level training that applies to me, race training, big mountain training, park and pipe training, moguls training, or just skiing in general training
 
ah fuck dude thats insane !

haha im soo keen now but ill just have to see how everything pans out. still got a few months before i need to give anything a serious look and im in the middle of the hsc now anyways
 
Yes you could get the quals cheaper if you did the hiring clinics etc , but if your aunt is paying, then this is no brainer, do it, you will have a sick time. Plus if you ever do actually work as an instructor you are already level 2, and you'll probably find it easier to get your level three as well. I did a similar course in Nz, and have now done 11 seasons in
 
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