• Support and contact from us throughout your Nonstop experience
• Hear from parents of previous Nonstop Gap Year students
• Our experience in the industry
• Find out about our experienced and trusty team
• ATOL License and the protection it offers

Book with confidence - For many parents it can be an unnerving experience sending their son or daughter out into the world for the first time and with so many companies on the market you want to be sure you are booking with a reputable company. Nonstop has been the market leader in ski and snowboard courses for many years now and to date we have trained more happy customers than any other company. 

Keep in close contact - Over the last 10 years in operation we have found that parents feel much more at ease if they are kept in the loop throughout the booking process and the course, and for that reason we have made it easier than ever to keep in touch with us. You can call us in the office 9am-6pm 5 days a week, e-mail us and even add us on skype.

Feel Informed - In the months leading up to the course clients will receive detailed information packs, letting you know all the finer details of the course and often answering the niggling questions you have in the back of your mind. If you'd prefer to be the main e-mail contact with Nonstop (instead of your son or daughter) let us know and we will make sure all correspondence leading up to the course will be sent directly you.

Support without hand holding - Over the years we have seen many gap year students grow and mature during their time with us and it is something we actively encourage on all our courses. So while there is always great support for all our clients, we are very careful not treat our gap year Nonstoppers any different to anyone else on the course, as we feel too much 'hand holding' can be detrimental to their development as young adults.

Nonstop has been operating since 2002 and in that time we have trained and certified more instructors than any other company.

We started by running just one course in Fernie BC almost 10 years ago; we now offer 20 different courses spread across three countries and over 10 different resorts. Despite the growth, our UK operations team remains small with just six full-time staff members, so you'll get to know each of us well.  We believe in a non-corporate, personal service, which is why throughout your whole Nonstop experience you can easily talk to any one of us at any point.  We have lots more staff on hand in Canada during the season, you can read more about the team below.

Nonstop are the market leaders in ski and snowboard tuition, we're going from strength to strength and our progress does not show any signs of slowing down, even in this period of economic downturn. Book with confidence knowing that your investment is safe and that even with fewer people affording gap years, we will still be there providing first class courses and once in a lifetime experiences! 

Emily Park - We first met Emily on our 06/07 11 Week Snowboard Instructor course in Banff. Emily quickly established herself as one of the strongest female riders we had seen on a Nonstop course and achieved her Level 1 and 2 certifications, but we knew that was only the beginning! After teaching for three seasons in Banff and New Zealand (gaining her Level 3 in the process), as well as assisting our then Banff host Tysen, Emily came on board as our full time host and we haven't looked back since. Emily is super fun, incredibly organised (she is a P.E teacher in the summer months), and a lynch pin of our 11 week course in Banff.

Mark Impey - Mark is our Red Mountain course director and lead ski coach. Formerly the head of the CSIA in Western Canada, Mark is pretty much the most experienced ski coach you are ever likely to meet. We are extremely proud to be able to offer lessons with Mark as his knowledge, skill level and ability to train people to the highest level is unrivalled. On top of all that he is great guy as well!

Dave Richards - Our Canadian Operations Manager, based in Fernie. Dave oversees all of our programs in Canada and has been with Nonstop since the very beginning. Formerly the owner of rafting company, he has also been a Cat ski guide, outdoor pursuits instructor and is currently a member of the Fernie search and rescue team. Dave has a lifetime of experience in the mountains making him the perfect person to oversee our ski and snowboard courses.

Jenny Mitchell - Jenny is a Brit turned Canadian and has lived in Fernie BC for the last 10 years. An awesome skier (and Level 3 instructor), Jenny oversees all of our short courses in Fernie as well as our Master the Mountain off-piste camp. Jenny often receives many of the plaudits from our short course clients as she works tirelessly to ensure all elements of the programs are well taken care of and provides excellent support throughout. We are extremely lucky to have her on board and hope she stays with us for years to come!

Mark Hatch - Mark is the quintessential mountain man complete with trusty dog at his side. After spending eight years in Fernie working on various Nonstop courses, Mark has now taken his place as our Fernie course host and is doing a fantastic job. Always the first to join in the fun Mark is great at making the course more than just a dry training experience and is constantly coming up with new ways to enhance participants' time in Fernie.

Jase Collins - Jase has been teaching skiing at the highest level for 17 years now and running courses for the last eight. A simply phenomal skier and one of the most passionate coaches we have ever come across, Jase provides a truly amazing instructor course experience in some of the most rugged and exciting free-ride terrain south of the equator.

Rupert Taylor - Nonstop's Founder and Managing Director, Rupert started Nonstop with his cousin in 2002, after completing a similar program in his gap year. Recognising there was a gap in the market in Western Canada, Rupert couldn't wait to launch Nonstop and share his experiences of Fernie's 'steep and deep' terrain. Nearly 12 years on, Rupert is continually developing Nonstop to ensure we stay ahead of the game and deliver the very best ski and snowboard courses on the market.

Max Kuenssberg - Max became a snowboard instructor in Whistler several years ago and has a wealth of industry knowledge, which will enlighten anyone looking to become an instructor. He's now our Course Advisor and is the first point of contact for information about our courses and resorts that we operate in.

Pete Rees - Pete is our Marketing Director and has worked in the snowsports industry for many years now. Formerly the Marketing Manager for Whitelines Snowboard magazine, Pete took part on our 3 Week Snowboard Instructor course, before taking a career break in Chamonix where he indulged his passion for snowboarding. Pete joined our team in January 2010 and is helping drive Nonstop forward into the future with exciting new concepts and ideas.

Harriet Cunningham - Harriet came to Nonstop as a fresh faced, gap year student and after completing our 3 Week Ski Instructor course in Banff she stayed on for the season to work as an instructor at Mount Norquay. Harriet has joined the Nonstop UK team for her placement year whist at university and as a previous Nonstopper, who better to talk to about Banff, skiing and instructing?

Milly Cooper - Milly is our Marketing Assistant. She qualified as a ski instructor in 2007 and moved to Switzerland to teach for two years. She then went on to do an English Literature and Creative Writing degree and joined our team in early 2013. She has a background in ski racing, so if you're coming at this from an Alpine point of view, then contact her with any questions you may have.

Here is the Civil Aviation Authority's description of ATOL and how it protects you as the consumer:

'ATOL protects you from losing your money or being stranded abroad. It does this by carrying out checks on the tour operators and travel organisers it licenses, and requiring them to take part in a financial guarantee scheme managed by the Air Travel Trust (ATT) which provides the funds to protect customers should a firm fail. In some cases a licence holder will also provide a bond, which is lodged with the ATT and provides additional funds.

If a tour operator goes out of business, the CAA will ensure you do not lose the money you paid over, or if you're abroad, we'll arrange for you to finish your holiday and fly home.'

Nonstop is ATOL protected, so in the extremely unlikely event that we should go out of business at anytime, you and your money are protected!