The Journey From Gap Year to Ski School Director

Paul Clarke came to Nonstop to fulfil his dream of making a living as a ski instructor. Here he shares his success story of graduating from gap year instructor trainee in Fernie to Snowsports School Director in RED Mountain...

Paul Clarke in RED Mountain

My love for Canada started after two family holidays to Whistler and Lake Louise. When I turned 18, I was determined to take a gap year before university and become a ski instructor. I had been skiing since the age of 3 and couldn’t think of anything I’d rather do than have that red jacket and teach skiing for a living!

I found Nonstop online and swiftly signed up for a 3 week course in Fernie. The course was amazing; full of great instruction, backcountry tours, cat skiing, avalanche training and social outings. I particularly enjoyed the backcountry over-night trip that included sleeping in a snow hole! This was a great experience and something that I would do again at university on a winter survival expedition in Finland. The day cat skiing was also another great highlight as we experienced endless deep powder runs and my first sighting of a moose!

At the end of the course in January, I was thrilled to pass my CSIA Level 1. Being a gap year, I thought this would be the only opportunity to gain employment and teach for the season- so I applied for jobs at most resorts in British Columbia and was lucky enough to be offered a job at Red Mountain Resort.

RED's breathtaking scenery

Red Mountain is located in Rossland, BC, a small scenic mining town dating back to 1898. It is the oldest ski area in Western Canada! Over the last 10 years, RED has really excelled and we have been rewarded in our efforts with the following statistics and awards:

• Ranked 8th best place in the world to visit in 2013 (New York Times)
• #1 Ski Town (Powder Magazine- Ski Town Throwdown 2012)
• Most underrated ski resort (Skiing Magazine)
• Raters was awarded “Best Ski Resort Bar 2012”
• Most Improved Resort (World Snow Awards 2013)

This season 2013/14 we have a brand new chairlift opening up Grey Mountain. This is increasing our skiing terrain by 1,000 acres and 22 new runs! This now puts RED in the Top 20 of all North American Ski resorts by terrain scale and makes RED the 8th largest ski resort in Canada! A huge expansion that we are very proud of and excited to ski.

Following my Nonstop course I taught for the remainder of the 2003-4 season and made some life-long friends and contacts in the snow sports industry. Teaching my first lesson was very daunting. I remember being very nervous and I had to teach a group of school kids aged 9 or 10. I was lucky to have a supportive group of peers around me that were always on hand for tips and advice. Staff training was also a great way to encourage one another and learn from the other instructors. Practice really does make perfect!

Not a bad office!

A typical day instructing usually starts around 8.30am with a morning meeting followed by a training run on the chair lift to warm up before you start teaching. There are many different types of lessons you can teach from groups, privates, camps, clubs, schools, kinders (3-5yrs), kids or adults. I like having a variety of lessons as it really helps develop you as an instructor and keeps you on your game! I would normally have a 2-3 hour lesson in the morning followed by another 2-3 hours in the afternoon.

Working at RED the instructors have quite a few perks. Apart from the obvious uniform and seasons pass they also get 25% off around the resort, an equipment bonus at the end of the season (calculated by the amount of hours worked) and course reimbursement. If a staff member returns to work the following season after passing a qualification, they are refunded the course fees.  This is a great incentive for the instructors to further their education and gain qualifications.

I returned to the UK in 2004 and graduated from Buckinghamshire University in 2007 with a BA(Hons) degree in Sport & Leisure Management & Outdoor Studies.

I returned to RED in 2007 to teach skiing full-time and I have never looked back. I’ve now been in Canada for 6 years, completing my CSIA 3, SnowPark, Race Official and CADS (Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing) qualifications.

After teaching full-time for 3 years I gained promotion to Assistant Director in 2010 and in 2012 was offered the Director of Snowsports position at RED. This was a fantastic opportunity and one that really helped me to develop my career within the ski industry. It is a challenging role, but one that I enjoy immensely. I have a great team of instructors, at one of the best ski resorts in North America. I am one of the few people who can honestly say they enjoy going to work each day! Sharing your passion for skiing and working in a fun and vibrant work force is like no other.

I have now applied for permanent residence and hope to make Canada my home forever and hope to continue in my role as Director for many years to come.

Paul in action in RED's powder

Tips & Advice for Aspiring Ski or Snowboard Instructors:

• Don’t worry about coming to Canada on your own. I did the same and met so many great people and made life-long friends.  People here in Canada are so friendly and approachable
• If you are trying to gain employment, apply for a work visa as early as possible! These things go like hot cakes. Keep an eye on the IEC website and have paperwork ready for when it opens as they are in high demand and are distributed on a first come, first served basis
• It is best to apply for jobs via phone or in person. Don’t give up or be afraid to call multiple times. It shows you are keen and passionate about gaining employment
• Pack light as you will buy gear when you are here! You won’t be able to resist.

Nonstop did a great job and helped give me the foundation needed to become a high end ski instructor. I have remained good friends with the coaches, staff and fellow clients. Canada is such an amazing place to experience and I would suggest anyone passionate about skiing or teaching should come out and join a Nonstop course - you won’t regret it!

If like Paul you would like to try out a gap year that could lead to a career in the snowsports industry, why not check out the gap year courses like the one Paul attended in Fernie. You can also find out more about Nonstop's ski instructor courses or snowboard instructor courses which provide a great route into the industry.