05/06 SEASONAIRE DIARIES

From factory worker to snowboard instructor

Here’s the latest of our series of blogs from past NONSTOP clients who have gone on to work as instructors around the world. After falling in love with snowboarding, five years ago Paul gave up his factory job to pursue his dreams…

Well, snowboarding was something that I always wanted to do but just seemed too inaccessible. That was until I was lucky enough to meet a guy at work, who turned out to be a snowboarder and sold me his old board (a Burton Charger). I was really pleased to get my own board but had no idea how to … Read more

Fernie 11 Week Ski Instructor Course ‘06 – Week 10

By Trevor Murphy

Week 10, the penultimate week for the first group of people doing Level 2 and they’re starting to feel some pressure. Luckily the rest of us are having a blast knowing it’s at least 3 weeks until we have to go through the same torture!!! That still doesn’t make us exempt from the dreaded weekly Thursday ski-off but where would the fun be if we didn’t have Jens, Wendy Mac, Jono etc grading our current performances!

The midweek social highlight was 5 pin bowling. You read it correctly, only 5 pins. We went along feeling mighty confident that this would be much easier than regular 10 pin bowling. Oh how wrong we were. For starters the bowling balls just about fit in the palm of your hand and those 5 pins are very well spread out. Yes, the excuses are already being put in place for what amounted to some very low scores (on the most part). Although, naming no names, one person did score more points in half a game with his left hand than the previous full game using his natural right hand, shocking but true.

After the bowling we ended up in The Pub having a few drinks with the instructors that attended and playing “I have never…”. Suffice to say that all the juicy gossip came out as the drinks began to flow and Leanne learned that us NONSTOPers are not as angelic as she once thought.

The highlight of the week was the 3 day trip to Banff. On the way we stopped off at the Radium Hot Springs for a soak before making our way to Banff and a chance to meet the NONSTOPers based there.

We all met for a meal at Wild Bill’s but we couldn’t eat unless there were members of Fernie and Banff on the same table. It was a great way to mix us which continued after the food as we played various ‘cowboy’ themed games such as lassoing the runaway bull (which was won by the Fernie NSS crew, Yee Haw).

The night continued in several drinking establishments before ending at the Auroura nightclub.

Worse for wear most of us did ski the next day at Lake Louise where we were faced with ‘huge’ queues at the lifts. (With 2 people making up a queue in Fernie, 15 people is ridiculous by comparison!)

That evening took on a similar feel to the previous night with great food and a’ few’ drinks before collapsing back at the hostel just over the bridge.

Sunday brought another early start and a trip to a new mountain resort called Sunshine. Another day’s skiing, our first trip in a gondola and weather that behaved with a Fernie factor all made Sunshine a memorable day out.

The trip home was fairly uneventful, well apart from an ambulance meeting the NONSTOP bus but that’s another story.

This is Mr Brightside signing off.

READ WEEK 11

Fernie 11 Week Ski Instructor Course ‘06 – Week 11

By Menno Blaisse (Dutchy)

NONSTOP\’s Dutch Ambassador writes….

Off we went into our final two weeks in Fernie but first we had the best activities coming up.

Personally I was really looking forward to the Banff trip. The plan was to train (in Banff) for the Level 2 course that would start on Monday right after. Plan failed! Instead of skiing, I, amongst others, went snowbiking. Greatest fun!

Lake Louise and Sunshine are great resorts, but Fernie is still home for me! As we’ve turned into locals in Fernie, it was weird to feel like tourists again in Banff. Although the nightlife was off the hook!

Monday some of us started their level 2 course, so did I. Although, in a serious week of focus and concentration, we were all getting excited about the famous and fantabulous ‘Hot Dog Day’. The main idea of that day was to look as ridiculous as possible.

I was a little scratchy about the whole thing, till everybody in Fernie got into their 70’s feeling. The whole NONSTOP crew dressed up like Starsky and Hutch. It was hilarious! Imagine an entire mountain full of hippies coming down the hill, old school style except for one little group of fanatic snowplowers doing the same run all day (us).

The day was concluded with killer parties all over town.

That weekend, people who signed up for it, could finally experience what it feels like to sleep in snow caves.

Guided by our own ‘Dangerous Dave’, people went up the hill, got to build bunkers in the snow and slept overnight in a cave at the (by ideal standards)perfect temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius. Yes people actually volunteered!

It was too cold to hold for me, but since I\’ve heard the stories and saw the beautiful pictures, I regretted not sharing that extreme experience.

As I stand in front of my house, (Kens Up) knowing that I’m a fully certified Level 2 instructor, I’m thinking about the awesome 11 weeks that have passed as the snow melts away in the sun.

Off to Amsterdam it is!

THANK YOU NONSTOP

Banff 11 Week Ski Instructor Course ‘06 – Week 10

This week it was the turn of the skiers to go into the backcountry. After meeting our guides, Todd, Jessie and Tim, we headed out to Bow Summit.

Gearing up at the base with skis, skins, avalanche equipment and most importantly, lunch, we split into three groups and headed upwards – a long, long way upwards! An hour after skinning through the trees we popped out above the tree line and made our first descent through the fresh, powder snow – wow! Just a shame we seemed to ski down so quickly, before we knew it
we were hiking back up again.

That evening we resided in Mosquito Creek Hostel a very quaint cabin in the woods. With no TV or music we had to make our own entertainment which involved board games, charades and finally a relax in the sauna (with a cool down in the snow!)

Warning – to anyone who knows Lizzy, don’t ever challenge her to a game of Trivia Pursuit – you will lose!

The next day we awoke to fresh snow and a beautiful blue sky day. This time we skinned straight from the hostel up to the mountain behind. It seemed to be hours before we reached the top and made our first decent but it was more than worth it. Some of the guys even said it was better than heliskiing in terms of quality of snow and terrain and the views were just spectacular.

After the long trek up, half of the group decided to return to the hostel and the other half chose to do another run.

Later that afternoon fifteen weary people returned to Banff for a rest before level two exams started.

Fernie 11 Week Snowboard Instructor Course ‘06 – Week 9

By Gemma Hardwick

Another whirlwind of a NONSTOP week has passed us by. . .

Monday took those who managed to get out of bed after Ross’s party, backcountry boarding. The team of two spent the day hiking and making fresh trax.

On Tuesday we said goodbye to Colin, hope that collar bone gets better soon.

By Thursday four boarders had their CASI Race coach to add to their endless list of qualifications.

On Thursday evening we went to Pass Powderkeg for a spot of night boarding. The hour long journey took us across the Alberta border and past the world’s biggest truck. We also persuaded one of the skiers to come and give boarding a go, (a dark icy slope being the ideal place to learn)!! After a few runs most of us discovered we were more interested in drinking than boarding and headed to the bar.

This weekend 50 of us NONSTOPers headed to Big Mountain, Whitefish, USA. Customs made for an interesting experience but luckily we were all allowed through.

After exploring the ski hill all afternoon, we went for a night out on the town. However being 6 months off 21 I spent the evening in the hotel sipping beer with the other under-agers. Everyone else told us they had a great night of drinking, dancing and drunken mischief. There were a lot of fuzzy heads in the morning!