Instructing in Whistler

Hi guys! My name’s Matt and I’ve been spending a couple of days in the NONSTOP office to get a feeling of how the business side of the industy works. I’ve spent the past two years in Canada and thought I might share my experiences of working as an instructor in Whistler.

There are few better places to instruct skiing and snowboarding than in Whistler. Not only does it offer some of the world’s best riding, but the mountain’s popularity means there is never a shortage of work and the Canadian custom of tipping means it can be a financially rewarding experience.

I worked as a snowboard instructor for a year and through hard work and sheer enthusiasm for the job I soon found myself instructing strong riders rather than being constrained to the nursery slopes. The best route ‘up the ladder’ was to attend the instructor morning sessions, when we had the mountain to ourselves before the lifts open to the public. This was an awesome opportunity to learn from the top instructors and also to show off your own talent!

One of the best perks of being an instructor in Whistler was the pro-deals at the local shops; instructors benefit from a massive 45% reduction on retail prices and get first pick of the new gear at the start of the season. There’s also a referral scheme, where we could gain ‘points’ with local shops by taking our clients there. If you play your cards right you could finish the season with a completely new set up for free – awesome!

The only negative experience would be that you’re working for Intrawest. As such you sometimes feel somewhat of a pawn in a massive corporate empire, but this feeling is soon forgotten at the carnage that is ‘pay day Fridays!’ All in all, working as an instructor in Whistler has to be one of the best jobs in the world!!!

For details of the various instructor courses NONSTOP offer click here