Thank you for your interest in SnowSkool

Since our inception in 2003, SnowSkool has

grown into a company offering instructor

courses in five incredible resorts spanning

three continents in the northern and southern

hemispheres. There are only about three months

each year when SnowSkool is not running a

course somewhere in the world...don’t worry, we

are working to remedy this!

This experience, and our long-serving dedicated

staff, has allowed us to fine-tune all aspects of the

programmes we offer to ensure that your time

in resort will be everything you dreamt it to be:

top-notch tuition, insane skiing/snowboarding,

luxurious living and a vibrant social life.

03 | CONTENTS: SnowSkool

www.snowskool.co.ukDISCLAIMER - All information contained in this brochure is believed to be correct at time of going to press. For up to date information, please contact SnowSkool.

As part of the SnowSkool service, we provide recruitment assistance

for graduates of our instructor programmes to assist you in finding

your dream job and beginning a career in snowsports. To date, we

have connections to 125 Ski & Board Schools in fourteen different

countries in two different hemispheres and we are adding Schools to

the database every season.

For those looking for a shorter, sharper shock we have just published

next season’s schedule of week-long improver courses which allow

intermediate to advanced skiers & riders to tailor their training to

technical riding, freestyle, race or backcountry. Details online at www.

snowskool.co.uk.

We look forward to hearing from you, meeting you at a show, sharing

a cold one at a SnowSkool party or skiing/riding with you in resort!

Phil Purdie. Director, SnowSkool Ltd

With customers aged between 17 and 60 years

old and from countries all over the world, we know

that everyone has a different reason for doing an

instructor course and everyone is looking for a

different experience. Of course, certain things must

hold true – the skiing/ riding must be insanely good,

the tuition must be delivered by the most senior and

highly-qualified instructors, the SnowSkool reps must

be completely on top of their game and the instructor

recruitment database must be available to you.

But, beyond that, we have tailored our range of courses

to hit different price points. If you are looking for a

pathway to get your instructor qualifications as cheaply

as possible, we got you covered…if you want to do it all

in the most incredible and luxurious style, that’s cool

too and we have the course for you. If you want to opt

out of flight or catering, that’s fine. If you want to opt

out of something else…ask us and we’ll do our best to

make it happen!

AN INTENSE TRAINING PROGRAMME ON AN AWESOME SKI HILL IN A LAID-BACK TOWN

to SNOWSKOOLvideos,competitions and jokes...

For great photos,> 6000LIKES!!!

Photo: Andrew Jay. Rider: Craig CalderFind us on Facebook

COMPWINNER

Photo of

the season2011/12

IN THIS EDITION!

04 - Banff Course

06 - Big Sky Course

08 - Big White Course

10 - Why SnowSkool?

12 - Three Valleys Course

14 - Treble Cone Course

17 - Which Course for Me?

18 - Meet the Team

19 - Improver Courses Teaser

CHAT US UP!EMAIL: TEAM@SNOWSKOOL.CO.UK

TEL: +44 (0) 1962 855138

TOUCH US UPfacebook.com/snowskool

twitter/snowskool

snowskool.co.uk/myskool

BEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE

COURSES FOR THE OLDIES AND COURSES FOR THE YOUNGSTERS!

Your budget … Your Choice

SNOWSKOOL HAS SPENT THREE YEARS

COMPILING THE WORLD’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE

INSTRUCTOR RECRUITMENT DATABASE

you don’t like us?!What do you mean

www.facebook.com/snowskool

THE HILL - Although there are a bunch of ski hills in and around Banff, locals and visitors alike will tell you that it’s all about the ‘Shine. If you say you’re going shredding in Banff, you’ll be talking about Sunshine Village.

The ski area is spread over three individual mountains – Mt. Standish, Goat’s Eye Mtn and Lookout Mtn - and each has something totally different to offer. For lessons days, Sunshine has some incredible training terrain: beautiful, big, wide-open green and blue runs that are ideal for nailing the drills required to pass your instructor exams. But, when not in training, you can smash it on some of Canada’s toughest in-bound slopes...entry into the notorious Delirium Dive is only permitted with an avi pack and a buddy! Sunshine has it all from awesome tree-skiing to big-mountain powder faces and from sick parks with monster hits to some of the most insane backcountry terrain.

THE COMMUNITY - Banff is a very cool little town in the middle of the Canadian Rockies. You’d think the town planner was a rad shredder herself as the whole town seems geared towards skiers and snowboarders and then to entertaining them when the chairlifts stop running!

If Carlsberg did instructor training courses, HQ would be Banff! There’s a bunch of pubs & bars if you fancy a drink or two. But if two becomes three becomes four, you can get your boogie on at Auroras, The Dancing Sasquatch or Hoodoos! As well as nights out, we will also organise trips to the ice hockey, bingo bowling (more fun than it sounds!), cinema & DVD nights, football & basketball tournaments, fancy dress parties and poker nights. Banff is where it’s at. Your SnowSkool reps will be there to ensure that you make the most of your season.

ACCOMMODATION - On the SnowSkool course you will be living at the Banff Alpine Centre. Essentially it’s a lodge and it is the ideal destination for young SnowSkool students allowing you to live, eat, drink and socialise together. It’s an awesome set-up - the sense of international community, of camaraderie and of atmosphere is the most important thing about this accommodation and has to be experienced to be fully appreciated.

The hub of the lodge is “SnowSkool HQ” – a large chilling area where it’s all about sitting in front of the fire with your laptop, listening to some tunes, checking out Facebook (via the free WiFi!) and chatting (yes, actually chatting!) to your new best buddies about the day’s riding.

The Banff Alpine Centre has incredible facilities too; we mentioned the free WiFi but we didn’t tell you about the ice-climbing wall, the restaurant – Cougar Pete’s - or the Stormy C!!! The Storm Cellar is the on-site pub and is a perfect hang-out for SnowSkool students. For your amusement is free pool, free darts and table football…also FREE! The TV is always pumping out sick movies like the Art of Flight or, at times, Premiership matches! Wednesday night is open-mic jam night so if you fancy a strum, a drum or a sing, you can get involved. Friday night is karaoke night and every night is cheap drinks night. The Storm Cellar has developed legendary status in Banff and it will be approximately 50 paces from your bed!

BANFF IS A SKI AND SNOWBOARDING MECCA...WITH A NIGHTLIFE TO MATCH!

BANFF, ALBERTAWork Hard & Play Hard in Canada’s Premier Alpine Resort

04 | RESORT: Banff

www.snowskool.co.uk

SKOOL BREAKDOWN

QUALIFICATIONS

Average Annual Snowfall: 30ft Area: 3,358 acresNumber of Runs: 107 named runsTerrain Breakdown: 20% beginner - 55% intermediate - 25% expertTop Elevation: 9,000ft / 2,730m

Freestyle: Rogers Terrain Park with range of jumps (from 5ft to 35ft), XL hip, various boxes & rails (from flat-down box to 40ft kinked rail) and the 24ft Mail Trench!

Banffwould beHQ

training courses,instructor

If Carlsberg made

For more information on the specific courses we run at Sunshine Village, Banff please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

“SnowSkool Banff! My memories – riding hard, great instructors, big nights out, chilling at SnowSkool HQ, fancy-dress parties, poker nights…lots of laughs – you get the picture? Oh, and I nailed my Level 2 instructor qualification and park certificate! It really was the best 13 weeks of my life – I lived the dream!”

A year after her SnowSkool course, Laura was back in Canada working as an instructor at Nakiska – “thanks SnowSkool!”

Snowboard InstructorBanff, 2010

LauraRoberts, 19

Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA)Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI)

AGE PROFILE

AVERAGE AGE

20MALE

80%FEMALE

20%BRITISH

70%MINIMUM

3-4 WEEKSAUSSIE

20%OTHER

10%

NATIONALITIESTYPICALGENDER RATIO

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE

17-2021-2425+

RESORT STATS

THE BIGGEST SKIING IN AMERICA

THE HILL - With more than 5500 acres of terrain, Big Sky’s motto is “The Biggest Skiing in America.” But that is not even half the story…our bro’s in the States regard Big Sky as a training ground for Alaska. Why…? Well, 4350ft of vertical descent and 35ft of light, fluffy snow make this a full-on steep & deep resort. And some of the terrain is fully insane…with long couloirs opening into huge powder fields, cliff drops into tight chutes and single descents stretching 3000 vertical feet in waist-deep powder! Now please let me remind you of the name of this resort: BIG SKY. You’ve probably not heard it before. And that, my friend, is the beauty of the place. Even during the busiest weeks, lift lines are non-existent. Locals say that the only thing that will slow down your riding is your own leg strength…or lack of it!

If you want to get down with some freestyle riding, Big Sky has a sick park but the inter-connected Moonlight Basin is the place to go with two incredible snow parks with everything from basic boxes to monster table-tops!

THE COMMUNITY - Best thing about Big Sky…ski-in/ ski-out. This is pretty rare (and generally super-expensive) in North America. So after a big day shredding the pow, you can sink into a hot-tub, dive into the pool at the Huntley Lodge or point your tips to one of the local bars for a cheeky beer.

Big Sky is a lively mountain village with four or five grubby bars (!) and a few more classy establishments. Kick back with some live music at Scissorbill’s Saloon or head over for a beer at the Lone Peak Microbrewery. If you fancy something to eat, you’ll be spoilt for choice with over twenty eateries – Italian, Fondue, Steak, Burger, Seafood, Pizza, Thai, Fine Dining and…The Montana Dinner Yurt! Jump onboard a snowcat, travel 2 miles up

the hill and enjoy a 3-course meal with live acoustic music in a backcountry yurt!

Apart from life’s essentials – skiing/ riding, eating and drinking, there’s a lot of fun to be had at Big Sky with a zipline, snowshoe-ing, high ropes, bungee trampoline, climbing wall and snow-tubing. And there’s free WiFi all round the village! The atmosphere is super-relaxed and friendly and everyone’s always ready to say “Howdy” and have a chat!

ACCOMMODATION - SnowSkool Big Sky students will be housed in a series of slope-side condos. All condos have two or three bedrooms and have a spacious, open-plan kitchen/ diner onto a living room with large fireplace, cable TV, DVD player and free WiFi. SnowSkool students have access to a fitness centre, large swimming pool and hot tubs at the nearby Huntley Lodge. The condos are ideally located ten minutes from all the amenities in the village centre and with stunning views of Lone Mountain and out over Lake Levinsky.

BIG SKY, MONTANACome to the Wild West and Ride Cowboy Country!

06 | RESORT: Big Sky

www.snowskool.co.uk

Average Annual Snowfall: 35ft Area: 5,532 acresNumber of Runs: 150 named runsTerrain Breakdown: 14% beginner – 26% intermediate – 60% advancedTop Elevation: 11,166ft / 3,403m (second highest vertical drop in US)

Freestyle: In Big Sky, 2 Terrain Parks with jib park, kickers, tables, boxes and rails, also super-pipe and standard half-pipe. In Moonlight Basin, 3 Terrain Parks with jumps, boxes and rails (all from S to XXL)

For more information on the specific courses we run in Big Sky, please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit…

www.snowskool.co.uk

B.I.G. NotoriousTheBig Sky:

“I phoned SnowSkool about their Banff course but by the end of the call I wanted to jump on a plane to a place I’d never heard of…Big Sky!!! I’m stoked they told me about it and I’m stoked I joined the course. It is just such a cool place to ski – unbelievable terrain, so much snow, my skiing got so much better so quickly. The instructors were great, the accommodation was amazing, the restaurants & bars were cool and the people are super-friendly…I could go on! I’ve made it my mission in life to tell people about this place!”

Ski Instructor Big Sky, 2012

FAGAN, 24

QUALIFICATIONSProfessional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA)American Association of Snowsport Instructors (AASI)

AGE PROFILE NATIONALITIESTYPICALGENDER RATIO

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE

17-2021-24

25+

SKOOL BREAKDOWN

RESORT STATS

AVERAGE AGE

23MALE

75%FEMALE

25%BRITISH

65%MINIMUM

3-4 WEEKSAUSSIE

25%OTHER

10%

TIM

BIG WHITE’S MOTTO IS “IT’S THE SNOW” IN REFERENCE TO CANADA’S LIGHTEST, FLUFFIEST POWDER

THE HILL - Despite being one of Canada’s five largest ski resorts, Big White is refreshingly uncommercialised and lift lines…well, them other resorts can keep ‘em! Biggie is well-regarded by those “in the know” in the search for pristine powder snow. The weather rolls in from the Pacific Ocean, dries out on its journey over interior BC and, when it hits the Monashee Range, the slopes of Big White get hammered by bucket-loads of Canada’s driest, fluffiest powder snow!

A natural playground, Biggie is incredibly fun to ride. It offers fantastic training terrain that is ideal for the SnowSkool course; lots of cruisy greens and wide-open blue runs that are essential for perfecting drills and learning the more technical details of skiing/ riding like a snowpro. To test your mettle, you can move on to the tougher black runs, drop into the double-black diamond Cliff Area or hit up the steeps & deeps underneath the Powder Chair.

The Snow Park is super well-tuned with some insane hits and rails and you can flip, spin and

slide to the sounds of the latest beats pumped out by the Park Crew! But Big White is probably most famous for its tree-skiing…wherever you are on the hill, cast the piste map aside and dive into the nearest patch of trees to experience a different line every day!

THE COMMUNITY - Big White is Canada’s largest ski-in/ ski-out village…the High Street in Big White is actually a pisted ski run! Although commonplace in Europe, ski-in/ ski-out access is not so easy to come by in North America and the benefits of being able to clip in at the back door of your digs are hard to

over-emphasise. You’ll quickly appreciate the simple things like an extra half hour in bed on a cold Canadian winter morning or the ability to return home for lunch! Like it should be, the slopes form the main part of the resort’s infrastructure and are a useful way to access all the local amenities – restaurants, bars and shops. The atmosphere in Big White is friendly and super-relaxed but with some great bars and a bustling nightlife.

ACCOMMODATION - In spite of all our tight organisation and hard work, feedback tells us that the main draw of the SnowSkool Big White course is the accommodation! All students are housed in luxurious and spacious ski-in/ ski-out apartments, each with a private hot tub as well as a swimming pool and gym. Whatever we say about it, you will be overawed!

You can finish your day’s lessons and be in the hot-tub on your balcony with a cold beer in your hand within two minutes of leaving the pistes. After dinner, fall into one of the huge leather sofas, stoke a fire and relaaaaaaax!

BIG WHITE, BRITISH COLUMBIALuxury Accommodation in Canada’s Largest Ski-in/ Ski-out Village

08 | RESORT: Big White

www.snowskool.co.uk

Average Annual Snowfall: 25ft Area: 2,765 acresNumber of Runs: 118 named runs/ 27 unnamedTerrain Breakdown: 18% beginner – 54% intermediate – 28% expertTop Elevation: 7,606ft / 2,319m

Freestyle: Telus Terrain Park with range of jumps (from 5ft to 30ft), 7ft quarterpipe, various boxes & rails (from 8ft box to Stepchild Round Rail - street style with Donkey Kick), halfpipe and skier-/ boarder-cross circuit

For more information on the specific courses we run at Big White please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

“After talking to SnowSkool about what I was looking for from my ski instructor course, I knew that Big White was the ideal place for me – great skiing (and somewhere to learn how to ski powder!), luxury lodgings on-hill, a friendly ski community and a more “mature” crowd on the course. It lived up to expectations in every regard!”

After impressing during her training course, Helene was approached by the Big White Ski and Board School with a job offer for 2008/09.

Ski InstructorBig White, 2008

HELENEBowater, 27

Big White:sssshhh...

anyone!!!don’t tell

RESORT STATS

SKOOL BREAKDOWN

QUALIFICATIONSCanadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance (CSIA)Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI)

AGE PROFILE NATIONALITIESTYPICALGENDER RATIO

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE

17-2021-24

25+AVERAGE AGE

25MALE

60%FEMALE

40%BRITISH

55%MINIMUM

2-3 WEEKSAUSSIE

40%OTHER

05%

10 | WHY SNOWSKOOL?

WHY SNOWSKOOL?We love it when you ask why you should book with SnowSkool instead of one of the other operators…it’s our chance to show off a little!

LIVE THE DREAM JOIN A SNOWSKOOL COURSE!

BIG IS BETTERWe are the market leader - more people book onto season-long instructor courses with SnowSkool than with any other company. SnowSkool’s size benefits you in two main ways; we have lots of groups of ski instructor trainees and lots of groups of snowboard instructor trainees meaning that groups can be split up according to ability ensuring you are not riding out of your comfort zone or being held back by less-experienced skiers. On a social level, SnowSkool is where the party’s at…we have big guest lists, we have big roadtrips, we get better prices for a bigger group and there’s always someone to go for a beer with, to chill and watch a DVD with or to ski/ ride with!

SKI THE GLOBESnowSkool has operations in five of the most incredible ski resorts…and counting! We don’t throw a dart at a world map to make our choices; we pick the sickest resorts with the gnarliest terrain, the highest annual snowfalls, the biggest vertical, the best trainers, the comfiest accommodation and the best off-snow activities and nightlife. I’S DOTTED, T’S CROSSEDWhen we ran our first course way back in 2004, it was a lot of fun but, admittedly, a bit of a shambles in terms of the organisation! Since then, we’ve got better every year and we have now run nearly 30 season-long instructor courses in five countries in two hemispheres. Over one thousand people have become an instructor with SnowSkool. The lessons we have learnt over the past decade (almost!) are put into play on all aspects of every course and the courses run as smoothly as a smooth Smoothster in Smoothland!

SNOWSKOOL HAS SPENT THREE YEARS COMPILING THE WORLD’S MOST COMPREHENSIVE INSTRUCTOR RECRUITMENT DATABASE

WHAT DO YOU WANT?!At SnowSkool, we like to give you the choice of what you want to do. We run five season-long courses in two different snow seasons – the southern and northern winters. We cater for those looking for not just a little luxury as well as those looking to get their qualifications as cheaply as possible. We have short courses (2 to 5 weeks) and long courses (8 to 12 weeks). We have courses specifically designed to appeal to an older crowd and we have courses that are lapped up by the younger lot. You can opt out of flights or catering. You can arrive early or you can stay late. You can even structure your own payment plan! If we have missed anything, let us know and we can probably be flexible on that too! SEXY REPSIt is as if our reps were plucked straight from the pages of High Street Honeys or the cover of Men’s Health because, man…they are good! Their job descriptions include: making breakfast, organising football tournaments, offering you some technical advice (they’re all qualified instructors), video-ing you on the slopes, booking trips to other resorts, sharing an après-ski pint, arranging ice hockey matches, writing up the score card for pub golf, taking photos

on nights out, researching questions for pub quizzes, offering you a consoling arm after a tough day on the slopes, writing up the weekly e-newsletter, being on hand 24:7. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg for them! WHAT NEXT?!SnowSkool has spent three years compiling the world’s most comprehensive instructor recruitment database and so if you want to find work as an instructor after the course, we can help! We have connections to (at last count) 125 Ski & Board Schools in fourteen different countries in two different hemispheres. We also run jobs seminars in resort and are pioneering a new “Report Card” scheme whereby we monitor and track your performance throughout the course to give your potential future employers an unbeatable insight into your development as an instructor.

FINANCIAL PROTECTIONYou want to know that your money’s safe…it is! But don’t take our word for it - check with ATOL (www.atol.org.uk)! SnowSkool is ATOL bonded meaning that if we fail, ATOL will reimburse your course fees and repatriate you if you’re abroad.

12 | RESORT: Three Valleys

KICK OFF THE MORNING IN MERIBEL, HIT UP VAL THORENS FOR LUNCH AND THEN CRUISE AROUND COURCHEVEL IN THE AFTERNOON...UNBELIEVABLE DIVERSITY

The Hill - Granted, it is a little bizarre to refer to the Three Valleys as “the hill”! In reality, more than 600km of pistes connect up eight world-famous ski resorts spread over three beautiful valleys in the French Alps and all under one lift pass. It is the world’s largest ski area. It is the world’s favourite ski destination…which makes it just about good enough for SnowSkool!

With such a large area to choose from, not only will you be able to find runs to suit your ability and experience but the mountain will soon invite you to pick up new skills and to challenge yourself. It is the biggest and the best…there is not much you can’t do in the Three Valleys! Join the families on the green and blue runs, practice your carving on the red runs, hit the moguls on the black runs, drop into one of the numerous snow parks and pick the brains of your instructors as you get to know the secret powder stashes well beyond the reach of the punters!

THE COMMUNITY - The Three Valleys are home to 16 different villages giving you plenty of choice for not only where to ride but also where to stay and where to hang out. The Three Valleys unique mix of pedestrianized villages, spa towns, family resorts and lively towns catering to the most hedonistic of après-skiers offer a little bit of everything to SnowSkool seasonnaires!

Although a massive resort, the Three Valleys still retains the local and personal feel of many of Europe’s smaller resorts. SnowSkool operations are based at the heart of the Three Valleys, in and around Méribel. which is generally-regarded as one of the liveliest destinations within the Three Valleys. With fantastic off-slope facilities including a sports centre, swimming pool, climbing wall and ice rink as well as a host of restaurants, pubs, bars & nightclubs, it is the perfect place to base the SnowSkool Three Valleys course.

ACCOMMODATION - On the SnowSkool course you will be staying in one of our chalets, all of which are based in the Méribel valley. Each chalet has its own unique charms but some things remain consistent across all SnowSkool chalets – large living area with comfortable seating and open fire, dining area with large banquet table sufficient to seat all guests and fully-equipped kitchens. The chalets range in size from five to nine bedrooms and so, with a standard two people per room, host between ten and eighteen students.

Our chalets become a real home-from-home and the comfy sofas and crackling fire are a welcome sight after a tough day on the slopes. Kick back, grab a beer and enjoy some of the multimedia options available…all chalets have TV, DVD players, stereos and free WiFi.

THREE VALLEYS, FRANCEThe Largest and Most Diverse Ski Area in the World

www.snowskool.co.uk

Average Annual Snowfall: 25ft Area: 600km of pistesNumber of Runs: 335 named runsTerrain Breakdown: 45% beginner – 35% intermediate – 20% expertTop Elevation: 10,600ft/ 3,230m – highest village in Europe (Val Thorens)

Freestyle: Lots of snow parks in the Three Valleys including DC’s Area 43 in Méribel with a host of jumps, mini-skate ramp, 3 street lines, 220m of rails and an airbag!

For more information on the specific courses we run in the Three Valleys please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

“I’d always loved snowboarding and couldn’t wait to finish school so I could kick-off my career working as a snowboard instructor. After my first call with SnowSkool talking about the Three Valleys course, my mind was made up – biggest ski area in the world, super-professional qualification, great chalet accommodation and a company that just had the right vibe and who I clicked with immediately. I haven’t been disappointed.”

After finishing the course, Anne headed back home to Australia to work a season.

Snowboard Instructor Three Valleys, 2012

ANNEKessler, 18

Three Valleys:

Posh & Becks

good enoughfor

SKOOL BREAKDOWN

QUALIFICATIONS British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) Alpine SkiBritish Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) Snowboard

AGE PROFILE NATIONALITIESTYPICALGENDER RATIO

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE

17-2021-24

25+

INSTRUCTOR COURSEFRANCE

RESORT STATS

AVERAGE AGE

21.5MALE

70%FEMALE

30%BRITISH

80%MINIMUM

8-10 WEEKSAUSSIE

15%OTHER

05%

After the lights go down, Wanaka has a pretty happening night-life…not as hectic as some ski towns and certainly calmer than Queenstown but there are plenty of places to party until the wee hours!

ACCOMMODATION - We offer two accommodation options for the SnowSkool NZ course. The standard package offers accommodation at BASE backpackers which is situated slap-bang in the centre of Wanaka. The modern backpackers offers great facilities such as wireless internet, fully-equipped kitchens, large TV room and a restaurant and bar downstairs.

The premium package offers accommodation in the family-run Belvedere Apartments … about 150m from BASE. The apartments have two twin-bedrooms and an open-plan lounge/ kitchen/ dining area, laundry facilities, entertainment systems and private balconies. Students can also make use of the sauna and heated locker room.

AN INTENSE TRAINING PROGRAMME ON AN AWESOME SKI HILL IN A LAID-BACK TOWN

THE HILL - Treble Cone is a pretty dope place to shred. You can’t really argue with the facts. It’s the…biggest with 1350 acres of terrain...steepest with 2300ft of vertical...deepest with 18ft of annual snowfall. And, man, the views from TC are something else! You can almost reach out and touch the Lake and the mountains beyond. You won’t get bored even after seeing it every day of the season!

TC is a local’s mountain more than anything and has some super-gnarly terrain to push you out of your comfort zone - 45% of the hill is classed as advanced or expert! TC is the southern-winter training ground for the national ski teams of Austria and Norway!

The off-piste and free-riding at Treble Cone are legendary with insane chutes, crazy gullies, huge powder bowls and a bunch of natural half-pipes and hits all over the mountain. There is some incredible training terrain too and we have a group of scarily well-qualified instructors to make sure that you can smash the mountain …rather than the mountain smashing you!

THE COMMUNITY - For sure Wanaka must be one of the coolest places on earth. Situated on the shores of Lake Wanaka and surrounded by snow-capped peaks, Wanaka lies at the heart of a World Heritage site. Its residents are extremely friendly and very outdoorsy – don’t think your ears are playing tricks on you if you hear an 80 year old lycra-clad Granny tell you she has just hammered it down Mount Iron on her off-road bike. Welcome to New Zealand!

There is so much to do, the town is just like a massive playground with world-class skiing, mountain biking, kayaking, sailing, sky-diving and hiking all in one place. Nearby Queenstown is the adrenaline-fuelled capital of the back-packing world and, with bungee jumps, white-water rafting, canyon swinging, luge and jet boating, you won’t run out of things to do on our NZ course!

TREBLE CONE, NEW ZEALANDSoulful New Zealand Town with the Country’s Best Snow and Terrain

14 | RESORT: Treble Cone

www.snowskool.co.uk

Average Annual Snowfall: 18ftArea: 1,350 acresNumber of Runs: 56 named runsTerrain Breakdown: 10% beginner - 45% intermediate - 45% expertTop Elevation: 6,850ft/ 2,800m - highest lift-served skiing in NZFreestyle: No freestyle but Snow Park is nearby!

For more information on the specific courses we run in Treble Cone please get in touch: team@snowskool.co.uk or visit...

www.snowskool.co.uk

“Because it runs during Uni holidays, the SnowSkool NZ programme suits students like myself very well. What a place…! I have travelled a lot but maintain that Wanaka is the most amazing place I’ve ever been – it’s just breathtakingly beautiful. And the people are so cool! TC is a tough hill to ski but ultimately very rewarding and with the guidance of the SnowSkool instructors, you’ll be nailing it pretty quickly! I’m back at University now but going on the SnowSkool course in Wanaka was one of the best choices I’ve ever made!”

Ski Instructor Course, New Zealand, 2009

ANDY SELKIRK, 20

New Zealandand goneI’d died

to...

I thought

SKOOL BREAKDOWN

QUALIFICATIONSNew Zealand Snowsport Instructors’ Alliance (NZSIA)Snowboard Instruction New Zealand (SBINZ)

AGE PROFILE NATIONALITIESTYPICALGENDER RATIO

RECOMMENDED EXPERIENCE

17-2021-24

25+

RESORT STATS

AVERAGE AGE

22.5MALE

65%FEMALE

35%BRITISH

65%MINIMUM

5-6 WEEKSAUSSIE

30%OTHER

05%

17 | Which Course for ME?

WHICH COURSE FOR ME?If you want to do a course in the southern hemisphere between July and September, check out our course at Treble Cone, New Zealand. But if you want do a course in the northern winter….man, do you have a choice to make! Below we have listed a few helpful hints but we advise you to speak to one of the team at SnowSkool HQ for more tailored advice. And we have added in SnowSkool NZ for good measure!

INSTRUCTOR COURSEFRANCE

BANFF Banff offers access to three world-class ski hills and this incredible town has some of the best nightlife on offer of any ski town.

BIG SKY Big Sky is our BIG mountain experience with some of the best snow and gnarliest terrain of offer…and a cool village to boot.

BIG WHITE SnowSkool’s premium package, Big White has it all: great skiing, top-notch tuition and fantastic ski-in/ ski-out accommodation. And hot tubs!

THREE VALLEYSThe Three Valleys is the world’s largest ski area and SnowSkool is based at it’s heart: Méribel! BASI quals and lovely chalet accommodation.

TREBLE CONENew Zealand is about more than just awesome riding. It’s a mystical place, stunning scenery and you will meet some of the friendliest people.

ON-SNOW* ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ACCOMM ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OFF-SNOW** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NIGHTLIFE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BEST FOR Nightlife

PRICE £ £ £ £ £

AVERAGE 20 yearsAGE

ON-SNOW* ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ACCOMM ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OFF-SNOW** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NIGHTLIFE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BEST FOR Big mountain

PRICE £ £ £ £ £

AVERAGE 23 yearsAGE

ON-SNOW* ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ACCOMM ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OFF-SNOW** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NIGHTLIFE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BEST FOR Luxury accomm

PRICE £ £ £ £ £

AVERAGE 25 yearsAGE

ON-SNOW* ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ACCOMM ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OFF-SNOW** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NIGHTLIFE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BEST FOR Qualifications

PRICE £ £ £ £ £

AVERAGE 21.5 yearsAGE

ON-SNOW* ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

ACCOMM ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

OFF-SNOW** ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

NIGHTLIFE ★ ★ ★ ★ ★

BEST FOR Lifestyle

PRICE £ £ £ £ £

AVERAGE 22.5AGE

* On-snow gives an overall grade to the skiing/ riding: terrain, amount/ quality of snow, vertical & terrain parks** Off-snow gives an overall grade to the off-snow activities ex nightlife…sports centres, cinemas, ice rinks, shopping etc

A selection of chalets available for weekly rent in the Méribel Valley

Choose from a range of chalets…whether it’s a high-end chalet close to the centre of Méribel, an authentic Savoyarde chalet in the village of Les Allues or almost anything in between…the choice is yours! Whatever you go for, be assured that we’ll be fully focused on providing you with a memorable holiday.

Join us in The Three Valleys this winter and enjoy everything that the world’s favourite ski destination has to offer.

Call: +44 (0) 1962 855220 for more information

MEET THE TEAMTHE AGEING PARK RAT - Former Paratrooper Adrian “Dunk” Gourlay is our course organiser and spends a lot of time going into a lot of detail about things you wouldn’t even think about! On-snow, Dunk’s a freestyle snowboarding guru and it is rumoured that he once nose-pressed a sixty-one mile long kinked S-rail somewhere in the backcountry between Banff and Revelstoke, all in aid of charity. Going to press, Dunk has racked up six seasons in Canada and two in NZ.

THE SHEILA – Marion Fagan is CEO of SnowSkool Australia and, in between running a family and living a social life that would make Kylie Minogue look like the shy, retiring type, Marion deals with all the demands of our customers from the other side of the world. She repped the full NZ course in 2010 and tends to make an appearance for the first week or two at one of the courses to help knock the reps into shape, mother her beloved Aussies and entertain us with her rapier wit!

SNOWSKOOL REPS: Who’s who?! We’ve got quite a few reps on the books at SnowSkool what with all the courses that we are now running in Canada, France, NZ and USA. There’s Sarah who’s a loud-mouth Kiwi bird and sick snowboarder and wee Scottish Rosie who cooks like Heston, mothers like Delia and is loved by all. There’s AJ who takes himself a lot less seriously than the photo suggests but skis more seriously than it suggests. AJ tends to hook up and do his seasons with Tom – a mild-mannered Home County’s type that, when sent to Canada, grows wild facial hair and skis like a mad-man! King of customer feedback, George, impresses the ladies off-snow and the men on-snow and particularly in the park. Jordi’s not too shabby in the park either although doesn’t he know it! Less well-known is that Jordi is fluent in Swedish...this has yet to come in useful!

The Beautiful People That Make It All Tick

THE SKIING HAS-BEEN - Phil Purdie left the City and the world of Investment Banking to set up SnowSkool in 2003 with a small loan from the old man. Phil’s a good ole-fashioned ski fanatic and has skied throughout the world (in places as diverse as Japan and South Africa) as well as having eight seasons’ experience in Canada, Europe and NZ under his belt. Recently he has turned his attention to making sure his one year old son, Jackson, skis in the Winter Olympics in 2030 (in the Cairngorms).

THE BRAINS - After working as a Management Consultant in London for ten years and picking up a MBA from Cambridge University, Steve Purdie joined SnowSkool and quickly restructured everything we do! Although a half-decent skier, Steve prefers spreadsheets to park skis and accounting to backcountry shredding and was recently suspended for two days “thinking time” for suggesting that there is nothing wrong with snowblades.

18 | MEET THE TEAM

www.snowskool.co.uk

19 | IMPROVER COURSES

MOUTH-WATERING SCHEDULE OF WEEK-LONG SKI & SNOWBOARD CAMPS

Can you guess who is who?

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SKI & SNOWBOARD IMPROVER COURSESIf Martians landed on Earth and wanted to throw it down in

the snow park or to take their first backcountry tour, they

would be well-advised to speak to the team @ SnowSkool for

guidance on the best resort and the best coach to help make

them inter-galactically dope skiers or riders!

If you fancy a week of training with a winter-Olympian or

member of Team GB, SnowSkool has put together a mouth-

watering schedule of week-long ski & snowboard camps for

intermediate to expert skiers & riders.

Check out the schedule at

www.snowskool.co.uk/ski-improver-courses

www.snowskool.co.uk/snowboard-improver-courses

Call us on +44 (0) 1962 855138

SnowSkool Ltd, 37-39 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire, SO23 9EH, UK

www.snowskool.co.uk e: team@snowskool.co.ukt: +44 (0) 1962 855138