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DAILY TELEGRAPH - 21st February 2005
Starting Out
Rupert Taylor is in a highly competitive market, running a ski and snowboarding school. "We distinguish ourselves from the others by being a family-run business, which influences the whole culture of the programme." He set up the company with his cousin Lisa Barnes, now runs it with his sister Melissa, while his father Patrick, formerly financial director of the GWR Group, is on hand with advice and funding. "The family theme goes right through to the accommodation we provide. We believe that a home atmosphere is better than being in a hotel or hostel, and our residential staff have their families with them. Customers feel that they're being looked after as friends rather than on a package holiday." When Mr Taylor went to a snowboarding school in Quebec during his gap year he realised that there was room for improvement in the facilities that were offered. After leaving university he returned to Canada as a snowboarding instructor and decided to set up a school of his own. "I saw there was potential for a similar programme in the Rockies where the mountains are larger, the snow more exciting and the culture is different. My cousin Lisa who had been marketing Fulham Football Club was keen to join forces, and both our dads encouraged us." Money was raised through a combination of shareholder equity for the £45,000 working capital and bank support that provided £250,000 towards the ATOL bond required for organisers of package holidays. An additional £250,000 was spent on gutting and equipping the old grocery store in the former mining town of Fernie as course accommodation. Initially they identified their main market as gap-year students, doing presentations at schools and advertising in sixth-form magazines and gap-year supplements in national newspapers. "But it soon became obvious from website hits and inquiries that there was a market among the older generation. Now 30pc of our clients are gap year and the rest are people taking a career break who want to do a season in the mountains, perhaps gain some qualifications and become really good at snowboarding or skiing. "Also there are people who want to change their career. The product is the same, it's just the way you present it." Before the first course was launched, Taylor took the decision to spend £3,000 on a stand at the Ski Show. "It was about brand building rather than bringing in the customers, who we get mainly from our website. "But the exercise was useful, and we've just attended our third show, as well as others in Birmingham and Manchester." There are no private ski schools in North America as each resort has its own. "However, we're the only company who employs our instructors exclusively, so for the length of the programme they don't work for anyone else. "We're paying a high premium but it means that they're fully immersed in our company culture." NONSTOP Ski offers residential ski and snowboarding programmes in Canada lasting between two weeks and three months, which include a range of mountain skills. "We've expanded from 40 clients in our first year to 190 this year but, despite the rapid growth, we're determined to maintain a family atmosphere."
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X-ELEMENTS MAGAZINE - Spring 2005
A Girl's Snow Addiction
I've got the snow bug and I can't see a way out anytime soon. Looking out the window right now, I can see pine trees all loaded with snow and, behind them, big white ridges beckoning…Gotta ignore them for a little while, though, and concentrate on telling you why I'm here. When I finished uni last year, I didn't even think about doing the whole London job-application nightmare. I was going to travel and enjoy myself, because you're only young once. Luckily, my boyfriend's on the same vibe; Jae teaches wakeboarding, I teach sailing; why not learn to teach snowboarding? The plan, then was to spend a winter season in the mountains and become qualified snowboard instructors. Seems simple, but when you start shopping around, the options are endless and it can get pretty confusing. If you commit to 5 or 6 months in one place, you want to be sure it's right for you, and you won't get bored of the runs, the people of the atmosphere. A first search on Google gave us a list of companies offering instructor courses. After some scrutiny, we found one of them really stood out from the crowd. NONSTOP Ski first grabbed our attention with their cool website. It's fun, well-designed and easy to get around. We liked the fact they're a small family-run company. But two things really sold it to us. One, it was the cheapest – a crucial point for debt-ridden students – while somehow including a whole lot of extras. Trips to other resorts, cat-skiing, hockey games, survival courses; stuff other companies didn't offer. And two, Fernie the resort itself. It's the only place to spend a season – you only have to look up the stats. 29 ft annual snowfall. Steep, quiet hill, varied terrain, friendly, non-commercial, and, uh did I mention 29 foot annual snowfall?!! After booking n the course we had a fair wait till we got to Fernie. University Finals for me, then a gruelling 6 months with Jae teaching water sports in Greece (ah the pain!), and finally, two whole months in the London smoke, counting down the days. We eventually landed in Calgary on 19th January with around 60 others. Now, here's where I have to control myself. I could go on for hours about Fernie and the whole NONSTOP Ski season. I don't want to make you drool all over this page, though, or book the next flight in (we don't want it to get too crowded, do we). So I'll just focus on the things that made my season, and why I'm now back in Fernie, sat at my kitchen table, writing this article, looking forward to the next powder day and riding my socks off (still penniless and debt ridden but happier than I would be anywhere else). First off, the riding and coaching. Just the actual snowboarding in itself was amazing. The terrain at our disposal was the best I could ever hope for. In those 11 weeks I rode waist deep powder through trees on double blacks, shredded pow in B.C. backcountry cat-skiing, helped build kickers we'd hit for hours on end on bluebird days, had fun hurting myself on the big hits and rails in the park. Sometimes I'd look back at a run and do a bit of a double-take – “hand on, I came here with one week's riding under my belt, how the **** did I just get down that?!!” Wakeboarding obviously gave me a head start, but the real reason I got good so fast is that we had, without a doubt, the four best instructors on the hill. Those guys were the bomb; Glenn with his so solid t-pot stance, Jay with his old school tricks (rocket air anyone?) and fully cranked knees, Ryan with his distinctive style and hard as nails carving. And last but not least, Aubrey, who's riding looks effortless and natural, and who kept me laughing the whole 11 weeks with his stories and witty chat. I miss him this season as he's in Red Mountain, but they were all such characters. They clearly loved Fernie, loved their job and loved riding, and that rubbed off on all of us on the course. The programme consisted of 4 hours instruction on the snow a day Monday to Friday. Sessions weren't compulsory but I missed very few by choice (couple of hangovers and a knee injury the only real culprits). They broke our riding down and re-bulilt it better and stronger. We were drilled with exercises that burnt your thighs, I was taken down steep runs that I would never have dreamed I could have turned down and we rode just for fun a lot too, with the advantage of the boys' highly guarded local knowledge of powder stashes and hidden delights. A highlight for me was the actual level 1 course exam. It runs over 3 days and while my nerves were shot to pieces with lessons to teach and feeling like every turn you made was being scrutinised, I really enjoyed it. I was always enjoying being tested anyway but it was so fun, everyone was bigging each other up every run they did and I would just like to say that we couldn't have been better prepared (a 100% pass rate out of all of us backs that up!). I was super happy when I got my results and the après ski that night was one to remember. Another thing I liked about NONSTOP Ski format was that you're given an authentic 'season experience', rather than feeling like a tourist abroad. You're set up in independent houses in town. You shovel your drive, you do your shopping, you're part of the local community and you never cross anyone in the street without a 'hey, how's it going'. Jae and I shared a really cool house with 7 others. There was a wood-burning stove in the basement, where we spent many a night watching movies and chilling. We even built a kicker in our garden and sessioned that with beers and music. I remember Glenn and Aubrey hopping over the fence and joining in once or twice. Fernie is such a friendly place it doesn't take long to feel at home. Downtown is pretty small, but it's got everything you need. Cinema, pool, gym, good shops, restaurants, bars with live music. The night life's fun but not outrageous. If you want to go crazy, you get your bikini out and attend beach-themed house parties. And NONSTOP Ski like to get you out on missions. I was sorry to miss a trip to Big Mountain, Montana, with a pub crawl back to Fernie by bus. Party on an epic scale, by the sounds of it. I think this year is an overnight stop-off at the hot springs on the way back. A surreal experience; taking off your clothes in minus 15, jumping into smelling boiling water, and then just chilling there between snow-covered rocks… The 11 weeks I had in Fernie were among the most memorable of my life. I made some great new friends and got stupidly hooked to snowboarding. I'm winging it on my own this winter, but I'd recommend a NONSTOP Ski course to anyone out there doing their first season or anyone who want to improve a double-speed. I wouldn't have been able to concentrate purely on snowboarding and having fun, socialising and experiencing so many new places. Oh yeah, and all good things don't come to an end – I'm now qualified to teach snowboarding anywhere in the world…
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IVILLAGE.CO.UK - June 2005
Moving Abroad: Making Mountains out of Mogul-Hills
Julie and Stephen Gort dreamed of doing something different with their lives. Their passion for skiing and the Candian mountains finally pushed them to quit their well-paid jobs in the UK in search of a better way of life. Until February 2002 I was employed as a sales managed for a small asset management company. I was well paid, but had the pressure and stress of working to targets and deadlines. My husband Stephen worked as an investment adviser, and we lived in a nice part of Bristol in a large, terraced Victorian house. We had no children regularly ate out with friends and enjoyed good holidays abroad. However the culture of long hours and stress at work was taking its toll. We had always talked about 'taking time out', but doesn't everyone? During late 2001 Stephen became increasingly disillusioned with his job and we decided he would resign and take some time to decide where to go next. Around this time we saw a opportunity to action 'our plan'. We decided to put our house on the market, and if it sold then I would resign from my job and we would set off travelling. We had two offers, at asking price, for the house within a week of putting it on the market. It seemed like fate. After spending a couple of months travelling in France and then Madagascar, we turned our thoughts to the winter and where to ski. It was then that we stumbled across a new company called NONSTOP Ski, offering ski training in Canada for the winter. Stephen became really keen on the idea whereas I felt anxious about the formal ski training but somehow I was talked into the idea, and we set off. The ski training was fantastic, but it was extremely hard work both physically and mentally. To out elation we both passed our level 2 Canadian ski instructors certificate. With our new qualification in hand, we enquired at the wintersports school and shadowed some ski lessons. We were hooked on the idea of a career in skiing and eventually managed to secure positions at the winter sports school for the following season. After spending the summer working back in the UK on short-term contracts to boost our income, we returned to Canada and waited for work. Then as Christmas approached, the ski-hill went crazy and we worked nine days in a row, non-stop all day. We had fallen in love with our new life, and before very long were convinced that one season wouldn't be enough. How could I give up my new office in the mountains? We began thinking of business ideas and whilst sitting in the hot tub (its' not all hard work), came up with the idea of offering accommodation combined with ski instruction. We found a house we liked, with stunning views and lots of space and thanks to the help of family and friends secured a Canadian mortgage. Within four weeks the house was ours, and our business was born! I remember my friends saying how lucky we were, but it's not about luck, but sheer determination and a desire to do something different. I don't miss my old home or the job I used to do because we have managed to create the lifestyle we knew we deserved. And I now love sharing the mountain, the people and the fabulous ambience with friends, family and clients, both in the coming season, and those to follow. Our dream became a way of life.
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SNOWBOARD UK - March 2004
NONSTOP Ski Don't Stop
NONSTOP Ski are purveyors of first-rate snowboard and ski instructor courses and have announced that they are expanding into Red Mountain, British Columbia. Due to the success of the Fernie run 11-week ski and snowboard courses, which launched in 2002, NONSTOP Ski are proud to announce that the three-month course will now run in both Red Mountain and Fernie next season. The 11-week course, on offer in both resorts, trains applicants to become qualified instructors. Running from January through to March, the courses are led by a skilled team of individuals who give the 'seasonaires' five days of coaching a week, where not only will they be taught how to instruct, but they will also make the most of the reputable terrain and deep snow conditions. The coaching will largely concentrate on mastering powder and freeriding techniques but will also provide the opportunity to focus on freestyle and slalom racing. At the end of the course you take qualifications in the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) or the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI), both of which are internationally recognised teaching qualifications, permitting you to instruct all over the world. The exceptional response to the 11-week shebang has prompted the company to offer three-week courses in Fernie. The three-week course allows more competent skiers/snowboarders to obtain the level 1 instructor qualification in a much shorter time-scale. To find out more about NONSTOP Ski's courses visit www.nonstopski.com or telephone 0845 365 1525
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WESTERN DAILY PRESS - 20th December 2003
Tom Skis into his Dream Job
Life was becoming a nine-to-five hell for Tom Williams as he toiled away as a university lab assistant. He'd pass the day dreaming about being free on the ski slopes snowboarding. The Grinding, groundhog day monotony was making him mad and his girlfriend was beginning to see it taking a toll on his temper. The highlight of every year was getting enough money together to head for the snow and indulge his passion. Tom, an extreme sports enthusiast, found himself hemmed in and resented the way his life was going nowhere. He'd rather it was going downhill fast, on a snowboard. As winter approaches many of us will sympathise as we battle against the depression of the long dark nights and lack of excitement. That's why the holiday firms advertise their exotic breaks as the grey days set in. 'I felt stuck in goldfish bowl,' says Tom, 27, from the forest of Dean in Gloucestershire. 'I'd been skateboarding since I was four and that had evolved into snowboarding and skiing. 'I loved the lifestyle and the buzz of the activity, but I didn't know how to turn it into an occupation and earn enough to make a living.' Then Tom heard about NONSTOP Ski, a company specialising in turning people's passions into a career. The company runs an 11-week intensive course and a condensed 3-week course, with internationally accepted qualifications that turn students into instructors. The residential courses are held in Fernie, a spectacular Canadian ski resort. 'The course is run by a team of highly-skilled individuals, carefully selected for their related experience, professionalism, coaching prowess and caring attitudes.' explains NONSTOP Ski's spokeswoman Tessa Malloy. 'The group is tasked to develop their mountain knowledge and ski techniques, including avalanche safety and understanding the teaching techniques necessary to instruct at all levels. The short course runs from December 28 to January 17, costs £2,950 and the full courses from January to March for £5,800. Trainees graduate with either the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance or the Association of Snowboard Instructors. Tom qualified and now works abroad and also in Britain at snowboard and ski centres in Devon and Cornwall. 'Nearly six thousand pounds might seem a lot of money, but I think it was worth it to get a significant global qualification and change my life completely.' he says. 'I had a great time, but importantly I am now doing a job I love. Which before was just an all-consuming hobby. It's terrific earning money for having fun'.
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SKI AND BOARD MAGAZINE - September 2003
New Ski Instructors Course
NONSTOP Ski offer all sports-loving enthusiasts the chance to participate in the opportunity of a lifetime. Open to gap-year students and UK professionals alike, the newly-formed company has devised a three-month intensive course training applicants of all abilities to become qualified ski or snowboard instructors in the world renowned Canadian resort of Fernie. The NONSTOP Ski course is run every year from January through March. Challenging, enjoyable and alternative, the intensive 11-week course culminates in each participant taking the qualifications in Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance (CSIA) or the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI). Both are internationally-recognised teaching qualifications, permitting them to instruct world-wide. NONSTOP Ski also offers a three-week short course allowing more competent skiers/snowboarders to obtain the level 1 instructors' qualification in a much shorter timescale. The first course will run Dec 28, 2003 to Jan 17, 2004. To find out more about NONSTOP Ski's unique courses, visit www.nonstopski.com or telephone 0845 365 1525.
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THE TIMES - 15th August 2002
Gap Year Chance to Tackle the Slopes
Students can enjoy themselves and make a year's break pay by training as ski instructors abroad, says Sally Morris As thousands of students this week contemplate their A-level results, more of them than ever before will also be planning to embark on their Gap Year before starting university. For some it is a chance to travel, for others a chance to earn some money. Now enterprising companies are offering the chance to do both by training to become ski or snowboard instructors. For about £5000 students can take an intensive residential course in ski or snowboard instructing that will bring them the qualifications to teach almost anywhere in Europe, Australasia or North and South America. Lisa Collett, 28, is operations director of NONSTOP Ski, which is opening its first course in Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, next January. She believes the course provides not just marketable ski skills, but also offers valuable lessons in personal development. 'The Gap Year should build character and confidence, give you something to stand out from the crowd, and I know that the communication skills required to become a ski instructor prove a real asset for students when they start at university.' she says. 'One minute you may be teaching a group of five-year olds, the next day a 50-year old lawyer, and you have to be able to deal with any number of situations. Our course lasts three months, from January to March, and is very intensive – this isn't simply a holiday. We ski from 9am until 4pm and we do a weekend survival trip during which students build an igloo to sleep in and make a fire to cook their food.' The teaching groups are a maximum of 8 per instructor, and the students are provided with self-catering accommodation and breakfast and dinner five nights a week, catering for themselves at weekends. Despite the intensity and high standard of the course, Lisa will accept beginners although she suggests that they should have at least have experienced dry slopes first to familiarise themselves with the equipment and technique. 'We aim for everyone to reach at least level 1 of the Canadian qualification system, which allows them to teach in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of Europe.'
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DAILY MAIL SKI AND SNOWBOARD MAGAZINE - October 2002
Live the Dream
Fancy becoming a ski or snowboard instructor? Two new courses can make it happen, and quicker than you think Making the grade as an instructor can take years, but if you've got the cash, an intensive, season-long course will make the process quicker – plus you get to spend the entire season on the slopes as you train. There are a few companies offering this chance and new this season is one based in the powder heaven of up and coming Fernie in Canada. NONSTOP Ski's three month course runs in Fernie from January through March, even transforming beginners into instructors. Skills learn range from tackling powder and slalom racing to avalanche safety and first-aid, as well as techniques to teach all abilities. You should be ready, after 11-weeks. To take the first level of qualifications of the Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance or Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors, which permit you to teach all over the world. NONSTOP Ski's course costs £5,800, including accommodation, flights from London to Calgary, breakfast, most evening meals, four hours of instruction five days a week many more opportunities.
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