It’s great if you have a workshop and bench, but hardly any of us have that luxury. All you really need is a sturdy surface that’s half to three-quarters the length of your board. I’ve actually used a tool box to lean on in the past (which is a little short) but in the example below I’ve used a sturdy coffee table. I’d advise using a garage or outside area as the wax does tend to stick to flooring and make a bit of a mess.

Equipment

You need to invest in a bit of kit, but think of all the money you’ll save in the long run!

Step One – Take your bindings off

This is an important step which is often overlooked. When your bindings are tightened into your board, the screws can suck minor divots into the base. It’s not advisable to warm up the base when the divots are there, as it can accentuate them and make them permanent. You also want a nice flat surface to wax on to. You can just loosen the screws a little, if you don’t want to take them all the way off.

Step Two – Sharpen your edges

It’s likely that your edge sharpener has several angle options. 90 degrees is the standard setting for beginner / intermediate riding. 89, 88 and 87 degrees are progressively more advanced. The more acute angles will give you more bite, which is handy on hard-pack and is often used for racing.

Once you’ve decided on an edge angle, take a permanent marker pen and draw down your side edge. This technique is handy while you’re getting used to sharpening edges, but not always necessary. When the line’s gone, you’ve sharpened the whole edge.

The file in your edge sharpener is probably one-directional. There should be an arrow on the side of the file that indicated the direction it should go. Arrange the file so that it is pointing in the right direction for you to stroke from nose to tail on your first edge – ideally most actions you take when waxing and edges go in one direct, from the nose to the tail of the board. Now apply pressure with the file on the side edge and drag the file along the length of the edge. Do this several times until your black marker pen line has gone. To test the sharpness of the edge, scrape your fingernail over it – your nail will peel if your edge is sharp.

Once you’re happy with the sharpness of your first edge, rearrange your file and do the other side.

Step Three – Pollish your edge

This isn’t 100% necessary, but it’s nice to do. Take your Edge Rubber, if you have one and give it a few scrubs along each edge. This will shine up your edges nicely, remove any rust, even out any imperfections made by your file and improve performance… very slightly.

Step Four – Clean the base

Before you wax your base, you want to make sure it’s nice and clean. You can use a wax remover if you like, but most of the time you’re fine to just give it a scrubbing over with a brass base brush. Don’t go crazy, maybe give it 4 or 5 hard strokes in each area to remove any excess wax and dirt. This will create a bit of dust, so give your base a quick wipe over with a scotch pad afterwards.

Step Five – Apply wax

If you’ve got a specialised waxing iron with a temperature gauge, take a look at the packet your wax came in and it should recommend a temperature to set the iron to. If you’re using a regular clothes iron, set it up on a low temperature, so that it just about melts the wax with a slow dripping flow.

Take your block of wax and press/rub it on the iron while moving it around the board. Here is where you want to get a nice even covering, without applying too much wax (which will be a pain to scrape back off). I tend to start by doing a dripping line all around the edge of the board – this is where the board will be particularly thirsty for a waxing. Then I do a repeating “s” shape to fill the middle. Then take one more pass along the middle of the board filling in any of the larger gaps. See my crude diagram for a rough pattern. At the end of the day though, this isn’t a science – just give the board an even coating!

Step Six – Spread the wax

Now take the iron and spread the wax evenly around the board. Use small localised circles until an area is covered before moving onto the next area. Don’t focus on one area for too long because the board may be damaged by excess heat. A sign of spending too long on one area, is if the wax stays wet for more than a couple seconds after you leave it. Just try to keep moving as much as possible.

Step Seven – Leave to cool

The board and wax are going to need to cool down for a while before you scrape. So make a cup of tea and put your feet up – you’ve earned a break! Ideally leave it for 20-30 minutes.

Step Eight – Scrape your board

As with the edging, it generally advisable to scrape from nose to tail. Get your plastic scraper and angle it at around 45 degrees, then push hard and scrape along the board in the direction of the small angle. I tend to sit on the board and work in sections, but if you’re lucky enough to have a bench that securely holds the board you might want to cover the length of the board with each scrape. Continue until all of the visible wax is gone and the surface is smooth and even – don’t worry the wax has still done its job even though you’ve scraped it all back off again.

You can see in the pictures that I’m waxing a Bataleon, with Triple Base Technology. This isn’t a problem, it just means that you have to scrape the middle section, then scrape the angled areas.

Don’t forget your edges! Most scrapers have a square cut out of the corners. Use this to run over your metal edges. Believe me – they won’t grip when they’re covered in wax!

Step Nine – Finish your board

This is where a bit of pride comes into your work. With this phase you can make your base shine and significantly increase its performance. Firstly take your scotch pad and give each area of your base 3 or 4 hard strokes, to even out your scraping job. Then take your nylon base brush and give each area 3 or 4 hard strokes (working from nose to tail) – this adds structure to your base, which stops suction and allows it to run smoother and quicker. You’d have kicked up a bit of dust, so to finish the job take a wet sponge and give the base a wipe.

Your base should now be shining like a vinyl record and your edges ready to tackle the toughest of hard-pack. You’ve now bonded with your board – get out there and ride it with pride!

NONSTOP Snowboard – instructor and improver courses

On the hill

Monday morning started slowly as a number of the group were suffering from helping Canada celebrate their well deserved ice hockey gold medal and doing such an excellent job of hosting the 2010 winter Olympics.  Johnny had his snowboard group in a spin all week with notable achievements from Matt Pratt landing his first 360 on the Standish run and Martin hitting his first 720 (360 in the air and the remaining 360 on his stomach).  Johnny will be thrilled to learn that Martin’s dedication to rotating and spinning had him practicing energetically until the early hours of Friday morning on Hoodoos’ dance floor.

Josh opened his medium kicker account at Norquay on Wednesday and Gavin T left a Gavin T shaped imprint on a large kicker landing at Lake Louise.  Brendan’s incredible rubber body continued to defy both the laws of gravity and human anatomy by remaining in one piece despite some serious punishment after going for 5s off pretty much every jump on the mountain.  Goth Andy’s highlight of the week was Brian taking him up the Poma.  Andy reciprocated by performing a textbook Tomahawk in the Lake Louise back bowls, and then after a liquid lunch with Colorado,  fell before hitting the lip of a gentle carve out and climaxed by setting the Lake Louise record for the slowest attempt at a medium kicker.

The snowboard group continue to miss Andy M as a result of him preferring to spend quality time in Banff hospital’s Orthopaedics section as opposed to on the hill.  The group riding has certainly slowed down in his absence.

Eva ‘the carving machine’ Crosby demonstrated her obstacle avoidance is below Level 2 standard after being squarely hit by a  snowball from a snowboarding group and failing to dodge a rock which has left her skis resembling the shape of her native Swedish coastline.  After both events she was feeling rough…rough…rough.

As a result of the Wednesday snowboard video analysis session, the technique of traversing the piste on the edge of a board has now been renamed doing a ‘Euro Chris’ after his magnificent display. On the same session Sam elected to ‘Euro Chris’ over moguls and showed us some Level 2 above standard rag dolling whereas Nick C decided to see if there really was a surprise in the woods, today.

Snowboard instructor Brian gave his group a lesson in terrain management by riding into a sign that was in the middle of a flat groomed section, the only obstacle within sight, and being a green run marker – it was basically unavoidable.

Dave, with a broken knee, came for a final lunch on the hill before heading back to the UK early and, as a result, managed to clock more time on the hill in the week than the combined efforts of Ant, Kate and Gemma.

Off the hill

Monday night was the hockey match Canada has been waiting to see all year – street hockey with the skiers taking on the snowboarders in the Voyager Inns car park for a coveted prize of a beer.  Chris for the snowboarders and Ed ‘Luongo’ for the skiers both put their bodies on the line goaltending. Mark (snowboard instructor ) managed to hit Mark (ski instructor) in the eye with the puck as the snowboarders cruised to a convincing 10 – 9 victory.  Ash’s handbag, lipstick, toys and dummy haven’t been seen since.  Other weekly extra-curricular sporting activity highlights for the week included the ongoing Gavin M and Ant squash championship at the gym, the indoor football with the 11 week NONSTOP 5 a side team beating the 3 week NONSTOP team and a team of lift staff from Sunshine.  On a more obscure sporting theme Ste showed us his prowess in big game hunting by successfully trapping one of Banff’s larger inhabitants on the Hoodoos dance floor.

Ninja Chris utilised his Shaolin monk skills by frequently disappearing from the Voy at night and only re-appearing at breakfast.  His roommate Army James demonstrated that hand /  eye coordination wasn’t a requisite for a successful 22 year career in the military by  playing two games of table football, not managing to score one goal out of a possible sixteen and twice having to walking around the table in the Devil’s Gap with his trousers around his ankles.

Biggles and Badger continued their season long quest for 30 Jaggers in an evening by trying to consume 20 in a very appropriately named ‘power hour’ at the Voy.  After such focused training Biggles was later seen only briefly in the Devil’s Gap and then returned to the Voy to redecorate his bathroom.  It was the first time Biggles hadn’t been seen smiling all season; we only hope all of this committed effort will pay off by the end of the season with him reaching his target.

Finally there were a couple of strong performances put in week 9 for the much vaunted Non-Stop end of season awards.  Kate and Gemma are strong contenders for the Rip Van Winkle award for helping a number of the Voyager’s residents enjoy a good night’s sleep on Wednesday after visiting Hoodoos.  Competition also heated up between Ant and Gavin S for the Kofi Annan sponsored International Peacekeeper of the Season award.

Fernie weekend

As if that wasn’t enough – half the group travelled to Fernie for a weekend of fancy dress, socialising and Cat skiing.  George did a great job at the hot springs stop off by hiring a 1920s all-in-one bathing costume.  Around 10 other fashion divas followed his lead and a number of local heads were turned as the party arrived in the hot pool dressed as a Grecian wrestling team, but with much better physiques.  After a particularly testosterone fuelled entrance, the team were quick to perform some Olympic standard synchronised swimming, a scene from Dirty Dancing and Andy F posing for the next Dale Winton calendar.

Stuuie, our very own Dian Fossey, could have taken a trip to Rwanda for the price of his gorilla suit, however his return on investment was incredibly.  Badger, dressed as Nacho Libre, did a good job in entertaining the children the hill while Stuuie was being photographed by most of Fernie’s older female population.

Ski instructors Mark and Mike enjoyed a couple of leisurely evening drinks in Royals with the group.  Mark failed to use his race coaching background by going off a little too quickly and having to spend some quality time on the walk back resting his head on the pavement and reminding himself, and the rest of the party, what it was that he had, had to drink.  On the same walk back Gavin S also got himself into a bit of a spin and was limping the following morning after coming off second best to a two foot high chain fence – seven times.

The Cat skiing on Sunday more than lived up to its expectations with a day of fresh tracks, deep powder, well spaced trees and nobody else around for miles upon miles.  It really was a highlight of the Non-Stop experience so far.

Final word

It is genuinely difficult to surmise the NONSTOP experience as it is  continues to exceed all expectations in terms of improving your ability on the hill, fantastic group banter and the uniquely warm Canadian hospitality.  Emily and the teaching faculty deserve recognition for doing such a sterling job of looking after the group and keeping everybody challenged, safe and feeling that they are part of a very special community.

So what can top week 9?  Activities on the agenda for week 10 include more 1:1 private lessons, outdoor camping in Golden, two birthdays, a trip to the Calgary Olympic Park (halfpipe riding), a forecast of snow and final Level 2 prep.  Given the current form of the group, there should be little to report in next week’s blog.

Gavin M

The Master the Mountain course came into it’s final week this week with a sense of excitement and anticipation.  Not only did we have Olympic fever with the Canadian team winning their first gold on home soil in the men’s moguls, (check out my patriotic red hat with the very large pompom,  love it!) but we were also getting ready for the 4-day backcountry Boulder Hut trip we’d all been training for!

The Boulder Hut Trip is based in the Purcell mountains, stunning scenery and lots of snow… with no one else around!   The crew spilt into two groups with the first gang leaving early Sunday morning excitedly hearing the weather report of fresh snow in the mountains!   The rest of us enjoyed a few relaxing days in Fernie with some fresh powder to keep us entertained.  Then on Wednesday it was the second group’s time to head into the wilderness and I was lucky enough to join them on this trip too.

A little photo diary to give you an idea of what we got up to…

Flying out to the Hut:

The Boulder Hut is a 15 minutes helicopter flight up a steep valley with no other way to access.  It’s amazingly peaceful up there, no noise or people apart from the group you are with.  The Boulder Hut is a little wood cabin in the middle of the back country with a number of beds, a bathroom and a kitchen.

The team outside the Boulder Hut:

We had four nights at the Hut and three days of touring.  The weather was blue bird everyday, the snow still fresh and deep, yummy food and excellent guides.

Going up…

Getting to the top…

Admiring the view from the top:

Coming down!

The Hut was so much more than everyone had expected.  Mark, Sarah and their kids welcomed us into their mountain paradise and their 3 month puppy stole everyone’s hearts.  She was however a little mischievous and fond of running off with people shoes while they where in the hot tub, hilarious!

When we returned to civilization on Sunday night we regrouped with those on the first trip and compared notes of epic lines and drunken antics.  Everyone was on such a high and this flowed over into the last day.  We had a great start with a mass ski, beer and nachos for lunch and wrapped up the farewellwith a  BBQ.  Saying goodbye the next morning was a little sad!!!

On a final note I would like to say congratulations to all those that achieved their certification as All Mountain Pros Stage 1 and 2.  Lastly a big high five to those snowboards now proud owners of a CASI Level 1 pin!!!!!  Come and visit us again in Fernie next year!

Jenny Mitchell – NONSTOP Master the Mountain Course Host

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If you like what you have read and want to be part of the action  next year on our Master the Mountain course, a unique programme designed for the adventurer in you, check out the websites below.  Learn how to ski and ride like a pro as well as hone in those back country skills in the Fernie powder before spending a weekend in a log cabin in the back country getting fresh lines on every run!  Click the links below…

Skiers on Master the Mountain click here

Snowboarders on Master the Mountain click here

From Russia with Style

Halfpipe snowboarding has been embraced by the public.  After witnessing the superhuman skill of Shaun White performing his Olympic gold medal winning run surely people want more snowboarding at the Games?  A Slopestyle event allows riders to hit a course of jump and rail features to gain maximum scores for trick difficulty, amplitude and flow by the judges.  If slopestyle is accepted as an Olympic sport in time for Russia in 2014 then perhaps UK’s golden girl Jenny Jones might have a shot at gold.

Read more about it  HERE via bbc.co.uk/blogs

Speed versus Style on the slopes

At the next Winter Olympics would you rather see spandex clad hard boot wearing snowboarders racing each other around flags or progressive snowboarders landing big smooth jumps and stylishly jibbing rails ? The debate is on between PGS Parallel Giant Slalom and Slopestyle for the 2014 Games.  Without a doubt slopestyle is a more popular choice for many.  It feeds a hunger for pushing progression in snowboarding and its identity not only as a sport but also a culture. Snowboarding is more than just who can go the quickest it’s also the way we choose to ride.  PGS certainly has a place and let’s take nothing away from an athletes hard work and training.  However, it’s limited essentially to which rider is the fastest.  This surely has more ties with ski racing than snowboarding and it’s future.

Check more HERE and join the discussion via blog.thehouse.com

Under the influence of Slopestyle

Canada is not only home to moose and beavers it’s also home to many important slopestyle events.  On one hand there’s the Grenade Games held in Whistler B.C and on the other there’s the LG snowboard World Cup at C.O.P Calgary.  The latter holds a more official significance to the possible inclusion of Slopestyle at the next Olympics in 2014.  The former is less official but nonetheless strongly influential to the wider snowboard community.  (Mutterings of “4/20″ can sometimes be heard from Breckenridge all the way to Whistler) This LG contest was the first time slopestyle has been included at a World Cup event. This got the bureaucratic ball rolling towards satisfying criteria allowing it to become an Olympic event.

Check out the article HERE via CalgaryHerald.com

Slopestylers go big

Putting together a solid slopestyle run can be extremely difficult.  In comparison to halfpipe where the walls of the pipe are pretty similar and consistent for each hit, in slopestyle each hit is different whether it’s a large kinked rail or the third and biggest kicker of the course.  The rider has to have the skill to adapt and stomp each feature with style and flow.  Eero Ettala proved he is one of the world’s best slopestyle riders (he’s pretty good in the backcountry too!) by winning X Games gold.  He shows how he chooses to ride the slopestyle course at the highest level.  Maybe we’ll see Eero at the next winter Olympics.

Watch Eero’s epic run including his switch double backflip  HERE via Youtube.com

Check it HERE via HuckMagazine.com

Elite level snowboarding comes in many forms from slalom racing to halfpipe to slopestyle.  As long as you’re enjoying being on snow it must be a factor or we begin to forget the reason we all started snowboarding in the first place.  More snowboarding events at the Olympics or at any level will help to raise awareness for snowboarding and snowboarders. Surely this is a good thing for the future of this sport and lifestyle.

Check back next week for more.

NONSTOPsnowboard.com

THE BIGGEST MISTAKE:
I’ve got to get this out in the open straight away, because it makes my blood boil every time I see or hear of it. This is particularly common in hire shops. When you ask for a snowboard, the attendant grabs one straight off the shelf, measures it against your height and if it’s level with your chin it’s the correct board for you… WRONG!!! Your height is way down in the list of factors that will influence your board size. Think about it. How does your board know how tall you are, when it can only feel the soles of your feet touching it?

IT’S THE WEIGHT
Different sizes of boards are built to react to varying amounts of pressure that’s transferred via your feet. Weight (not height!) is the main factor that influences that pressure. So, a good place to start when considering a board size, is with a decent weight chart. I quite like this one here from sunandski.com:

You’ll notice that your weight will be within the boundaries of three or four board size categories. That’s because the decision making process doesn’t end with weight, unfortunately…

EXPEREINCE AND RIDING STYLE
Here’s a true story that happens way too often. Last year a guest came to stay at my chalet. Although he was only a beginner, he was super keen and had gone out to buy a bunch of kit before the holiday. He was a tall guy, I think at least 6’5”, but was as skinny as a rake. I dread to think how much he’d spent on his sparkling new set-up – it was top of the range stuff. Straight away you could see he’d been taken for a ride by an ill-informed shop assistant. He’d been sold a 169. That’s a big board by any standards, but for a beginner it’s totally inappropriate. He had a terrible week, as he struggled to get the board around on every turn he made.

By looking at your weight in the chart above, you should have three or four board size options. Here’s how you should choose which size is best for you:

Go for the smaller snowboard bracket if:

• You are relatively inexperienced (1-4 weeks on snow) – it’ll be easier for you to turn.
• You want this board for park / freestyle riding – shorter boards are more agile and light.
• You want something more playful and you’re less concerned with spead.

Go for one of the middle brackets if:

• You’re relatively experienced and want to have a board that will support your weight at speed, yet still be a little playful.
• You want something that will rip up the pistes and be able to handle powder.

Go for the larger bracket if:

• You want something that will have more float in untracked powder.
• You want more stability at high speed.
• You don’t mind a less agile and playful board.

OF COURSE, IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT THE BOARD SIZE
Every board is different, and they’re built to do different things. So, if your higher bracket is 158 you can’t just pick any 158 in the shop as your ideal powder board. For example a freestyle specific 158 (built for larger riders than you to throw around in the park), wouldn’t be the ideal choice. So to get a little more info about the kind of board you’re buying, it would be worth checking out the manufacturer’s website or talk to a shop assistant. I’ve always found the guys at TSA very knowledgeable, so they should be able to give you appropriate advice… and not send you out the shop with a 169 for your first outing on the snow! If you’re not in the UK it’s worth checking out forums to find a good snowboard shop at a location near you.

THE IDEAL WORLD
In the ideal world we’d all be able to test a bunch of boards first before we make our buying decision. Zero G in Chamonix, pictured above, will let you try a stack of boards before you make your final decision, so it’s well worth looking for a shop like that (there’s plenty of them out there – even TSA will let you test in an indoor slope). Also, in this ideal world, it would be nice to have a quiver of boards – one everyday board, one park board and one powder board. However, if you’re not ready to remortgage the house, maybe just go for that everyday all mountain freestyle board.

Happy shopping!

Learn how to use that new stick with NONSTOP Snowboard.

Another weekend has gone by and we’re having an awesome time here in Red Mountain! So much planned, so much to do… we had our credit activity this weekend, where we ventured across the Monashee Mountains to a place called Nelson, in the Selkirk Mountains. Whilst there we went to Ainsworth Hot Springs, spending a couple of hours in the 40 degrees celsius waters of the Cody Caves and the plunge pool of 5 degrees Celsius (which is mighty cold when you’ve been in the hot springs for more than 20 minutes or so). Then on to the 30-35 degree outside pool, which is nice after the hot springs. Later on we went for dinner at a pub near the ferry port, where Stacey treated us to some appetizers… “Appies” as they’re called in Canada. While we dined we watched the ferry come and go, taking vehicles to another port. We then travelled through Nelson, looking at those nice stores… mmmm… anyway before I stray from the subject of shops, we checked into the hostel ‘Dancing Bear Inn’ before checking out more shops…mmmm… there we go again shops. They vary from knick-knack shops, ski and snowboard shops, urban and hippy stores to cafes and pubs. Time was getting on and, before long, it was beer o’clock, so some of the NONSTOPers went to Mike’s Pub where we had a range of beer and pub food. Meanwhile, the other half of the group went to experience the local Indian restauarant, before reforming with the group for beer, pool and darts.  After that we went to experience a bit of Nelson nightlife and rolled in around 1-2am to recharge the batteries.

Our wake-up call was at around 7am, so the group were feeling a little worse for wear. On the way to ‘Whitewater Ski Hill’, we stopped to get breakfast and coffee, which helped to relieve most of our sore heads. Oso Negro fine Coffee Bar was recommended by our AMAZING instructor Matt Briggs and AWESOME organiser Stacey Cleaveley. We then had a NONSTOP day of skiing and snowboarding and on the way home to Rossland we were shattered, but feeling better with the cobwebs of the night before blown away.

Oscar, a ski instructor at Lake Louise (Level 2 ski and Level 1 snowboard) trained on our NONSTOP 3-week instructor course and then taught for the season in Banff now writes a little bit about his time out in Canada…

This is long, long overdue on my part, a little nostalgic, and because you are reading this, by now you’ve had this wicked idea or heard about someone who had one of the best opportunities of their life to enjoy the outdoors the way they should be….up to your eyes in pow!

Oscar Lawrence – Lake Louise Ski Instructor

My name is Oscar Lawrence, ‘Grouch/duckface/Pupp’ there have been many names (fitting indeed) and I, like you now, knew ski instructing was definitely for me. I had tasted European alpine delights, but yearned for something more, no lift queues or elbows, I wanted trees, fresh lines, smiley people ….. bears in park ranger outfits and racoons smoking cigars listening to David Bowie (ok jokes aside).

BUT I guess, like you may be feeling now, there’s a couple problems, I’m wasn’t rich (yet) (I am now by the way, so thankyou for asking) and I have just 1 SEASON, and I have no Canadian qualifications….at all! And I really want to apply my skills and actually teach, AND further my training…..in 1 season!

You don’t believe it, I understand, neither did I!

Well, and I say this honestly now, because otherwise this is of no help to you at all, you genuinely can.

By May 2009 I was CSIA Level 2, CASI Level 1 snowboard certified, obtained my avalanche 1 qualification and was looking towards my Level 3 course having completed a full season teaching at Lake Louise, and only in August 2008 all I knew was I wanted to go and ski with raccoons that like me enjoy ripping to a bit of Bowie.

This is not meant to be an exhaustive read, and therefore should hopefully tie in nicely with what James Harper Lewis had to say about the life of the instructor on the other page and demystify some myths and questions about how you might fulfil it all in such a short period of time. Sitting comfortably? Excellent, here it is, enjoy!

Firstly and most importantly is to understand your desires early , (Its March as I write this) so now is good. The instructing season begins around the 10^th of December (give or take a week, snow conditions depending) and the resort seasons openings vary, but there is a great deal of time prior to the instructors season to achieve your goals that can make the steps to help secure a skiing job and  get some valuable and awesome riding in.

Simply, it is a great time to understand terrain like you never have before.

All the Canadian schools take on rookies each year to replenish numbers and bid farewell to many loved outward going staff; many new staff are Level 1 and in many cases, crucially have not taught before. Some schools are stricter than others, but in the majority, each school approaches it on an application by application basis, and importantly do not maintain a minimum Level 2 qualification requirement.

So with all this time at the front end of the season, assuming you are all of differing abilities you could go for it and try to just enter for your Level 1 exam on your own!! Train yourself! But even if you are good enough to go for trails for the next ski cross team for the Olympics in 2014, there is one crucial thing, the ski school management are fully aware of the training infrastructure in place in the respective regions. Having had many instructors under their guidance, they know good training when they see it.

Having chin wagged with, and now met many who have been successfully employed as instructors the vast majority have been through one training programme or another, but plugging aside, employers genuinely rate the NONSTOP instructor training programmes as the best available. The employment rate and success speaks for itself, as the ski schools know the benefits from employing individuals who have had such thorough and rounded training. The clients are welcomed and encouraged to give feedback, and they do!  Besides we know that the training is just a tiny part of it, the experience is priceless.

I took part with NONSTOP in 2008 in Banff on their 3 week programme to gain my Level 1, which they offer nice and early to gain your qualifications with a view to teach that season. I think it finishes around 20^th November, I’m sure the NS management will pick me up on that. (And we did –  it starts on the 19^th November and finishes on 10^th December just in time for you to get a job teaching the hauds of kids who want ski instruction at Christmas!)

Now here’s the thing, there is nothing to say you can’t apply for jobs prior to receiving your level  1…….hang with me here; the Ski schools begin their recruitment drive around mid July through to late August, there have been the rare case where a late offer comes flying out of left field in December, but like so many things in life, you got to get in there early. The schools do offer conditional jobs on the basis of completing your level 1 successfully well in advance of the start of the season, as they did for me knowing my skiing history and forthcoming training with NONSTOP; as it can benefit them in many ways in managing their rostra for the up and coming season in good time.

To tie into that, the best advice I can give is do not skimp on your CV when applying for a role like this, keep it succinct, but do not sell your skills and attributes short, and that applies to everything whatever your age. Like James mentioned, through teaching you have to apply yourself in such a variety of different ways, being personable, perceptive and upmost, be professional.  It is likely they may want a telephone interview with you, so make yourself readily available and go for it!

Fingers crossed they make you an offer!

If you are appointed, you will as the season begins in earnest learn of the perks that each school in particular and general benefits of being an instructor can offer, aside for the lift pass. ‘Sessioning’ as it is called are perhaps one of the biggest perks of working as an instructor – as they offer the opportunity to continually improve throughout the season. At Lake Louise they have one of the most comprehensive frameworks in place to train, once, sometimes twice a day to develop your skills! it’s nothing but invaluable, errr and amazing!  Thus by the close of the season in May, with some good ‘ard graft and amazing coaching support, it was how I gained the rest of my qualifications, and yes ………….in 1 season.

Ok it’s over to you, I do hope this helps! I’ll see you in the trees…

If you like what you have read and think that ski instructing is for you why not check out our websites:

If you ski:  www.nonstopski.com
If you snowboard:  www.nonstopsnowboard.com

Or more specifically, fancy the idea of our 3-week instructor course followed by a season teaching check out:

3-week ski instructor course
3-week snowboard instructor course

We provide full season accommodation in Banff along with the course as well.  Check out the website for more details or call NONSTOP HQ for more information.

Monday 22nd Feb
Today would have been a normal day at Sunshine, however one group’s skiing efforts made the day special. The calamity involved falling off cat tracks, losing skis, rolling down steep bumpy slopes and eventually ending in snapping a tree in half. Ouch!
The evening had a more relaxed and tree-friendly theme. To celebrate Josh and Alex’s birthdays we all headed out to the Banff Springs to play bowling. However, this wasn’t just any bowling, this was bingo bowling! We were separated out into groups and told to chuck a ball to try and hit specific pins. It all got very competitive as everyone tried to score the mysterious “11” and “H” shots. We also met Rupert Taylor from NONSTOP who was quick to join in on the fun.

Tuesday 23rd Feb
We all got out of bed bright and early today to head to Lake Louise for some serious snow shredding! It was a beautiful day – blue skies and the fresh air reminded us why we were in Canada. The skiers did some serious moguls today and started to practice teaching for level 2. In the evening we all celebrated Alex’s birthday and our second birthday cake in 2 days at dinner. YUM!

Wednesday 24th Feb
Today the group piled on the bus to Norquay and were excited by the fact that it was, ever so slightly, snowing! Our group made the most of it by heading up the North American chairlift and skiing a famous double black run called “Lone Pine”. Our legs were burning afterwards. Later, the skiers left the snowboarders at Norquay to attend a tech session about skiing styles. We all watched clips from “Claim” with wide eyes – skiers jumping off massive vertical cliffs into powder, just about making it down the side of a mountain in one piece while Mike pointed out their use of pole plant and centred mobile stance.

Thursday 25th Feb
Another day at the Lake! We got more teaching practice in and even more moguls. We were taken on plenty of fun runs down the backside of Lake Louise before the clouds came in and we couldn’t see a thing. Blind skiing on the bumps is always interesting! Dinner was at the Paddock this week; we had burgers and beer for dinner and then played a pool tournament. After, the group hit the local bar and club scene to party the NONSTOP way!

Read all of the other course diaries for the Banff 11 week instructor course here.

Find out how to take part in Banff ski instructor courses here.

And check out the Banff snowboard instructor courses here.

Flow bindings

Flows are the original “rear entry” binding. They have one large strap section that is fixed over the top of the foot and a highback that drops down for access into the binding. They are considered the “marmite” of the snowboarding world, with most riders either loving or hating them.

Pros:
Fast easy access
Distribute pressure evenly across the top of the foot
No on-the-go adjustment;  just lift the high-back and go

Cons:
Hard to get on when there’s a build up of snow or ice on the base plate
Very hard to get on in deep powder
Hard to make quick on-the-go adjustments
Can be heavier then ratchet bindings
Might not be as responsive as traditional bindings
Can’t rotate high-backs and have limited forward-lean adjustment

Ratchet bindings

I’m going to guess that 95% of bindings on the market are based loosely on the traditional ratchet model. They have 2 straps that fix your foot to the snowboard, one around the ankle and one over the toe. The “high-back”, where the back of your boot rests, is fixed. They clearly do the job, when you consider how many models use this formula.

Pros:
Are quickly adjustable
Often give better control, due to a well adjusted fit
Are generally light
There’s more choice
Easier to clear the base-plate of snow and ice

Cons:
Can be (marginally) slower to put on
Can put pressure on localised areas of the foot, ie toes (toe cups like Burton’s can help this though)

My opinion

I, personally, sit in the ratchet camp. The first pair of bindings I bought were Flows and I got them because I’d heard that they were easy and quick to use. When I moved to ratchet bindings after that, I decided I would never go back, they gave so much more control, were far easier to adjust and were actually easier to put on a lot of the time. So, I personally think that Flows solve a problem that isn’t there. I’m certainly not alone in feeling that way; when you look around at people who live or do seasons in the mountains, you’ll rarely see anyone wearing Flows.

I haven’t mentioned some of the other rear-entry bindings, like the K2 Clinch (that also have adjustable toe and heal straps). As combined bindings, they’ll have a lot of both the Flow and Ratchet pros, so are growing in popularity. But to be honest, for me, they still solve a problem that isn’t there and I’m not interested in the extra weight and complications.

Don’t just take my word for it though, Antti Autti and Tim Humphreys certainly do okay in them! Check out some of the forum discussions for a mixture of opinions, but maybe don’t bother starting new threads… there’s plenty of them already out there!

Nonstopsnowboard.com instructor and improver courses.

Begin your path to park progression

Snowboarding can take many forms.  The extent of its creativity and progression is only limited by our imagination.  It’s amazing what can be done on a snowboard.  An increasingly popular part of snowboarding is park riding.  Many resorts across the globe allocate a good chunk of time and money on developing their terrain park. They cater for the strong need of riders to launch themselves off a jump or slide a rail.  Common sense and knowledge can help keep freestyle snowboarding fun and safe.  But, where should you start?

Get acquainted with park riding HERE courtesy of ezinearticles.com

Imagine a city full of park

A quality terrain park can draw the discerning park rat to a particular resort.  Riding a reputable park compared to a lame one can be like the difference between  fine dining at the Ritz or chomping on a burger at MCdonald’s.  Quality is important.  Some parks are kept in pristine condition by a passionate park crew.  Others are simply left to deteriorate due to lazy park staff or lack of resources and funding.  A safe, fun and progressive terrain park can create good times for snowboarders wanting to push their freestyle skills.  At the highest level Park City Mountain resort, training ground of double Olympic gold medalist Shaun White is an example of venue providing a top quality terrain park.  It has certainly served Mr. White well!

Read more HERE courtesy of RideUtah.com

Where to park & ride ?

Choosing from the many terrain parks dotted around the world can be a tough decision.  Shall I go somewhere with a perfectly shaped pipe but with limited box or rails features ? or, opt for a resort that has a plentiful rails minus a halfpipe ? It’s difficult enough finding  the right mountain at the right time with good snow conditions let alone one with a progressive and well kept terrain park.  Perhaps find some help in the form of a park guide that will advise you on the best spots to get your freestyle fill.

Check out some top parks HERE via MySnowParks.com

Easy style it

It’s all good and well choosing your ideal terrain park to shred.  However, it’s in every body’s interest to learn about and practice terrain park etiquette and safety.  ‘Smart Style’ is an easy to follow guide to riding a park safely.  A simple example is ‘look before you leap’. It may seem obvious to scope a jump out before you hit it,but  it’s pretty impressive how many park users will hit a jump their first run through.  Consequences of this can be tragic.  Season ending injuries can be easily prevented by listening to ‘Smart Style’

Read more HERE courtesy of TerrainParkSaftey.org

Developing and mastering your skills in the terrain park can be very rewarding as well as extremely fun! However, before you step out of your comfort zone it should be a priority to be safe and courteous in the park.  It’s not just for advanced freestylers, but also for complete park beginners.  We all have to start somewhere, so to keep terrain parks fun for everyone get smart and easy style it.

Check back next week for more

NONSTOPsnowboard.com