In the beginning…

December came and went in a bit of a blur, suddenly it was Christmas then New Year and now we are here, in Banff and January 6th marked the start of our 11-week programmes for 2010 (my my it feels weird to write 2010 – how did that come around so fast!?)

I, Georgie am out in Canada for a month enjoying the opportunity to meet all of this years NONSTOPpers. I thought I would share a few of the moments I have had out here in a Photo Diary for you…

First stop was Fernie for the 2/3 week ski and snowboard instructor and improvement courses that we run. Fernie, as always came up trumps with the snow and puked it down for 3 days straight bringing in at least 12cm every day.

Lessons were in full swing …

Sean Russell – Fernie Snowboard Pro giving a lesson to the NONSTOPpers

Adam Guilfoyle aka PUMA – The NONSTOP Official Team Rider and Fernie snowboard host extraordinaire and I went riding on our day off and he showed me some of his favourite powder stashes (that boy has many!).

Adam stashing the powder!

Below: Adam and Jamie (NONSTOP Team Riders) sussing out a cliff drop landing:

And Adam taking on the cliff drop:

With a successful landing -

Then it was off to Banff for the pre course instructor training…

On Monday I met Emily Park the official NONSTOP Steeze and Freestyle Team Rider (Park by name, always in the park by nature) she’s also the Banff Course Director. Emily gave me an itinerary for the week that didn’t look too dissimilar to something that NASA would hand out before the first ever shuttle take off, not only is she the best freestyle female rider I have seen in real life but she has organisational skills to match. Feeling fully equipped for the week ahead we geared ourselves up for the official NONSTOP on snow- pro training.

This is where all the pros and coaches who will be teaching on the programme get together to discuss the way the programme will be run, the NONSTOP story, the coming season and generally have a good laugh on the slopes – otherwise known as team bonding.

Above: Emily ‘always in the park’ Park with two of our pros - Laura Parent and Ana Steckle

So after a day of watching in awe and desperately struggling to keep up with the ‘Red Coats’ – (they do look smart!) it was back to the ‘NONSTOP Banff office’ for me to get some much needed work done…

Please note: The Baileys had nothing to do with me.