We say it a lot, but you will meet friends for life on a ski or snowboard instructor course - it’s one of the best things about a ski season. The rad thing about it is that you meet people from different backgrounds, from all over the world, but you have a common interest and become super-tight mates. The funny thing about it is that, alongside new friends from all around the world, you’ll also meet someone who went to school with your cousin, or grew up in the same village as your best mate. So, here’s a little insight into the types of people you’ll meet out there. In addition to these types are the passionate skiers and snowboarders, and those who you just know are going to be awesome, inspiring instructors (but they’re not nearly as fun to take the piss out of right?!).
The disorganised one
This is the sort that needs to be chivvied out of the accommodation each day; is constantly asking for the bus timetable; isn’t aware there’s an actual meeting point for lessons; never has a matching pair of socks on, but - miraculously - always manages to turns up in just about the right place, at just about the right time… The disorganised one will often be found squinting into their cracked phone screen (lost the cover) and messaging ‘hey, where did everybody go?’.
The ‘too hard too soon’ one
You’ll meet at least one of these on a ski season, guaranteed. The sort of characters that go too hard too soon arrive in the mountains all guns blazing. They have a boundless supply of energy and this extends to attacking the training schedule with vigour, as well as all the extra-curricular activities (aka boozing). These types don’t think twice about flinging themselves down a black run/off a cliff, and are happiest at happy hour. Unfortunately, going too hard too soon often ends in a crash. Broken bones and burn-outs haunt the ‘too hard too soon’ identifiers - it’s all about knowing when to stop (but where’s the fun in that?!).
The ‘little place in the Alps’ one
“Wow, you’re really good, when did you start skiing?”
“Oh, to be honest I can’t quite remember, two or three maybe… my parents have a little place in the Alps you see…”
You may come across someone who knows how to order a chilled bottle of rosé in perfect French and doesn’t mind calling the it a day at 2pm. However, when they do hit the piste, they’re an absolute machine! You’ll see them charging about in expensive ski gear complimented by super tatty trainers and massive hoodies back at the chalet. These are the exclusive (but not all that rare!) ‘little place in the Alps’ crew. And yes, we’re just jealous.
The ‘are you lost?!’ one
There will always be a couple of people who have you thinking “Do you actually know what you’ve signed up to… are you lost?!”. These are happy-go-lucky types, who aren’t particularly interested in becoming an instructor and sometimes aren’t even particularly interested in going up the hill! Their skiing and boarding is ungainly, they don’t really like the cold and find the patchy mountain wifi annoying. Early mornings are nottt their thing either. That being said, for all other activities, (the pub quiz, trips to ice hockey games, adventures down the mountain, karaoke and pool competitions...) they will be front and centre.