Ski Instructor Course in Banff

SnowSkool’s longest-running and most popular course

The SnowSkool ski instructor course in Banff is the original and still the best. This course has been running since 2003 and it is the most popular course of its type in the whole wide world! The fact that it takes place in Banff is one of the main reasons for this – Banff is the ski town that other ski towns want to be. It is beautiful, it is cool, it is big-but-not-too-big, it has world-class skiing in every direction, it has great shops & restaurants, it has friendly locals and it has a buzzing nightlife.

The instructor course and overall atmosphere that SnowSkool has crafted over those years only adds to the magic of the Banff ski instructor course. SnowSkool Banff is not a place for those that need their own space and nor is it for those that enjoy nothing more than a nice bit of peace & quiet. SnowSkool Banff is for you if you like to be around your buddies, if you laugh a lot (sometimes at yourself), if you’re ok sharing digs with mates, if you love skiing hard with friends, if you can give and take the bants, if you dig music at mealtimes, if you enjoy a cold beer after skiing and if, after it all, you still have the energy to raise your game in the bars and on the dancefloors of Banff. If you’re good with all of this, you are going to ***love-love-love*** your ski instructor course in Banff!      

Who chooses this course?

Age profile

Average Age
20
  • 17-20
  • 21-24
  • 25-35

Recommended minimum experience

  • 1 week
  • 2 weeks
  • 3 weeks
  • 4 weeks

Gender profile

  • Male
    65%
  • Female
    35%

Nationalities

Australasia
15%
Americas
5%
Rest Of the World
10%
UK
60%
Europe
10%

Course Dates

2025
    • Duration
      13 weeks
    • Start Date
      13/01/2025
    • End Date
      11/04/2025
    • Flights included
      Yes
  • Price
    £9450
  • Deposit
    £450
Book course

Slopes

The skiing terrain in Banff is renowned internationally and it is easily one of the best places in the world to train as a ski instructor. The town serves three incredible ski hills set amongst some of the most jaw-dropping scenery on earth and thousands upon thousands of acres of insane backcountry ski terrain. Day-to-day training for SnowSkool is at the area’s main ski hill of Sunshine Village and it is Canada’s most snow-sure resort with annual snowfall averaging more than 30ft and it has Canada’s longest winter season with skiing from mid-November until mid-May. Three separate mountains amounting to a whopping 3500 acres of skiable terrain make up the piste map at Sunshine Village. First stop is Goat’s Eye for steep, deep & long runs off the Goat's Eye Express and the playful terrain of Wolverine. Next up is Lookout Mountain which offers Canada’s highest lift-served skiing - the views from the top of Lookout are unreal. Lookout is the gateway to the notorious free-ride zone Delirium Dive and the freestyle park. And then there is Mount Standish for heaps of fun, natural terrain features and the wide-open Wawa Bowl.

Accommodation + Meals

The Banff Alpine Centre has been HQ for SnowSkool in Banff since 2004 and is the ideal base for our guests training to become a ski instructor. It is a happy, friendly, buzzy place that will immediately put a smile on your travel-weary face and quickly feel like your Canadian home-away-from-home!

  • The Storm Cellar - pub located in the Lodge!
  • Free table football, darts & pool
  • Cougar Pete’s - restaurant in the Lodge!
  • Open-mic jam sessions & comedy gigs
  • Karaoke
  • Large lounges with fireplace
  • Free WiFi

Standard rooms are four-share
There is the option to upgrade to a larger room with en-suite facilities
Breakfast and evening meals are provided 5-days per week in the Lodge

Tuition

Training takes place five days per week and for up to six hours per day. All ski training is delivered by the Sunshine Village Ski School which is, by some distance, the largest School in the Banff area (and second largest in Canada!) Only the most experienced and decorated ski instructors are assigned to the SnowSkool course – most are Level 4 instructors which is the highest level attainable in the CSIA system. All are CSIA-approved examination coordinators.

Qualifications

On the ski instructor course in Banff, you will train for the ski instructor qualifications of the CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance) and ACA-CSC (Alpine Canada Alpin-Canadian Ski Coaches). On the 13-week ski course, you will have the opportunity to sit the Level 1 and Level 2 instructor examinations.  On top of that, the CSIA Snowpark certificate (to become a freestyle ski instructor) and ACA-CSC Race Coach Level 1 exam (to become a ski race instructor) are achievable within the thirteen-week schedule.

Your SnowSkool Rep

Because of the popularity of the SnowSkool ski instructor course in Banff, we appoint two full-time members of staff to look after and bring together all aspects of the programme. There will be a course leader and a resort rep. Both will live on-site and you will see them every day (or certainly most days!). They will prepare breakfast in the morning, they will be skiing on the hill with you during your ski instructor training days (cameras and video cameras at the ready), they will be present at dinner and they will organise and join in on the social events. The SnowSkool representatives will be the first to toast your successes and the first to offer a sympathetic ear when you need one. They know Banff, its shops, its bars and its best hang-outs, they know the best runs at Sunshine Village ... they also know all the rules to all pub games, many card tricks and have a wealth of one-liners at the ready!

What’s Included?

Group Flight1
Yes
Airport Transfers
Yes
Accommodation
Yes
Breakfast
5 days per week
Dinners
5 days per week
Lift Pass
Yes
Hill Transfers
Yes
Level 1 Tuition
Yes
Level 1 Exam Fee
Yes
Level 2 Tuition
Yes
Membership Fees
CSIA
SnowSkool Recruitment Service
Yes
SnowSkool Repping Service
Yes
Instructor Shadowing
Yes
Regular Individual Feedback
Yes
Video Analysis
Yes
First Aid Course2
Optional
Avalanche Awareness Course2
Optional
  1. Return from UK to Canada
  2. Additional fee payable
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