Ski and Snowboard Instructor Internships: Training and Paid Job

Overall a great experience. Meeting new people, growing my own skills on the mountain and making very strong connections to continue working in this industry. It is my second year teaching (first through EA) and I have been able to build my confidence as an instructor as well as experience as a snowboarder. Also great is the opportunity to be able to keep on taking certifications and keep improving both my teaching and riding. Also the opportunity for travel is huge and definitely makes it a worthwhile investment.

I found this program back in 2018 and the interview process was very simple. The rep I worked with was extremely responsive and helpful. Because of my job and time for a sabbatical, I signed up for the Mt. Ruapehu New Zealand 2020 season.The real problem started as COVID hit in March. The communication dropped off and I was left in the dark on the status of my program that was scheduled to start in June. I understand the delays and uncertainty surrounding the pandemic. However, I was constantly requesting information because my rep seemed disengaged with the situation. I was sent a purposefully confusing email at the end of May, also telling me my rep had left the company. After a week of emails, I finally heard my program was cancelled and I would receive no refund. I was told I could transfer $4,000 to another program and would lose the other $2,000. As I mentioned previously, because of my job I am unable to transfer to another program during a different season. The company also had altered their terms and conditions document from when I signed back in July 2019. Now, EA has a different policy for COVID and delaying programs where you don't lose $2,000 for preparation costs. The company's run around responses and diminished communication leaves me feeling hopeless about ever seeing my money again. I wanted to share my experience because I know it is similar to many others in my program as we are all demanding refunds. I feel it is important for future applicants to understand EA's actions and lack of understanding during COVID.

I had an incredible season. So many friends, so many memories!
I learnt so much about skiing, about teaching, and about communicating with a variety of nationalities and social backgrounds.
EA made the whole training process so easy. Their job was to train us and get us prepared for the exam, which is exactly what happened.
My season was Club Med Tomamu’s grand opening season so it was definitely not problem free. But that was due to Club Med understaffing the resort. It was a busy and sometimes overwhelming season but it was also the most incredible experience of my life. We had great accommodation, great food, in a beautiful and safe country.
In my opinion nothing can be a 10 but this was very close. It was a great experience and i am very thankful. 9/10 😁

Meeting new people that have the same interests as you and are going through the same challenges is actually quite eye opening. Through EA you not only get fun training and guidance but you also end up attending pretty cool social evenings. It's nice to be close to everyone for the first three weeks, whilst settling in to your new environment. I'm not going to lie, the exam is hard and tiresome at times but makes you feel all the more proud when you pass. Getting paid to ski is one of the best jobs out there! If you're a fan of ski and/or snowboarding you should at least try one season... it's a win win situation.

I will never forget my experience in this beautiful country and EA Ski & Snowboard made this possible! They set you up with accommodation, training, and a guaranteed job before you even leave home. This made a huge difference for me, having security and assurance knowing that I had an epic job lined up.

I was able to train and improve my skiing ability. I improved very quickly and gained confidence in my ability to instruct others. The thing that I loved most about beginning work was the smiles on peoples faces. Your job is literally to hang out with people while they're on holiday, help them go outside their comfort zone and enjoy themselves while they do. There's nothing quite like it! Not to mention the fact that the lessons began about an hour after the resort opened.... that first hour of my day was always spent skiing fresh lines in the amazing Japow snow that had fallen the night before!

If you're considering heading to Japan for a winter season, I can't recommend it more!

I'm a skier/snowboarder from Finland and Grand ambassador for EA. I did my internship programme in Queenstown at The Remarkables ski resort and it was the best decision I've ever made. After a never ending summer I needed to get back to skiing and EA helped me to do that. We started off with L1 training and working during the busy school holidays. To get into teaching as an intern was a great experience and really got me into this career. After the holidays was time to take a big step and start training for the L2. Long days and a lot of skiing but the way EA has built the programme gives an opportunity to good skiers to pass their exams and after all no ones alone, we got support from the trainers and old interns. We also had many social nights with fun activities that made our group strong. Being a EA intern is like being a big family and that's what made my season super special.

Now I'm getting ready for the season in thr northern hemisphere as I hold my L2 qualification and a good experience of teaching. I would highly recommend this programme for anyone how's keen to follow the winter.