Snowboard Improver Courses in Banff

The location: Banff Alpine Centre, Banff, Alberta.

The date: A snowy night sometime in January 2010.

The people: Phil, Nick, Dunk & Marion from SnowSkool, Andy (CASI Level 4 snowboard instructor), Mark, (IFMGA mountain guide), Sam 1 (CASI freestyle snowboard coach), Sam 2 & Louise (SnowSkool snowboard instructor course students)

The project: Create the world’s most exciting snowboard training course.

The 13-week Banff snowboard improver course runs alongside the 13-week Banff snowboard instructor course for the first five weeks as we bring everyone’s riding up to speed and sit the CASI Level 1 snowboard instructor qualification. Although generally regarded as an entry level qualification, it is a very useful component in helping us to deconstruct your snowboarding and then reconstruct it in the correct way to facilitate longer term improvements.

And now let the gnarly riding commence...!

First off, we’ll work on your off-piste riding...for many of you, this will be your first taste of deep powder. It is pretty tough but you’ll soon be nailing it and floating down in the softest, fluffiest snow. Better than sex! Then we’ll be hitting up the park and spending three weeks working on your freestyle snowboarding. Freestyle is the very essence of snowboarding and we expect you to be throwing down spins, flips & grabs, jibbing the gnarliest rails, and boosting huge out of the pipe by the end of the course!

For the last two weeks, we’re heading off for a two-week backcountry extravaganza! SnowSkool has partnered with Cirrus Alpine Guides and they will be passing on their love of the Canadian wilderness. You will be learning skills such as winter survival, backcountry touring and crevasse rescue as you spend days braving the worst that nature can throw at you and nights tucked up in toasty touring huts far away from civilisation! This course will open your eyes to what is out there and give you memories that will last forever!