How to Become a Snowboard Instructor in Ontario, Canada

If you’re a young snowboarder with a deep passion for the sport and you want to get even more out of snowboarding, I recommend becoming a certified snowboard instructor in Ontario. Growing up as a teenager, I found it to be an incredible employment opportunity where I was able to make life-long friends, develop skills and create lasting memories.

I worked at Glen Eden in Milton, ON, for a number of seasons throughout high school and university. I first joined their volunteer apprenticeship program and then later became a CASI certified snowboard instructor. Going through Glen Eden’s snow school apprentice program in high school was a great way to collect the 40 mandatory community volunteering hours necessary for graduation in Ontario.

I’m providing this guide for any young person looking to navigate the process of becoming a snowboard instructor. By following the steps I list below, you’ll be able to carve out a path to finding employment at your nearest ski resort’s snow school.

The Ultimate Guide on How to Become a Snowboard Instructor

Step 1: Master your Snowboarding
Step 2: Understanding the Certification Process
Step 3: Get Volunteer Experience as an Apprentice
Step 4: Register for a CASI Course
Step 5: Secure Your Dream Job as a Snowboard Instructor

Master Your Snowboarding Skills

You’ll never be able to teach snowboarding if you can’t snowboard well enough yourself. The first step to becoming a snowboard instructor is ensuring you have proficiency in snowboarding.

If you can, try to take snowboard lessons while you’re growing up. You’ll get a better sense of whether you’re a strong enough rider to pursue it as an employment possibility.

Most ski and snowboard resorts will provide snowboard lessons for youth up to the age of 16. In Ontario, all the major resorts (ie. Blue Mountain, Horseshoe Valley, Glen Eden, Mount St. Louis Moonstone etc.) provide 8-week programs. Where you can take a scheduled snowboard lesson once a week for 8 consecutive weeks during the winter season.

By having taken snowboarding lessons yourself, you’ll get a sense for how they’re run and if you could ever see yourself in the instructor’s position.

Understanding the Snowboard Instructor Certification Process

In Canada, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI) is the recognized authority for snowboard instructor certifications. They have certification levels ranging from Level 1 to Level 4. To find employment as a snowboard instructor you’ll need to have received your Level 1 certification.

To achieve a certificate, you’ll need to pass both a teaching and riding examination for each level.

The following video demonstrates the snowboard riding skills required to pass standards for Level 1. If you can snowboard as well as the people in the video, then you might just be good enough to get your level 1 certification.

You’ll also need to be proficient in teaching theory. To learn the theory of teach lessons, you can refer to this video and this resource from the CASI website.

You can find all the details to register for courses from CASI.

Volunteer Apprenticeship to Become a Certified Snowboard Instructor

The best way to get hands-on experience is by becoming an apprentice, which requires volunteering your time. The nice thing is that your time can count towards the required 40hrs of community service required for high school graduation in Ontario.

Most ski resort snow schools have an apprenticeship program. I was an apprentice at Glen Eden where I got to assist with lessons being taught by certificated CASI instructors. Instructors would often have the apprentices preform demonstrations for the students. While the instructor leads, you’ll gradually take on more teaching responsibilities. You’ll get exposure to lessons being taught to adults, teens and kids. You’ll also gain an understanding of the different learning paces of various individuals.

Careers Pages for Snowboarding Jobs

Keep an eye out on the careers pages of your local ski resorts. Typically, positions will start posting around August to October in the lead-up to the coming winter season. Here’s some links to the careers pages of some ski resorts in Ontario:

• Glen Eden
• Blue Mountain
• Horse Show Valley

Register for a CASI Course & Conquer the Examinations

You are now ready to register for the level 1 CASI course. This course takes place over 3 days. To see upcoming level 1 courses, check out this webpage and keep coming back to it for updates. The level 1 courses will take place at different resorts throughout the winter season. In the year that I got certified, there was a level 1 course taking place at Glen Eden during march break.

During the 3-day course, you’ll be lead by a CASI certificated course evaluator. You’ll spend the first 2 days learning about teaching techniques, safety protocols, and snowboarding theory. You’ll get time to practise your riding and get critiqued by the evaluator.

On the third day, you’ll be evaluated on everything you learned in the 2 days prior. Successfully passing these exams demonstrates your readiness to guide and mentor aspiring snowboarders.

Securing Your Dream Job

Now that you have your CASI level 1 certification, you’re ready to start applying to jobs!

Check out the careers pages that I linked to above and search for job boards online. Also note, you may also need to have your first-aid certification as a prerequisite for employment. This shouldn’t be too big of a problem as most grade 9 students in Ontario get first-aid training in school, usually through Phys. Ed class.

Your journey as an instructor doesn’t end with certification or landing your first job; it’s a continuous adventure of growth.

There are additional levels or certification that you can acquire. Additionally, if you continue to grow in your terrain park riding abilities, you can also get a Park Instructor certificate from CASI.

Becoming a certified snowboard instructor opens doors to a fulfilling career, but it’s also a lifelong adventure. As you guide others through their snowboarding journeys, you’ll witness the joy of progression, the triumph of conquering challenges, and the shared love for the sport.

If you’re a snowboard instructor, or thinking of becoming one, leave a comment below and share with me your experience finding employment in the industry.