The ultimate fast-track course, a fantastic opportunity to spend the best part of a season in the world's finest ski resort, broaden your horizons and of course receive the best ski tuition on your way to a internationally-recognized qualification.
The course kicks off with a week's intensive personal performance course given by BASI Trainers covering all areas of skiing - high-speed, off-piste, bumps, steep slopes, racing, snowpark and freeride, mountain safety and off-piste awareness.
This is followed by the BASI Level 1, six weeks of further training during the afternoons (including racing with Chemmy Alcott and freestyle) and then the BASI Level 2 in the last two weeks. It includes all elements required to achieve the BASI Level 2
Below is a timetable of the course for the 10 Weeks you will be with us in Val d'Isère.
The course begins with a personal performance week, focussed entirely on your own personal skiing or riding. The basic fundamentals of ski technique are covered this week and it is designed to lay the foundations of the course to come. It is full days on the hill, Monday to Friday, and a couple of hours spent off the hill going through video analysis and attending specialist presentations on Biomechanics, Injury Prevention, Equipment and Mountain Safety. It is a busy week, but it sets you up well for the rest of the course. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainer on the hill: 25hrs
Time spent with your Trainer off the hill: 5 hrs
Time spent in specialist evening presentations: 5hrs
Total training time: 35hrs
The BASI Level 1 course. The Level 1 Instructor course is a four day course and is the first instructor qualification within the BASI system of training and grading. It is the initial step on the route to becoming eventually an internationally recognised Snowsport Teacher. The course aims to provide you with the basic information and skills which will enable you to develop your practical performance. You will be introduced to the Central Theme which is the BASI progression from no skiing experience through to parallel turns and you will begin to deliver some short lessons. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainer on the hill: 25hrs
Time spent with your Trainer off the hill: 10 hrs
Total training time: 35hrs
Race training and freestyle week. This week you will do some slalom race training with former World Cup skier and Olympian Alain Baxter. Alain is one of the most successful skiers ever in British history and is a allround good guy. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ski with racing royalty and hone your skills at the same time. You will also have a Giant Slalom session with one of the ICE race coaches and do a freestyle clinic with Olivier Renassia, which will be a chance to explore the Val Snowpark and develop your freestyle skills. You will also do the First Aid course this week as part of the overall qualification. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainers on the hill: 9hrs
First Aid Training: 14 hrs
Total training time: 23hrs
Race training and freestyle week. This week you will do some Giant slalom race training with former World Cup skier and Olympian Chemmy Alcott. Chemmy is one of the most successful skiers ever in British history and is a real personality. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to ski with racing royalty and hone your skills at the same time. You will also have a Giant Slalom session with one of the ICE race coaches and do a freestyle clinic with Olivier Renassia, which will be a chance to explore the Val Snowpark and develop your freestyle skills. We also say goodbye to the 4 week course at the end of the week so will have an ICE party to send them off in style. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainers on the hill: 15hrs
Total training time: 15hrs
Personal performance week. An opportunity to work on your action plan in all areas of skiing towards the BASI Level 2 with training exclusively from BASI Trainers. We also say good bye to the 5 week course at the end of the week so will have one of the (now legendary) ICE parties on Friday evening. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainers on the hill: 15hrs
Total training time: 15hrs
Ski school experience week. This week will see you go out with an experienced instructor and a real group of students to see what life is like as a ski or snowboard instructor. An important part of the BASI syllabus and also an opportunity to experience the rigours of ski school life. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Instructor on the hill: TBC
Total training time: TBC
Performance training and teaching sessions. This week continues your personal development with BASI Trainers as part of the overall programme towards level 2, but you will also do some teaching sessions to practise your teaching skills, giving you time to develop this side of your progression. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainer on the hill: 15hrs
Time spent off the hill: 2hrs
Total training time: 17hrs
Performance training and teaching sessions. This week continues your personal development with BASI Trainers as part of the overall programme towards level 2, but you will also do some teaching sessions to practise your teaching skills, giving you time to develop this side of your progression. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainer on the hill: 15hrs
Time spent off the hill: 2hrs
Total training time: 17hrs
BASI Level 2. This is the second part of the BASI curriculum and the climax of the course. It is a continuously assessed course which, if successful, culminates in the much coveted Level 2 qualification. The course is physically demanding, as you will spend two blocks of five days involved in lectures, self study, skiing/riding and teaching. Here is a summary of what to expect this week:
Time spent with your Trainers on the hill: 55hrs
Time spent off the hill: 20hrs
Total training time: 75hrs
The program above follows how the course has run in recent years but should not be viewed as a definitive itinerary which will be communicated to you week to week via the members area of the website. It can be subject to some variation depending on weather conditions and other circumstances, but this will give you a good idea of what to expect.
We can cater for a large range of abilities since there are many groups on the course. Because of this, if you are already a good skier your level will be pushed with other good skiers around you. Our trainers train and assess to the highest levels in BASI so there is no ceiling to your improvement. Similarly if you are an inexperienced skier or rider you will be in a group with similar abilities so your needs will be met in this respect too.
Insurance:
It is vital that you are properly insured against injury, loss of personal effects and curtailment. Students will need to purchase an insurance policy, details of suppliers that prevoius students have used will be posted when you receive your booking form.
In the background.
Whilst this is an opportunity for you to expand your horizons
and get the most from the time you spend abroad there will always
be the guidance of the ICE team should things go wrong. Whether it
is for medical reason or just a shoulder to lean on, the ICE team
will be there to help, should you require it.
Call us on 0870 760 7360 for more information. If you choose option 3, you can speak directly to a BASI Trainer who will happily discuss the course content, accommodation, what to do with your qualifications, how to find work and answer any questions you may have about the course or skiing and snowboarding in general.
