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RESORT TEAMAlways on hand to help
I worked on the ICE course for many years coaching slalom. The ICE team comprises a hugely experienced team of BASI Trainers and run a very professional course. I very much enjoyed working them. Alain Baxter
Olympic Bronze medallist
Our Resort Team
It really matters to us that people on our courses are well looked after and we have a highly experienced team of male and female mentors in resort to do just that. If there are any problems or issues that need addressing, there is always a friendly face to help, so please don't hesitate to ask.
James Duffield
BASI Trainer/Director
James has been instructing in Val d'Isere for almost 10 years and now lives in the Tarentaise Valley below Val d’Isere in the village of Séez with his family.
He has taught skiing at a recreational level for the entirety of his professional ski teaching career but in addition to this, he has also been a coach for several training centres that develop the skills of instructors towards all levels of the BASI pathway. He has worked closely with other nationalities and their training systems through his time in New Zealand, in a multinational ski school environment and frequently running ski school training for the staff.
He is now one of the directors of ICE where he brings all of this past experience together and is able to pass this onto any of the instructors or skiers that come to train with ICE.
Like all our coaches James also works with the British Association of Snowsports Instructors as a trainer which he has done since the age of 23. He assesses instructors working towards any level of the BASI system. In this role, where he refines the teaching techniques of others and coaches to a very high technical level, he is able to reflect continuously on his own instructing and develop new innovative teaching ideas to then use in all of his own sessions.
James has skied and worked in the Southern Hemisphere in Treble Cone, New Zealand, as well as across the Alps in Courmayeur (Italy), Verbier (Switzerland) and Megeve and Chamonix before settling in Val d’Isere, for his 15th winter season.
When not on the slopes, James spends the summers working as a brand ambassador with Jaguar-Land Rover and working with the team at ICE to prepare everything for the next winter in Val d’Isere. In his free time, he loves to cycle, play tennis and spend as much time as possible with his family in Séez where he has just become a Dad to his first son George!
Rupert Tildesley
BASI Trainer/Director
It seems a long way from Cornwall, but for the last 26 seasons Val d'Isère has been home for Rupert Tildesley. Qualified to the highest level in both the British and French systems, Rupert is one of the most experienced top level ski coaches in the world. He is a BASI Trainer and former member of the British Demonstration ski Team and has represented Great Britain at the International Ski Instructors Congress (Interski) in Switzerland 2003, Korea 2007, Austria 2011, Argentina 2015 and Bulgaria 2019.The purpose of the congress is to raise the levels of Ski Instruction internationally and to share teaching methods across the globe.
Rupert competes on the FIS Masters World Cup and won the British Masters Championships in Giant Slalom in 2009 and Slalom in 2010
He was involved with the rewriting of the BASI Technical Manual, drawing on considerable experience and technical knowledge of the sport.
Outside of skiing, Rupert is a keen kitesurfer, cyclist and sailor. He campaigned a 49er on the Sailing World Cup and at best had a world ranking of 133 ISAF World Cup Tour and was the first person to complete a land to land crossing of the Irish Sea by kitesurf (c.f www.thecrossing.org.uk).
Rupert is also managing director of Saturn Innovation Ltd, web design and multimedia company. Saturn Innovation are one of the biggest names on the marketing side of the ski industry having designed many skiing related websites, including this one and www.mountain-masters.com. To find out more about Saturn Innovation go to www.saturninnovation.com
Celyn Owen
Office Manager
Celyn looked after our students in resort for many years before taking on the office managers job in 2020. If you have booked a course with ICE, you will no doubt have had some email contact with Cel. Originally from South Wales, she now lives in Dumfries and Galloway but generally visits at some point during the courses and can be found partying hard in the Blue Note when she does.
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Nicole Dempster
Resort Manager
Nicole, who completed our ICE Level 3 ISIA course in 2022, has since advanced to become a BASI Level 4 ISTD. During the winter, she works alongside Jade in resort and manages our social media campaigns year round too. You'll often find Nicole race training on the Stade in Val d'Isere - See if you can keep up with her!
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Jade Hunt
Resort Manager
Jade attended the BASI Level 3 program with ICE in 2022 but was injured towards the end of the course, so missed the opportunity to do the technical and teaching exams at the end of the season. She will be attacking the hill to set the record straight in 2023!
Jade is a very capable photographer, and also deals with the ICE social media alongside Nicole, so if she points the camera at you, there is a good chance you will feature in our next Instagram post.Jade will be in resort during the course and on hand to help with any resort based issues you may have.
Unparalleled pass rates.
ICE provides you with world class training exclusively with BASI Trainers. This results in an important connection between training and examination. In turn, this produces unparalleled pass rates.
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