# Nonstop Life

Why choose Nonstop for your instructor course

Discover what makes our flagship instructor courses the ultimate experience. (5 min read)

What makes Nonstop ski and snowboard instructor courses stand out? With so many options out there, we know it can be a little tricky when it comes to choosing a course, and it’s important you take the time to find the right program.

We don’t imitate, we just do our thing better than anyone else. That’s what over 15 years as Canada’s leading instructor training company gets you. Here’s what gives our instructor courses an edge.

Explorative resorts

A word to the wise: where you choose to base yourself can define your season and shape your progression in the sport. Founded in Canada, we had our pick of resorts and made certain to uncover mountains with mind-blowing snow records (10+ metres), oodles of varied and challenging terrain, and funky alpine villages to boot. Put simply, our resorts are chosen to maximise your potential on snow and provide truly epic mountain experiences off it.

Our home resort of Fernie is a ski and snowboard mecca famed for its huge annual snowfall, adventurous terrain and local town that oozes Canadian-cool. Powder is all-but guaranteed across its five alpine bowls with everything from steep chutes and gladed trees, to perfect groomers and open snow fields. Our other base: the world-famous ski area of Banff. A buzzing party town set within a national park, we train you across three resorts: Sunshine Village, Lake Louise and Mount Norquay. A huge freestyle scene, supreme snow conditions and terrain from backcountry-like bowls to World Cup downhills. Between the two, we've all bases covered.

The MORE program

A season with Nonstop is about far more than just ski or snowboard coaching. We’re driven by a hunger for adventure, and our MORE program gives you access to a huge range of activities and trips that will take your season to a new level. From guided backcountry cat skiing, to epic bonfire campouts and avalanche safety training, you can do it all. Discover more about what you’ll get up on our MORE program here.

All Mountain Pro

We recognise that not everyone on an instructor course plans on working as a ski or snowboard instructor post-course, instead using the season as a foundation to advance their skiing or snowboarding. If you are more interested in your personal performance, our All Mountain Pro (AMP) certification provides a structured pathway designed to develop your freeriding. After your CSIA/CASI Level 1, you have the option of continuing with Level 2 training, or taking our performance-focussed AMP program. From powder and gullies, to cliff drops and freestyle, you’ll work on perfecting skills across the mountain. You don't need to decide on your route until mid-way through your training, so your course is flexible. Learn more about AMP here.

Pro Start

For up-and-coming instructors, we’re here to guide you through your course and beyond. Our exclusive Pro Start program is designed to help you break into the industry, giving you all the tools necessary to make you stand out from the crowd and land your first job as an instructor. On top of training for your Level 1 and 2 certifications, you can work towards specialist qualifications including race and freestyle to add to your on-snow arson. During the course you’ll have the opportunity to gain first-hand experience on our Community Days initiative, as well as shadow real lessons.

Trainees also attend a ‘Working as an Instructor’ seminar hosted by ski school directors and when you graduate, you’ll have access to our large network of snow school connections around the world – from Japan to New Zealand. We have an exclusive relationship with Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR), and graduates of our Fernie course are given guaranteed interviews for RCR's several Canadian resorts. Learn more about Pro Start here.

Forward-thinking coaching

We don’t just outsource our training to the local snowsports school and dust our hands. In each of our resorts, the on-snow coaching program is led by a team of Technical Directors who head up their respective sports – highly experienced CSIA/CASI Level 4s with an intimate knowledge of the Canadian way and the inside track on what it takes to succeed. They design and oversee every aspect of our training to ensure you achieve your ski or snowboard goals, and then some. Aside from that, all our pros are Level 4s or well-versed Level 3s, handpicked for their experience, passion and local knowledge. During the season, our coaches exclusively work for Nonstop and the same team will guide you for the duration of your program. Coaching is a blend of highly technical and all-mountain training with mileage and exploration accounted for.

Local hosts

They don’t take much of the glory, but the role of a Nonstop host is crucial to the smooth running of our courses. Selected for their local know-how, character and personability, the host will navigate you throughout the season. The host’s priority is to ensure you have the very best experience on and off snow – they’ll tell you when to sign up for your instructor exams, let you know what time to turn up for heli-skiing, and make sure you know where the après is happening. But they’re also there to guide you to success, spot and deal with any problems, and take you to the physio when you’ve busted your ankle from that rail fail. Available 24-7, masters at wearing different hats.

Accommodation options

The cherry on top; our programs include a perfect base for when you’re not on the hill. In Fernie, we’ve invested in our very own lodge with queen-sized beds and facilities from a hot tub and pool to movie room and bar. We also rent out local houses if you’re up for a true seasonaire experience. In Banff, we use a centrally located hotel just a stone’s throw from the heart of the action. We’ve options for all budgets, from dorm-style rooms to twin and private rooms.