Personally, i wouldnt. My idea is to carry on building a decent career.. Then i can afford to go somewhere with snow every winter and somewhere with sun every summer. Drive a nice car, treat my girl well .. Eat out often, blah blah blah... But i'm not you, if i was longing to do it. I would. You can only really regret things you dont do if you have a desire to do them
How do you know what you desire unless you get out there and try new things?
I teach snowboarding all winter, coach football in the spring and autumn and head up a wakeboard/waterski program in the summer. I earn enough to save, have a nice car, and eat out all of the time.
Most importantly, since I left england 7 years ago, not once have I woken up with the knot in your stomach feeling of not wanting to go to work.
I spend most of my life doing what most people save all year to do for one week.
OP, go for it, England will always be there, and trust me, it wont change one bit.
orangenechee
Post subject:Posted: Apr 28, 2012 - 10:55 AM
First post: Nov 04, 2010
Total posts: 77
Location: Sutton Coldfield, West Mids
Status: Offline
Hey, i'm in a similar situation - i'm now 27 and thinking of doing my first season next year. Reading all the posts on this thread has been really helpful. I plan to work it though, and i'm currently looking around to see where i want to be. As a Chef at the moment in the UK, that's what i'm looking at doing. I'm thinking Switzerland too, but that's as much as i've decided on. Can anyone recommend any companies to go with? I've been looking online, but previous experiences would be really great?
_________________ Crash & Smash...
Member of the Judean Riders' Front
Xandr
Post subject:Posted: Apr 28, 2012 - 03:47 PM
First post: Dec 27, 2011
Total posts: 158
Location: Manchester, UK.
Status: Offline
TaskMaster wrote:
Pretty certain that's the road i'm going to go down just uhmming and ahhing about whether to do an 11 week CASI 1 & 2 course in Banff with Basecamp (a fair bit more expensive) or do my BASI 1 here and then head off to Andorra to do my level 2 with Ash at Snowboard Coach.
Not intending on making a career out of teaching but would certainly help justify the career break to potential employers.
Actually a pretty good idea, wouldn't mind it on a CV and sure it'd be fun getting to know others in group. Will remember that idea for the future! ^
Bailz
Post subject:Posted: Apr 28, 2012 - 10:49 PM
First post: Sep 29, 2009
Total posts: 204
Location: Oxfordshire
Status: Offline
elskratcho wrote:
Personally, i wouldnt. My idea is to carry on building a decent career.. Then i can afford to go somewhere with snow every winter and somewhere with sun every summer. Drive a nice car, treat my girl well .. Eat out often, blah blah blah... But i'm not you, if i was longing to do it. I would. You can only really regret things you dont do if you have a desire to do them
I'm just going to say one more thing on this matter then leave this topic. I'm a person who isn't really interested in materialist things, if i have enough food to eat to live and a warm dry place to sleep at night then that would do me if i could bike all summer and snowboard all winter. Each to there own though, i'm not saying you are a materialist but lifestyle is more important than objects to me and why work so hard now to have it later when you can have it now with a little sacrifice....
This story might help you understand.....
A businessman was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellowfin tuna. The businessman complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them. The Mexican replied only a little while.
The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish? The Mexican said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. The businessman then asked, but what do you do with the rest of your time? The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos; I have a full and busy life, señor."
The businessman scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and I could help you. You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds buy a bigger boat. With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats; eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman, you would sell directly to the processor and eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to Mexico City, then LA and eventually New York City where you would run your expanding enterprise."
The Mexican fisherman asked, "But señor, how long will this all take?" To which the businessman replied, "15-20 years." "But what then, señor?" The businessman laughed and said, "That's the best part! When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich. You would make millions." "Millions, señor? Then what?" The businessman said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take a siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos."
The fisherman, still smiling, looked up and said, "Isn't that what I'm doing right now?"
elskratcho
Post subject:Posted: Apr 29, 2012 - 08:12 AM
First post: Mar 30, 2012
Total posts: 94
Location: Hull. East yorkshire
Status: Offline
ha ha , I think I am materialist in some respects. so yes - I'll take that.
- but - I work in the UK and absolutely love my job, and my lifestyle and friends here. lifestyle is important to me too - but I'm happy with how I'm living mine here. I've had some crappy jobs so its not always been the same but certainly in my current role - ive never woke up and not wanted to work. I love it.
someone taught me that 'if you have a job you really love, then you never actually work a single day' - thats how I view it.
The theme of my post was really.. 'This is me - a full season isn't for me and a holiday is fine - but if you really feel you could regret not doing this, then go for it'.
moo
Post subject:Posted: Apr 29, 2012 - 05:36 PM
First post: Nov 24, 2004
Total posts: 352
Location: No longer Whistler
Status: Offline
TaskMaster wrote:
Cheers lads!
Was struggling to justify taking 4 months off to effectively go on a jolly but took some wicked advice off a member on here about possibly doing an instructor course while im there. Would look a lot better on my C.V; 4 months on the piss & snowboarding or 4 month's achieving BASI 2 / CASI 1& 2 qualification.
Pretty certain that's the road i'm going to go down just uhmming and ahhing about whether to do an 11 week CASI 1 & 2 course in Banff with Basecamp (a fair bit more expensive) or do my BASI 1 here and then head off to Andorra to do my level 2 with Ash at Snowboard Coach.
Not intending on making a career out of teaching but would certainly help justify the career break to potential employers.
Not sure I would agree that this will look better on your CV. Most employers nowadays understand people want to do gap years and if you spend it snowboarding all day I really don't think it will look any worse than spending a fortune on an instructors course when you will never doing any instructing.
When I did my season my employer held my job open for me for when I came back 6 months later. If they value you and your experience you never know you might find they will do the same for you especially if you only want 4 months off.
It was one of the best things I ever did and don't regret it for one second.
DereksDontRun
Post subject:Posted: Apr 29, 2012 - 08:43 PM
First post: Mar 09, 2009
Total posts: 1893
Location: The port of Stock
Status: Offline
If you've already got a job and agreed a break/sabbatical with them then it doesn't matter what you get up to while away, they're only concerned that you'll return on the agreed date (in a fit state to work). But I can completely see the argument that if you leave a job to do a season away EVERY interview after that will question 1 why you left the job and 2 what have you done in the mean-time. Surely when answering these questions it's better to show motivation and a desire to further yourself with qualifications than to just want an elongated holiday?
With more and more people being made redundant (not to mention more and more graduates entering the mix too) it can only benefit to have a diverse CV and to a prospective employer it surely looks better to have internationally recognized qualifications in your hobby that to just have "I like snowboarding." Not to mention that it'll be easy to expand this by explaining the instructor course furthered key skills (communication, team-working, problem-solving, etc.) which are transferable into the work-environment.
Plus, in all honesty, I don't think it's a "fortune" to get the qualifications. Sure it's going to cost more than just dicking about while in a resort, but if you're after improving your riding and getting lessons then it's not much different in costs to get to an equivalent level. (e.g. basi 2 is 10 days 9am -> 4pm with 45mins off for lunch, so say 60 hours for £535 - compare that to 60hours of lessons at any resort and I bet it's a similar figure, if not more. And that's ignoring the level of instructor you'll get from basi compared to a english 2nd language local...). Bottom line - it's a bullshit argument to say that the instructor route is a horrifically expensive option if you're after improving your riding with tuition.
Firstly, MattylovesWC you are living teh dream. I knwoyou know that already but seriously if i could get up every morning without that knot in my stomach i would jump at the chance, i only wish i had taken your decisions in life (i am sure there is a lot of hard graft too).
Secondly about the instructor route, where the hell do you get BASI 2 for £535? All of these companies are offering this stuff for £5000 or thereabouts so i don't understand, do you have a secret?
Lastly, i am in a similar position as the OP. I am 29 and want to do a season or at least 3-4 months but i am a little worried about jobs when i come back. I dont really have a trade or an area of expertise. I am in what they would call a professional job in the Environment sector but i hate every minute of it! So what is best for me, to follow my immediate dreams or work on making my job situation better long term? Are they impossible to reconcile?
DereksDontRun
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 01:03 PM
First post: Mar 09, 2009
Total posts: 1893
Location: The port of Stock
Status: Offline
Those gap courses include this in their cost (except the CASI courses tend not to include the CASI 2 fee - tucked away in their small print), but if you're already in resort and after high-level instruction then all I was saying it's that the 10 day BASI 2 course isn't horrifically expensive compared to 10 days of in-resort tuition.
The 5k for a gap course can be broken down into:
BASI 2 fee - £535
10 week accommodation (inc bills)
8 weeks tuition leading up to the exam
Think about how much 10 weeks accommodation would cost you in a resort and how much 8 weeks of tuition would be too - can soon see why they're the price they are.
First post: Mar 30, 2012
Total posts: 94
Location: Hull. East yorkshire
Status: Offline
cantridepete wrote:
elskratcho wrote:
Personally, i wouldnt. My idea is to carry on building a decent career.. Then i can afford to go somewhere with snow every winter and somewhere with sun every summer. Drive a nice car, treat my girl well .. Eat out often, blah blah blah... But i'm not you, if i was longing to do it. I would. You can only really regret things you dont do if you have a desire to do them
not all seasonnaires live on dry pasta and spend there summers in the rain.
its 25% degree's here, hows things in hull
Haha, i dont really give a bats arse. Yorkshire is fine, thats why i live here.
I like the way i get poked at for liking my life here in the uk and have no desire to do a season. Its like we should all hate the place, be depressed with our knot in stomach every morning jobs and wish to escape.
If we were all the same, life would be pretty boring.
I just give an honest opinion. although i must admit, i thought seasonal work would be quite stop starty career wise and would think in a recession that thinking about work is a balanced thing to do that needs some consideration. Maybe im wrong, or you can earn more than enough in a season to last a year. To be fair, i dont know this info so some honest answers in £ would give a better understanding to those thinking about it.
There was a post on here that suggests seeing if you could have a career break with current employer . This is excellent advise. If they are cool then its really a no brainer.
klang180
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 03:12 PM
First post: Feb 15, 2005
Total posts: 42
Status: Offline
Hey Dereks thanks for that it was really helpful and enlighteneing. It seems you don't need to do one of those GAP programmes to get the qulaification and that is good to know. Of course i suppose you still need to be in Hintertux for two weeks and that has it's own costs but at least you are more in control about those.
Ok so I looked at the BASI 1 and it seems the real barrier to then doign the level 2 is the fact you have to do 35hrs experience between the two, that isn't that feasible for a lot of people!
elskratcho you were totally fair in yoru response and everyone appreciates another point of view, it certianly got me thinking. I share your bemusement in everyone hating the UK so much but for the OP i think his situation is a little different to yours as is mine. So in your position you might be mad to jack it in but the OP migh tnot be but your post was very good food for thought. I just wish i had your job!
cantridepete
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 03:28 PM
First post: Oct 28, 2008
Total posts: 2988
Location: Haute Savoie
Status: Offline
elskratcho wrote:
cantridepete wrote:
elskratcho wrote:
Personally, i wouldnt. My idea is to carry on building a decent career.. Then i can afford to go somewhere with snow every winter and somewhere with sun every summer. Drive a nice car, treat my girl well .. Eat out often, blah blah blah... But i'm not you, if i was longing to do it. I would. You can only really regret things you dont do if you have a desire to do them
not all seasonnaires live on dry pasta and spend there summers in the rain.
its 25% degree's here, hows things in hull
Haha, i dont really give a bats arse. Yorkshire is fine, thats why i live here.
I like the way i get poked at for liking my life here in the uk and have no desire to do a season. Its like we should all hate the place, be depressed with our knot in stomach every morning jobs and wish to escape.
If we were all the same, life would be pretty boring.
I just give an honest opinion. although i must admit, i thought seasonal work would be quite stop starty career wise and would think in a recession that thinking about work is a balanced thing to do that needs some consideration. Maybe im wrong, or you can earn more than enough in a season to last a year. To be fair, i dont know this info so some honest answers in £ would give a better understanding to those thinking about it.
There was a post on here that suggests seeing if you could have a career break with current employer . This is excellent advise. If they are cool then its really a no brainer.
getting a bit of topic here, but actually I do need to revise my original statement! Most seasonaires do live on dried pasta!
The real reason for my post was to get round to mentioning that there are ways of accomplishing what you want (cars, meals out, career etc) while in resorts. There's an aweful lot of people in and around chamonix doing exactly that.
i'm not saying that its better here than in the UK either(well the snows better), there are a lot of things that we miss, and a lot of things out here that drive us ****ing mental. I can totally see why its not for everyone, i'm pretty sure that we wont grow old(er!) here either.
Limz
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 05:11 PM
First post: Apr 18, 2010
Total posts: 230
Location: Surrey
Status: Offline
I'd imagine that the majority of seasonnaires that are doing well abroad, haven't got there by chance. Years of grinding, getting by and being savvy, all on top of a talent.
This could be used for any walk of life really...
Lifestyle comes in many forms, wether its being 100+ day rider or the local fridge jib kid. (I'm sure i've just stolen this from whitelines!)
I've started my foreign language class last week, to help me get to where i want to be. You never know, if you never try.
TaskMaster
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 07:14 PM
First post: Sep 03, 2010
Total posts: 1042
Status: Offline
Thanks again lads, i really do appreciate the different view points. I'm a contractor so there's no such thing as a sabbatical but that said i'm pretty much my own boss. I've spoken to the agency and they said they would do their best to put me back into a position when i get back so that's a massive bonus
I'm off for a few sessions with Ash from Snowboard Coach so hopefully he'll give me an honest assessment of my riding ability and let me know if i'm anywhere near where i need to be to do the instructors course.
_________________ www.baptism-records.com
DereksDontRun
Post subject:Posted: Apr 30, 2012 - 11:11 PM
First post: Mar 09, 2009
Total posts: 1893
Location: The port of Stock
Status: Offline
klang180 wrote:
Ok so I looked at the BASI 1 and it seems the real barrier to then doign the level 2 is the fact you have to do 35hrs experience between the two, that isn't that feasible for a lot of people!
it's 35 hours (plus a 1st aid course, criminal record check and a kiddy-fiddler awareness module) for the BASI 1. Then it's another 35 hours needed before the BASI 2 - so 70 hrs in total.
this isn't paid work but standing around watching (and possibly helping) a qualified instructor. I'm sure ALL domes/slopes will be happy to have shadowers on their lessons as it's usually pretty much a 2nd instructor for the price of 1. If you get a job after getting the BASI 1 then you can use teaching hours as part of the 2nd batch of 35 hours too.
Snowboard Club 
FAQ
Search
Register
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
Maximize
RSS Feed
