Ben – Val d'Isere, Tignes, Meribel & Courchevel

gapski.com

Gap Ski instructor training

Starting January 2011

In association with the development centre, Tignes and Val dâ€™Isere

Gap Ski is a new 10 week ski instructor training programme based in Tignes, part of the Espace Killy, one of the greatest ski areas in the world. Whether you are looking for an international qualification for a career in the ski industry or simply a way to maximise your skiing potential whilst doing a season, the Gap Ski programme is the most comprehensive and effective ski training programme out there.

Gap Ski offers the most effective and best value for money gap programme possible. The course is designed to train students up to and through their BASI level 2. The course includes all BASI fees including level 1 and 2, the child protection module, first aid course and all the required shadowing hours. Basically, everything is included, no hidden costs, no extra charges, itâ€™s all in there.
Gap Ski training is provided in association with the development centre who boast six BASI examiners within their ranks. All training is with BASI examiners and fully qualified ISTDâ€™s.Â Check out below to see why this gap course is a cut above the rest….

10 week all inclusive course taking you right through to and including BASI level 2
BASI level 1, 2, first aid course and child protection fees all included
Pair of high performance Head skis, perfect for your exams
Collection and drop off from Geneva airport
Fully catered HOTEL accommodation. 3 meals a day including hot mountain restaurant lunch 7 days a week.
Train 5 days a week, enjoy your accommodation, lift pass and food 7 days a week
Work opportunities in Italy on successful completion of BASI level 2.
Full season lift pass â€“ you can ski before, during and after the course for no extra cost.
Nightly workshops including video analysis, ski tuning, fitness and more.
Free soft goods
All for Â£7495

These are just some of the benefits of Gap Ski, others include freeride, park and avalanche awareness sessions. There are also opportunities to learn ski tuning and maintenance, lesson planning, group management and so much more. These are all included in the stated price â€“ there are no hidden fees

Gap Ski, in association with the development centre, invites you to take advantage of the best training in the Alps. Simply take your skiing to a new level or kick start your career in snowsports.

For more information contact Ben Harris at [email protected] or on
+33 (0)6 14 28 54 26
or
+44(0) 7967 330 187

Ski Club of Great Britain Season Start Up – day 2

SCGB with tdc coach Ben Langridge

Ski Club Season Start Up – day 2

It was another beautiful day in the Espace Killy today and although we havenâ€™t had loads of snow so far this season the piste conditions are fantastic, thereâ€™s barely a rock in sight!

This morning I took the group over to Val dâ€™Isere but unfortunately my favourite La Daille area was closed due to preparations for the World Cup and a fallen cable which was crossing La Verte piste. We spent the morning consolidating yesterdayâ€™s technical focusses which were getting balanced over the outside ski early in the turn and improving rotary movements.

As the video footage shows the guys made some great changes notably their turn shape and economy of movements.

After a great lunch in La Datcha, we headed up into the Solaise bowl to work on the inside ski which in the most part wasnâ€™t quite matching the outside ski. The general feedback was really positive with the guys feeling more stable, more smooth, and more efficient, so I took the group down the Matisse piste which I knew would be quite icy and narrow. This was a good test to see if the inside ski focus helped their impulse of rotation and their ability to put the ski flat and be patient through the arc. I was really pleased with the outcome as the team skied comfortably over the varied snow adapting with each turn to the different snow underfoot. We finished the day with another video run before heading back to the hotel bar to review it over a Vin Chaud.

Ski Club Seasons Start Up – Day 1

Ski Club of Great Britain under tdc guidance

I spend every autumn looking forward to the Ski Club week, it’s a bit like an official start to the season for me, I get to spend six days with some old friends and get royally spoilt by the Mark Warner staff in the ‘Perce Neige’ in Tignes le Lac. Full English breakfast, tea and cake, evening dinner, jacuzzi and the opportunity to ski with two groups of Ski Club members 6 hours a day for 3 days each.

The lesson format is great from a coaching point of view because we have plenty of time to make changes to people’s performance, so I took my time today warming the guys up. I could tell they were all itching to get going as they all beat me on the walk from the hotel to the lifts, but after a warmer to make sure we all knew each others names and a quick physical warm up we headed towards the Gratalu Chair into the sun to sample some of the awesome piste skiing on offer in Tignes. The snow was cold and grippy and perfectly groomed and the team soon found their ski legs.

We started with some balance drills to get everyone over their outside ski and then I filmed the team to use as a benchmark to compare their progress over the three days. We quickly outlined some common threads to iron out, starting with the vertical ‘pop’ to reduce the amount of wasted muscular effort while at the same time improve the skis’ grip at the start of the turn. The session progressed by focussing on active leg stretching and rotating with some free practice before finishing off with another filmed run to assess the changes the guys had made over the course of the day.

I’ve decided to follow the advice of Louise Alison of Bonne Sante Physio and start incorporating a warm down when time permits – after the warm down we returned to the hotel for some video feedback where a few technical hitches caused me a touch of stress as I couldn’t get the t.v. to work. Fortunately for me the Perce Neige bar manager- ‘lovely Lily’ saved my bacon by dropping everything to fix the problem, and we spent probably too long analysing the days skiing, without a doubt this improved everyone’s understanding of the movements we’re making and the changes we need to make.

Tommorrow’s another day and I can’t wait to show off the awesome skiing in Val d’Isere, in the mean time, I must dash, the Jacuzzi is calling before a three course dinner with wine – I feel like I’m on holiday!

Ben L