Every guest deserves to have a great snowboard lesson. No matter if it’s their first time strapping into their board, or if they’re looking to learn a new trick in the park, a great snowboard instructor can make all the difference to their experience in the snow.
Here are the five must have qualities that make for a great snowboard instructor.
1. Patience
Snowboarding can take a little longer to learn than skiing. While some people pick it up fast and progress quickly, the vast majority of guests need time to get used to the balance and sensation of snowboarding. Patience is a fundamental quality of a great snowboard instructor.
Snowboarding has a steeper learning curve in the early stages. When skiers are learning to turn and can control themselves well, snowboarders are usually still learning to slow down and not fall over. Guests will feel much more comfortable with a patient snowboard instructor guiding them through their learning at a pace specific to their ability, confidence and goals. This makes for the best experience and gives a much higher chance of the guest continuing to snowboard in the future.
See how the best in the industry teach snowboarding, How do you teach a snowboarding lesson?
2. Putting in the Effort
A great snowboard instructor is always ready to make their guest’s learning experience the best it can be. Sometimes people may struggle to even stand up as they’re not used to being strapped to a board. Or they may even be nervous and feel better holding onto someone they can trust.
Whether it’s their first time sliding on a board, or their 100th, if a guest needs help, a great snowboard instructor is always there to offer help with a smile. This can be tiring as it means a lot of running up and down for the instructor as they help different guests in the lesson. But as snowboarding can be tricky to learn at first, it’s highly important that guests always get the help they need, as much as possible.
3. Being Passionate About Teaching
A great snowboard instructor must truly love teaching people. Snowboarding is amazing, spending your time riding around a whole mountain, riding powder or in the park. Loving snowboarding is why most people become instructors. But, the vast majority of people taking lessons are going to be in the lower ability levels.
Although there are still people taking lessons at higher levels, it’s important to appreciate that all snowboard instructors will still be teaching beginners no matter how experienced or qualified they are. The best snowboard instructors are people with a passion for others learning and improving. A passion in equal or higher measure than snowboarding itself.
4. Tailoring the Lesson to the Guest
Why do people want to learn to snowboard? Most people will answer with something like, “it just looks fun”, “it’s cooler than skiing”. Few will answer with, “I wanted a challenge”. Snowboarding is really fun, but it’s certainly not as easy as it might look, not at first anyway.
Most guests take a snowboard lesson simply to have fun and maybe learn something new. For some, it’s not really all that much about the snowboarding and more about having an experience in the snow. A great snowboard instructor will tailor the experience to their guests.
Lessons are about the guest, not the instructor. So a great snowboard lesson is one where the guest feels like they had fun in the snow and accomplished their goals. Goals could be; trying something new, meeting new people or gaining more confidence. It’s not always just about getting better at snowboarding.
5. Being Humble
Guests appreciate a professional and highly skilled snowboard instructor. But, they also greatly appreciate someone who can empathise with the challenges of learning to snowboard. Snowboard instructors are more skilled and knowledgeable than those who they teach. It can be easy to grow a large ego under these conditions, and loose touch with the guests.
Some of the best snowboard instructors in the industry are the most humble. Sure, they can do things on a board that most people might only dream of doing, but they’re still more than happy to help beginners. They are happy to offer their skills to anyone wanting to learn, at any level, and do so with enthusiasm.
For more information of how the best snowboard instructors teach a successful lesson, see How do you teach a snowboarding lesson?
