Big White – Ski Instructor Internship

Big White boasts some incredible snow conditions and is famous for its Snow Ghosts, offering a fun terrain to duck and dive around this magical scenery. With an average of 7.5 meters of dry powder each winter, it defines itself against the Pacific coast’s western, wet resorts, like Whistler, Seymour, and Grouse, to name a few.

With over 2,765 acres of skiable terrain (one of BC’s largest), there is something for everyone. There are 119 runs, primarily designed for intermediates and above, and plenty of treelined runs for when you need a visual guide on those “white out” days.

For maximum flexibility, internships can be booked with or without flights.
Flights normally depart from London, UK and start from £700. Flights from alternative airports can be arranged, please contact us for a quote for this service. We don’t get deals as such but we do discount your flight if you are coming with us. Because we’re nice like that!

Outbound and return transfers are included from Kelowna Airport as standard with all bookings with flights. Bookings without flights are subject to arrival times and departure times. So in other words make sure you liaise with us so we can ensure you are meeting teh group at the right time.

Your lift pass is season-long; this means if you decide to add additional weeks, your lift pass will be valid. When you become employed officially by the resort your season pass changes to a staff pass.
Staff Lift pass benefits include discounts of up to 20% in select shops and restaurants, as well as on specific activities, equipment rentals, and maintenance and repairs.

Enjoy Ski-in/ski-out accommodation at the WSC Big White Ski Chalet, a 2-level split Swiss-style chalet in the heart of Big White. So no buses, no problems. The rooms are Double or Triple. Spacious, with two kitchens, two dining areas, two lounges, and seven bedrooms, this makes it a large family home from home. We offer 3 weeks of free accommodation with your Standard Internship. From then on, you pay rent till the season finishes unless you are doing the Hybrid Internship, in which case it’s full season accommodation all paid for by the WSC

For the first three weeks, we will be offering you 15 dinners. This is partly to socialise you all, but also to provide you with some respite from cooking in those first few critical weeks while you are completing your Level 1 Instructor training. After these dinners have been gobbled up, you are paying for your food from then on.

A representative is on site at the resort to oversee the course. Reps are knowledgeable about the resort, qualifications and training and have often taken part in the course previously, or they will be an instructor or part of the resort team. So they will know the resort pretty well and, more importantly, be a first port of call for emergencies, or just a friendly face to listen to your concerns or share some stories over a well-deserved beverage.

With 11 days of training for your Level 1 and a further 10 days of training for your Level 2, this will ensure that, alongside staff training and CSIA modules, you will probably play hard. However, study hard and you will excel in your Level 2 exams.

If you are participating in the Hybrid Internship, expect less work but more training, as you will undergo a total of 18 days of Level 2 training and an additional 9 days of Level 3 training. Putting you a notch above the rest as you embark on some of the most intense Level 3 ski training offered in an Internship.

CSIA Level 1 is the first big step to becoming a ski instructor. The qualification is split into three main components; your teaching of skiing, your technical skiing and your people skills. The exam is three days long, and you are evaluated on an ongoing basis.

There are no hidden extras in your package so you have the 4 day CSIA Teach and Ski modules along with the 2 day exam included as standard. However should you want to remove this from your package this can be done given enough notice

Well, once you pass your final hurdle and complete your Level 1 exams successfully, you will be given a full-time position if enrolled in the Standard Internship as a ski instructor in the BW Snowschool. The average hours of work are estimated to be around 13-17 hours per week across the season. Holidays are going to be the busiest. Wages start at $20 per hour.

Hybrid Interns will be part-time employees and will only work on the main holidays when the snow school is bustling and extra help is needed. Expect to receive around $ 1,500 in paid work for the season.

Regular Members enjoy a wide variety of Member Benefits, including Pro Deals, General Liability Insurance, and coverage for Accident, Death, and Disability. We include this in your package

Certainly one of our liveliest resorts. Dj nights at SnowShoe Sam’s, Pool Comp night, Globe Cafe & Tapas Bar, and a host of DJs or live bands at Raakels will give you enough to do in the evenings. Between these venues pumping out some great vibes, there’s also Ice Skating, Tubing, Carnival nights and of course the WSC Bolt-Ons, ranging from dog-sled tours, Ice climbing, sleigh rides, visits to Revelstoke or Silver Star, you will have experiences to remember with new lifelong friends for the rest of your life. You can, of course, tone all this down and chill at the lodge and watch a movie.

Simply put, the Hybrid package includes 17 more days of training than the Standard Internship, specifically 9 days of Level 3 Advanced progression.

If your choice isn’t limited by budget or you don’t want to dilute the training with too much work, then the Hybrid is better. If you want to maximise your skiing in one season and become that rock star you always dreamed of, then choose the Hybrid. Some career driven individuals might choose this to get the Level 3 training in at the end of the season.

You would choose the Standard if you’re on a tighter budget and need the most paid work. Or you are already a strong skier but want to balance this out with actual teaching experience. If you are only doing this as a single-season experience for a Gap Year, then this might be a better option.

This resort is suitable for those seeking a balanced mix of significant dry powder snow and fun, confidence-building terrain, along with some decent après-ski nightlife. A little more lively than most resorts, it’s renowned as a great family resort, attracting lots of Australians.

If you’re looking for a resort with a variety of runs and lots of vertical, there are better options available. Panorama or Revelstoke will challenge you more. If you prefer a more authentic Canadian town experience over a resort, then again, don’t choose Big White, as it’s primarily a resort community. It can get busy here too, being the 2nd most popular resort in British Columbia.

Not here unfortunately. You can expect to receive 13-17 hours of work from the ski school per week on average. So, if you want to fully support yourself, perhaps a job in the evenings will help make ends meet. Otherwise, expect to have to supplement your wages with some savings to break even on your food, accommodation, and time out socialising.

After the initial period, which is paid for, the cost will be between $875-$775 per month for double to Quad rooms. However, the Hybrid internship includes all accommodation costs paid upfront within the course price. Good choice if you’re not great at budgeting.

Yes, you can, and we highly recommend buying your boots in the resort. But check out our WSC discounts on skis, exclusive to our booked clients.

We fly you to Vancouver, then a small internal flight to Kelowna. From there, it’s only a short bus ride (50-60 mins) to the resort.