Sun Peaks Ski Instructor Course Review

The Resort

Sun Peaks Resort, B.C, is a majestic, quaint ski village located about 45 mins from Kamloops airport. It’s the second-largest ski area in Canada after Whistler, but what sets it apart is the lack of skiers on the mountain. Sun Peaks offers uninterrupted skiing with a vast range of terrain. Trees, off-piste, open groomers or the snowpark, it’s all there! Whatever your level, there is a variety of runs to choose from.
For me, a busy day at Sun Peaks was on Christmas Day, where I queued for a very long 5 minutes!! Comparing this to French resorts I have visited, it’s astonishing how little you are waiting in lift lines at the bottom of the hill.
The vast array of runs and terrain to explore meant some days you could go skiing all day with your buddies without seeing another person for hours! It’s an entirely different feel from any European resort that I’ve been to. The snow conditions, lack of ski school snakes taking up the pistes, and lift line queues make the resort definitely worth the long flight.

Once lifts close and the Disneyland lights illuminate the village, the après ski begins! Sun Peaks has a range of bars and eateries that stay open until late, so you will never be short of somewhere to grab a cold beer or two after a hard day shredding!

The Canadian people, especially the locals and workers in the village, are all very welcoming. Sun Peaks really does feel like a small family once you’ve been in the village for a few weeks. After that, faces start repeating themselves, and the Winter Sports badge of honour will also open doors for you!

Go to our Sun Peaks page to find out more about the resort.

The Training

One thing that made the experience so good was the level of instruction you received from the various Level 3 and 4 instructors. No matter what ski instructor course you choose you will be coached by some of the best in the country who live and work in Sun Peaks. You benefit from specific and personalised feedback with such a small village and coaching group size. The coaching we received for Level 1&2 was excellent and set us all in good stead for taking the exam. What you put into the training and shadowing, you will get back!
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All the coaches have different ways of presenting ideas and methods to help you improve throughout your time. However, be warned, the training is full-on, but that’s what you’re there for! After a few weeks, you will have multiple ‘lightbulb’ moment days when you start to get your technique right. You get to the bottom of the run and say, “now I understand” or “now I feel that sensation”. All the coaches are like-minded, kind people who love seeing new instructors succeed. They will be more than happy to explain things, answer questions and encourage you to shadow them at the weekends!

Recap!

On the whole, Sun Peaks is a stunningly beautiful mountain and village with endless areas to ski and explore. There are many off-snow activities to keep you busy throughout your time in Canada. I couldn’t recommend Sun Peaks more, I have skied all over Europe and have spoken to friends in other resorts in Canada, and they all complained about something. I really struggle to find fault in Sun Peaks as an area to go and gain your qualifications. The terrain, coaching, and overall atmosphere of the village will allow you to create lifelong memories while achieving professional and recognised certification. I went, and spent the best part of 18 weeks turning, learning, and laughing. I enjoyed it so much that I plan to go back as soon as possible! Lawrence:)

If you’d like to know more about our 18-week ski instructor course just click on this LINK.

The Winter Sports Company has been based in Sun Peaks for over a decade and runs numerous CSIA Ski and CASI Snowboard instructor courses.