What Do Ski Instructors Do In The Summer? 7 Incredible Ideas
Being a ski instructor is a fun and rewarding way to make a living. You get paid to spend the day on the slopes while sharing your experience and techniques with new skiers. There is nothing like passing on that love of skiing to someone else and nothing better than getting paid to be on the ski hill all day.
Yes, being a ski instructor comes with a lot of perks. The only downside to being a ski instructor is that you only have a job through the wintertime. Therefore, ski instructors usually find ways to stay fit through the summer by playing and instructing other sports. They also work seasonal jobs that will come to an end by the start of the next ski season.
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If you are a ski instructor and are looking for some ideas of how to stay busy during the summer months, here are 7 incredible ideas that will make the time fly.
1. Head to the Southern Hemisphere for Summertime Skiing
If you haven’t gotten enough snow this winter and aren’t ready to hang up your skis for the summer, consider traveling south, really, really south. As we start to put away our sweaters and switch them out for tank-tops, countries in the southern hemisphere are just beginning to gear up for winter.
If it’s within your budget to travel to one of these countries, you won’t miss out on skiing all summer long. Some of the most popular places to visit summer months for skiing include:
- Argentina
- Chile
- New Zealand
- Australia.
Unfortunately, these countries also come with some of the most expensive airfare. So if fleeing the country isn’t in your bank account this summer, consider some areas in North America that offer summertime skiing. The top 4 rated summer ski resorts are:
- Timberline Lodge, Oregon
- Whistler Blackcomb, British Columbia
- Mammoth Mountain California
- Arapahoe, Colorado.
2. Take Time to Travel
Many ski instructors stay on the resort throughout the ski season and work nearly every day. While this job is fun and rewarding, it can also take a toll on the body and the mind. Some instructors find it more beneficial and refreshing for them to take a vacation from work during the summer months and travel to non-ski destinations.
That might mean traveling out of the country and exploring new cultures, languages, foods, and architecture. Despite loving the snow that each ski season brings, it doesn’t mean ski instructors don’t want to warm up a bit. Why not take a vacation where you can warm up on the beach and relax those overworked muscles?
If you work and live at the resort most of the winter, summer is a great time to explore the surrounding areas, towns, and cities. Take advantage of the time off and discover something new.
3. Stay at the Resort
Many resorts stay open during the summer months for tourists that use the mountain for hiking and mountain biking. Many instructors choose to remain at or near the resort during the summer months to do other aspects of work.
Jobs might open up during the summer both in the hotels and restaurants at the resort. Some instructors work to maintain the property during the off-months. That way, the area doesn’t become overgrown with weeds or equipment, and structures don’t become worn down or even unsafe.
Many of the shops, both retail and repair, also stay open during the summer. Instructors often find work in businesses on sight, meaning they don’t have to pack up and move each year or go very far to find a new job.
4. Instruct a Summer Sport
Chances are if you are an avid skier, you stay active in the summertime as well. Is there a summer sport that you particularly enjoy? Perhaps you’ve taken up surfing or kayaking and could help others improve their skills. You already get to spend half the year doing what you love. Why not spend the other half teaching your other favorite sport and get paid to play in the summer sun as well?
The great thing about instructing a summer sport is that once summer is over, you can go right back to teaching skiing. That’s not always the case with most jobs. Most people won’t hire help that only wants to work for a couple of months until their next job starts.
If you instruct a summer sport, you are guaranteed that it is a seasonal job. You also benefit from all the exercise you’ll get in, and it will keep you in shape until the next ski season starts.
5. Be a Mountain Guide
It is often difficult for ski instructors to say “goodbye” to the mountains as summer rolls around. Fortunately, for those who will especially miss the fresh mountain air, they have the option of being a mountain guide.
Because many resorts stay open during the summer months for hikers and mountain bikers, ski instructors can use this time to be mountain guides. They get the best of all worlds since they still get paid to do what they love. Not to mention, being a mountain guide means you never have to leave the high elevations.
Being a mountain guide also has perks like scouting out new areas for backcountry skiing for those days off from instructing. It will also keep your muscles and lungs working at full capacity through the summer, so being in shape for skiing will come much more naturally.
6. Work at Home
There are so many options now for working from home that many ski instructors choose to work part time from their home office or workshop. Many ski instructors do freelance work like photography, web design, editing, freelance, wood or metalwork, and a variety of other creative outlets that can bring in a little extra cash during the summer months.
Other things some ski instructors do to take advantage of the free time at home during the summer months could include gardening, making improvements on their homes, building on, remodeling, or other projects that were neglected during the winter.
7. Take Advantage of High-Paying Summer Work
Along with the summer months, come high employment rates. More people are needed for things like landscaping, planting, harvesting, construction, firefighting, and much more. Why not take advantage of the influx of available jobs during your time off and work?
You could even do so part-time because most of these jobs listed pay quite a bit since the work is seasonal. For example, working as a seasonal harvester picking apples or similar fruits, you can make $28 an hour in some states. Not a bad way to spend the summer.
Most of these summer jobs are outside and require physical stamina as well, so you won’t miss out on the fresh air, and you’ll stay fit until winter.
Ski instructors love their jobs. Most of us don’t get paid to do what we love the most. Therefore it is difficult to know what to do with yourself during the summer months. Hopefully, this list of summer activities will inspire you to make the most of the warm months, whether that means chasing the snow around the world, relaxing, catching up on old projects, or making some extra cash.