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#SnowConnectingPeople at the Snowsports Academy international course

From the 11th to 22nd of April 2023, snow sports enthusiasts from all over the world will meet again this year to absolve the education to become a ski or snowboard instructor at the Snowsports Academy. The international course is taking place on the Kitzsteinhorn Glacier for the fifth time. The special thing about this course is that all parts of the course can be absolved in English.

Diversity in practice

The international course is a very special event every year. Where else can you find people from 29 different countries who want to combine their passion with a vocational education, as it was the case in 2022? In previous years, people from more than 25 different nations were guests in the beautiful Alpine region of Zell am See - Kaprun - Kitzsteinhorn, from Europe to South Africa, from America to China.


True to our motto "SnowConnectingPeople", despite all the diversity in culture, language and experience, one thing quickly became clear: in the snow, everyone speaks a common language, work together towards their goals and create friendships that go far beyond their own national borders.


Four different people with four different motives from the 2022 course told us their stories:

Daniel Sisterna

Origin: Mar del Plata, Argentina

Born: May 29, 1993


I live for snowboarding. I didn't discover it until I was 18, but it grabbed me right away. Maybe it's that feeling of freedom: being able to stand at the top of the mountain and board down whenever you want.


My first contact with the sport was on our graduation trip to Bariloche in Patagonia. Almost all classes go there and there is always a party - but one of these ten days is a day of skiing. And if your parents give you a certificate that you are good at snowboarding, you can snowboard instead of skiing. I faked this because I really wanted to snowboard. It was so difficult and I kept falling. But even then I found it incredible. In December 2012 I went to Colorado, USA to work in a restaurant. That's when I really started snowboarding in my free time.


Martha Kunce

Origin: Riga, Latvia

Born: December 31, 1997


Skiing is like breathing for me. I just feel so indescribably comfortable in the snow. If I had to choose between walking anywhere and skiing, I would definitely choose skiing. I like it when gravity does everything by itself.


When I was seven, my parents took me to the slopes for the first time, they also like to ski. We spent almost every weekend at home in Latvia and went on a skiing holiday every year, for example in France, Austria, Italy, Sweden or Switzerland.


Teaching others to ski and snowboard is just awesome. You are always in the fresh air. It's especially great when the sun is shining. When the weather isn't so good, I always try to be extra motivating to give my students positive energy.


Samantha Myths

Origin: Christchurch, New Zealand

Born: June 11, 1998


I am from Christchurch on the North Island of New Zealand. When I was a child, my dad said, "Why don't we try skiing?" He'd only tried it a few times himself, when he was young. That's why he really started with me. I was six years old and he was 40. That was a very bonding thing for the two of us. I loved it because I was bad at every other sport when I was a kid and a teenager. But I thought it was wonderful to be in the mountains.


Journalism is my passion because I love hearing and reporting on people's stories. But my medium-term plan is to work as a ski instructor here abroad – maybe in France or Switzerland. One day I would like to go to Japan for powder skiing and possibly for teaching. It's much closer to New Zealand and my father can come visit me there.


Graeme Hindley

Origin: Blackpool, UK - lives in France

Born: December 7, 1970


Coming from a coastal town in the north of England, I have always had a connection with the mountains since I was little. Blackpool lies near the Lake District, with only a few hills. And even in the mountains of Scotland you can maybe ski two or three lifts for two weeks a year. So it's not really what you imagine a ski area to be. Twelve years ago I moved to Morzine in France to live in the Alps because I fell in love with the mountains.


I heard about the Snowsports Academy courses from a friend. She herself completed an Anwärter (level 1+2) course and worked on the Wurzeralm in Upper Austria. The French system is different and you can almost only teach in France. I don't want that. That's why I decided to do an Austrian education.

For me, the biggest plus when skiing is the adrenaline factor. If you're good, you can do really crazy things. It's a bit of yin and yang - the peace in nature and the crazy shit. And I like both.


Read the full stories in the "Insight Snowsports Magazine":


Already many people registered for the international course from the 11th to 22nd of April 2023 on the Kitzsteinhorn. If you are also interested, then find out more at:


General information about the education:

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