The Federal Certificate for Ski Instructors
The first course to obtain the Federal Certificate for Ski Instructors takes place in the winter of 1931 in Andermatt. The candidates underwent a one-day admission test before being able to participate in a 4-day training program, culminating in a new examination. The only technical requirements at that time were the mastery of various forms of Christiania and telemark on a steep slope.
The requirements for obtaining a federal certificate to become a ski instructor would continue to evolve and expand over the years.
Today, the requirements are considerably higher. The course lasts a minimum of 130 days (80 workshop days, 40 training days and 10 examination days). It now includes twenty practical exams ranging from snowplough to slalom, from free-style to free-ride.
Participants also need to master a variety of tricks, as well as an additional snow sport (snowboard, telemark, or cross-country). The practical requirements are supplemented by methodological, pedagogical and language training, all of which culminate in examinations. Furthermore, special modules on avalanches, tourism, or laws complement this training, now recognized at the national level by the Federal Office for Vocational Education and Training (OFFT).
