Meet the top snowboard trainer at SnowSkool Méribel, with years of experience riding, teaching, and qualifying in the UK, the Alps, and Canada.
Matt Ottaway has been snowboarding since his teens, started teaching during GCSE PE, and is now a director with The Snow Base, a ski and snowboard school in Méribel.
We asked Matt about his journey and what it really takes to become a snowboard instructor.
How Did You First Get Into Skiing and Snowboarding?
“I started skiing at four,” Matt says. But snowboarding came later. “We were on a family holiday in Breckenridge when I was about 10. I shared a chairlift with a snowboarder and thought she was the coolest person in the world.”
Back in the UK, Matt started to have snowboard lessons on the dry slopes at High Wycombe and Hemel Hempstead.
When Did You Start Instructing?
It started with his GCSE PE exam. “For the individual sport part of GCSE PE, you could pick any sport as long as you could prove your ability.
“My mum suggested skiing instead of tennis or badminton, which is what my school would do but I was rubbish at. I was racing on dry slopes as part of the club and there was an instructor exam running, so I took it.”
That first qualification came from the English Ski Council. “It doesn’t exist anymore,” he laughs. “But it got me started.”
Matt Ottaway / Courtesy of The Snow Base
What’s Your Instructor Journey Been Like?
Matt’s first paid job was at Milton Keynes Snozone in 2000. “I already knew how to snowboard, so I used the slope to practise more and started taking British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) exams.”
Since then, he’s worked all over:
- Tignes: “I did my first season here and completed my BASI Level Two ski qualification. But in France, you can’t teach with Level Two, so I worked in ski hire shops and did various other odd jobs.”
- Courchevel: Where he joined an instructor training programme similar to SnowSkool (he would’ve chosen SnowSkool, of course, if it had been running courses back then!).
- ESF Courchevel 1850: “When I first qualified to work in France I was pretty low down the pecking order in my ski school but still training for my speed test. In less than a month I passed it, which is basically the highest level in the French system. I jumped from the bottom of the priority list to much higher up almost instantly. I worked for them for the next couple of years while finishing my BASI exams.”
- Big White, Canada: “Great experience, but the Three Valleys spoiled the rest of the world for me.”
Matt became a fully qualified instructor around 2005.
What Qualifications Do You Hold?
Matt is fully certified Level 4 in both skiing and snowboarding through BASI. “A lot of the exams are modular, which meant that I didn’t have to redo some of the modules like common theory or basic coaching exams, as I became dual qualified,” he says.
He also took a break from teaching snowboarding for a few years and served as a Commissioned Officer in the British Army. He still works as a Reservist in the summer.
“A big part of that job is planning and communicating clearly. That transfers well to instructing,” he says.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Instructing?
“It doesn’t matter what level they’re at. It’s about passing on the joy I get from sliding around on planks of wood.”
Matt enjoys figuring out how each person learns. “You’ve got to be patient. Not everyone feels the board or interprets what you say the same way.”
What Advice Would You Give to Aspiring Instructors?
“You’ve got to love the sport and do it for the right reasons. It’s not about showing off.”
His top advice:
- Start small and work where you can find work: “You won’t get VIP clients right away. You’ll probably be picking up four-year-olds on the magic carpet, but that can be great fun and that’s where you learn how to teach.”
- Be patient: “Some learners won’t ‘get it’ immediately. You have to be able to empathise with your learner and adapt what you do to fit them.”
- Get experience teaching: “It’s all about small steps. Don’t worry if your lessons are a bit clunky to begin with. As long as your learners are safe and having fun, you’re probably doing a good job!”
SnowSkool suggests being open-minded about where you work. Apply widely, including in places like China or Japan where snowboarding is booming.
How Long Have You Taught with SnowSkool?
Matt’s done four winters with us since the pandemic. “Post-COVID, when the world started spinning again, I came on board. 2024/25 is my fourth turn of the wheel.”
What Do You Like About SnowSkool?
“It’s the people,” Matt says. “For some students, it’s their first time away from home. Watching them grow is the best part. Some are now working in places like Banff or in Switzerland and still message me. That’s cool.”
He likes that SnowSkool lets him focus on teaching. “People like Tyler, Méribel’s 2024/25 Rep, are really important to make sure the right tone is set off the mountain.”
And he sets high standards. “I get them to treat sessions like a job. Turn up on time. Be prepared. You’ll enjoy it more when you’re progressing.”
Thinking of a season learning the ropes in the Alps? Start with SnowSkool.