Name : Amelie Contamine
Age : 45 years
Situation : married couple and two children
Amelie Contamine is my mother, who has lived in Courchevel for 25 years now. Amélie started out as a ski instructor at the age of 20, and since then she has worked every winter and lived her passion. My mother loves her job, she often says to her clients: ‘my office is on the slopes’.
In a few sentences what constitutes a ski instructor ? : “A ski instructor is all about teaching people to ski, learning how to glide, discovering new sensations, giving pleasure to his clients and seeing them progress. It’s also about doing sport while enjoying nature.”
What is the typical day for a ski instructor? : “Pupils are picked up at 9.15am and we go out on the slopes until 12.15pm or even all day. Lessons consist of various exercises to improve technique. And snow games and skiing. When I have private lessons, I have lunch with them at the restaurant at lunchtime or otherwise, and then I take them back to the chalet or hotel.”
Is a ski instructor working the rest of the year? :
“Yes, with different jobs…,Most of the time, the men have other jobs, such as carpenter, bricklayer, lifeguard, water-ski instructor, golf instructor, surveyor…
As for the women, some look after their children, while others also have jobs such as refuge warden, florist, plantation worker or tennis instructor. Most ski instructors also do sports-related jobs for the rest of the year.
What are the advantages of being a ski instructor in Courchevel? : “The advantage is that it’s very heterogeneous… in other words, we do different things, from collective to private, there’s a tourist population from all over the world, Brazilians, English, Americans, Russians, Ukrainians, Swedes, Lebanese, etc… which is very enriching because you get to know the world. it’s a job in which we have an excellent environment in which to work, we just have the impression that we’re passing on our passion. We’re constantly in contact with people.”
What are the main ‘soft skills’ to be a good ski instructor?:”I think that to be a good ski instructor, you need to at least know how to ski, obviously, and be able to teach both children and adults. You need to be fluent in English, but also in other languages, and you need to love what you do so that you can pass on your passion for skiing and the mountains with brio.”
