SkiBig3 Snow School Team

Brian started with SkiBig3 in the 1998/1999 season and has been with us consecutively every season since, making him the longest-standing SkiBig3 employee ever, at 21 years. 

This is the longest-standing job of Brian’s life and he says it has been an incredible journey. First starting out with Club Snowboard, Brian has also been a part of the earlier Fairmont private lesson program and has been with the Nonstop program since it began in 2005. Brian is incredibly passionate about his sport and said that he has met so many talented, awesome people and made lifelong friendships.

CASI Level 4 Instructor

This is my 10th winter ski instructing and 7th winter here in the Bow Valley. Originally from Oakville, Ontario, I’ve been skiing for as long as I can remember.  

My favourite part of living in Banff and Lake Louise is living among the wildlife. Seeing Lynx tracks in the fresh snow as I ride up the lift or the Bighorn Sheep staring down our vehicles as we drive up the mountain. I even love it when traffic is held up by a herd of Elk crossing the street. If you’re lucky enough to see one of these amazing creatures out in the wild, be sure to give them plenty of space!  

My local tip: look up what the prints and tracks of some of the local animals look like. The snow has plenty of stories to tell if you know what to look for.  

CSIA Level 3 Instructor

Linda is a Level 3 CSIA Ski Instructor and a Level 1 ACA-CSC Ski Coach. Linda’s family learned to ski together on a family vacation when she was six years old. She still remembers her first instructor. Since then, she has been a ski racer, coach, instructor, instructor of instructors and most importantly, a ski mom. Linda has called Banff home for more than thirty years. She loves sharing her passion for skiing and always starts the day with this goal in mind: “To help clients create the most efficient turn with the least amount of effort”. A local tip Linda would give to visitors is to download the “Aurora” app. It wakes you up to let you know your chances of seeing the northern lights if they are good. It’s amazing!  

CSIA Level 3 Instructor, ACA-CSC Level 1 Coach 

A skier for life, I was born on skis at 2 years old and I’m still chasing the turns at 41. Every winter weekend throughout my childhood, the entire family would pile in the old station wagon and head up to Mansfield Ski Club in Southern Ontario.  From the ages of 5-18 I was part of a race program, then when I turned 18, the athlete became the coach and I achieved my CSIA and CSCF Level 1 certifications.  Since then, I have become a CSIA Level 4 Instructor, Level 2 Examiner and a CSCF level 2 coach.

Skiing and sharing my love for the sport has always been my motivation – absolutely nothing beats the feeling you get in your body and soul when connected to the mountain with the wind in your face as you learn to fly. The excitement of sharing these moments never fades. My life as a ski professional has taken me to so many fantastic resorts and connected me with many lifelong friends. After working at Park City, Utah, and Whistler Blackcomb, BC, I knew there was something special about Banff and the three resorts in the National Park. There is a shared feeling among all that live and visit here that the natural world is worth protecting. The deep, dry powder and incredible variety of terrain will fulfill the desires of any skier or snowboarder that visits.

My local tip is to really take the time to explore Banff: grab some skates and head out to Johnson Lake, grab the cross country skis and head out to the trails at Lake Minnewanka, or jump on the Sulphur Mountain gondola and head up to the Sky Bistro for lunch and really see a view that never gets old.

CSIA Level 4 Instructor, CSIA Level 2 Examiner, CSCF Level 2 Coach

I’m a CASI Level 3 Instructor, CASI Park Level 2 Instructor, and a CASI Level 2 and Level 1 Park Course Conductor. I have lived and worked in many different areas but there is something very powerful about these mountains. I look forward to the seasonal changes, the big snowfalls, the sunny park days and the glimpses of wildlife while snowboarding. In our modern world, there are few places left where you can just enjoy the sounds of nature. What’s my local tip? Don’t forget to stop and appreciate your surroundings, breathe deeply and feel the energy of this place. After a hard day on the slopes, go for a soak and relax at the Banff Upper Hot Springs. Your body will thank you immensely.   

CASI Level 3 Instructor, CASI Park Level 2 Instructor, CASI Level 2 and Level 1 Park Course Conductor  

I have been skiing since I was 8 years old and an instructor since I was 16. I am a CSIA Level 2 Instructor and I live in Cochrane, between Calgary and Banff. My goal for instructing is to make people as passionate about the sport of skiing as I am. I love to introduce new people to the sport and then watch them gliding confidently around one of our beautiful resorts within a few hours. I also love taking experienced skiers to my favourite powder stashes, bumps, or glades. Just imagine being transported to the top of a mountain and overlooking hundreds of snow-covered peaks, valleys and ice-covered lakes! My local tip is to remember that each mountain is special in a different way. Try to find a mountain that speaks to you, like how the mountains speak to me. 

CSIA Level 2 Instructor 

Hey all! I am a CSIA Level 2 Instructor as well as ACA Development Level Coach, working with the Banff Alpine Racers on the weekends. I’m from Ontario, where I grew up ski racing and getting the most out of every winter (and short slopes). I love living in Banff because it allows me to share my passion for winter with everyone who wishes to learn and experience this awesome place. My local tip? If you like arcing turns on steep groomers Mt. Norquay is the place to be!  

CSIA Level 2 Instructor, ACA Development Level Coach  

I am a CSIA Level 3 Instructor. I started teaching skiing many years ago and then I took a career path in aviation. I have retired from flying airplanes around the globe and now returned to the ski world. I have lived in Banff and Canmore for the last 40 years. It’s a stunning area to live in and I enjoy the multiple recreational activities available. My local tip is to get out there and enjoy them all.   

CSIA Level 3 Instructor

I’m a CSIA Level 3 Instructor as well as an ACA Entry Level (L1) Trained Race Coach. I also hold my CSIA L1 Course Conductor status and certify new ski instructors, primarily at prairie hills in Edmonton and Northern Alberta. I started skiing on a grade 4 school trip to the Edmonton Ski Club back in the ‘80s and that led to a lifelong habit of skiing every winter. When life tossed me a curve ball ahead of the birth of my first child, I took what I thought would be a short-term job teaching school children in Edmonton to ski. This led to getting my Level 1 and 2 CSIA certifications that season, followed by a decade of full-time ski instruction for local school children. More recently, I’ve shifted to splitting my time between Edmonton and the mountains as I work towards my CSIA Level 4 Certification. This season marks my 15th consecutive season teaching skiing and I still look forward to being able to share my passion for skiing with students of all ages and ability levels.   

My tip for visitors is to park their car and walk up and down Banff Avenue. You’ll find many very Canadian offerings in the shops if you’re looking for a souvenir from your trip. There are plenty of restaurants to choose from that will meet almost any culinary desire you may have. I would recommend trying one of the local steak houses, as Alberta is known for its beef and bison. Also, no trip to Banff is complete without a stop at Cows for ice cream, even if it’s -20C (-4F) outside!  

CSIA Level 3 Instructor, ACA Entry Level 1 Trained Race Coach, CSIA Level 1 Course Conductor 

Private Ski Instructor

Level 3 Ski

As a child growing up in the UK, I was always fascinated by mountains, but it was difficult to experience them firsthand. However, when I was seven years old, my family went on a skiing vacation to France, and it completely blew my mind. From that moment on, I knew that I wanted to live and work in the mountains.

At nineteen, I began my journey as a ski instructor and obtained my level 1 and 2 certifications in Banff. For the next five seasons, I taught and worked in Austria, specifically in Kitzbühel. Now, I have returned to Banff, which feels like a home away from home for me.

My local tip: Look and take in the amazing surroundings that this national park has to offer because you won’t see beauty like it anywhere else in the world. Banff is truly a special place.