SNOWBOARD
Certification is a Journey
As you develop your knowledge skills and abilities as a snow sports instructor you become more valuable to your clients and your school. No one person, document, or resource can prepare an individual for their certification process. Rather a combination of individuals, information and resources will provide the best blend of expertise for a well-rounded training pathway.
Please take responsibility to familiarize yourself with the policies, procedures, formats, and testing criteria before embarking on your certification pathway. If at anytime in your training program or testing process you need clarification, it is your responsibility to ask qualified individuals for clarity. If you choose not to question and research the information, you will probably end up with a less than accurate perspective on the certification process. This perspective is bound to influence the outcome. Be accountable for your success!
Did You Know…
In 1985, the first World Cup was held in Zürs, Austria. The International Snowboard Association (ISA) was founded in 1994 to provide universal contest regulations. In addition, the United States of America Snowboard Association (USASA) provides instructing guidelines and runs snowboard competitions in the U.S. Today, high-profile snowboarding events like the Olympic Games, Winter X-Games, US Open, and other events are broadcast worldwide.
The American Association of Snowboard Instructors was founded in 1997 in response to the growing demand of snowboard instructors and resort operators around the United States and beyond. The goal was to create a consistent experience for guests regardless of where they were traveling and at what area they planned to visit.
You’re here because you love to ride and teach people how to do the same. Snowboarding has been around since the late 1960’s and began to gain mainstream popularity by the early 90’s, and became a Winter Olympic Sport in 1998. The development of snowboarding was inspired by skateboarding, surfing and skiing.
Joining & Level I Process
Becoming a Certified Instructor
Snowboard Certification Guide
The purpose of this guide is to provide exam candidates, training directors, divisional clinic leaders and examiners with an established outline to reference while preparing for, participating in, and administering the Certification Level I, II, and III exams. ***Please note, for successful completion of a certification, all components of the exam must be completed in the Northwest, partial module passes in other divisions do not transfer.
Level I Snowboard Certification Guide
Level 2 & 3 Snowboard Certification Guide
View Snowboard Assessment Forms
Interested in some training materials? The snowboard training guide has been created and is a work in progress, with lots of ideas you could start working on now. Click here.
Level I Prerequisites
- Level I Online Professional Knowledge Exam
- Snowboard Level I E-Learning Course
- Level I On-Snow Registration
Level I Indoor Guide
This guide was created as a resource to be used for both trainers and new instructors in preparation for the Level I exam and also for more knowledge as an instructor. Its intent is to provide some bigger content ideas for further research and conversation.
Download the Snowboard Level I Indoor Guide (PDF)
Snowboard Technical Fundamentals
Listed below are the Snowboarding Fundamentals. The Snowboarding Fundamentals remain consistent through all levels of certification; they are listed in no order or priority.
- Control the relationship of the center of mass to the base of support to direct pressure along the length of the board.
- Control the relationship of the center of mass to the base of support to direct pressure across the width of the board.
- Regulate the magnitude of pressure created through the board/surface interaction.
- Control the board’s tilt through a combination of inclination and angulation.
- Control the board’s pivot through flexion/extension and rotation of the body.
- Control the twist (torsional flex) of the board through flexion/extension and rotation.
National Standards
These standards are the same across the country – transferable from division to division. Level III is the highest certification and meets International Snowsports Instructors Alliance (ISIA) standards. You can take your certification to a global level and teach all over the world.
