6 Reasons why you should get ‘knee deep’ in your work for a winter season at Nakiska
1) New Friends
If you’ve traveled (especially alone), you know the friends you meet quickly turn into family. The same goes for ski resorts. You’ll be immersed in a family environment where everyone knows each-other and takes care of each other. The bond you’ll create with your friends while working a ski season in the mountains are likely to be lifelong.
2) Make that money
Ski instructing doesn’t mean you have to be the proverbial ‘ski bum’ (although that’s accepted). With Nakiska’s close proximity to the main city centre of Calgary, it provides good hours due to the steady flow of guests weekdays and weekends. Nakiska is also proud to be an industry leader when it comes to pay.
3) Explore Always/All Ways
Many ski resorts are owned and operate on their own, in the more unique case of Nakiska Ski Area being part of the Resorts of the Canadian Rockies family (and now you are too) you’ll automatically receive access to the largest variety of terrain and the best snow in Canada! Jaunt over to Kicking Horse Mountain Resort (2.5 hour drive) to experience the Champagne Powder it’s known for, venture to Fernie Alpine Resort (3.5 hour drive) for the vast terrain and the most runs in the Rockies and trek to Kimberley Alpine Resort (4 hour drive) to enjoy the sunniest ski resort in British Columbia.
4) Equal Opportunities & Growth
We don’t use an instructor seniority system, meaning everyone has the same opportunities here! Nakiska thrives off creating a fair environment, free of egos. Show incentive and you’re able to go far here! We like to provide the opportunity for growth within the winter sports school for those that show a desire for it.
5) Up your selfie game & be the envy of your city friends
Can you say FOMO? You’re life just got so interesting and your office was just upgraded to exhilarating! From the experiences you’ll have with our guests, to the views you’ll see while exploring the Canadian Rockies and everything in between. Your social media posts are sure to give your friends back home a serious case of friend envy and fear of missing out. (Epic selfies are guaranteed in this line of work).
6) And last but not least
Because these are our board meetings….
Find out more about working a winter season at Nakiska on our Employment page.
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2016.2017 Early Booking Offers have arrived
If you’re thinking of booking a ski getaway this winter, now is the time to do it! With Early Booking Vacation Offers available for Christmas and Family Week vacations, as well as special long stay savings packages and spring skiing trips with savings of up to 48%!
Visit our Hot Deals page to book a getaway online or give our vacation specialists a call at 1-800-258-7669 to book over the phone.
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Our winter Early Bird season pass sale ends on Saturday, June 25th, order your season pass or multi week ski school lesson online through the RCR Webstore before the deadline for the best savings of next season.
Don’t forget about those lessons! Get the kids in multi week programs – view and buy ski school programs through the RCR Webstore.
NEW this year buy a $500 Food & Beverage card for just $399 when purchased with your season pass! Find out more about this new Member Benefit and all the others on the RCR Webstore.
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The staff and management at Nakiska Ski Area would like to thank you, our gusts and visitors, for a great ski season – we can’t wait to see you again in the fall!
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Treat yourself to a day at Nakiska Ski Area! Our Ladies Days include transportation to Nakiska and back from Calgary, your lift pass and guided instruction and a gourmet lunch at the Finish Line Lounge! The whole package is just $139.99 (or $104.99 with a season pass). Next event is coming up on Wednesday, other dates available are March 2nd & 10th – sign up is available online!
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We still have great snow coverage and mild temps in the forecast this weekend! Take a trip out to Nakiska for Alberta Family weekend. Olympic Chair and the Tube Park will be open tomorrow through Monday and don’t forget to check out our Valentines Day Tube & Dine and ‘Colour of Love’ sale in the retail shop!
Visit the Snow Report for the latest updates, or download our FREE app from the iTunes or Google Play stores. More info.
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Love is in the air at Nakiska! So this Valentine’s Day treat your sweetie to a day in the mountains, we have a Tube & Dine special, where you’ll get to try out our Tube Park then enjoy an appy and drink in the Finish Line Lounge. Before heading home, check out the sale in the retail shop – get 30% off our colour of love rack plus find a heart on other items for an extra special deal (spend over $75 and get a FREE spanky)!
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STORY AND PHOTOS BY : Marc Lepage
Welcome to the Carving Capital of Canada! The once famous runs of the Olympic downhill events in 1988, has since evolved into a true skier’s paradise. With two near-perfect mountain ridges, Nakiska Ski Resort offers some of the most meticulously groomed, and indulgingly wide, trails I’ve seen. From the three Magic Carpets to skiing tree tops on Bull’s Head, there is most definitely something for everyone here.
Beginners of all ages will find the Bronze Chair area to be a perfect starting point. Completely isolated, those who wish to learn the basics can do so in this completely green zone. This section offers piece of mind, and insures a safe, speed-free environment to better focus on the basics.
The eternal intermediate can catch an unforgettable morning run on the crisp and freshly primed Homesteader. The wide blue cruisers of Nakiska are hard to top in the world of ski resorts. Whether you are looking to warm up or devote an entire day to casual fun, these trails offer the perfect environment to practice your speed control and edge pressure.
For the more practiced skiers, carvers and racers, the treats accessible from the Gold Chair are matched by few. The 452 meter vertical, will test your expertise, challenge your skills and keep you coming back for more. Be advised, this lift only serves a mountain side where there is ‘’No easy way down’’.
Whether you want to carve hard or flow though soft gripping bumps, this peak is for you. First time guests should start by repeatedly shredding the fresh corduroy on Whoop-Up, move on to attacking the naturally bumped Arrow, and end with a minimum of two trips to the easily accessed but not easily mastered, Monster Glades. The inevitable warm dark roast and slice of lemon raspberry loaf in the main chalet are by then more than justified.
At Nakiska, a 12 000 meter vertical day is not only feasible but thoroughly enjoyable. The effortless skiing on its even surfaces keeps your legs fresh and your cruising speeds up. The liberating effect of the extra-wide freeways plays with your sense of space and velocity. You can easily find yourself cruising at 80 and using the unmarked passing lanes to your left. Tune your edges and start racking up your laps. 25 should do the trick.
In closing, I must give a special mention to the resort’s ski racks. After 68 mountains skied, these original 1980s racks from the 1980’s are not only novel but have outclassed all others by a considerable margin. This imaginative and logical design assures that skis, poles and boards stay organized and upright. Incredible how such a s simple and often taken for granted aspect of the the skier’s experience can be made better with a little thought and care. Bravo to the engineers!
Check your Air Miles account, get to Calgary and hit the slopes on the same day. Only 50 minutes from the airport, Nakiska should easily be your first destination out west, a gateway mountain to the Rockies. As we would say in Ontario, Nakiska Ski Resort is ‘’yours to discover’’.
This has been a guest blog post, written by:
Marc Lepage
http://ski.sportactivites.com/
January 2016
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This Saturday is the Audi FIS Ski Cross World Cup at Nakiska Ski Area! Come out and watch as the racers cross the finish line in the base area and cheer on Canada! Can’t make it out? You can watch it live in the Alpine Canada Website! Find out what areas will be effected by the World Cup on the Nakiska Snow Report page or by downloading our new app, available for free from the iTunes and Google Play app stores.
Take a run down the Ski Cross Course on the Nakiska Ski Area Facebook page!
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I’ve tried to teach my child a number of sports on my own and it’s usually ended with tears, frustration, and a severe dislike for the activity on a few occasions. Even when I’ve been moderately successful in teaching the “basics,” I’ve always chosen to call for outside help to reinforce proper technique, build skills, and take my child to the next level.
When it comes to skiing, I know I am far from being an expert. I am an intermediate skier (at best) and still fear wiping out on an easy run while my son passes me and gets to the bottom of the hill without me. Teaching him to ski by myself is therefore not an option I am willing to entertain.
Thankfully, we chose to start off correctly with skiing and we placed our son in lessons from early on. The first lesson was only an hour and a half long but it gave our son a good “first impression” of the sport in a positive supportive environment. The teacher was fun and relaxed, didn’t get angry or show frustration, and kept the pressure light. My child responded well to the lesson and was able to work on the skills he learned with us in the afternoon.
I have many reasons for being a ski school supporter but below are my top five:
- Quality training from a professional instructor. We all know that kids usually learn best when somebody else is the teacher and skiing is no exception. The Nakiska Ski School instructors have years of experience under their belts and are prepared with games, activities, and fun tricks to make your child’s ski experience a fun one.
- Ski School Offers a Relaxed Start to the Day. I find the first hour at a ski resort to be the most stressful. Just getting the family and gear to the day lodge exhausts me and I need a few minutes to sip a coffee and relax before hitting the slopes. Fortunately, I’ve learned that if I put my son in morning lessons, I will get that quiet time to unwind once the lesson starts and I can slowly work at getting my own skis on and making my way on to the hill.
- Ski School Offers Adults Time to Ski on their Own. My husband will tell you that as long as he gets a couple of hours to ski the more advanced runs in the morning, he’s happy to take it easy in the afternoon cruising down the easier terrain with the family. Ski school allows the adults in the family some time to ski on their own or to ski with older children while the younger ones are in their class.
- Nakiska Resort Offers Family Lessons. I took a mountain biking lesson with my son this summer and it was a lot of fun learning new skills together. I can imagine that for a family who is new to skiing, it would be a lot of fun to learn together. Nakiska offers affordable packages for the whole family to take a lesson together with individual tips offered to each member of the family.
- Ski Lessons Can Be Paired with Daycare. For the toddlers and little ones in your family, an hour on the hill might be all they can handle. Nakiska’s daycare program includes a lesson along with indoor and outdoor play time while the rest of the family enjoys their time on the hill. Packages can be purchased for the whole day or for just a half day if you still want to ski with your munchkin in the afternoon for a while or if you have a season’s pass and just want to spend a half day at the hill.
My son has taken a few private lessons now and has tried a resort daycare program as well with nothing but success and happiness. I don’t think there’s been a single tear and we still remember our first instructor’s name. Ski School has contributed greatly towards my child’s enjoyment of skiing and I’m grateful that we’ve chosen to invest in this program.
Follow Tanya’s adventures on her blog.
Words by Tanya Koob
Photos by Tanya Koob & Abbydell Photography
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