Banff 4 Week Course Alumni, Laura
We have been catching up with some of our Basecamp alumni from the Canadian courses to see what they have been up to since completing their adventures with us. In this instalment we catch up with Laura from the Banff 4 week instructor course.
Who are you and where are you from?
My name is Laura Davey, 28 years old, originally from Sydney – now live in Melbourne, Australia.
Where are you now and what do you do in your 9-5 world?
I am managing director of a snow travel company I started almost 3 years ago, Maer Snowboarding, https://www.maersnowboarding.com. I finished a double bachelors degree in 2010 (Commerce/Arts) at the University of Melbourne with honors in Commerce. I then went to work in business consulting for 2 years. So boring. The prospect of being part of the 9-5 rat race every day for a decade or so did not excite me. So I decided follow my passion and start a business in the snow travel industry. I went over to Canada in 2012 to do my level 1 CASI qualification with Basecamp, then came back to Australia and worked for a local snow travel agency. I then gained some teaching experience at Mt Buller Ski School in Australia and further progressed my riding under APSI. I finished up at MBSS to fully focus on building Maer.
What Basecamp course did you do and how did it help you get to where you are now?
I undertook my level 1 CASI 4 week course at Lake Louise in November/December 2012. It certainly helped me get to where I am today in multiple ways. I not only rapidly progressed my own riding, but on my return from Canada I became a snowboard instructor at Mt Buller ski school as a direct result of getting my CASI level 1. It has also benefited the service I provide through my business. By gaining a deeper understanding of snowboard progression I can provide a better on-snow experience for our guests by helping them achieve their own goals.
What are your plans for the coming winter season?
I will be spending this coming season in Banff, Canada. In January I will travel to Japan to guide one of our biggest tours. In February I am looking forward to doing my level 2 CASI course with Basecamp. I’ll then be back to Australia for a range of events prior to the start of the Australian snow season. It’s then on to New Zealand where I will be based for the majority of the southern hemi winter, guiding and coordinating tours.
Would you recommend a basecamp course to others?
I would definitely recommend a Basecamp course to others. It was very well organized, I rapidly progressed my riding and I had a blast – I met a bunch of people who I still keep in contact with today. Maer Snowboarding promotes Basecamp programs to our clients who are interested in becoming instructors, due to the quality of coaching, level of organization and career opportunities available. Even if you do not intend to become an instructor at the end of the course, it is still a fantastic way gain a deeper understanding of the sport and fine-tune your skills under expert instruction.
Want to kick start a career in the snow sports world?
If you want to kick start a career in the snow sports world then there is no better place to start than our 4 week instructor training course in Banff/Lake Louise. There are still spaces available starting Nov 7th 2014, check out the link below or get a hold of the team for more information on how you can kick off the lifestyle of your dreams.
https://www.basecampgroup.com/resorts/Banff
-Andrew
