The Snowsports Academy goes international – the first ski instructor education program in southern Africa

It's mid-June – while others are enjoying the heat and the beach, we're swapping our flip-flops for ski boots and hitting the snow! 💪🏽

Coinciding with the European high summer, the Snowsports Academy is launching a special project: the very first ski instructor education course in southern Africa – more precisely in the high mountains of the Kingdom of Lesotho .

Graduates of the Ski Instructor Training Course in Lesotho with instructor Wouter Kuit.

Skiing in Africa – a unique experience

Located in the heart of southern Africa, surrounded by endless plateaus and impressive mountain ranges, the Afriski ski resort lies at an altitude of around 3,000 meters . Here, in winter, skiing conditions actually arise that make it possible to conduct alpine training even in this region.

Austrian training quality on site

Instructor Wouter Kuit traveled to southern Africa in June to train the first group of prospective ski instructors according to the Austrian ski curriculum . This transfers the proven training model of the Snowsports Academy to a region not typically associated with winter sports.

“It’s a bit surreal here. We’re sleeping at an altitude of 3000 meters and there’s really nothing here – quite strange, but still very impressive,” Wouter describes his impressions.

Training under exceptional circumstances

While summer and beach holidays take center stage in Europe, the participants in Lesotho completed technical training, methodological sessions, and practical exercises on snow. The combination of the high-alpine environment, remote location, and a small, specialized ski resort made the training an extraordinary experience.

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  Wouter Kuit during training with the participants in Lesotho.

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  Fun in the snow in Lesotho

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  Wouter Kuit gives feedback to a participant in the ski instructor training course

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  The group of ski instructors training in Lesotho.

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  Instructor Wouter Kuit in South Africa

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International perspective

By offering this training program, the Snowsports Academy is setting an example: winter sports and ski instructor education are not bound by geographical boundaries. Whether in the Alps, Asia, or – for the first time now – southern Africa: the passion for skiing unites people all over the world.

More about the Snowsports Academy: www.snowsports.at

Information about the ski resort in Lesotho: Afriski Ski Resort