NZSIA Development Coaches: Park, Pipe and Freeride

This mixed ski and snowboard coaching certification develops athlete-centred coaching in park, pipe, freeride and cross environments, through a shared three-stage pathway.

Other and supporting awards · New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance

What This Qualification Covers

  • NZSIA and Snow Sports New Zealand describe the qualification as preparation for development-level coaching, including athletes entering regional and national contests. Freeskiers and snowboarders train together around the environment rather than receiving an additional main instructor discipline award.
  • The five-day on-snow stage develops coaching the athlete and coaching in the environment. The dedicated page covers park, pipe, freeride, snowboard cross and skier cross, with an assessed coaching session towards an athlete's goal.
  • This is the coaching pathway's named certification, distinct from seminar attendance, online course completion and an employer's coaching appointment. It does not establish unrestricted guiding or automatic certification in both skiing and snowboarding.

FASS country rules

These are the active qualification conditions configured on FASS. They do not confirm that a person has met them or has permission to teach. Local professional and immigration requirements still apply.

No active FASS rule is recorded for these qualifications. This does not establish permission to teach or lack of recognition.

Training and Progression

  • The full pathway has three stages: Intro to Coaching Seminars, the Development Coaching online course, and the assessed on-snow Development Coaches course. Entry to the pathway requires at least NZSIA or SBINZ Level 1 or an accepted foreign equivalent. For the on-snow course, ski candidates additionally need Race 1 or Freeski 1; snowboard candidates need Snowboard Level 1, with the Terrain Park Workshop recommended.
  • The online course must follow the seminar and precede the five on-snow days. Candidates also need the listed discipline-specific terrain, jump, rail and pipe competencies. The final coaching assessment normally occurs on day five, with a 45-to-60-minute session. Documented exemptions require NZSIA's approval before registration.
  • The dedicated coaching pathway and course pages describe a five-day assessed certification. An older description on the ski Freeski page still refers to a three-day non-assessed component; use the current dedicated pathway and confirm the programme when booking.

Check the awarding body's current syllabus for entry requirements, course dates, fees, and assessment rules.

Sources and Further Reading

Official source review

Official sources checked on .

Checked against the awarding body's official qualification specification. Training arrangements and prerequisites can change; read the linked course information before applying.