Skiing Moguls in VerbierRoddy Willis

Master Moguls: Ski Like a Pro in 6 Steps

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Skiing moguls can be challenging, but with practice and some tips, you can improve your skills and enjoy this type of skiing. Here are some steps to follow:

  1. Start with the basics: Before attempting moguls, make sure you have the basic skiing skills sorted, such as, posture, parallel skiing and controlling your speed and line.
  2. Choose the right terrain: Look for a mogul run that matches your skill level. If you’re a beginner, start with small moguls and work your way up to steeper, larger ones.
  3. Learn the proper technique: To ski moguls, you need to learn to absorb the bumps with your legs and keep your upper body stable. Keep your knees and ankles flexed and use a rhythmic up-and-down motion to absorb the bumps.
  4. Stay balanced: Keep your weight centered over your skis and avoid leaning back, which can cause you to lose control.
  5. Control your speed: Don’t rush down the mogul run. Instead, focus on maintaining a consistent speed and using your turns to control your descent.
  6. Practice, practice, practice: Like any skill, skiing moguls takes practice. Keep at it, and you’ll improve.

Get lessons: Consider taking lessons from a qualified ski instructor who can help you refine your technique and give you personalized feedback.

Remember, skiing moguls can be challenging, but it’s also a lot of fun. With some practice and the right approach, you can become a skilled mogul skier.

Snow is coming to town

Snow is coming to town (Verbier)

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Snow is coming to town

Snow is coming next week.

Brace yourselves, Verbier is set to experience a massive dump of snow this weekend! Temperatures will drop significantly and the freezing level down to 450m. We’ve been waiting patiently for some fresh powder – it looks like our patience may be rewarded with 21cm on Sunday at mid height (2415m) and 12 cm on Monday. If that wasn’t enough there might even be another wave coming through Wednesday so get ready for an awesome week ahead in Verbier’s snowy paradise!

When Can We Expect Snow in Verbier?

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Snow!

So far this winter, ski enthusiasts have been treated to a little bit of snow and a whole lot of rain in Verbier. As frustrating as it may be, what goes up must come down—and when it comes to winter weather in the Swiss Alps, that goes double! So, when can we expect to see some real snow start falling in Verbier? Let’s take a closer look at the forecast.

January 9th Snow Forecast

What the Forecast Says

It looks like we will finally get the snow that we’ve been waiting for soon! The current forecast for Verbier is for snow starting over the coming weekend. Temperatures are expected to gradually drop over the course of this week before dropping below zero on Saturday. This means that by next week we should start seeing some snowfall. The skiing conditions will remain good throughout the rest of January as long as temperatures stay low.

And to sum it up

Verbier has been patiently waiting for some real snowfall this winter season—and it looks like Mother Nature will finally grant us our wish soon! With temperatures dropping and forecasts predicting snow this weekend, now is an excellent time to make sure all your gear is prepped and ready for those fresh powder turns. Happy powder skiing next week.

Snowberry VerbierRoddy Willis

Verbier Snow Prediction Winter 22-23

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Verbier Snow Prediction Winter 22-23

Snowberries have arrived in Verbier.

Verbier Extreme Weather

Those that know me well, will know I always find reasons to predict the biggest winter ever is coming to Verbier. And why should this year be any different! It is going to be massive, more epic powder days than you can shake a ski pole at! And this is my hypothesis:

We have had a summer of extreme hot and dry weather across the northern hemisphere. So far 2022 has been the hottest summer and driest summer ever recorded. With so little rain, it leads me to wonder: Where has all the water gone? The water can’t just disappear. Does it rain more in other areas or later in the year?

At school we learned about the water and weather cycles. The water is out there somewhere in the global weather system. Surely, at some point the water will have to reappear to balance out the extreme dry summer!

And if I am correct, that can only mean, when the autumn and winter temperatures drop the water will reappear in conversely extreme quantities. This winter will be extreme with plenty of snow to balance out the lack of water this summer.

And there are signs in nature that this winter will bring a snowy skiing paradise to Verbier. If you have read my previous Smart Snow Forecasting Techniques blog you’ll know about ‘berries’. And this year the hedge rows are loaded with berries!

Let’s hope Vlad’s war in the east doesn’t bring power cuts that stop the ski lifts running! But we can always walk up to get those powder turns. Either way I can help you with your skiing dreams! Unlike this blog, I promise not to talk utter nonsense!

Messy Weekend Ski Goggles

MessyWeekend

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Messy Weekend Ski Goggles

Messy Weekend Ski Goggles

MessyWeekend isn’t your average eyewear brand. For one thing, they are the first—and so far only—Danish ski goggles brand. For another, they maintain the high-quality status of their peers while offering lower, affordable prices.

The Copenhagen-based startup has only been producing ski goggles for about a year. MessyWeekend have already managed to secure a deal with the Danish national snow sports teams to supply all ski goggles leading up to the 2020 Olympics. Pretty impressive. So what exactly are they offering in the products? I got a pair of their FLOAT in black with green revo-mirror coated lenses. Here’s what I found out.

MessyWeekend’s FLOAT ski goggles are the updated version of their XE-One ski goggles launched in late 2018. The new XE2 lenses in the FLOAT goggles have two layers of optical-grade polycarbonate, making them thin, lightweight, and virtually impossible to crack. The XE2 also features a high-contrast lens that helps you see more clearly in otherwise difficult and foggy conditions, reduces eye strain and increases comfort in obscure conditions. MessyWeekend has added contrast-enhancing dyes to the XE2 to fine-tune the light spectrum, thus increasing the color contrast and reducing glare from the snow and sun. The violet lens provides enhanced color recognition and eliminates white and blue light to make the landscape appear more defined.

For optimum fog prevention throughout the day, MessyWeekend has used an anti-fog coating as well as a ventilation system on the inside of their XE2. On the outside, they’ve added nano-coating to make the lens scratch-resistant as well as a clear super-hydrophobic and water-repellent coating, ensuring the XE2 is easy to clean.

Priced at 115€ a pair, you get a lot of bang for your buck. Plus, MessyWeekend has partnered with an NGO in Colombia, so for every pair of goggles and sunglasses sold, they donate to clean 2 kg of plastic waste from the Pacific Ocean.

If you want to read more about the FLOAT, click here.

You can get the FLOAT ski goggles in black or white, with green (revo-mirror coated) or silver (mirrored) lenses. Each pair comes with a free yellow overcast lens.

And once you’ve ordered your eyewear you can book some ski lessons with me Roddy Willis! Excellent.

Get Powder Done

Powder For The Few!

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#getpowderdone

#GetPowderDone

Powder For The Few

#GetPowderDone I’ve woken up in the middle of the night to the reassuring noise of snowploughs clearing the streets. It would appear the more you say it the more people believe it and the more you believe it the more it becomes your reality #getpowderdone At this moment it is shedding it down in Bruson at 1050 meters. And it looks like it is going to dump all day. And if I may I’d just like to finish on this last point. #getpowderdone it is going to be stonking super light and deep oven ready by the end of the day #getpowderdone

What a week we have had this week! Next week the holiday season starts and will bring ‘the many’ and we’ll have to share the great snow we currently have with ‘the many’. If you think you don’t want to share the snow with the many then maybe book some time with me!

 

New In Verbier Winter 2019- 20

What’s New in Verbier for Winter Season 19-20

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New In Verbier Winter 19-20

No New Ski Lifts in Verbier this Year

New In Verbier Winter 2019 – 20

What is new in Verbier for this winter? Every year I do a little round up of what is new in Verbier for the coming winter season – Here are a few new things straight off the Verbier rumour mill.

New Indian Restaurant in Verbier

Every year the Verbier restauranteurs play a game of musical chairs. When the music stops this winter there will be some changes. First out of the game is Millennium. Taking over the restaurant in the Hotel La Rotonde is KV Hotels. Apparently they are going to open an Indian restaurant. Let’s hope it will be a truly authentic rendition of the Taj Mahal with an appropriate use of purple and mustard coloured flock wallpaper. Excellent news for lovers of an alpine poppadum!

New in Verbier Winter 19 20

Good Morning Verbier

Next out of the game is La Bec at Mountain Air which is being replaced by Good Morning Verbier. Good Morning Verbier previously in Le Hameau will serve an increased range of breakfast goods, Grandma’s cooking at lunch time and express sandwiches for those in a hurry. It is even possible to pre-order your favourite food on the Good Morning Verbier website. Christoph is certainly setting the pace and I look forward to some tasty lunchtimes.

However not to lose its hold on the space at Le Hameau and with a subtle name change to ‘Good Crepe’. Apparently, Good Crepe have employed a crepe-ist (if such a thing exists) from Breton to make fantastic Crepes. Fantastic moves from Good Morning Verbier.

New Snow Canons on Savolyres

On the mountain it is going to be easier to ski back to Les Esserts. TeleVerbier are installing new snow making machines all the way down the Verbier side of Savolyres to Les Esserts. Perfect for skiing to Le Hameau for a Good Crepe!

New Ski Lifts in the 4 Vallees

Nendaz not wanting to live in the shadow of big brother Verbier has upped the stakes. Ready for this winter is the new gondola between Plan du Fou and Prarion. And just to really make everyone in Verbier a wee bit jealous the dudes at TeleNendaz are adding more snowmaking between Siviez and Veysonnaz. 4 Vallee tours will be vastly improved.

New Off Piste Regulations

Off piste law changed again… Ski instructors with a Brevet Federal can ski up to 45 degrees off piste.

Brexit

New for this winter will probably be the Brexit effect. What is the deal or will be there be a deal? This hot potato is best left alone! But… who really knows what it will mean for the many British seasonal workers in Verbier? Until now British seasonal workers enjoyed the benefits of ‘Free Movement’ in Switzerland because of the bi-lateral agreements between the EU and Switzerland. Who knows what will happen? Answers on a very small postcard please! Or just book yourself some tasty ski lessons.

Snow Forecast

It’s starting…. Winter is coming

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Snow Forecast

Snowforecast

Snow in Verbier this weekend!

 

Telegraph Travel Ski Section

Roddy Willis Mentioned In The Weekend Telegraph Travel

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Roddy Willis in The Telegraph

A wee mention in the press this weekend. It’s always tricky for an independent ski instructor to compete with the big Verbier ski school machines! However I got my name in the papers!

ski instructor jobs in Verbier

Ski Instructor Jobs in Verbier – 8 Top Tips to find a ski instructor job

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Ski Instructor Jobs in Verbier

Ski Instructor Day Off & Epic Powder

A ski instructor job in Verbier is maybe more attractive than ‘traditional’ careers! And like every worthwhile ‘career’, ski instructor recruitment is incredibly competitive.

Landing your first ski instructor job in Verbier or any other ski resort is a bit like starting any career. The start isn’t easy and can sometimes be disheartening. You send out your CV and covering letter to every ski school in town. And they don’t even reply with a polite ‘no thank you’!

The Verbier winter ski season last five months of the year. This poses the question what do ski instructors in the summer! Some instructors migrate to the southern hemispheres to find more snow and work. Other instructors have complimentary summer careers. And pretty much every ski instructor returns season after season. So, the number of positions open to freshly qualified instructors is very limited.

If you’re looking to apply for a ski instructor job this winter in Verbier? You will need to stand out in a very competitive job market. This is even more tricky in the era of BREXIT. Below are a few of my pointers and advice from my 30 plus years of experience in the ski industry. It may or may not give you the ‘edge’ in your search for a ski instructor position in Verbier.

  1. BREXIT

BREXIT is causing a big uncertainty within ski schools in Verbier. A large chunk of the instructors working seasonally in Verbier are British. Switzerland has bi-lateral agreements with the EU relating to the freedom of movement of European citizens. Once the UK leaves the EU the rights of British ski instructors is a bit of a ‘known unknown!’. The Swiss government has released various documents regarding BREXIT and their position relating to UK citizens post BREXIT. In the case of a ‘no deal BREXIT’ and even with a ‘deal’ obtaining work permits for non-EU ski instructors could become very tricky. Some ski schools are advising their long serving British instructors, if possible, to obtain an EU passport. If you have an EU passport you could be in with a better chance this winter! Only time will tell what BREXIT really means for ski teaching in the Alps

  1. Don’t call me dude

Formalities and pleasantries to warm up the tone of your first contact with a ski school are a must. In your cover letter try to avoid telling everyone about ‘how passionate’ you are about skiing. You maybe, the hottest skier this side of Luton…. But you are hopefully being employed to be great at teaching skiing whilst giving your clients the best days on the mountain. Remember it’s not about your skiing its about the ski school’s clients and the service you can provide for their clients.

  1. Don’t get your Mum to call the ski school asking for a job for you!

Obvious really isn’t it! But every year ski schools receive phone calls or emails from mothers looking to find their offspring a job. Seriously, as a ski instructor, you will be dealing with the public every day. If you’ve not the confidence to call the ski school to ask for a job yourself, how will you manage with your first clients? This is something you should be doing yourself!

  1. Do your homework

The best advice I can give is to personalise your application to the company you are applying to. Make sure you have found out the name of the ski school director. Make sure you have a qualification that is relevant to the ski school. There is no point applying to a ski school that specialises in Off Piste if you do not have a qualification to teach Off Piste!

  1. Dress to impress

Don’t roll into a meeting with the ski school director looking like you’ve just got in from the best night out ever! If you want to be taken seriously you really need to look the part. No client is impressed if you look like a dog’s dinner whilst only talking about the ‘sick lines’ you skied yesterday. Have a wash dude… No ski school wants to put you in front of their clients smelling of ‘eau d’hier soir’!

  1. Ski instructor Training Courses

Gap Courses and ISIA training. Many ski schools in Verbier offer ski instructor training courses. Part of all ski instructor training is having professional experience on the mountain. This could be shadowing actual ski lessons, helping with children’s ski groups during high season weeks or helping out with general ski school organisation. And when the course is finished the trainee maybe offered work by the school. ‘Better the devil you know’. The point being is the ski school would rather employ their trainees before looking to recruit outside of their ski school.

  1. Other Work in a Ski Resort

If you’ve not got the cash to splash on a Gap Year course and want to become a ski instructor. Then finding a job in the resort of your choice can be a good lead into meeting a ski school. Working as a dishwasher in hotel and working on your skiing whilst networking the resort is a good technique to finding a ski instructor job. In the past before the existence of the Gap Year ski instructor this was the route many took to become a ski instructor. It is also a good route to becoming a bit more of a rounded personality and ultimately a better instructor!

  1. CV and Covering Letter

Make sure you CV is relevant to ski teaching. High up on your CV should be work which shows you have customer service experience. Your ski instructor qualifications and ski teaching experience. A long list of A Levels and other educational exam passes is great. But way more important is showing that you have great interpersonal skills and able to communicate and serve clients.

Now you’ve got my low down on finding a ski instructor job in Verbier. All that is left is a bit of luck! Ski instructor jobs are limited, especially if you are newly qualified and with little experience. Getting a ski instructor job can be down to being in the right place at the right time with the right qualifications.

If you’ve got this far you may have noticed I am an independent ski instructor in Verbier. I am not in a position to offer you a job. However I do wish you the best of luck finding a ski instructor job in Verbier.