EA Ski & Snowboard

What EA Ski & Snowboard does

EA Ski & Snowboard Training (legally Educating Adventures Ltd.) is a New Zealand-based service company founded in 2006 by Eryn Cutler and Jonny Beckingsale that recruits, trains, certifies, and places aspiring ski and snowboard instructors at partner resorts worldwide. The company pioneered the integrated "instructor internship" model that bundles training, certification, and a guaranteed paid job offer into a single winter season. Its primary customers are young adults (typically gap-year, career-break, or career-entry candidates aged 18-35) plus intermediate-to-advanced skiers and snowboarders pursuing instructor certification.

The product portfolio runs along two parallel tracks — ski and snowboard — each available as either a short Training Course (3-11 weeks, skills and certification only) or a full Internship (training, qualification, and guaranteed paid employment). Programs are delivered at approximately 30 partner resorts across five countries: Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the USA. Add-on services include 1-2 day Arrival Orientations ($250-$450 USD) covering airport pickup, accommodation, and resort transfers, and a recently launched dual-qualification program in Hakuba, Japan. Revenue is generated through upfront training program fees paid in installments (deposit ~$2,000 USD/NZD plus balance payments), affiliate referral income from The Travellist Co. for travel and insurance bookings, and ancillary orientation services.

The go-to-market is consultative and direct-to-consumer, driven by organic search, content marketing, video testimonials, and alumni word-of-mouth, supported by a small in-house sales team of training consultants who guide candidates through phone interviews and pre-screening before enrollment. The disclosed technology stack is commodity (Salesforce for CRM, Google Analytics for traffic, PayPal for payments) with no proprietary platform components. The business is seasonally driven by Northern and Southern Hemisphere winter cycles, founder-led, and has no disclosed external institutional investment. To date, the company reports 4,000+ cumulative instructor qualifications since founding.

Name

EA Ski & Snowboard

Legal name

Educating Adventures Ltd.

Website

https://easkiandsnowboard.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

EA Ski & Snowboard Training (Educating Adventures Ltd.) is a New Zealand-based service company that runs ski and snowboard instructor training courses and full-season internship programs with guaranteed paid job placement at 30+ partner resorts across Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the USA.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Snowsports Instructor Training

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Ski & Snowboard Schools (Instruction & Coaching) (THAAAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Winter Sports & Snow Training Schools (Ski, Snowboard, Ice Sports) (MPAKAJAI), Winter Sports Schools & Activity Centers (Ski, Snowboard, Snowmobile) (THAAAKAI)

Keywords

• Ski instructor training
• Snowboard instructor certification
• Instructor internship programs
• Gap year ski programs
• Snowsports career training

Headquarters

HQ city

Queenstown

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Training Program Fees: Revenue generated from paid training courses and internship programs. Programs include training courses (3-11 weeks) and full-season internships. Typical payment structure requires deposit (approx $2000 USD/NZD) followed by second deposit and final payment before program commencement.
2. Arrival Orientation Services: Optional paid arrival orientation services ranging from $250-$450 USD depending on location and duration. Includes airport meet-and-greet, accommodation, city sightseeing, and resort transfers.
3. Travel and Insurance Referrals: Partnership with The Travellist Co. for flight booking and travel insurance services. The company earns referral income through this partnership for participant travel arrangements.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

EA Ski & Snowboard Training delivers paid ski and snowboard instructor training courses (3–11 weeks) and full-season instructor internship programs that combine training, internationally recognized certification exams, and a guaranteed paid job offer at partner resorts. Programs operate across a network of approximately 30 resorts in five countries (Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the USA), with optional add-on arrival orientation services.

Product overview

EA Ski and Snowboard Training is a service-based training company offering ski and snowboard instructor courses and internship programs across a network of 30 resorts in 5 countries (Canada, Japan, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the USA). The core portfolio consists of two product lines — Ski Instructor Courses and Snowboard Instructor Courses — each available as either a standalone Training Course (3–11 weeks, focused on skills and certification) or an Internship (full-season, combining training, qualification, and a guaranteed paid job offer). Add-on services include Arrival Orientations (airport meet-and-greet, city sightseeing, resort transfers) and a recently launched Hakuba-specific 8-week dual-qualification program. All programs are sold under the EA Ski & Snowboard Training brand, with sister brands EA Mountain Bike Training and Educating Adventures School Tours operating under the Educating Adventures Group umbrella.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ski Training Course
• Ski Internship
• Snowboard Training Course
• Snowboard Internship
• Arrival Orientation
• Hakuba Two Qualifications in Eight Weeks Program

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% pass rate on snowboard instructor Level 1 exams
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Eden Reforestation ProjectsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental partnership where EA plants one tree for every course participant who joins their instructor program. Part of EA's sustainability initiative to offset carbon emissions from participant travel.
• The Travellist Co.coreGTM or Marketing PartnerExclusive global partnership for flight booking and travel insurance services. The Travellist Co. understands EA's unique requirements and coordinates travel arrangements, insurance, and coordinates flight details with EA.
• Canadian Ski Resorts (Big White, Castle Mountain, Cypress, Grouse, Lake Louise, Mission Ridge, Mt Washington, Nakiska, Norquay, Revelstoke, SilverStar)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner11 partner ski resorts across Canada where EA runs instructor training courses and internship programs. Resorts provide training facilities, lift passes, and employment positions for graduates.
• Japanese Ski Resorts (Appi Kogen, Club Med Hokkaido, Frontier Hakuba, Evergreen Hakuba, Hakuba Snow Sports, Hakuba Concierge, Madarao, Niseko GoSnow, Niseko Imagine, Niseko ProPeak, Niseko Village, Palcall Tsumagoi, Rusutsu, Shiga Kogen, Myoko, Canyons)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 13 partner ski resorts across Japan where EA offers instructor training and internship placements. Resorts include major destinations in Honshu and Hokkaido regions.
• New Zealand Ski Resorts (Mt Hutt, Queenstown/Coronet Peak/The Remarkables, Turoa/Mt Ruapehu, Whakapapa)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner4 partner resorts in New Zealand operated by NZSki. EA programs available at Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak, The Remarkables, Turoa, and Whakapapa.
• Swiss Ski Resorts (Saas-Fee, Verbier)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner2 partner ski resorts in Switzerland (Verbier and Saas-Fee) where EA offers ski instructor training programs in the European Alps.
• USA Ski Resorts (Palisades Tahoe, Sugar Bowl)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner2 partner resorts in the Lake Tahoe area of USA. Palisades Tahoe and Sugar Bowl offer ski and snowboard instructor training and employment opportunities for EA participants.
• EA Mountain Bike TrainingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company under the Educating Adventures Group offering mountain bike instructor training programs with similar guaranteed job offer model.
• Educating Adventures School ToursminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRelated company under the Educating Adventures Group offering school trip programs for educational institutions.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SnowSkool: UK-based ski instructor training provider running season-long courses that combine instructor certification with work placement at partner resorts. Directly comparable to EA's internship-plus-job-offer model in target customer and offering.
• iLove Ski: Australia-based ski instructor course provider focused on training + job placement across multiple destinations. Competes head-to-head with EA for the Australian/NZ gap-year segment.
• Project Base: UK gap-year ski instructor training company offering training plus guaranteed employment at partner resorts, mirroring EA's bundled model and targeting the same 18-35 international audience.
• Ski Sun Holidays: Australian ski instructor training and gap-year program operator with bundled training and job placement. Direct competitor in the ANZ market for aspiring snowboard and ski instructors.
• Ultimate Snowtrips: Ski instructor training and season-work package provider combining course booking with resort work placements. Highly comparable value proposition to EA's internship offering.

Broad incumbents

• Vail Resorts: Largest North American ski resort operator with internal ski school training and instructor hiring programs. Represents a potential counter-position to EA if Vail internalized more instructor training.

Others

• SBINZ (Snowboard Instructors of New Zealand): NZ national snowboard instructor certification body whose qualifications EA students earn. Acts as a credentialing partner adjacent to EA's training business.
• CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance): Canadian national ski instructor certification body whose Level 1-4 certifications are the credentials EA programs prep participants for. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Ski Verbier: Swiss ski school offering instructor training and certification pathways. Geographic overlap with EA's Swiss resort footprint (Verbier, Saas-Fee) and partial offering overlap.
• Hakuba Snow Sports: Japan-based Hakuba ski school that delivers instructor training and certification. One of EA's Japanese partners but also a potential adjacent training provider in the same market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/easkisnowboard
• YouTubeyoutube.com/EASkiandSnowboard
• Facebookfacebook.com/EAskiandsnowboard
• Instagraminstagram.com/easkiandsnowboard

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about EA Ski & Snowboard