Developing a Love and Passion for the Craft of Ski Instructing with Maxwell Sleeper

Maxwell Sleeper, an Alpine Level II instructor, with Children’s Specialist 1 and Freestyle Specialist 1 credentials, has been honing his skills this summer at The Remarkables, in Queenstown, New Zealand. As he gets ready to head back to the States in September, he’s gearing up to pursue Alpine Level III certification, a CS2 certificate, and perhaps even an FS2 certificate. Here, he shares what he’s learned and how he’s improved as a skier and instructor in New Zealand.

Q: Where’s your home mountain and what do you teach?

A: For the past three seasons, I’ve been a ski instructor at Jay Peak, Vermont. I’ve been teaching everything from kids and adult first-time groups to 16-week freeride team programs. Jay Peak gets an average of 350 inches or 889 centimeters (you’ll want to brush up on your metric conversions if you’re gonna come down to New Zealand) of snow each season, and we have an amazing network of tree skiing. So I’ve had the luxury of teaching some advanced lessons on powder days. Not only is that incredibly fun, but it’s been huge for facilitating growth in my movement analysis and high-end coaching skills.

Q: How’d you get started teaching in the summer? And where are you teaching in New Zealand?

A: My first season at Jay Peak, I skied 117 days; my second, I skied 159; and this last season, I skied 186. I earned a reputation for being pretty tenacious and tireless. My friend, coworker, and AASI Examiner Ian [Boyle] told me about his time teaching in New Zealand. He inspired me to make it happen. I studied hard and trained even harder for my Level II exam. So when I attained my Level II, I promptly updated my resume to reflect my new certification and experience, and shortly thereafter received an offer letter from The Remarkables. So, here’s to instructors who can’t get enough to satiate their hunger for snowsports. Dream big and make it happen. What starts as a story you hear or read could easily become a life you lead.

Q: What have you learned while instructing in New Zealand?

A: I’ve learned so much in the short time I’ve been here. The snowsports staff are from all over the world: Swiss, German, Austrian, French, Spanish, Japanese, British, Australian, American, Canadian, and yes, of course, there are the Kiwis. Every country and certification organization has a different approach and focus. Each comes with strengths that contrast with one another. Keeping an open mind, you begin to grow your understanding of what we do as snowsports professionals. You find where you can really make improvements, and you learn what you’re really doing well.

Q: How have you improved as a skier and instructor?

A: My technical skiing has grown tons. Many of the European certification pathways have their roots in racing. Subsequently, these organizations produce very skilled technical skiers. It doesn’t take much to encourage a couple of passionate colleagues to talk shop. Spin a few laps, carve some turns with these skiers, and if you’ve got the humility to ask for some MA, you’ll get some amazing insight from keen eyes. I’ve been able to participate in some great drills to isolate fundamentals and illuminate unfavorable movement patterns, the kind of stuff you really need prepping for your Level III.

Q: What are you excited to bring back to the States that will inform your instructing here?

A: Aside from a new set of FIS giant slalom skis, I’m bringing back tons of good drills and high-performance movement analysis skills. The first prerequisite to teaching back-to-back seasons is a real love and passion for the craft of instructing. Eating lunch, spinning laps before group lesson lineup, or on the bus down the mountain, you will find tons of time to bounce ideas and observations back and forth. Not only am I bringing home a larger set of tools for teaching, but my passion has been tempered and validated by peer review.

Q: Why should other instructors consider teaching in the Southern Hemisphere?

A: Teaching in the Southern Hemisphere will help you push your progression and keep you in your boots on the snow. This experience will certainly affect your perspective beyond your profession. Similar to what we do day in and day out for our guests, conquering new experiences fosters unforeseen growth. Being surrounded by colleagues from different backgrounds will at the least change the way you see your own skiing and teaching. It will likely illuminate strengths as well as weaknesses. Personally, I’ve learned so much from my peers. I’ve enjoyed the challenge of adopting new tactics and seeing how things play out on snow.

Photo: Maxwell Sleeper with a school group from Brisbane, Australia.