Chasing Winter with PSIA Alpine Team Member Ben Potts
In this edition of Chasing Winter, we caught up with PSIA Alpine Team member Ben Potts, who has found a way to keep skiing year-round in New Zealand – as well as late into the summer at Colorado’s Copper Mountain – while also finding a second home in Wanaka.
And don’t forget to check out the other Q&As in the Chasing Winter series: PSIA Examiner Francesca Pavillard-Cain, AASI Snowboard Team Development Coach Tony Macri, and PSIA Alpine Team Technical Coach Michael Rogan.
Q: How did you get started teaching in the “summer?”
A: I first ventured to New Zealand after my second season working as a ski instructor. I wanted to keep skiing and heard from NZ instructors working in Breckenridge that New Zealand was the place to do it. I applied to several ski areas and was turned down by all of them. I ended up taking a job as a liftie at Treble Cone and showing up for their instructor tryouts.
I was hired to teach Treble Cone’s local school programs. It was a great opportunity to ski with some awesome kids and get to know some New Zealand families. That first season I also got the opportunity to fill in for Treble Cone’s competition coaches. The following season I was hired to run the freeride program.
Q: Had you traveled to ski and teach before this?
A: Growing up in one of the flattest parts of the country, in Yankton, South Dakota, meant traveling was always connected to skiing for me. During college, I often used my Ford Taurus as an RV, skiing throughout Montana and Colorado.
In 2010, I saved money to fly in July to ski on one of Whistler’s glaciers in British Columbia. It was my first time flying, and I had no idea what I was doing. It was wild skiing with the best skiers in the world. The first season I worked in New Zealand was my first time skiing outside the United States, other than Canada. When I landed in New Zealand, I didn’t have a place to live and all my credit cards were frozen because I didn’t put on a travel notification. Let’s just say I learned a lot that year.
Q: Now that you’ve been doing it for a couple years, what does a “typical” season look like?
A: Between a foot injury and Covid, I fell out of southern seasons for a few years. Mt. Hood helped fill that void, both freeskiing and getting the opportunity to train and learn with [Alpine Team alumnus] Dave Lyon.
The last couple seasons I’ve worked at Woodward Copper and Rookie Academy in New Zealand. Copper’s summer camps start in May and run through early August. Copper is able to harvest enough snow at the end of the regular season and stockpile it into a “glacier.” It’s incredible. Then I have an immediate turnaround to New Zealand. The instructor training Rookie Academy provides is exceptional. Similar to my early instructor experiences in New Zealand, it’s a great opportunity to work with the best trainers from around the world and trainees who are hungry and open-minded about learning.
Q: What were some of the highlights or challenges?
A: One of the fun and challenging aspects about skiing in New Zealand is the conditions. You’re going to ski and teach in every weather condition imaginable. All the mountain employees live down in the valleys and commute to the ski areas. This adds some time to your workday, but also means you never shovel snow where you live and get to enjoy some warm spring afternoons after you get off hill. Because of the effort needed to get on snow, everyone on the mountain is excited to be there.
Q: Who else are you working with in terms of other instructors, and also who are your guests?
A: Copper’s summer camp runs an adult week in the spring that attracts freestylers of all levels including some PSIA-AASI members. The rest of the summer is focused on kids camps. Woodward Copper’s staff is a mix of great freestyle coaches from across the country.
Rookie Academy’s staff is built with National Team members from various countries around the world. Last season, Rookie Academy had nine different countries’ associations represented among the staff. The diversity and growth mindset that Rookie Academy has makes working there one of the highlights of my season. Participants range from brand-new instructors pursuing their first certifications to examiners focused on continued development, who also represent a global contingent.
Q: What are living conditions like?
A: Working at Woodward allows me to be at my home in Breckenridge and have summer weather when I’m off snow in the evenings. In New Zealand, I love living in Wanaka. It’s my favorite place I’ve had the chance to live. Wanaka is next to a beautiful lake with mountain views and has an amazing outdoor community. The temps are very mild, which adds to the easygoing vibe of the town.
Q: Are there days off? And other places to travel?
A: Most of my days are spent on snow. One of the benefits of working with Rookie Academy is getting to spend days off skiing and sharing ideas with our international training staff. There’s a seemingly endless amount of sights to see and activities to do in New Zealand. My favorite is the Nevis bungy jump, and I’m excited to try out the new surf simulator in Wanaka this season.
Q: How and why could other instructors do this?
A: At Woodward or in New Zealand, experience and certification helps. The global talent pool that’s available for snowsports instruction during the Southern Hemisphere winter makes the job market more competitive. Like any job, strong references go a long way as well.
If you want to ski more, teach more, and learn more, there’s no better way to accelerate your learning curve than a summer ski season. You just need to be physically and mentally ready for an endless season.
