Warren Smith Returns to BASI in New Chapter for Academy
- Henry
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
The Verbier-based Warren Smith Ski Academy (WSSA) has announced a return to their roots with BASI becoming the Academy’s official qualification partner.
The new partnership will see BASI provide the examinations for the WSSA’s Gap Year Ski Instructor training courses bringing together two organizations that hold a shared passion to develop and inspire the next generation of ski teachers.
The British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI) has been the UK’s governing body for all forms of snowsports instruction qualifications since 1963. Whilst internationally recognised in a number of countries, the failure to secure reciprocal honouring of snowsports qualifications after the UK’s departure from the European Union meant the qualifications lost much mustard.
However, a flurry of agreements signed with individual countries in recent years now means that BASI qualifications are accepted in Italy, Austria and Switzerland, helping to pave the way for WSSA’s return to their roots in 2026.
Warren Smith founded the Ski Academy in Verbier, Switzerland, 25 years ago; it has quickly become the go-to for skiers looking to push their skiing particularly in more challenging terrain including off piste. The core of the Warren Smith programme is the Academy Course, a five-day course making use of Verbier’s world famous steep skiing to push and develop skiing technique, as well as Gap Year Instructor Training courses – now benefitting from a return to BASI qualifications.
"We ran our first gap year programme in 2004" comments ski school founder and director Warren Smith, "and it was a great success in collaboration with BASI; many of our instructors originally came through that platform and now live, work and have families in the Alps."
We asked Warren what drove the move back to BASI, other than changes in regulations. "We have seen the incredible development of BASI in recent years, and decided that this year was right to get back to our origins of the ski instructor programme."
Alongside on-snow tuition, part of the Warren Smith ethos is that technique and confidence is found off the slopes, too. Each autumn, the Warren Smith Roadshow takes a biomechanics workshop on the road – including to the Northern and London Snow Shows – to make sure skiers make the most of their time away from the snow, too.
More details on the Warren Smith Ski Academy can be found on their website at https://www.warrensmith-skiacademy.com/
