19 Sep 2016

There’s nothing more fun than careening down a really steep hill on a blanket of fresh snow, especially when you’ve got a crew of mates who are all hyped and egging each other on. If you’re yet to learn about shredding the pow, bluebird days and goggle-tans, maybe you should consider a season working at a ski resort. I became a snowboard instructor when I was 19 and to this day it’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever had.

If you’re scoping gap year options, or you’ve already finished school and want to go on a bit of an alpine adventure, take it from me, working and living at a Japanese ski resort is a damn good option.

Because Japan is well known for really heavy snowfalls, the country boasts some of the best skiing/snowboarding conditions in the world. The snow in Japan is frequent and particularly dry, making it light and fluffy compared to the relatively wet and heavy snow in Australia. This means that Japanese snow is easy to float through and it’s nice and soft when you fall over. Hakuba, Nozawa, Niigata and Hokkaido boast some of the best ski resorts in Japan.

Positions available:

If you’re already a shredder, you could do the training and become a ski or snowboard instructor. Not only is this a really fun and social way to earn a crust, it means that you literally get paid to be on the snow. They say teaching is the best way to learn, and generally instructors get heaps of extra training, which will help your skiing/snowboarding immensely. Alternatively you could become a lift operator (lifty), work retail at a ski rental shop or work in hospitality. All these roles have their bonuses: lifties pretty much own the mountain, rental shop workers get to test out all the best new ski/snowboard gear and hospo workers get plenty of free food and drink. Whatever you choose to do for work, it’s a good life.

There’s more…

Ever heard of an Onsen? These are Japan’s famous public baths, where, after a hard day of shredding the pow, you can soak your weary bones in water sourced from natural hot springs. But it’s more than that, it’s a powerful cultural experience, which is both social (it’s communal) and liberating (you do it naked). The nudity isn’t a big deal though, because, similarly to public change rooms, Onsens are divided by gender and are decidedly safe spaces.

Apart from epic snow, hot spring baths and nudity, Japan is also renowned for the nomihodai, which is has been described as “the holy grail of budget boozing.” Basically, it’s like an all-you-can-eat buffet, except with alcohol instead of food. While this may sound like a recipe for disaster, the Japanese are renowned for their politeness and restraint so hopefully they can impart some of this sensibility onto the rest of us. The nomihodai is also a good venue to practice your conversational Japanese language skills, a skill you’ll have to hone if you’re going to live and work in Japan.

Basically, living and working at the snow is an incredible experience. I’ve done three full seasons and will probably end up doing more. Each time the season you kind of wonder, how did I manage to fit in so much work and snowboarding and partying?