European Snowsport

Outstanding, independent ski schools in Verbier, Zermatt, Nendaz, St Moritz and Chamonix

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    Chloe Nicholls

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    Chloe Nicholls is the Director here in Zermatt. She has been skiing from a young age and first learned on holiday with her family. She has many happy memories of skiing with her family and hopes to help others make happy memories of their own in Zermatt.

    After graduating from University, Chloe followed her passion for skiing and being in the mountains and trained as a ski instructor. Chloe has taught in the UK, Italy and Australia, and has been in Zermatt for the past 9 winters. She knows all of the best slopes in Zermatt and Cervinia, and all of the extras to make your holiday special. 

    Why did you choose to teach skiing?

    I chose to teach skiing because I love skiing and being in the mountains. I grew up in the mountains both in winter and summer, skiing, cycling and hiking.  I love being able to share my passion with others and watch them progress and fall in love with the sport.  Once you start skiing you will love it forever.

    What do you do in the summer?

    For four years I travelled between Zermatt and Mt Buller Resort in Australia, chasing the winters in each hemisphere. For the past four years I have lived in Zermatt year-round, which I love. Summer in Zermatt is almost as amazing as winter – I spend my days hiking, road cycling, mountain biking, climbing, and much more. I would highly recommend a trip to Zermatt in the summer as well as winter. 

    Why did you choose Zermatt?

    Zermatt is a very special ski resort that takes everyone’s breath away.  The skiing is fantastic, the scenery is mesmerising, the village is beautiful and the whole resort has a magical charm.  The weather in Zermatt is brilliant, and there are plenty of amazing restaurants, bars and spas to relax in after a day’s skiing.  To top it off, we have the Matterhorn, and even after 8 years I can still never have enough photos of it.

    Jamie Kagan

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    Jamie is one of the owners of ES Nendaz along with his partner Mel.  He spent 10 yrs working in Canada becoming a CSIA level 4 and trainer for the association . After moving back to Europe in 2015 he took up the role of Technical Director and then Co-Director of European Snowsport in Zermatt before taking the role of Director of the school in Nendaz.  Jamie converted to the Swiss system and holds the Brevet Federal as well as passing the BASI level 4 tech and teach to enable him to have an understanding of the British system.  Jamie was then invited to become a trainer for IASI (Irish association of snowports instructors), is Interski Demo team head coach and was recently made Head of Education for the association.  He is a highly experienced trainer and examiner in the ski industry and you will often find him training the ski school instructors towards their next exams and ensuring they are the best prepared to teach clients of the school

    Mel Swinburn

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    Mel is joint owner of ES Nendaz along with her partner Jamie.  She started ski teaching 15yrs ago in Canada where she spent that time teaching skiing and snowboarding.  She then moved in to the role of Kids centre manager for the resort where she managed a team of Instructors and up to 150 kids a day.  Following this she moved to Zermatt to be Kids co-ordinateur for European Snowsport before moving and taking over the running of their current school. She has a passion for making a memorable experience for all her clients and when she is not skiing she is training her dog Mica for agility competitions.

    Luca Barletta

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    Luca is from Italy but he also speaks fluent English and some Russian (but is not fluent).  He holds the Brevet Federale qualification. After studying finance at university, he decided to focus on skiing.  Between 2009 and 2012 he travelled around the Alps ski teaching and mountaineering, with summers on the glaciers in Austria and France, and travelling. In 2012 he established a small ski school in St Moritz with a partner, working closely with a luxury chalet accommodation partner, and for the last two summers has been running a mountain refuge in the Bernina massif called “Rifugio Bignami”. For the last 4 years, Luca has lived in Verbier all year round.

    Luca’s clients say: “Thank you so much for teaching me, I loved it so much. You are the best instructor ever. I hope to see you next year”

    Anthony Voute

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    Born and raised in the Alps, Anthony is a ski and snowboard instructor who has always been passionate about nature, mountains and snowsports. He loves to share his passion with as many people as possible: beginners, intermediates, cruisers, carving or mogul field fans, freeriders… It’s all about discovering new sensations, improving your technique, being safe and having fun!
    After having spent more than 10 winter seasons teaching and riding in Verbier, Anthony knows the way to find the best on and off-piste runs in the valleys. So, put your skis on and… let’s go!

    Anthony’s clients say: “delightful person and great at teaching” “amazing instructor…knows the mountain really well…we had a really good time

    Kate St Clair Tisdall

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    Kate first came to Verbier in 2008 as a chef for “just one season” she told herself. Once here though, she fell in love with the mountains and decided to take her love of skiing to the next level by becoming a ski instructor and hasn’t looked back since. Kate is the Kids Academy Manager for ES and loves teaching the kids and watching them improve. She is a fun and caring instructor who loves to share her passion for the snow with her students. If she’s not teaching you’ll find Kate off finding fresh powder and exploring with her friends. Kate now lives in Verbier all year round and loves the summers here just as much as the winters. 

    One Client said of Kate: “Happy kids learn best and they are always happy with Kate! My two sons 9 & 7, have both skied with Kate since they were preschoolers (3) and they love her. She controls the overly bold boy and inspires the anxious timid one with confidence. It’s not just my boys, all children adore her, she is fun and warm. A fabulous teacher, they regard it a treat to be taught by her. At the end of the lesson she clearly talks you through how it went. She is naturally talented at what she does. I recommend her for private and group lessons.”