6/27/2023 0 Comments Big in japan instagramYou’ve worked in quite a few resorts around the world already. Image by: White Collective Film & Photography.During the season, things get really busy and you don’t have much time to work out, but I still try to go to the gym a couple of times a week, do yoga most days, and of course snowboard every day. I go on massive hikes, do weights and paddle board a lot – which is great for your core strength and stabilising muscles. Between seasons is my main time to work on my strength and conditioning. JD: Snowboarding can be quite physically demanding… How do you train when you’re not boarding?Īlex: There’s an image of snowboard instructors just partying all time but I take my job seriously and train at every opportunity. I used to be a competitive fighter so I picked it up quite well. I had been a skier since I was a kid actually (I’m not very good at it now) and then tried snowboarding in my early 20s with some friends from my taekwondo days. I had taught taekwondo for about 6 years before that so I knew I could teach well. It was that season that I decided I wanted to teach it. So yeah, I quit and moved to Nozawa for 9 months and got way better at snowboarding. I had been there a year before on holidays but I was terrible at snowboarding! I could barely turn at this point – but I just couldn’t stop thinking about it. Every day I would daydream about snowboarding in Nozawa Onsen. I was just in this desk job on low pay and really stressed out. Did you always want to be a Snowboard Instructor, and how did you get into the sport?Īlex: It was a pretty random thing to do actually. You mentioned that you threw in a desk job to follow your dreams. The cold air and fresh snow is the best way to start your day! If you have a 9:00am lesson you can usually fit in a run or two if you catch first lifts. I do it because I love sharing my love of snowboarding, and being on the mountain that early is just stunning. ![]() We usually have to be on the snow with all our gear on and ready to go at 8:30am. Other than a strong cup of coffee (or three), what gets you up in the morning?Īlex: Thanks for having me. I imagine you usually have to get up quite early to head up the mountain. JD: Thank you very much for taking the time to sit down with us for this quick interview. With a Bachelor of Arts in Writing and a Master of Arts in Creative Writing, she has been published in magazines and websites like, Mountainwatch,, We Are Explorers, SnowPro, Snowy Mountains Magazine and many more. Alex is also the name behind the snow blog and in 2018 was named as one of “Five Aussie Snow Bloggers to Follow This Winter”. ![]() She’s done 9 back to back winters and is a certified snowboard instructor and Alpine Guide. ![]() ![]() Since then she’s been writing and snowboarding in Canada, Australia, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and the US. It all started in 2014 when Alex decided to throw in a desk job and leave her home town of Sydney to snowboard around the world – starting with 9 months in Nozawa Onsen. We asked professional Snowboard Instructor Alex Parsons to sit down with us for a quick interview to find out just how much of that dream is actual reality. It sounds just about perfect – waking up next to a beautiful mountain every day, working outside in nature, meeting interesting people from all walks of life, and being paid for doing what you love. If you’re into snowboarding, maybe you’ve even thought about what that kind of lifestyle would be like. With this level of popularity, good Snowboard instructors are a hot commodity these days. Even a hasty glance on social media quickly gives you the impression that with Japan’s plethora of great mountains and world-class runs, everyone loves to hit the slopes during the season. Wintersports have enjoyed a long stay of popularity in Japan – especially Snowboarding.
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