Kevin Perren is a ski instructor at Ski School Rougemont. Kevin spoke to GstaadLife about his 10 years instructing students, motivation and marriage proposals.

What’s involved with being a ski instructor?
At Ski School Rougemont we teach a mixture of students – from children, to groups and, in my case, private clients. We provide a complete experience – from picking up guests at their hotel and taking them to the slopes to arranging ski passes and sharing insights about the region. Our top priority is that they feel safe, well-cared-for, and experience a true feeling of holiday joy.

When I start working with a client, I begin by asking about their goals. Some want to learn specific techniques, others to follow in my tracks. It really depends. And if we’re working with a VIP, we’ll work to ensure their privacy so they can have a nice experience without being bothered by people taking photos!

How do you decide where to take your clients?
Ah, that is a really interesting and important question. For me and our ski school it’s all about safety and security.

I first ask my clients their skiing level. Then I watch how they move and walk in their ski boots and see how they look physically – whether they’re athletic or will perhaps need more support. I’ll then take them to a relatively easy spot for a warm up. This gives me the opportunity to see how they move and assess what they’re capable of. It’s always possible to go to a more difficult slope, but we’ll have done it safely.

What happens if you have a very nervous client who wants to stop mid-mountain?
I’ve worked with the ski school for many years and know the slopes very well. I’ll only take clients to areas that are safe for them, but it can happen that people get scared on the mountain. I remember skiing through a patch of fog with a guest who told me they couldn’t go on. I assured them I knew the way and encouraged them to keep going. When we skied lower and broke into blue skies, the client felt proud for not giving up, and I was glad to have eased their worries by staying calm and reassuring.

But if a client declares they absolutely cannot go on, we always have the option of taking off our skis and walking down. It’s all about being safe.

What qualities make a good ski instructor?
It’s for sure important to be patient and calm. You also need to be able to make decisions quickly and to instruct people in a way that they don’t feel overwhelmed. I want them to enjoy the experience. So it’s a case of taking it step by step and above all being safe.

What’s the most memorable thing that’s happened to you on a lesson?
Once we had two clients who wanted to ski together. While the woman was a good skier, the man was a total beginner. The man also confided in me that he wanted to propose on their final day on the mountain. So we worked really hard those three days and also picked out the location where he would pop the question. On the afternoon of their final day, he skied ahead with the woman, went down on one knee and proposed! I snapped photos and took video to record the happy occasion! It was very memorable.

Where’s your favourite place to ski?
I’m from St Stephan, a town close to Gstaad. It’s where I learned to ski and still my favourite place to go – its slopes are little more advanced and even in high season there are fewer people there. So that’s where you’ll find me.

ANNA CHARLES

For more information, visit www.skischoolrougemont.ch