Jobs for the girls: Tammy Esten of Mint Snowboard School

Tammy Esten is English but calls the French Alps home. She set and runs Mint Snowboard School – a Morzine-based academy providing private and group lessons in French or English. This winter they’re also working on the Just4Girls snowboard camps and expanding the project to launch Just4Guys camps and mixed freestyle and freeride camps.

We caught up with Tammy as she prepared for another winter in the mountains.

Tell us a bit about where you come from, how you got in to snowboarding.

I am originally from Hertfordshire but have probably spent more time living abroad. I lived in Switzerland for part of my childhood so got into skiing from a young age.

How did you end up in Morzine and how long have you been there?

I moved to Morzine three years ago after having done season all over the world (Switzerland, Italy, Canada, NZ, France).

Why did you decide to start the Mint Snowboard school?

Until three years ago, no snowboard specific instructors have ever been allowed to teach in France. However an agreement was made allowing about 30 of Britain’s highest qualified instructors to work in France. Luckily I was one of them (only three girls!) and so was able to move to France to set up Mint.

How many instructors do you have now and how do you recruit them?

We are a very small specialised school and have a team of five instructors, although not all are always out here. Recruiting new instructors is practically impossible due to the restrictions of teaching in France and no further snowboard instructors have been let in.

What qualities do you look for in your instructors?

There are lots of different qualities that make a good instructor. Obviously you have to be a good all-round rider (to get the necessary qualifications you have to be pretty damn good). Personality is a big thing with teaching - you have to enjoy meeting new people, good at communicating, enthusiastic, patient, understanding etc!

Who makes your lovely green uniforms?

Last year we had Burton AK uniforms in a bright mint green! They were great however need replacing (as they get worn day in day out whatever the weather). Next season we will be kitted out in an equally fantastic outfit made by Eleven.

How did you go about spreading the word about Mint?

Well initially I put the word out around town and on the internet. This sparked interest as we are pretty different to the other schools in the area. It didn't take long for the word to spread and we have received lots of great feedback which has led to the word spreading even further. We were also teaching at the London Ski Show last autumn.

Can you describe a typical working day?

Up at 7.30 to check the emails and bookings and that everyone (instructors and clients) knows what is going on for the day. Start teaching at 9.15 am usually for three hours in the morning. Then a half hour lunch and either three or four hours teaching in the afternoon. Every day and every lesson is different so it is always fun. We move a lot around the different ski areas too which
is nice. When I get down from the slopes it is straight into the office work, I usually work all evening on bookings - the phone doesn't stop.

What's been your most satisfying day teaching?

Oh I couldnt say... so many! Everyday is so satisfying... from getting someone balanced and doing their first turns to guiding people in epic powder... it’s all great!

Do you get much of a chance to escape the mountains and go on sunny holidays?

I love to go surfing in the summer... although don't get enough time to do much. I am still rubbish at it but love it! I went surfing in Morocco at the end of last winter and last year I went to Australia. The mountains are awesome in the summer too, its hot and there is so much to do.

Do you find there are differences in the way you teach male and female riders?

Yes definitely, guys and girls generally learn in completely different ways. That is why we have set up the 'Just 4 Girls' snowboard camps to allow girls to improve their snowboarding in a relaxed and fun atmosphere, away from the pressures of learning with boys.

Are there differences in what they pick up most easily or struggle with?

Guys are generally more gung-ho and are happy to give anything ago and don't care so much about learning the correct technique. Girls are generally less confident and want to get everything perfect before moving on to the next challenge.

People often say that it's your head that holds you back when you're learning to snowboard? How do you try to help people overcome their fears?

Yeah learning to snowboard, like many sports, is very psychological and a lot of what we do is helping people overcome those fears. How you help them deal with it often depends on their personality and how much they will trust you to step outside their comfort zone.

Which level of lesson is most popular?
We get a lot of beginners and intermediates.

Do you get many people who are of a decent riding level requesting help with their technique/freeriding/freestyle riding etc? Do you see any trends in what people are asking for?

Yes we get lots of people who have been riding for ages, even having done several seasons, coming for lessons. Often people get stuck in a rut and don't progress anymore, and it is great helping people to move on from there.

What are the biggest challenges for you running the company?

The winter can get really tiring and stressful, working 15 hours a day all winter... I think coping with that is my biggest challenge.

Would you like to expand into other resorts in the future?

Mint domination would be good... who knows!

For more information on Mint visit www.mintsnowboarding.com and find out more about snowboard camps in Morzine this winter check out www.just-snowboard.com