about us

the development centre, Val d’Isère and Tignes are ski coaching centres set in the beautiful French Alps.

It is our coaches that really set us apart. Our professional, intelligent and enjoyable approach to coaching binds the team together.

Forsaking the traditional career paths, we have chosen to channel our energies into providing the best ski coaching around.

With a wealth of knowledge and experience from skiing all over the world, we know the difference that great coaching can make to your skiing and enjoyment.

Most importantly, we are committed to inspire your skiing to new levels!

 

We Are

Ben Langridge

Ben first put on a pair of skis at five years old and immediately caught the bug, but six consecutive days were never enough. His first season aged nineteen confirmed that nor were five consecutive months. Since then Ben has done everything possible to stay on his skis and to be in France, even managing to take a degree module in Alpine Skiing at Grenoble University.

Ben started his ski coaching career in the French teaching system completing both the Slalom and Giant Slalom speed tests while working with the ESF in Alpe d’Huez, where he developed a healthy penchant for saucisson and demi-peche. A change of direction took him to Val d’Isere where he completed his qualifications gaining the BASI - ISTD with equivalence. Ben has been teaching Alpine and Telemark skiing since 2003.

His last summer job has been deemed the principle cause of his hair loss, being responsible for the evening and weekend activities of over 300 international teenagers who didn’t speak English. He now has a less hectic summer occupation, teaching English as a foreign language.

Ben is a French and Business graduate from Oxford Brookes University.

 

Nicko Braxton

Nicko started his career in Val d’Isere washing dishes in 1989/90. He has been loitering around the town on and off ever since then.
Nicko studied Economics and Politics at Newcastle University, afterwhich he needed 3 seasons in the mountains to recover from the mental strain. At 26 got the fear that his life would come to nothing and returned to the UK, training and qualifying as an accountant with Ernst & Young.
Subsequently had Finance Jobs in London until 2003 when he realised that he was missing the mountains, and that he was spending all his money on weekends in the Alps. On Nickos return to Val d’Isere he started working as a ski instructor for a French ski school, it is now that Nicko feels that he is ready to work as a top level ski coach with tdc. In the summer he keeps his head down and tries to stay out of trouble. Almost as fanatical about cycling as Dougie but sadly the legs are weaker!

 

Scott Messer

Scott was born in Glasgow and learnt to ski in Scotland where he had no choice but to appreciate good weather! He has worked for 11 seasons teaching skiing, starting in Glenshee but was quickly lured to Italy by the sunnier conditions. During his 5 years there he quickly learnt to appreciate all things Italian including skiing, pizza and coffee. After a few season there Scott decided to explore the southern hemisphere working in New Zealand for a couple of "summers". Verbier then called with plentiful off-piste, bumps and Jeagermeister where he has worked for the last three years and decided to stay for this summer to work in an international kids camp.
Scott enjoys spending as much time in the mountains as possible and when not there you will find him dreaming about the white stuff or glued to his x box.
He is very much looking forward to joining the tdc and sampling the atmosphere that Val has to offer.

 

Ant Swallow

Ant started his ski teaching career in Scotland which is also where he learned to ski. Having had enough of the wind, heather and rocks Scottish skiing often has to throw at you, Ant taught in the States for one winter and has now been based in Val d’Isere for the past four seasons with Evolution 2 ski school.

Ant brings to the development centre his experience of competition mogul skiing and achieved 2nd place in the British Mogul Championships 2006.  He is also a competition moguls and freestyle coach and can often be found on his days off ripping through the infamous Tommeuses bumps or in the Val d’Isere snow park trying to keep up with the kids on the big, half pipe and rails.

During the summer months, when he’s not running, biking or climbing, Ant spends some of his time inspecting oil rigs in the North Sea.  A job not for the faint hearted as he is usually climbing above or dangling beneath them!

 

 

Phil Harrison

Phil (AKA:Rodders) started his professional skiing career in Val d’Isère, where he juggled working as a YSE dishwasher whilst training to pass the Test de Capacité and his BASI exams. He remains the fastest person to complete the BASI system, taking only 21 months. Phil now holds the top level BASI qualification with French equivalence, the top level New Zealand qualification, is an APC Level 2 Race coach, and was a coach with the Great Britain Children's Team in 2003/04.

Phil has now worked eight winter seasons in Val d’Isère (and two in Courchevel) and quite simply loves skiing here. He's great at improving people's skiing, whether adults or kids, and his passion is definitely off piste, taking people safely off the beaten track to places they wouldn't normally go. The big slopes and trees of Le Fornet or the Tignes couloirs are personal favourites.

Phil has a Geography degree from Birmingham University, which has helped him indulge his passion for travel, usually involving trekking, cycling or surfing.

Anything embarrassing you should know about Phil? Well, there is a picture circulating Val d'Isere of him on a monoski (many years ago he claims), and he is a big fan of country music!

His best ever experience? A 45 minute aerobatic flight in a Red Bull biplane over Queenstown, New Zealand.

 

Colin Tanner

Colin came to the alps to enjoy his own skiing. After two seasons (Austria and Val d’Isère) he decided to make it a career. He is now fully qualified through the British (BASI) and the New Zealand systems (NZSIA), and before starting the development centre, taught for Evolution 2 in Val d’isère for  four years.

Colin is a BASI trainer and an examiner for the NZSIA.

Colin has an insatiable appetite for ski coaching and spends his summers in New Zealand, where he has worked for the Coronet Peak Ski school for the past 12 years.  Colin also runs a successful gap-year business based in Queenstown called The Ski & Snowboard Instructor Training Co.
www.skiinstructortraining.co.nz

Colin’s lifestyle means that he is a cosmopolitan chap and home is wherever he lays his hat.

But out of all the places Colin visits, he is never happier than on a stool, drinking a beer in the Pacific Bar, Val d’Isère.

Colin is a Law Graduate from Edinburgh university where he represented Scottish students for Volleyball and gained

a half-blue.

 

Giles Lewis

Giles (AKA:Pies) thanks to his family’s annual skiing holiday Gi has been skiing Val d’Isère for over 20 years. Having finished school he spent time at Oxford University where he studied Geography and gained a blue in Rugby Union. In 1998 he made his return to the alps to start skiing seriously. Now one of the world's most respected coaches, Giles is qualified to the top level. He holds the BASI ISTD qualification with French equivalence, and is a level 2 race coach (CSIA and APC2). He was a member of the British Interski Team in 2003 and is also a trainer and examiner for the British Association of Snowsports Instructors.

The Espace Killy area has been Gi’s favourite area since he first skied here over twenty years ago. He considers it too good to leave and is permanently based here with his lovely wife Alex and a little boy called Oscar. When skiing himself he still enjoys all the types of skiing that the Espace Killy has to offer, from hard-packed, high speed run down the OK, to the untouched back bowls of powder or spring snow. Slushy bumps down the “S” remain the basis of his fitness regime. He retains his nickname through his ability to destroy equipment, poles and skis mostly.

Giles spends summer and running outdoor pursuits and activities for children in the New Forest www.newforestactivities.org

 

Paul Garner
Paul (AKA:Boycey) started his ski coaching career in Westendorf, Austria, before being lured to Val d’Isère by friends. He has since worked in Val d’Isère and Courchevel, coaching skiing with boundless enthusiasm and technical know-how. Paul is qualified to the highest level an ISTD and BASI Trainer with full French equivalence.
In the summer, Paul splits his time between France and the UK. He co-owns and runs a successful summer activities centre for school children in the New Forest with his wife and among others Giles and his wife. He probably enjoys the activities more than the children do and is an expert on the bouncy castle! When not in front of the computer working on tdc projects he can often be found on his bike, both on and off the road.
Paul is a French and Sport Science graduate from Bangor University. He speaks fluent French and has played representative rugby for Worcestershire. He spent two years working for a large pharmaceutical company before opting for a career in the mountains. After eight seasons in the Alps he has coached skiing in Austria, Italy and France. Paul has travelled widely in South Africa and is a qualified English Teacher.
Paul is married to his beautiful wife, Kate. Together they have a son called George who was born on 1st March 2007.

 

Dougie Cleland
Dougie (AKA:The Chief) has been working as a ski coach for the development centre for the last five season, and before that he worked in Courchevel.

Dougie also runs a successful race training program called R21 - www.ski-coaching.com which the development centre is proud to work in conjunction with.

A graduate of Herriot-Watt University, Dougie is a true Scot. Although he chooses not to ski in his kilt whilst working, you may be lucky enough to glimpse his finely tuned legs in the bar!
Known as ‘’The Chief’’ he is based in val d'isere year round, although this "summer" he was lured away to the wintery climes of New Zealand where he worked as a ski coach in Wanaka. Dougie is a BASI Trainer.

As soon as the snow clears he is to be found spinning away on his bike, riding the hardest climbs the Alps have to

offer. So in the summer months you can find Dougie pedalling up some of the same runs that in the winter we like to ski down.
Dougie's specialist subject (apart from skiing), is his amazing sporting general knowledge - who won the SFA Cup in 1972?

Which Tour de France rider has one the most king of the mountains jerseys?

With an indefatigable enthusiasm and constant smile he is an invaluable member of the team.

 

Josh Ayres

Josh has worked as a ski coach with the development centre for the last four seasons and before that he also worked in Courchevel for three seasons, before coming to Val d'Isere. Before that he was based for several winters in Austria.
We have found his knowledge of Kaiserstrudle, and a general smattering of the Dutch language, to be most useful.
Josh also spent the 2003 "summer" teaching skiing in New Zealand.

A master of mogul skiing, ‘’The Maestro’’ loves his short turns almost as much as his London fashion. With a dress sense as sharp as his humour, he is a favourite in the bars and can be found regaling people until the early hours with an array of accents and impressions.

Josh's impecable balance has in the past been a great help to him when in the summer he took up the roofing trade - he tells us that he has only fallen off a couple of times!

It is possible that we will not see so much of Josh this season as it is rumoured that he is taking up a job in the Caribbean. Selling houses!!

As long as hot food is available we are sure the Josh will continue to be "Europe's last true cowboy" where ever he is.

 

 

the development centre, val d'isere, +33 (0)6 15 55 31 56 valdisere@tdcski.com

the development centre, tignes, +33 (0)6 03 31 43 21 tignes@tdcski.com
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