CASI: The Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors Explained

What Is CASI.

The Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors (CASI) is the national body that trains and certifies snowboard instructors in Canada. Since it was founded in 1994, it has certified more than 75,000 instructors, and around 7,500 are active members today.

In the 2025/26 season, CASI ran 1,104 courses for 9,705 candidates. Every level is assessed on two things, your riding and your teaching, to the same national standard wherever you take it.

If you also ski, the CSIA runs the equivalent levels for skiers, and our guide to the CSIA explains them. To compare CASI with BASI, SBINZ and others, see all instructor qualifications.

What Are The CASI Levels.

There are four levels, and a separate Park stream for teaching freestyle. Here is how they compare.

What Do You Need For CASI Level 1.

Level 1 qualifies you to teach beginner snowboarders up to the novice turn, the point where a new rider links their first turns.

You need to be 14 or older on the first day of the course. CASI lowered the minimum from 15 for the 2025/26 season. You also need to ride comfortably and safely on intermediate terrain, and be able to ride switch at a basic level.

The course runs over three days and at least 18 hours, and there is no single exam day. Your riding and your teaching are each worth half the mark, and you're assessed throughout. If you miss the standard in one part, you can retest that part within two years. CASI also offers optional online e-prep workshops before the course.

CASI lists the Level 1 course at $552.98 early or $608.28 at the regular price, in Canadian dollars, with your lift ticket extra. To stay certified and work as an instructor, you keep your CASI membership active each year. A regular membership is $112.42 a year, running from 1 June to 31 May.

If you're not riding at that standard yet, train first. Our Level 1 courses build your riding and teaching over three or four weeks, finishing with the CASI Level 1 course, and the CASI fees are included. The CASI Qualification Guide helps you prepare, and our CASI Level 2 prep guide covers the next step.

How Do You Get CASI Level 2 And Park 1.

Level 2 qualifies you to teach snowboarders up to intermediate level, in both skills and terrain. It's a four-day course of at least 24 hours. You need CASI Level 1 and to be 16 or older, and the fee is $694.97 early or $764.47 at the regular price.

CASI recommends about 45 hours of teaching in a snow school before you take Level 2. That's why an internship suits many new instructors: you qualify at Level 1, then work, ride and train all season as a paid instructor, and take your exams in March.

Park 1 is worth adding early. It's a three-day course, expanded from two days in 2025/26, that qualifies you to take students into freestyle terrain. You'll need it before the Level 3 teaching and riding modules. Our snowboard instructor internship at Panorama includes Level 1, Level 2 and Park 1.

Level 2 also lifts your pay. At the snow schools we work with, Level 2 instructors earn $22 to $26 an hour, against $19 to $22 at Level 1. Our free guide, How to Prepare for Your CASI Level 2 Exam, explains what the examiners look for.

What Are CASI Levels 3 And 4.

Level 3 qualifies you to teach advanced snowboarders and to train new instructors. Since 2025/26 it has run in modules: three 2-day modules in teaching, riding and instructor training, each followed by a 1-day exam. You need Level 2 and Park 1 first, and CASI aims Level 3 at instructors with multiple years of teaching. A Level 3 instructor is also a certified Park 1 instructor.

Few instructors reach these levels each year. In 2025/26, 32 instructors passed Level 3 and 6 passed Level 4, against 3,765 at Level 1.

Level 4 is the top of the system, for instructors who train others, evaluate courses and represent CASI internationally. It needs Level 3 and several seasons of full-time teaching. The course runs as three 3-day modules in mid-winter, followed by exams in spring: one day of teaching, two days of riding and one day of instructor training. CASI lists 105 Level 4 snowboard instructors in Canada.

CASI is also opening its new Big Mountain programme to all members in 2026/27, by application, after an invite-only pilot.

Is A CASI Qualification Recognised Abroad.

CASI describes its certification as internationally recognised, but hiring decisions rest with each employer, and each country sets its own rules. CASI also runs partner courses abroad: in 2025/26, 3,381 candidates trained on them in Japan, China, New Zealand and Korea.

The widest recognition comes with the ISIA Stamp, which is issued through the CSIA. To qualify you need:

• CASI Level 3
• Avalanche Skills Training (AST)
• current first aid
• at least 320 hours of eligible education, such as CASI courses (time spent teaching doesn't count)

There is no charge for the stamp. If teaching abroad is your long-term plan, our post on whether instructor qualifications are recognised internationally goes into more detail.

Where Can You Train For CASI.

We run CASI training at Revelstoke and Panorama, from a three-week Level 1 course to a full-season internship. The CASI course and exam fees are included in every price below.

To work in Canada you'll also need a work permit. UK citizens aged 18 to 35 can apply for the International Experience Canada working holiday visa, and our visa guide explains when to apply.

For every option in one place, with dates and prices, see our snowboard instructor courses in Canada.