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NZSIA October 2025 Newsletter: Instructor of the Year, Japan Bookings & Have Your Say!

Kia ora,

We’re wrapping up another fantastic season in New Zealand, here’s what’s new and coming up at NZSIA:
  • NZSIA Instructor of the Year – celebrating Meg Hoyland!
  • Japan course dates are live – bookings are open now.
  • Membership reminders for 2026.
  • Help shape the future of NZSIA – take our new EDI Membership Survey.
  • Time to travel? Don’t forget your NZSIA Macpac discount!
  • Telemark Division gear donations – support the growth of telemark skiing.
  • Dry slope landscaping update – the first 300 trees are in!
  • T-shirt competition winners announced.
  • SBINZ Team Announced for Interski Vail 2027!
Read on so you don’t miss out.
 

Instructor of the Year – Congratulations to Meg Hoyland!

We’re thrilled to celebrate Meg Hoyland, this year’s NZSIA Instructor of the Year!

Works at: Tūroa

Meg is a talented and enthusiastic instructor, known for bringing positive energy to every lesson, whether teaching kids’ groups or adult privates. She quickly develops rapport with her students, earning repeat requests and consistently glowing feedback from guests who appreciate how she makes learning fun and accessible.

Meg is ambitious and committed, continually seeking opportunities to improve her skills and grow as a teacher. Her experience spans local mountains, international seasons in Japan and Europe, and she is highly regarded by colleagues, school kids, and programme participants alike.

Beyond snowsports, Meg demonstrates dedication and teamwork through her involvement with the local Ohakune Volunteer Fire Brigade. Her radiant personality, professionalism, and passion make her an exceptional instructor, recognised for the positive impact she brings in every lesson.

Meg’s dedication to teaching, professionalism, and passion for helping others improve on snow make her an outstanding ambassador for NZSIA. Congratulations, Meg — a well-deserved recognition!

Photo credit: Ross Mackay / Snow Sports NZ

Japan Courses – Plan Ahead and Secure Your Spot!

Our Northern Hemisphere courses in Japan are always highly sought after, offering an incredible opportunity to gain a NZSIA-SBINZ Level One Certifications through to Level Three Certifications. This season, demand is high and availability is limited, so now is the time to plan ahead!

Key Things to Know:

  • Book only if the dates and resort work for you. Spaces cannot be moved between courses this season.
  • Membership must be current for 2026. Bookings with memberships only valid to the end of 2025 will be cancelled after a 24-hour warning.
  • Resits: Submit your resit request via the Resit Pages on the website. We may be able to place you on a course that is already full. Book Resit here.
  • Waitlists: Already filled in the Waitlist Form? That’s all you need to do! We will continue to notify you whenever a space is released – no need to re-submit.

Booking & Membership:

  • Secure your spot directly through your NZSIA profile
  • Membership renewals are due 1 January each year.
  • If you’ve booked a 2026 course, your 2026 membership must already be active.
  • Failure to renew will result in losing your place.
  • If joining with a foreign qualification, please ensure you have already created a membership profile with NZSIA and had your qualification approved and verified to join the NZSIA Pathway. If you do not do this your booking will be cancelled and offered to the next person.

Missed Out?

If courses are full, join the Waitlist. If a space opens, we’ll contact everyone on the list. If you have already filled in the Waitlist List Form, that’s all you need to do. We will continue to reach out and notify you every time a space is released, no need to resubmit.

You will need to book the courses through your profile when you get the notification email about a space opening in the course. Places are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, so make sure your membership is up to date.

Refunds & Transfers:

Bookings are non-refundable and non-transferable within one month of the course. Please ensure you have travel insurance.

Planning is key! Keep your membership current, submit a resit form if needed, and stay on the waitlist if you’re waiting for a spot. Japan offers an amazing opportunity to advance your teaching certification, and we want you to make the most of it!

🔗 Ski Courses in Japan 2025/26

 

🔗 Snowboard Courses in Japan 2025/26

👉 Check your membership status in your NZSIA Profile & Book your Japan course now

Help Shape the Future of NZSIA – EDI Membership Survey

We’re excited to launch our first Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Membership Survey! We want to hear directly from you, our members.

Your confidential feedback is vital in shaping and guiding our EDI strategy. We want NZSIA to be a place where everyone is treated fairly, has equal opportunities to succeed and feels included.

This short survey is your opportunity to share your thoughts on what we’re doing well and how we can further strengthen our Alliance.

🕒 The survey is open until 10th November 2025.

🔗 Complete the survey here

Your voice matters – help shape the future of NZSIA.

Time to Travel – Make the Most of Your NZSIA Member Benefits

As we wrap up the New Zealand winter and look ahead to travel and Northern Hemisphere adventures, now’s the perfect time to take advantage of your NZSIA member benefits.

Your membership gives you access to a range of exclusive perks — and one of the best ones for this time of year is our partnership with Macpac.

Macpac Pro-Deal – Gear Up and Save:

Here at Macpac, we believe in accessibility to the outdoors and the necessary gear to enjoy it. As an NZSIA member, you have access to the Macpac Industry Pro-Deal, giving you exclusive savings on premium outdoor clothing and equipment — perfect for travel, work, and adventure.

Whether you’re heading to Japan, Europe, or planning a New Zealand summer of adventure, now’s a great time to refresh your kit and take advantage of your discount.

How to Access Your Discount:

  1. When you are shopping in-store, mention that you have a company Pro-Deal under NZSIA.
  2. If staff ask for an email address, use admin@nzsia.org
  3. Show your NZSIA membership card (digital or printed) to confirm eligibility.

Regardless of whether you’re shopping during or outside a Macpac sale, the system will automatically give you the best possible price.

So before you take off on your next adventure, make sure to stop by Macpac and make the most of your NZSIA benefit.

🔗 View All NZSIA Member Benefits

Telemark Division – Gear Donations Needed

The NZSIA Telemark Division is looking for gear donations to help more members experience telemark skiing.

We’re especially in need of:

  • Skis (any type, ideally 155 cm or longer)
  • Telemark bindings

If you have a full setup or spare equipment to donate, we’d be incredibly grateful. Every contribution helps us grow the telemark community.

Thank you for your support!

— The NZSIA Telemark Division

Dry Slope Landscaping – First 300 Trees Planted!

Part of the NZSIA 2024 Sustainability Fund has contributed to the Snow Sports NZ Dry Slope Landscaping Project, located at the bottom of the Cardrona access road.
We’re excited to share that over the past month, the first 300 native trees have been planted as part of this initiative! These plantings mark an important step in creating a greener, more sustainable environment for the entire snow sports community. The remaining trees will be planted in the New Year once they’ve had time to grow.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported this project — it’s amazing to see our collective efforts making a real difference. And remember, a portion of every NZSIA membership contributes to the Sustainability Fund, helping initiatives like this come to life.
We can’t wait to see these native trees thrive around our athletes and dry slope area in the years to come!

T-Shirt Competition Winners Announced!

It’s official! With a massive 57% of the total votes, Yvonne Pern has taken out the SBINZ 2025 T-Shirt Competition — congratulations, Yvonne! 🎉

A huge thank you to everyone who submitted a design. We were blown away by the creativity and passion from our SBINZ family. It’s awesome to see so much talent within our community!

In the meantime, check out our SBINZ shop for threads and merch: 👉 nzsia.theprintbar.com

SBINZ Team Announced for Interski Vail 2027!

We’re thrilled to share that the SBINZ Team heading to Interski 2027 in Vail, Colorado has been selected!

From our incredible group of Examiners and Tech Team members, four outstanding representatives have been chosen to showcase the skill, style, and professionalism of New Zealand snowboarding on the world stage.

Congratulations to:

  • Kristy Bishop
  • Jamie Middleton
  • Luke Gillet
  • Rich Waldie

We’ll be sharing a series of posts over the coming months to introduce each team member, highlight their journey, and give you a behind-the-scenes look at their preparation for Interski 2027.

This is an exciting opportunity for SBINZ and NZSIA to represent Aotearoa internationally, and we couldn’t be prouder of this talented crew.

Stay tuned for more updates as the countdown to Vail begins!

That’s a Wrap

Wherever this season takes you, to winter slopes abroad or sunny trails at home, we wish you an incredible adventure ahead.

Thanks for staying connected! If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Ngā mihi nui,
The NZSIA Team