Ross O'Neil has taught in the best ski resorts world-wide
By PAM ZIERK-MAHONEY
CREW COLLECTIVE DINKUS PLEASE
At the age of 16, little did Ross O’Neil know that a few visits to Mt Hotham and weekends at Mt Baw Baw with his older sister to learn to ski would lead to a lifetime on the ski fields and travelling the world.
Growing up in Melbourne, Ross only visited the snow a couple of times as a child but did not contemplate learning to ski until his sister took up the sport and he began skiing with her.
At the time, Ross was completing an apprenticeship in carpentry, which he was determined to finish.
But he enjoyed his weekend trips to Baw Baw skiing.
“Baw Baw was close to Melbourne and I was doing an apprenticeship; during the weekend we would ski,” Ross recalled.
“I can remember seeing skiing on TV.”
On a trip to Baw Baw one weekend, Ross was offered a part-time job in ski hire and from there was offered the chance to start teaching as well.
“I started off with ski hire and doing a little bit of skiing; I worked a lot of weekends while finishing my apprenticeship and then came a job offer.
“The manager of Baw Baw asked if I wanted to start teaching – so I did that for quite a few seasons.
“This started off on weekends and then went full-time.
“I then went on and did my Australian instructors exam with APSI – qualified up at Thredbo in 1980 and then went on to qualify at Level 4 – top level for instructors – in 1981,” Ross said.
In 1981, Ross went to Perisher to qualify, spending two weeks there doing the exams.
“I met a lot of Mt Buller people up there [Perisher] doing their exams and they said to me I should work at Buller.
“I applied and got a job at Buller instructing,” said Ross.
“I was fully qualified in 1981 and applied to work with the French Ski School at Buller with the Hilton-Wood family.
“Hilton-Wood ran the French Ski School because back then there were two lift companies, the Blue and the Orange – Hilton-Wood was connected with the Blue.
“I got the job in the summer of 1982 and started teaching that snow season, going full-time.”
This led to work overseas in the French resorts, where Ross worked for seven seasons.
“With my experience in teaching and instructing, I was invited to go to Japan – to Madarao, Buller’s sister resort – and help establish that connection between the two countries.
“I taught skiing while I was there – I did Madarao for two seasons.
“My favourite groups to teach everywhere were the first-timers – many of them were just there for a weekend to experience skiing,” Ross said.
“It was always enjoyable to just teach the people for the first time because they just don’t know any different and they’re learning every minute.
“They tend to really appreciate their lessons a lot more than people who are high-end – they think they know it all.
“I also taught the kids in race training before the Interschools, some would go on to Nationals – but I never taught any of the kids that became champions.
“This led to me gaining more work both in Australia and overseas with French ski schools in French resorts.
“I worked in France for some seven seasons.
“My favourite overseas ski resort would have to be Val d’Isère, France.
“I loved it – we were there again last year with the family – we took a trip there – it has been good to have great connections with the French Ski School from Buller and then working overseas,” Ross said.
Ross has worked in many countries around the world, including France, Canada, the US and Japan, but his favourite is France and he speaks French as well as a little Spanish and Italian.
“Once you became a qualified instructor, you could get jobs anywhere back in the ’80s – there wasn’t so much competition then,” he said.
“I also got work in Vail in Colorado during the Australian off-season.
“I did about 22 winters back-to-back between Australia and overseas – either in France or Colorado.
“I did a lot of ski seasons over the years.”
Ross finished teaching full-time about two years ago but was still teaching on a part-time basis.
Ross said his ski instructing career began in the early 1980s and came to a full-time conclusion around 2023/24 – more than 40 years in the industry.
Of course, he still enjoys his skiing – but not as much as he used to.
Because of his back-to-back seasons, Ross would ski up to 260 days a year but jokingly says now it is down to about 20.
“It depends on the weather – I still love to ski here but these past few seasons have not been great.
“But over the years I have enjoyed meeting so many interesting people from all different walks of life, where they are from, what they do – people from overseas, you know – people I’ve taught in Colorado who visit.
“I would say just having been able to work in a lot of incredible ski resorts overseas, having the experience to be able to teach and learn a bit of the language, I think that’s probably my best,” Ross said.
“It has been a great experience and privilege to work with so many of the mountain staff over so many years.”
