How good do you need to be for BASI Snowboard Level 1?

This is the question I get asked more than any other: “How good do I need to be to pass Level 1?”

The problem is most people judge it the wrong way. They look at someone smashing down a steep run fast and assume that’s the standard. Speed isn’t the standard…. and freestyle skill doesn’t automatically equal technical ability (sometimes they do, sometimes they really don’t).

BASI courses are assessed in two main areas:

• Technique (how you ride and how well you can demonstrate)
• Teaching (how you communicate, structure a lesson, keep people safe, and improve them)

So yes — you need to be able to ride, yes, have some style, yes, have basic freestyle ability. But you also need to be able to show the movement, explain it, and repeat it consistently. It’s a decent all round riding technique and knowledge that’s needed.

Let’s break it down properly.

BASI Level 1 standards

Level 1 is the entry point. It’s not “easy” — but it is achievable if you’re riding regularly and you’re willing to be coached.

What you need/should be able to do… if you want an honest checklist, here it is:

Your riding: 

• Ride with consistent control on blue/red terrain (depending on the resort grading)
• Link clean flowing turns (no panic speed checks every two seconds)
• Control speed with turn shape (not just skidding/sliding on your edges or doing 4 turns and then having to slow down by skidding and kicking the back foot around)
• A technical sentence to sum this up: BASI requires you to be able to change your edge before the fall line and grip (carve) the last 2 thirds of the turn. Demonstrating a controlled set of rounded turn shapes. All while standing in a nice strong balanced stance. If this doesn’t make sense, then you need some input from a coach to help you understand what is required before you start the course.
• Basic switch turns - you don’t have to be amazing at switch, but you must be functional to show “students” how to do their first turns if they are opposite leading foot to you.
• Basic freestyle: ollies + a single 180 across the hill (frontside or backside of heels or toes)
  We have a series of videos on these so get watching.

That last point surprises some people. BASI Level 1 snowboard expects you to have enough board control to ride switch and do some basic freestyle movements safely and cleanly. This makes a BASI Level 1 qualified rider more useful to a school as the course gives you an ability to show and teach students these basic freestyle tricks.

Teaching demonstrations:

Demonstrate basic progressions (you must be able to show movements clearly) for all parts of what we call the Central Theme – This is the learning progression that EVERY instructor is paid to teach to clients. This learning progression takes clients from never standing on a snowboard, through a series of stages that will eventually teach them how to turn a snowboard. You are responsible for deomonstrating and teaching ALL these different stages.

The Level 1 weak points I see the most in peoples riding

Here are the common ones that catch people out:

1. Skidded turns with no edge control - lots of riders can get down anything. But Level 1 is about how you get down it. If your turns are “twist and hope” and you don’t actually use your edge, it shows. 
2. Upper body doing all the work - shoulders swinging, arms flapping, kicking that board out….. BASI wants to see controlled movements more from the lower body and feet - not survival steering and snow kung fu.
3. Poor stance - hips twisted and sitting back, chest folded over and bent at the waist, weight stuck on the back foot. You can still sort of “ride” like this, a lot of people do…..but you cannot demonstrate good riding using what we call the fundamentals.
4. Switch is basically a write-off - if you can’t ride switch without looking like you’re about to crash, it’s a problem. Not because you need to be a park rider — but because instructors need all-round board control in both directions. You obviously don’t have to be “as good” as your preferred way round, but you have to be able to have basic switch riding skills.
5. Demonstrations aren’t demonstrations - you might be able to ride okay, but can you make it look simple and repeatable for a beginner? BASI assesses your ability to demo movements clearly when teaching the central theme - not just your ability to ride. Slow, controlled and accurate movements are needed for this. You can’t mask skill by speed.

All these things mean you’re not using your board as it was meant to be used. A level 1 will get you standing better, using your edges better, give you a more efficient way of riding your board so you get closer to it feeling more effortless if you want it to be. It will also give you the skills and knowledge to teach people how to do their first turns.

The honest Level 1 self-test

If you can do this comfortably, you’re in the right zone:

• Ride a mellow/indoor slope in a strong, balanced stance showing turns with an edge change before the “fall line” and grip the last parts of the turn as you come across the hill. 
• Be able to change your turn shape - C shapes (nose across the hill more) as well as a S shapes where the turns are more “open” 
• Ride switch without falling every other turn
• Pop an ollie without throwing your whole body at it (see our videos)
• Do a controlled 180 across the hill and ride away (see our videos)

If that sounds stressful, it’s not that you’re not “not good enough” — you just need training. And that’s normal….and that’s what we are here for prior to the exams.

The big truth: you don’t need to be the best rider on the course

This is the part that calms people down. You do not need to be the fastest, the most aggressive, or the most stylish.

You need to be:

• consistent
• controlled
• able to demonstrate
• able to teach
• be safe and professional

BASI courses are respected worldwide…..because the course is not a guaranteed pass. If you’re missing parts, you may need to re-take an element and do part of the course again.  
That’s not a failure — that’s how professional standards work.

So… when should you book?

Here’s the simplest way I can put it - book a Level 1 when:

• you can ride linked turns confidently on piste
• you can ride switch at a basic level
• you can do ollies 
• you can do 180s across the hill
• you’re ready to be coached and assessed and happy to be corrected  (not just “have a nice week riding”)

If you’re not there yet, that’s not the end of the story — it’s the start of your training plan.

How we help at Snowboard Coach (Arinsal, Andorra & Niseko, Japan)

At Snowboard Coach and Snowsports Coach we run BASI Ski and Snowboard Level 1 and Level 2 exams both in Arinsal, Andorra and in Niseko, Japan. 

We’ve been involved in snowsports for nearly 35 years and training and examining instructors for nearly 25 of those. 

The company was created and is run by Ash Newnes, the longest serving snowboard BASI trainer, so you’re not guessing what’s required — you’re being trained towards the standard.

We also offer:

• Weekly training options towards Level 1 in Arinsal, Andorra
• Season training towards Level 2 in Arinsal, Andorra AND Niseko in Japan
• Season training for Level 3 (for those already qualified at Level 2) in Niseko, Japan only.

If you’re thinking about taking the step, the smartest thing you can do is stop hoping you’re ready and start training with purpose.

You can also check out our BASI Snowboard Level 2 guide.