Grantown's British Association of Snowsports Instructors helps highlight Brexit risk to their sport at World Interski conference in Bulgaria
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THE Grantown-based British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI) has helped highlight Brexit’s risk to their sport after they supported a show of solidarity at a major international event.
Appearing at the World Interski conference in Bulgaria, Great Britain’s demonstration of high-speed synchronised skiing saw a team of 12 world-class instructors end their run by unfurling the EU and UK flags together.
The show of solidarity, which took place in front of 1000 delegates from 33 countries, aimed to highlight the uncertainty instructors face over future working regulations in EU ski resorts in a post-Brexit world.
BASI has 6300 British-trained instructors working in 38 countries around the world – the vast majority in the EU. But BASI said Brexit had created a great deal of uncertainty.
And the crowd responded enthusiastically to the showcase’s flag unveiling. World Interski’s secretary general, Peter Mall, from Austria, later said: “I’d like to thank Great Britain for flying the European flag during your demo last night. Your support for Europe is much appreciated”.
A number of international delegates from other EU nations shared their personal concerns for their instructor recruitment programmes in a post-Brexit world.
Many ski school directors at the conference echoed these anxieties. Great Britain’s delegation at World Interski was led by BASI chairman, James Lister who said: “The future European working rights of many of our members remains unclear at the moment and makes planning for the future difficult for both British instructors and the ski schools who employ them.
“Britain is highly respected in the international world of snowsports, we punch well above our weight for a non- Alpine nation and BASI will continue to work bilaterally with EU countries to clarify and secure the future working rights for British instructors for the benefit of BASI members and the European ski schools who want to employ them.”
