Luxury Skiing tours of Aspen - Ski Aspen Australia

There's not much the Ski Aspen Team haven't done when it comes to skiing and being in the mountains. In fact, we think our collective CV is pretty impressive. We know how to look after you - and not only when things are going to plan. Our guides have skied all over the world and climbed mountains all over the world. We're ski instructors, ski patrollers and search & rescue experts. We've been guiding and instructing skiing in North America for nearly 20 years and we know the Rockies. We've completed avalanche training courses, mountaineering courses, ski instructor certifications and emergency first aid. We know & respect these mountains. We're passionate skiers and mountain people but perhaps more importantly, we're people people. Please take the time to read about our team and while you do, we'd like you to know that the Aspen Skiing Company only sanctions two operations (worldwide) to guide and instruct in Aspen using their own people. Ski Aspen is one of them.
		Nick Farr Nick has been skiing all his life and he first ventured to the ski resorts of Canada and the U.S.A. in 1991. In 1996 he commenced leading guided and instructional ski tours to Aspen. He is a qualified ski instructor (Australian & Canadian certifications) and during the 90's worked for 7 seasons teaching skiing at Mt. Hotham in Victoria. Nick is also an experienced mountaineer with numerous Himalayan summits - including Mt. Everest (8848m) and Cho Oyu (8201m) - to his name. He works regularly as a professional & motivational speaker and also acts in a consulting capacity to the Victorian Institute of Sport, Programs Department. Nick's passion is everything skiing and he loves nothing more than sharing with others the incredible environment of sport, culture and mountains that is Aspen.
		Attila Kovacs Attila has been skiing since 1981 and commenced working in the ski industry in 1990. Starting out fitting boots and skis at Mt Buller, he moved to Buller Ski lifts where he worked for six years in different areas including lift operations and risk management. During this time he trained regularly in aerial skiing and in 1993, successfully competed in the Australian Water Jump titles, winning first place in his division. Venturing outside Australia in 1997, Attila skied extensively throughout Canada and the United States. In 1999, Attila moved from Mt. Buller to Mt.Hotham and commenced training with the Mt.Hotham Race Squad. Having spent the past five seasons guiding and managing tours for Ski Aspen, Attila is almost an Aspen local.
		Simon Brand Simon is a telemark & alpine skier with extensive back-country skiing / touring experience. He is a qualified Avalanche Technician with the Canadian Avalanche Association and for the past 14 years has worked as a member of the Victoria Police Search & Rescue Squad. Adding to his considerable alpine experience, Simon has worked as a volunteer ski patroller at Mt. Hotham for 8 seasons. Simon has skied extensively throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and also Nepal. In 2006, Simon and Nick (Farr) completed a climb & ski descent of 6419m Chulu West in the Nepal Himalaya - one of only a handful of ski descents from this altitude by an Australian. Simon manages and directs the many safety considerations of our operation and has been guiding with Ski Aspen since 2005.
		Michael King Michael has skied extensively in Europe, Canada and the United States. He holds Australian and Canadian ski instructor certifications and has worked as a ski instructor during the 90's with the Mt. Hotham Ski School. Michael has also trained with the Mt. Hotham Race Squad and has attended steep skiing training clinics in both Utah and Colorado. A tree skiing fanatic, Mick has been skiing in Aspen since the mid 90's and has worked as a guide with Ski Aspen for the past 10 years.
		Brian Nielsen Brian has 25 seasons experience instructing skiing across North America, Europe and Australia. He is a fully certified instructor with Australian and Austrian qualifications. Brian commenced instructing skiing at Mt. Hotham in 1995 and received the "Rookie of the Year" award that season. It was to be the first of many awards Brian would receive during an 11 year tenure with the Mt. Hotham Ski School. Brian went on to win "Ski Instructor of the Year" twice (1998 & 2004) and "Most Requested Ski Instructor" for five consecutive years (2001 - 2005 inclusive). When Brian wasn't winning awards, he was training other ski instructors and coaching the Mt.Hotham Race Squad. With Ski Aspen since 2002, Brian is the technical director of the instructional component of our tours.
		Phil Barrett Phil is a qualified ski instructor with British and Canadian certifications. His experience includes a total of 15 seasons teaching skiing across a number of European ski resorts in France, Switzerland and Andorra. The majority of this period spent working for the largest English speaking Ski School in Europe - Soldeu el Tarter - in Andorra. Also an instructor trainer, many of Phil's past clients have gone on to become ski instructors themselves. In 1999 and 2000, Phil represented his ski school demonstration team at the battle of the ski schools in Vail, Colorado. In both years, Phil won the world synchronized skiing championships at this event. With Ski Aspen since 2005, Phil brings an extensive and diverse range of experience to our tours.
		Don May Don began his skiing career in 1977 and worked in Aspen for three seasons from 1981 - 1983 inclusive. At home for the Australian winters, Don worked in the ski industry as a boot fitter and ski technician throughout Victoria and New South Wales for many years. Don has spent the last 15 years skiing and snowboarding extensively throughout Canada, Europe and the United States and for the past 6 years he has worked as a ski tour guide in Canada and also with Ski Aspen. A talented snowboarder, Don's versatility is a great asset to the Ski Aspen program. Having skied in Aspen for over 25 years, there's not much of this vast resort that Don doesn't know. He is without question one of our most popular guides.
		Jeff Swan Jeff (Swanny) was a member of the Victoria Police Search & Rescue Squad for 16 years. He has extensive back-country skiing experience and is also a qualified ski instructor with alpine and cross country certifications. Swanny worked as a volunteer ski patroller at Mt. Buller from 1998 - 2000 and as a professional Ski Patroller at Mt. Hotham and Morillon, France, for a further 6 seasons. Swanny has skied extensively throughout the United States and has worked as a ski guide in Canada since 1999. With Ski Aspen since 2007, Swanny brings a unique sense of humour to all our tours.
		Ed Mahon Ed has been working in the ski industry for more than 20 years and has been a full time ski patroller at Mt Buller for most of that time. During the northern winter seasons, Ed has worked as a ski patroller in Canada, France and the United States, as well as skiing extensively throughout North America and Europe. Ed is also a qualified ski instructor with Canadian certifications and he commenced guiding with the Ski Aspen Team in 2007.
		Cait Steiner Cait has been a professional ski patroller for a total of 19 winter seasons at Mt.Buller and Mt.Hotham alpine resorts in Victoria. Cait has also worked a season ski patrolling in Tignes, France and another at Squaw Valley, California. In her other life, Cait works as a remote area nurse and midwife. Cait joined Ski Aspen in 2008 and was a huge hit with all our guests. Cait is a very strong & experienced skier and her medical background is a great asset to the Ski Aspen program.