We’re proud of our training team here at Niseko Academy. We’ve hand selected them as individuals, not only for their experience as Instructors and Trainers, and their talents on the snow, but because they are truly unique personalities, massively passionate about Japan, and with a wealth of life experience from around the world.
Biff Russell – Telemark Trainer
Biff splits his year between a sleep-out in Wanaka, a cabin in the woods of up-state New York and our staff house here in Niseko. Instructing, coaching and training in all three disciplines (ski, snowboard and telemark) he has accumulated more than 36 seasons between both hemispheres.
With ISIA stamps in Alpine and Telemark from the States and NZ, Biff is a Telemark Examiner with PSIA (the American version of NZSIA) and a NATO Clinic Leader. Years ago, Biff left the comfort of the Catskill Mountains in search of the best snow he could find. Travels took him all over the world and after spending a season in Hokkaido training Japanese Telemark Instructors he believes he has found Tele Nirvana.
Keith Stubbs – Snowboard Trainer
Keith (known in the industry as ‘Stubbsy’) also makes the annual migration back and forth, following the snow between hemispheres. He’s a Trainer and Examiner down in NZ, working for Snowboard Instruction New Zealand (SBINZ – the Snowboard division of the NZSIA) as well as Cardrona Alpine Resort.
Stubbsy rides for Rome Snowboards and Adidas Eyewear, and has done over 20 seasons in a number of locations around the world. He first fell in love with Japan in 2007 and has been coming back every year since. He’s even written a book about the place called Snow-search Japan – a unique ski/snowboard guidebook covering over 70 resorts across the country.
Brian Findlay – Niseko Academy Director
Brian (or B-ri as he’s become known more recently) has been involved in Japanese Snowsports for more than 12 years now. He is a member of the Niseko Winter Guides Association and was the founder of the first foreign certification in Japan, establishing this Instructor Training Academy in 2005. Brian is ISIA qualified with the NZSIA and has done over 34 seasons around the world as an instructor, guide and ski patroller.
Brian speaks good Japanese from working as the only foreign instructor in several Japanese ski schools (or some would say thanks to his lovely Japanese wife). As a full-time resident in Niseko, Brian no longer follows the snow down under, but instead he spends his summers basking in the Hokkaido sun on local Niseko golf courses.
