About CGIA

Understand the technique. Give every step of progress a clearer direction.

Why CGIA?

Performing a movement, understanding how it works and teaching it clearly are different abilities.

When learning carving or flatland freestyle, some riders struggle to identify what to learn first and how to progress. Others can reproduce a movement without fully understanding its underlying principles. Some invest considerable time and money without clear goals or useful feedback.

For those pursuing an instructor role, riding ability is only part of the journey. Teaching also requires the ability to explain, observe, analyse and guide a learner’s development.

CGIA aims to make these learning goals clearer through structured training and certification, while organising the technical and teaching experience of seasoned riders and instructors into knowledge that can be shared and passed on.

Our Core Principles

Clear Development Pathways and Assessment Standards

We are developing a progressive specialist certification framework. Technical and teaching assessment standards will be developed collaboratively by our Technical Committee.

Our aim is for participants to understand not only whether they have passed, but also what each level requires and which abilities they need to develop next.

Structured Knowledge Sharing

High-level demonstrations are only one part of learning. The observation, judgement, practice methods and teaching experience developed by seasoned riders and instructors are equally valuable.

Through courses, workshops and technical exchange, CGIA aims to organise and share that experience, helping learners understand techniques rather than simply imitate movements.

Who CGIA Is For

CGIA primarily serves:

• Riders with an existing foundation who want to develop their carving or flatland freestyle skills in greater depth.
• Qualified snowboard instructors who want to strengthen their specialist riding and teaching skills in either discipline.

Not every rider wants to become an instructor. CGIA therefore separates technical certification from teaching certification, allowing participants to choose a pathway that matches their goals.

Participants who only wish to demonstrate their riding ability may pursue technical certification without taking a teaching assessment.

Our Certification Framework

The following outlines the agreed direction of our certification framework. Detailed assessment requirements and application arrangements are still being developed and will be published once confirmed.

Two Disciplines, Independently Certified

Participants may pursue either discipline independently or develop their skills in both.

Separate Technical and Teaching Assessments

Each level from C1 to C3 and F1 to F3 includes two separate badges:

• Technical Badge: earned by passing the assessment of specialist riding ability at the relevant level.
• Teaching Badge: earned by passing the assessment of specialist teaching ability at the relevant level.

Technical and teaching assessments are conducted separately. Participants who pass an assessment earn the corresponding Technical Badge or Teaching Badge and receive a document confirming that achievement. Only participants who have earned both badges at the same level can be awarded the Instructor Certificate and become a CGIA-certified instructor at that level.

For example:

Progressive Pathways, Flexible Assessment Order

Technical and teaching certifications progress independently through their respective levels:

• Carving: C1 → C2 → C3.
• Flatland freestyle: F1 → F2 → F3.

Participants must pass the preceding level within the relevant pathway before attempting the next.

There is no prescribed order for taking the technical and teaching assessments at the same level. Both badges, in the same discipline and at the same level, are required to obtain the Instructor Certificate for that level.

Optional Training, Defined Entry Requirements

Pre-assessment training is optional. Participants may attend a course or apply directly for an assessment, provided they meet the relevant entry requirements and level progression rules.

An existing instructor qualification is not required for technical certification.

Entry routes for teaching certification will include holders of snowboard instructor qualifications from other organisations and riders who have achieved a specified level of CGIA Technical Badge. Detailed eligibility requirements will be published separately.

Dual-Discipline Qualifications

CGIA also plans to offer:

• A Dual-Discipline Technical Qualification for holders of Technical Badges in both carving and flatland freestyle at the same level.
• A Dual-Discipline Instructor Qualification for holders of complete Instructor Certificates in both disciplines at the same level.

Participants who hold the required badges or certificates may apply for the corresponding dual-discipline qualification without an additional examination.

Technical Committee and Examiners

CGIA is forming its Technical Committee. Members have confirmed their participation, while the committee’s structure and responsibilities are still being developed.

Technical and teaching assessment standards will be developed collaboratively by the committee. These standards have not yet been drafted; formal requirements will be published once developed.

C4 and F4 are the examiner levels for carving and flatland freestyle respectively. The framework will include both assessment-based and appointment-based routes:

• General applicants must hold the complete Level 3 Instructor Certificate in the relevant discipline, complete examiner training and pass an examiner assessment.
• During CGIA’s establishment phase, experienced specialists may be appointed following a review of their technical, teaching and assessment experience.

The names and roles of confirmed collaborators who are not yet publicly announced will be shared at an appropriate time.

A Message from the Founder

I founded CGIA to help riders and instructors avoid unnecessary detours in their learning.

I want people to do more than learn a movement. I want them to understand what they are learning, why it works and how they can progress. The time and money invested in learning should come with clearer goals and feedback that helps them improve.

For those who want to teach, I also want to make an important distinction: being able to perform a skill and being able to help someone else learn it are not the same. That is why CGIA separates technical and teaching certification, giving both abilities the attention they deserve.

My aim is to organise and share the experience of seasoned riders and instructors, creating a clearer and more purposeful pathway for people committed to learning.

Looking Ahead

CGIA’s long-term goal is to enable riders and instructors from around the world to participate in specialist development, technical exchange and certification.

Our current focus is on establishing the certification framework, forming the Technical Committee and preparing for the development of courses and assessment standards. Courses, workshops, assessment locations and registration details will be announced once confirmed.

Independent Certification Statement

CGIA is an independent snowboard training and certification organisation with its own certification framework.

Unless explicitly announced, CGIA does not claim that its certifications are officially recognised or endorsed by any national governing body, resort or external certification organisation.

A complete CGIA Instructor Certificate indicates that the holder has met CGIA’s certification requirements at the relevant level. It does not automatically grant permission or qualification to teach, work or practise professionally in any jurisdiction or resort. Applicable requirements must be confirmed separately with the relevant authority, employer or resort.