About Us

New Zealand Snowsports Academy was founded by Adam Dooney with the vision of providing freestyle and instructor training programmes for skiers and snowboarders that would allow people from all over the world to enjoy and explore the amazing natural terrain and parks that New Zealand has to offer, while offering the chance of a world recognized qualification AND a new career. All New Zealand Snowsports Academy coaches and trainers are highly qualified and motivated in using their experience to help people meet their goals and ensuring they have a good time on and off the mountain.

The team at New Zealand Snowsports Academy has been providing ski and snowboard instructor training and freestyle coaching for over ten years. It is the passion for our sport that keeps us enthusiastic and involved in training, coaching and competing in skiing and snowboarding. Our team is among the best in the world and we are dedicated to using our experience to create the most professional course available.

Adam Dooney

-NZSIA Stage Two Examiner.
-New Zealand Snowsports Academy trainer/coach and owner.

Like many kiwi kids I grew up skateboarding, surfing, riding bikes and going on skiing holidays with my family. After leaving school I enrolled in an outdoor pursuits course were I was first introduced to coaching and leadership in many outdoor pursuits. This lead me to snowboard instructing. I have been working as a snowboard instructor, instructor trainer, coach and examiner in New Zealand and the United States of America for over 12 seasons. I am passionate about all aspects of the sport from big mountain riding to racing to freestyle to coaching. I have always been active, competitive and passionate about sport. As a result I set up New Zealand Snowsports Academy so that I can share this passion for sport and coaching with you.

Tom Willmott

-Head Coach of the New Zealand Snowboard Team.
-Bachelors degree in Sports Coaching from the University of Wales.

Tom specializes in coaching freestyle disciplines. He has coached both Halfpipe and Snowboardcross on the World Cup Tour and at the Winter Olympics in 2006. Tom is from the UK, is a keen competitor himself representing Great Britain at World Cup level in the halfpipe, and is the current British snowboardcross champion. When not coaching or riding, Tom works as a heli-guide with Backcountry Helicopters in Makarora satisfying his love for freeride lines and deep powder!
He is currently studying for a Masters in Sport Psychology at the University of Otago.