Jim Hart

Jim Hart - SnowBoard Manager

Jim Hart surfed and skateboarded from the age of six. He also skied from a very young age and becoming a snowboard instructor later in life was an easy progression, well suited to his patient, laid-back manner.

Originally from England, Jim has made Wanaka his home for the past seven years. He has worked in boarder cross course design, has over a decade of experience teaching, and in 2003 he represented New Zealand at the four-yearly international instructors congress, Interski, in Switzerland.

Jim only recently gave up a long stint of back-to-back winters, to stay in Wanaka during the Southern Hemisphere summer. From October to May he is the well-versed vintner at Rippon Vineyard, one of the regions most respected wineries.

2003 was his first season with the Rookie Academy, after seven years developing a government-run snowboarding training course also in the South Island. He reckons he'll never tire of Treble Cone's terrain, views and atmosphere, or of teaching.

Off mountain, Jim's favourite sporting pastime is trying to beat Dean at golf. If he's not doing that he is usually hanging with his dog, hunting, shooting, fishing, riding his mountain bike, or playing indoor soccer. At most other times he can generally be found enjoying a glass of wine.