About Us

 

TSI was founded in 2006 by Maurice Duffy and Sally Lee-Duffy. Both are passionate about skiing and teaching. They feel privileged to be able to do so in the spectacular French Alps. Between them they have taught for over 40 winter seasons, in Switzerland, Scotland, Andorra, France, Australia and New Zealand.

 

All of our instructors have been hand picked because of their great teaching experience, people skills, perfect spoken English and because they are just great at what they do!

 

Maurice, Sally, Lisa, Ross, Alain and Ali all have their International Ski Teacher Diploma's (BASI Level 4 ISTD) with full French Equivalence.

Alex is a full French Diplome and is bilingual in French and English.

 

Read more about us below and hover over our faces below to see what we look like without goggles!

 

Maurice Duffy

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: British

Languages Spoken: English & French

 

Maurice was born in Scotland and learned to ski at the age of seven. He did initial instructor training in Austria at the age of 18, and has taught skiing full time in Europe and the southern hemisphere ever since. He became a fully qualified International Ski Teacher in 1997, and moved to Morzine in 2000. He is a certified CSCF Ski Race Coach and a Current Alpine Trainer for the British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI). When not skiing he enjoys mountain biking, motorbikes, kiting and wakeboarding.

Additional Qualifications: BASI Alpine Trainer, CSCF Level 2 Coach & Telemark Instructor.

 

Sally Lee-Duffy

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: Irish

Languages Spoken: Bilingual English & Spanish

 

Sally is Irish born but has lived most of her life in Spain where her parents moved when she was 9. She first discovered skiing in the Pyrenees and was hooked from the start. She did her first full season when she was 19 and made up her mind to become a ski teacher. To complement the winter seasons in Andorra she worked during the summers as a restaurant manageress in Spain, then moved to Morzine in 2000. Besides the "hands on" side of ski teaching she has worked in the office environment for several ski schools and for the BASI.  During the summer, Sally works on the Cricket Circuit installing all promotional material for Sky televised matches.

Additional Qualifications: Adaptive Instructor.

 

Lisa Jackson

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: Scottish

Languages Spoken: English & French

 

Lisa was born and bred in Perthshire, Scotland. She learned to ski at the ripe old age of five, spending almost every weekend each winter up in Aviemore and the Cairngorms with her family.

She has been teaching skiing full time since 2001. Lisa is also qualified as a Personal Fitness Trainer and Sports Massage Therapist. 'Skiing is my Passion!

 

Her hobbies are mountain biking, walking and sunbathing!

 

Ross Nelson

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: British

Languages Spoken: English

 

Ross was born and grew up on the south coast of England. He started skiing at the age of 5 and began racing for Southampton dry slope at the age of 10yrs. In his teens racing took him to the Alps a couple of times a year and that is where his skiing developed.

Ross started his teaching career at 18 in Italy and continued there for a few years before moving to Les Gets/Morzine in 2004.

 

Hobbies include Tennis, badminton, sailing, film and photography.

 

Alain Defres

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: Irish/French

Languages Spoken: Bilingual English & French

 

Alain started skiing when he was 7 years old in Bulgaria, then carried on skiing a couple of times a year till he was 18 years old. He then went to the pyreness for 3 years to work as a ski lifty in St Lary Soulan to gain experience in skiing and to learn French. After this he taught in Chamonix for 3 seasons, then moved onto Morzine for another 3 seasons, finishing off his qualifications while working in Morgin, Switzerland. He has also taught down under in Mt Buller, Oz for 3 summers. In the summer months he spends his time teaching surfing in Wales, where he is qualified as an ISA coach and now runs his own Stand Up Paddle Board school Good Trails.

 

Ali Gibb

 Qualification: International Ski Teacher Diploma

Nationality: British

Languages Spoken: English & French

 

Ali hails from Rutland and started her skiing career on a Lincolnshire dry slope before moving on to the dizzying heights of alpine green runs in Les Arcs.  Family ski holidays led her to a winter season as a chalet girl in Chatel before going back to Uni to do her Masters. The Masters didn’t happen but teaching skiing did and 9 years later she has settled in Morzine.

She spent 6 years teaching on the other side of the Portes du Soleil ski area in Torgon and Chatel and the other side of the world at Mt Hotham in Australia.

She now stays here in Morzine during the summer running road bike holidays 44South and spends most of her time riding up (slowly!) the hills you will be skiing down.

 

Alex Boucher

 Qualification: French Diplome

Nationality: French

Languages Spoken: Bilingual English & French

 

Alex is a true mountain boy! He grew up skiing on these very mountains strapping on his first pair of skis at the tender age of 3yrs and racing at 7yrs. Alpine skiing, ski touring and snowboarding became a part of daily winter life and after earning his degree in Engineering to get a “proper” job, it felt only natural to stay on the skis where his passion truly lay and to pursue a career on the snow instead!

Alex has been teaching in Morzine since 2000 and spent a season in New Zealand for a change of scenery. During the summer Alex is glued to his bike busy running his road cycling business YelloVelo.

 

Hobbies: Road cycling, road cycling, road cycling!