Charles Martin

CSIA Level IV, Course Conductor Level IV, Level III Coach CSCF

As a young Canadian boy growing up in Northern N.B. with an ice rink at the end of his street, he started playing hockey. However, from the very first time he saw a skier sliding down the mountain side at the age of five, he wanted to try it and immediately fell in love with it. A blend of hockey and skiing is not a bad mix for a young Canadian boy!

His father, mother and brothers soon followed him onto the ski hill. As a family in Edmundston they skied a small ski hill with a rope tow where many families had to pack the snow in the morning with their skis so they could ski for free in the afternoon when the hill opened to the public. Sadly, the ski area owner passed away and the families had to travel to the United States to ski. The high exchange rate on American money limited skiing and this all led to the start of Mont Farlagne. Charles’ father was the manager of the hill for the first two years, so Charles was at the ski hill most of the time. In the third year of operations, Marc Theberge from Grey Rock Quebec was hired to manage the hill and to build a solid ski school. He was a level 3 CSIA and he inspired Charles to start teaching. He first became certified with the Canadian Ski Instructor’s Alliance while he was in high school. The following season the local race club needed a coach and Charles found it very motivating to coach young skiers, see them progress and see the success the team was having. He then started his certification with the Canadian Ski Coaching Federation and attained his level 3. He then became a Course Conductor for levels 1 and 2 for the CSCF, mostly in the Atlantic region and Quebec. During that same period, he also became a CSIA Level III. The following year he became the CSIA Level I coordinator and eventually also coordinated the Professional Development Program (PDP) for the Atlantic region. His coaching career lasted 25 years; he was involved with Mont Farlagne as the SSD snow school director, head coach then assistant coach for the racing team, CSIA program coordinator and course conductor for the CSIA and the CSCF. With his interest in learning and sharing his passion for skiing he pursued the CSIA Level IV and eventually became a Level II, III and IV course conductor. From 2019 to 2025, Charles was the Education Program Coordinator (EPC) for the CSIA in the Atlantic region. He decided to pass the baton along in April 2025 after 47 years of being a coordinator of courses for the CSIA. He was inducted to the CSIA National Hall of Fame in December of 2025 at Mont Tremblant in Quebec. Charles’s passion for skiing and teaching is never ending. Still involved in course conducting and teaching at Mont Farlagne he loves to inspire and see the enthusiasm skiers show when they are improving. Let’s keep getting better together, share the thrill and our love for skiing.