Wintersports related litigation is an expanding field where the legal professional frequently requires specialist advice from an expert who is not only familiar within his field, but is also familiar with the workings of the legal system.

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Areas of expertise include:

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• Instructing and coaching

• Ski equipment and binding function

• Collisions

• Application of international rules and standards

• Facility operation and management

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Chris is experienced in the preparation of written reports and giving oral evidence when required. He has appeared in Courts in a range of jurisdictions and is able to adapt to the requirements of hearings ranging from civil courts, courts martial and coroners' courts. His experience in journalism ensures that his opinions are delivered with clarity.

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• Chris Exall's experience both as a coach and his research into ski equipment gives him the ideal background to assist in skiing and wintersports litigation. Regularly instructed by both Claimant and Defendant's solicitors Chris Exall is probably the most widely utilised U.K. expert witness specialising in these matters.

• Chris is in a unique position to offer wintersports advice; as a senior examiner of ski instructors and coaches, as a widely published ski writer published throughout the world and as a part of the small group of experts responsible for drafting skiing and snowsports safety standards.

• Chris is regularly employed as a consultant by various organisations in the UK and overseas to assist in their compliance with good practice including architects, retailers, ski centres and local authorities. With clients on 4 continents and the construction cost of his 3 largest clients' snowsports properties exceeds €1bil.              

• Chris is Chairman of the BSI [British Standards Institute] committee in respect of skiing and snowsports. Chris has also worked over the years with ASTM Committee F27 and various technical subcommittees in respect of skiing safety and ski bindings. These committees are responsible, inter alia for the drafting of standards for the supply of ski bindings. He has  also written extensively on skiing and ski equipment over the last 40 years.

• Chris is qualified and appointed as an examiner of snowsports instructors in the U.K. and the U.S.A and as a coach in the U.K, Netherlands and Canada. He is a former Chairman of the English Ski Council, now Snowsport England, the governing body for English snowsports. He is one of Snowsport England's senior tutors, being only one of 4 people authorised to deliver its highest level courses [which give successful candidates an internationally recognised qualification]. Chris has, for the last 4 years delivered Snowsport England's tutor training - both preparing course materials and delivering courses. I hold honorary life membership of Snowsport England, which was awarded for services to Coaching.

• Chris is a member of the IVSI Commission. This is the international expert group which determines training and examination standards for ski and snowboard teachers.

• Chris is also a member of the national source group responsible for setting the standards for coaches and ski instructors and led the development of the United Kingdom Snowsports Coach Award Scheme [UK Snowsports and UK Coaching Pathway].              

• As a ski journalistChris is employed to research developments in the ski industry and carries out this role for ski magazines in the U.K. and the U.S.A.

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Coaching Qualifications - Professional Ski Instructor since 1983.

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• Qualified as "Full Certified Ski Instructor", renamed as Level 3 instructor, Professional Ski Instructors of America. Holder of twenty year long service award

• Qualified as Grade 1 National Ski Teacher, renamed as Level 3 instructor , IASI.

• Qualified as NVVS A and B licence holder

• The preceding 3 awards each entitle me to hold an ISIA International Ski Instructor’s licence. To the best of my knowledge I am the only British ski teacher to hold 3 such licences

• Qualified as E S C Coach and appointed as ESC [now Snowsport England] senior tutor.

• I am one of Snowsport England’s most senior tutors, being only one of 4 people authorised to deliver its highest level courses [which give successful candidates an internationally recognised qualification]

• Working with colleagues from Wales and Scotland I have led the development of the new UK Snowsports Coaching, leading and Instructing awards. I have also written the workbooks and manuals for these awards [see reference under writing and broadcasting].

• My status as a Snowsport England coach entitles me to be a member of I.V.S.I. The International Federation of Ski Instructors. This is the highest level of qualification open to those who regularly coach within ski clubs world-wide.

• Examiner and course conductor for the Amateur Ski Instructors Association [USA]. The organisation qualifies instructors within Clubs and organisations. It also works with the  US military delivering courses for such institutions as West Point.

• I am a tutor for SportsCoach UK, a part of the National Coaching Foundation and the educational arm of UK Sport. This involves the delivery of courses to coaches from a variety of sports on topics such as safety in coaching and good coaching practice.

In addition I have been qualified as or accepted as a member by various other skiing and coaching organisations. These awards whilst perhaps of interest should not be regarded as current.

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• Accepted as Full Member of the British Institute of Sports Coaches/National Association of Sports Coaches. The organisation no longer exists in this form.

• Member United States Ski Coaches Association. The organisation no longer exists in this form.

• Qualified as certified coach by Canadian Ski Coaches Federation.

• Level 3 Equivalence CSIA - Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance

• Qualified by British Association of Ski Instructors. (License Number 1487).

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As I am much more highly qualified in other organisations I have not renewed these preceding two memberships for some time

 

• In addition I have attended or been invited to attend the following events which are of significance:

• I was invited to join the IASI delegation to Interski 95, Nozawa Ozen, Japan. To the best of my knowledge I was the first British ski teacher to be invited to join a foreign ski instructors association.

• Delegation leader to IVSI Congresses since 2007

• Member of British Delegation to Interski since 2007

Writing and Broadcast Experience

Magazine and Print Journalism

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• Partner and editor of Snow Industry News

• Equipment Editor for The Skier magazine.

• Equipment Editor for The Good Ski Guide and World Ski and Snowboard Guide

• Equipment writer for Ski and Board Magazine

• I have been published in a range of magazines including; Focus magazine, Toyota Owners Magazine and for a winter season I prepared a weekly column in The Independent newspaper on ski instruction and technique.

Broadcast

I have been used as an ‘expert’ by various broadcast institutions including TRT [Turkish international news TV station] BBC TV [Watchdog and Face Value], BBC national and local radio, independent local radio on topics ranging from skiing safety to ski equipment and skiwear. 

Specialist Publications

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• I have written and edited the course materials, manuals and workbooks for the UK Snowsports Coaching leading and Instructing awards.

• I contributed extensively to the BASI British Ski Instructors manual; in particular the history, safety [equipment] and organisational sections. I was not responsible for the final editing of these sections but I can say that vast majority of these sections was my work.

Ski Teaching Experience

 

• I have worked as a coach, ski teacher and examiner in most of the skiing nations in the Northern Hemisphere.

Miscellaneous

 

• Trains and assesses ski instructors on behalf of UK Snowsports.

• Trains and assesses ski instructors on behalf of the Amateur Ski Instructors Association. The body charged with the certification of amateur ski instructors in the USA First and only non American to be qualified as an examiner by this association.

• N.V.Q. Assessor,

• Part of National Source responsible for drafting both UK Snowsports and NVQ standards for ski instructors.

• Member of the coaching technical panel of Snowsport England. The governing body of the sport inEngland.

• National Coaching Foundation Staff Tutor.

• Diploma High Angle Rescue {Ski Lift Evacuation}

• Trainer's Certification High Angle Rescue {Ski Lift Evacuation}