scrubbedexpat075

I need travel insurance for the duration of the IEC visa to get the visa for the full 2 years, i'm moving to whistler so i'll be snowboarding a lot, i also do freestyle snowboarding which seems impossible to find cover for.

I've found places that'll cover me for the duration and for winter sports but none include freestyle snowboarding (i'm only beginner level but i want to use the snow parks out there).

True Traveller is the closest so far, they'll do 2 years and winter sports, most only offer 30-90 days of winter sports - whistler ski season is 7 months!

I found a couple that cover freestyle but will only offer 1 year cover, also read that i need to get cover before i leave as i can't get extra cover when i'm out there.

Would love to know what others have done as there must have been loads of people in my situation going to whistler for freestyle snowboarding/skiing.

Are there any alternatives like basic travel insurance for 2 years to get the visa but some kind of health insurance for snowboarding? should i get health and travel insurance or do i just need travel insurance?

Such a confusing world that we english people never need to worry about with having the NHS!

Siouxie

Travel insurance won't cut it for an IEC working holiday, you need 'backpacker' or 'gap year' insurance (or specific IEC insurance). This will allow you to work, return to the UK for visits (without negating your insurance) medical cover and for repatriation back to the UK in the event of a health issue.

Truetraveller have an add-on for snowboarding etc., I believe, that you can extend for the duration of your trip rather than 21 days.

https://www.truetraveller.com/iec-travel-insurance.aspx

This was mentioned in your previous thread http://britishexpats.com/forum/canad...-visit-897883/



Edited to add, if you read the policy (HERE) you will see that they include backcountry snowboarding etc., in their Extreme Adventure add on

Stinkypup

Out of interest, why do you split 'freestyle snowboarding' from just snowboarding? Most ski resorts have terrain parks which most snowboarders use anyhow- they define themselves as snowboarders rather than freestyle snowboarders but they are doing the same thing as you suggest. You say that you are a beginner so we aren't talking competitive level here where one might need to specify.

Our youngest is an extremely accomplished snowboarder and he does stray into the terrain park once in a while but I haven't considered this really any different than when he goes down a double black diamond which TBH is just as hazardous- it is all snowboarding. I'm all for adequate insurance cover but are you not over thinking this a bit?

Looking at Siouxie's helpful link- I find it odd that they specify beginner or intermediate in the terrain park but exclude jumps /aerial/ acrobatics- what do they think people actually attempt to do in the terrain park?

scrubbedexpat075

Sorry i completely forgot i asked this before, true traveller have been the only company i've found so far to cover 2 years and winter sports for the duration.

It's not backcountry i'm concerned about as that seems to be covered in most, its the freestyle element as in doing jumps they don't seem to cover, in your attachment they say "no jumps, aerials or acrobatics", maybe i'll ask them to be more specific about what they class as "Terrain parks, beginner/intermediate" as when i asked about freestyle cover they said no.

scrubbedexpat075

because freestyle snowboarding is specifically jumps/aerial tricks etc and most insurance companies make the definition between the 2, they'll cover snowboarding as in normal carving down marked runs but jumping/aerials comes under freestyle which not many cover (for a long period of time).

i guess the difference though on a double black diamond you won't be launching yourself off a 20 foot jump doing spins and flips, that's what scares the insurers!

I know i probably am over thinking it but the horror stories of people injuring themselves then getting saddled with tens of thousands of hospital bills... rather not take the chance!

i say i'm beginner because i can't do many tricks but i'd still hit the big jumps, i just want to make sure i'm covered for any scenario.

dominiqueincanada

I think they probably define a difference between rails and jibbing, and jumps. I do both and find falling on rails/boxes you're more likely to get badly bruised whereas with hitting jumps there is a speed and height factor that makes you more likely to sustain a serious injury.

Stinkypup

I think a very high proportion of younger snowboarders use terrain parks, they don't just board down the runs, they want more than that. As I said above, I cannot see what the insurance company is suggesting that they cover in terrain parks, basically they are specifically excluding basically everything that people do in terrain parks- that makes no sense
I don't blame you for trying to getting properly insured, that is very sensible- they just seem to make it as difficult as possible....

As for their thinking about how benign double black diamonds are, I would love to see them give them a go! I leave these runs to the pup, to me they are not runs but cliffs!

scrubbedexpat075

i thought 'backpacker' or 'multi trip' as most seem to call it is travel insurance just a different type of travel insurance? Are there specific insurance details required for an IEC visa?

Stinkypup

Hmm - Jibbing isn't going to entertain the bulk of snowboarders, they will want to catch some air. Also, surely coming off rails often involves being airborne before you land- that could easily fall under their loose definition of acrobatics and possible even jumps- you know what insurance companies are like!

scrubbedexpat075

I know right it's so confusing all this insurance lark! When i used to BMX i'd break something, go get fixed at the hospital then carry on couple weeks later, no insurance, no worries, just simple!

haha! i've never understood what a double black diamond is, i've been to the alps twice and not seen this? i used to go down the black runs there, we did the olympic downhill run in italy and recorded hitting 50mph by the time we reached the bottom! however that was a little more 'i'm going so fast now i can't stop, lets try not to crash!'

Stinkypup

I'm the wrong person to ask about dbd runs (hmmm that name seems familiar)- I leave those to the pup- I stick to mainly blues, with an occasional easy black if I'm feeling brave

Siouxie

They are, but 'normal travel insurance' (as in what you would get if you were going on holiday for 2 weeks) doesn't allow you to work, doesn't allow return trips to the UK without negating the insurance, doesn't allow you to extend whilst outside the country.

What IEC insurance must include has been mentioned several times...

It must: Allow you to work, give medical cover and for repatriation back to the UK in the event of a health issue.

The added bonus from a backpacker / gap year insurance is that it allows those, plus being able to renew/extend and return to the UK for visits.



You can check your previous posts / topics by going to 'My profile' and selecting 'View all subscribed threads', by the way

Engineer_abroad

couldn't you purchase your main insurance before leaving and then purchase supplementary winter sports insurance from a broker on arrival. You are probably more likely to find a specialist winter sports insurer in Whistler than in UK anyway.

uk_grenada

Careful, this sounds like you need to discuss with a professional, which in insurance is rare, theytend to take your money and run away or call the experts against you when you claim.

Normally or certainly in the past if you had 2 valid insurance policies and had a claim that was allowable on either policy they used to simply split the payout. I have noticed recently that insurers sometimes have conditions that say if you have 2 insurance policies then they simply won't pay out unless the policies dont overlap or they are more liable than the other company in some way. Clearly a new insurance excuse.

withabix

Contact your employer in Whistler or if you don't have one yet, contact some of the activity companies there for advice - they all employ foreigners on IEC so may be able to point you in the right direction..