# JSBA vs CASI: what's the difference? Snowboard instructor systems compared What do JSBA, CASI, AASI and SBINZ each emphasise? KAKU reads their instructor exams as carving, all-mountain and freestyle. A personal view, no ranking. - URL: https://www.ykhokkaido.com/en/blog/coach-choice-04-snowboard-instructor-systems-compared - Published: 2026-11-11 - Section: Training - Series: Choosing an Instructor (part 4) - Tags: Choosing lessons & instructors --- An instructor's profile says JSBA, CASI, AASI or SBINZ. You know they passed an exam, but not what it tested. People who want to become snowboard instructors are in the same position: they may, KAKU says, sign up before they have worked out which direction each system takes. This is Part 4 of the Choosing an Instructor series. [Part 2](/en/blog/coach-choice-02-what-instructor-certs-prove/) covered only JSBA's own three tracks; this part puts four systems side by side to see which kind of riding each one emphasises. This post is useful if you: - see certifications from different systems on instructor profiles and want to know how they differ - want a snowboard instructor certification and are still choosing a system - have heard "JSBA means carving" and want to know where that idea comes from To be clear up front: the comparison below comes from a set of infographic cards that principal KAKU put together on Threads in September 2026. The cards' footer states that this is "summarised from instructor exam items and scoring priorities, not an official position". KAKU is also explicit about not judging which system is better, and this post doesn't rank them either. For each system's formal exam items and latest requirements, what that system publishes takes precedence. ## What the exam items emphasise KAKU starts from one sentence: whatever an exam keeps asking for is what instructors usually have to spend a lot of time practising. So the exam items show which riding style a system values more. First, keep the level names apart. On KAKU's cards, JSBA is covered at the C-, B- and A-level instructor qualifications; CASI (Canada), AASI (United States) and SBINZ (New Zealand) at Level 1–3. The cards also note that C/B/A are not equivalent to L1/L2/L3 in the other systems, so don't convert one into the other directly. KAKU sorts the four systems into three directions: | System | Direction, as KAKU sums it up | What KAKU sees in the exam items | |---|---|---| | JSBA (Japan) | Carving | The higher the level, the more is demanded of turn quality, edge control and precision of movement; the basic skidded-turn skills look like groundwork for the carving that comes later | | CASI (Canada) | All-mountain riding, adapting to varied terrain | Adjusting flexibly and riding stably as pitch, snow conditions and terrain change, with freestyle skills added on top | | AASI (United States), SBINZ (New Zealand) | Freestyle, park and aerial skills | Switch riding, jumps, spins and park ability carry clear weight; riding varied terrain is also required | For the JSBA row, KAKU's cards give the evidence: of the six riding skill tests at A/B level, three directly test basic or dynamic carving. C-level is seminar-based (kōshūkai) and has no separate exam on these six skills. The AASI and SBINZ row carries a caveat too. KAKU's SBINZ card notes that the official Level 3 exam items are still split into four main riding areas, with carving both regular and switch among them, and does not claim the park carries the largest share of the marks. So when KAKU says switch riding, jumps, spins and park ability "carry clear weight", that is an observation from reading the exam items up through the levels, not a breakdown of the marks. KAKU's suggestions follow the same directions. If you like studying your arcs and refining every turn, get to know JSBA better. If you want to handle any kind of run and ride more freely, look at CASI. If you want to move toward jumps, features and freestyle, look closely at the training direction of AASI and SBINZ. **Key point**: this is the emphasis KAKU sees in the exam items. It is not a ranking, and not an official position. ## A certification tells only part of the story In the same thread KAKU adds a caveat: a certification can't directly reflect everything an instructor is good at. Some people, after certifying, spend years on a different style altogether. So besides the system, look at what the instructor usually rides, what they practise, and how they teach. In another post from September 2026, KAKU puts it more bluntly:

Earning a qualification doesn't make you an athlete, and it certainly doesn't make you a master of every area.

KAKU
In the same post KAKU writes that an instructor also has to be able to spot problems, plan practice, explain the principles and manage risk. "JSBA leans to carving" also needs to go back into context. It is KAKU's observation from the instructor exam items, not how JSBA defines itself. After interviewing a JSBA veteran, SnowWind wrote on Threads that people often equate JSBA with carving, but in JSBA's teaching materials carving is only one part of "advanced technique", with wider applications beyond it. In that interview, the teacher talked about choosing technique to suit the snow: in powder you ride on the base of the board, and once you are in the trees you need very fine board control. The full conversation is in [JSBA Interview, Part 3](/en/blog/jsba-interview-03-whole-mountain/). KAKU has also said that carving, park and ground tricks don't need to be ranked as more or less advanced; a specialty should be a map that spreads outward. More in [What to learn after linking turns](/en/blog/first-turn-05-after-linking-turns/). **Key point**: the system tells you what an instructor was tested on, not what they are best at now. ## Not knowing what you want to learn yet is normal KAKU's message to beginners: it's normal not to know yet which style of riding you like. Get to know these differences first, and later, when you choose an instructor or plan your next stage of practice, you'll have a clearer direction.

Look at what an instructor was tested on, understand what they practise, then think about what you want to learn.

KAKU
For the overall approach to choosing an instructor, see [Part 1: How to choose a ski instructor](/en/blog/coach-choice-01-how-to-choose-a-ski-instructor/). For whether a Level 1 instructor can teach well, and how the principal brings on new instructors, see [Part 5](/en/blog/coach-choice-05-can-a-level-1-instructor-teach/). KAKU's qualifications are on the [principal's profile](/en/instructors/yuugyo/), and SnowWind's lessons on the [courses page](/en/courses/).

This post is compiled from KAKU's Threads thread of 29 September 2026 and the cards attached to it, and from KAKU's posts of 20 September and 29 October 2026. The line that carving is only one part of advanced technique comes from an interview post on SnowWind's Threads account; the material on powder and trees comes from JSBA Interview, Part 3. The system comparison is KAKU's personal summary based on instructor exam items and scoring priorities, not the official position of JSBA, CASI, AASI or SBINZ. The cards' full exam items for each level, edition years and regional information are not included, because this post covers only direction; for the formal content, what each system publishes takes precedence. Facts checked on 11 November 2026.

## FAQ ### Which is better, JSBA or CASI? No ranking here, only what the exams emphasise; KAKU won't say which is better. KAKU's reading: JSBA leans to carving, asking more of turn quality and edge control at higher levels; CASI to all-mountain riding, staying stable as pitch, snow and terrain change. A personal view, not an official one. ### What's the difference between JSBA, CASI, AASI and SBINZ? From the instructor exams, KAKU sees three directions: JSBA toward carving; CASI toward all-mountain riding and varied terrain, plus freestyle skills; AASI and SBINZ toward freestyle, park and aerial skills, also needing to ride varied terrain. KAKU's summary, not the systems' official positions. ### Is JSBA A-level the same as Level 3 in other systems? It doesn't map directly. SnowWind principal KAKU's cards compare JSBA's C, B and A instructor qualifications with Level 1–3 in CASI, AASI and SBINZ, and note that C/B/A are not equivalent to the other systems' L1/L2/L3. ### Does an instructor's certification system tell you what they're best at? Only partly. KAKU's caveat: a certification can't stand for everything an instructor is good at, and some people spend years on a different style after certifying. Besides the system, look at what they usually ride, what they practise and how they teach. ### Which system should I choose for a snowboard instructor certification? KAKU won't choose for you, only suggests learning the differences first: whatever an exam keeps asking for is what instructors usually spend a lot of time practising. Then think about which riding you want to spend your time on: carving, all-mountain riding, or jumps and the park. ## Sources - https://www.threads.com/@kakukazui/post/Dd1darmj40V - https://www.threads.com/@kakukazui/post/Dd1dajsjzJX - https://www.threads.com/@kakukazui/post/Ddgp3-Sj31s - https://www.threads.com/@kakukazui/post/DfFDx3Yj_7o - https://www.threads.com/@yukikaze_outdoor/post/DfE7H5_ksXJ