OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE AUSTRALIAN PROFESSIONAL SNOWSPORT INSTRUCTORS INC. A98X
ALL DISCIPLINES COVERED
IN THIS ISSUE: • Calendar Events 2006 • Recall Update • Updates from all Resorts
AUTUMN 2006
VISIT THE APSI ONLINE For all the latest news, membership benefits and to purchase APSI merchandise go to www.apsi.net.au
E WE S W S O F FOIF FCI CEE N N
Again the summer months have flown past, and we are now in full swing busily preparing for the season ahead.
Remember – SnowPro is for you, the member. If you have anything you would like to add, please email it through.
Summer was nice and hot in Wodonga, and I made full use of my holidays and time in lieu.
We are currently looking at changing the production of the SnowPro and would like your input. Please refer to the section below and send back to me, or alternatively email me your response.
Again, it has been a productive summer; I had a little road trip to Jindabyne a couple of months ago, and spent a couple of days with Andrew preparing for season 2006. We are currently in the process of updating our website, to make it a little more user-friendly. Fingers crossed this will be ready for the start of the season. If you have not already paid your membership, please do so
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before you participate in any course or exam.And don’t forget the late fee for late registrations is $100, so please register 14 days prior to the start date. Please check the calendar of events for all course and exam dates, locations and prices.
Would you be happy to receive a bumper, full-colour edition of SnowPro once a year? To keep you informed throughout the year, we would see regular email updates.
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Yes
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No
Name
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Your comments:
Again, I would like to thank the Board of Management as they continue to support me here in the office. All the best for the season ahead. If you have any queries, do not hesitate to contact me on 02 6056 0611 or at claire@apsi.net.au.
In an Olympic year, it’s great to see gold falling from the sky so early. As I write, there is about 15 cm on the ground and it is very reminiscent of early June. However, it is mid-April and there is still a building to finish. After having such a dry summer, we have had continual bursts of cold and snowy weather.Who’s to know how the forecasters work it, or if our season is supposed to follow the pattern of the preceding Northern Hemisphere? The local farmer has called the falls to date and he reckons we are in for a good one, supposedly La Nina is back and, if we believe some of the stories, we will be open in late May.Whatever you believe, I hope it’s a good omen for a great season. Wasn’t it great to see the Winter Olympics? The coverage in Australia was great, and congratulations to all those who competed.As I watched the various events, the thought occurred to me that most of our Olympians would have had some experience with an APSI instructor. What a great thought – to have had an influence of some kind on an elite athlete on the world stage. If you personally know any of the athletes that did us proud, ask them the question:“Did you learn to slide with an ASPI instructor, and how was that experience?” It will be interesting to hear the feedback. Claire and Andrew have been busy over the summer with various projects. In particular,Andrew has helped out enormously with the new Snowboard manual.Yes, there is finally a hard-bound copy very similar to the Alpine manual produced last season – in fact, some of the section is actually copied so that all disciplines will be getting the same information.This manual will now be in place for the next four seasons.A big thank you to all those who contributed their technical expertise. Claire, in the mean time,
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
To n y Smythe has been working on some office procedures and revamping the Red book and employees’ handbook. She has also taken advantage of some well-earned rest through accrued overtime.A big thank you goes out to Claire and Andrew, and it is very pleasing to see the day-to-day running of our association being left in very capable hands. Just a reminder that in your travels it would be nice if you could drop them a story or a photo of your adventures. The executive has also been busy with finance matters, where we have revamped the pricing of all courses and exams.Yes, some of these events have actually reduced in price, with small increases in others.The important point is that there are very clear guidelines now in determining costs, with an attempt to have parity across all disciplines in costings. I will be quite happy to explain these over a beer if anyone is interested. We are fortunate to have Nathan ‘Numbers Gurus’ from Perisher Blue to help out with some spreadsheets that allow us to zero budget and determine the surplus or deficit of any given course.A really big thank you to Nathan, Perisher Blue and Don McInnes for helping us out with this one. If there are any accountants within our numbers that would be interested in helping with cost accounting or ATO advice then please drop me a line.
Another project that will be cooking over the winter will be a new advertising and branding campaign.We hope to be able to get some posters out to your resort with a catchy slogan promoting the idea of taking lessons from a professional. This will roll on to some stickers for you to plaster around the place and some merchandise – probably a hoodie, vest and cap – and also a branding logo that the APSI will use to endorse products. A big focus for this season will be “Interski”, and all of you should be aware of the importance of attending.This four-yearly congress is where approx 32 skiing nations gather to demonstrate and share ideas. It is partly where our future direction in snowsport instruction is derived.Andrew has worked incredibly hard on putting a team together and even harder on sponsorship.After a successful meeting at last industry trade show, Andrew has spent the summer cultivating potential sponsors for products or cash.To date we have established a number of good partnerships (see the sponsors page), but there can never be too many. If you know of any person or company, no matter how diverse you may feel it is, that may be interested in a mutually beneficial association with the APSI, then please let Andrew know of their details. After a very successful inaugural “PRO AM” at Thredbo last season, the event is back on this year’s Thredbo calendar. In brief, teams are selected from time trials on Day One, and are then auctioned for another race the following day. Owner of the winning team (combined times) takes the booty. Last year’s owner collected some $1200.00, with great fun had by all. On the night, we also auction lots of goodies that have been donated. The big ticket item last year was two all-inclusive tickets to Continued on page 4 Autumn 2006
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President’s report continued from page 3
Australian Fashion Week, kindly donated by Simon Lock. Hopefully we can needle a couple more of these from Simon, as I am sure they will be highly sought after. Here’s where you can help out – as instructors, we are always on the look out for deals, and as such should have a long list of potentials that could donate something for the auction. It doesn’t have to be big or related to snow – every little bit helps. Please contact Claire with all donations. There have been an unusually high number of retirements and promotions over the summer, with no fewer than three Snowsport School directors’ positions changing. After many years at the helm in the two biggest NSW resorts, both Brad Spalding and Don McInnes will be moving on. It is interesting that these two dedicated professionals have had very long and distinguished careers in the ski industry and have maintained a continuous close association with the APSI through out that time. Don has taken on a very onerous role as Resort Services Manager at PB, with the majority of the departments there reporting to him. Brad is rumored to have taken up a ‘consultants’ role with Thredbo
(however, we suspect he’ll be spending a bit more time product testing and R&D at the distillery.)
young, suitable qualified instructor as it will give invaluable insight into business management.
Down Vico way, Natasha and James have decided to move from Baw Baw after a couple of rewarding years there. From all reports, they thoroughly enjoyed their time there and learned many facets of the industry.They are off to WA to complete their MBAs and spend some time in the sun (we hope to hear some good reports on the waves, James).
As always, a reminder to you the members that this publication is the perfect communication tool for use by you. Please consider supporting this forum by submitting articles. It can be anything from teaching tips, road trips or head dips. Everything will be gratefully accepted with pressies for the most entertaining (and don’t forget to include pics). There was discussion at the recent board meeting to reduce this publication to a once a year, full color, mailed out bumper issue, with several smaller versions published via web mail during the year.What are your thoughts?
Over at Buller, long-time legend Peter Reynolds has moved from Adult Ski School Supervisors position to a retail management position within the Buller Ski Lifts Company. He will be based in Mansfield, which will mean 1.5 hours less traveling a day and more time to spend with Sue, the kids and the cows. We wish them all the best of luck in their new adventures and look forward to catching up with them around the traps. Adam Hosie has been appointed at Thredbo and Tina Burford at Perisher. Congratulations to both on their appointments and we wish them well for the coming years.To date, an appointment has not been announced for the Baw Baw job.This would be an excellent job for a
Anyway, the season is just around the corner and in the weeks that it took me to complete this article we have had heaps more snow falls. Definitely not the go for trying to get a building finished, but proving the predictions correct. So just a tip to maybe dust off the manual, have a read of a section or two over the coming weeks and prepare yourself for a huge season. Remember to choose your attitude and Go for Gold. Have a great one, Tony Smythe.
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Autumn 2006
Going on last year’s courses, this coming winter is going to be busy with opportunities for all of you to book into a course or to progress onto the next level. Previously, higher level courses have had minimal success with poor numbers of participants booking onto courses resulting in those courses being dropped. If you are really interested in doing a course, don’t leave it until the last minute. Book early and make this year the one to further your skills as an instructor. Don’t wait! The website will have plenty of dates with opportunities to book into, but if there are other options we will do what we can to make it happen. Don’t hesitate to contact us. Tony Keeble and family (and growing!) are back up north experiencing life and the regions of the remote Kimberley. He will be dreaming about skiing, I am sure. We will be dreaming about the heat when we are skiing on those wet, cold days. Do a few turns for Tony this winter, and I am sure he will absorb some heat for us! This means that while Tony Keeble is away, Bruce Easton, Danny Monaghan and Graham Hammond will try and fill his ski boots and make sure this winter of courses and exams runs smoothly.
TELEMARK NEWS
Graham Hammond Last winter, new projects were started.They include an instructional DVD, Level 3 courses, cross-over courses and the work towards Interski in Korea.The DVD project will be resumed this winter.With the expertise of Stephen Curtain (Wild Earth Productions) we will be getting a high-resolution quality product. A very useful tool for all instructors, this will be available in 2007. Renewed interest in the Level 2 and 3 courses will bring existing and new blood into Telemark, which is much needed for this discipline to keep up with the increasing interest from the other disciplines. Also, with the success of the new cross-over courses, existing qualified and experienced instructors will have the skills to instruct and sell lessons to the large lesson minded customers that exist for alpine and snowboard. Interski in Korea 2007 is not too far off now, and it will be a reality thanks to the hard work put in by Andy Rae,Tony Keeble, Claire Stanton and the rest of the APSI Board.This will be a fantastic learning and teaching experience that will be
invaluable for Telemark and the direction it is taking. If there is interest in going to Korea to be a spectator at Interski, contact us for more information.What a great way of participating in instruction from the best from around the world! Also this winter, Stephen Curtain will be resuming production of ‘Winter Dreaming: an Australian Alps Freeheel film’. If you have seen the preview so far, then you will be excited about this visually exciting production about skiing the back country of the Australian Alps.There is more heli footage, big take offs, fresh snow and more. It all helps promote the sport and opens the doors to new customers wanting lessons! Visit www.wildearthproductions.com/ winterdreaming for more information. Finally, check out your stores that sell Telemark equipment this winter. I think you will be surprised by the depth of equipment that is available now.The rapid change and innovation in the equipment will bring new participants as well as push the boundaries of what is possible in Telemarking. I hope you are looking forward to this coming winter.There will be a lot to learn, ski and teach. Looking forward to catching up with you all. Ski you later. Graham Hammond
Autumn 2006
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WHAT DOES AN APSI TRAINER AND DEMO TEAM MEMBER DO IN THE OFF-SEASON? Richard Jameson, APSI National Demo Team Member PSIA National Academy 2005 – Snowbird, Utah This event was unreal. There is little, if anything at all, that the USA does on a small scale. Even the crummiest little golf courses in the states will have driving ranges with practice balls waiting for you, full service club houses and bar carts chasing you at every turn. When they organise a one-week event for 230 of their members at perhaps one of the finest ski resorts in North America, let’s just say they do it well. This week was an opportunity for the Ski Instructors of America to get something back from their organisation. It was a chance to ski with the best instructors the USA has to offer in the National Alpine Team and Alumni of this team.
Along with US ski team coaches and other special guests, I was privileged to fill one of the coaching positions as a foreign National Demonstration Team Member. Everyone stayed at The Cliff Lodge in Little Cottonwood Canyon. No matter which room you had in this ten-story luxury building, there was a great view of the mountains. There were four banquet dinners, lectures each evening, cocktail parties, team meetings and more. The Cliff Lodge had ball rooms, restaurants, bars, coffee shops, pools, spas and kitchen sinks to cater. Each morning, all the clinic leaders would meet their groups in the Snowbird plaza after a yarn over a morning buffet breakfast
Myself with Shawn Smith and Rob Sogard (US Team Coach).
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or a stretch in the early dawn yoga sessions. I skied with my group of eclectic North Americans for three hours each morning, working on the fundamentals of skiing from groomers to hair raising steeps. The atmosphere and skiing mojo was such that even the most timid of 300-foot vertical Mid-West ski area instructors were hurling their bodies down Snowbirds Cirque and Silver Fox face. A typical April/May lake-affected storm rolled up the canyon from the Great Salt Lake on the second day, leaving us a little surprise to end all of our seasons by dropping 2.5 feet of Utah’s “heavy” powder (light and dry for anywhere else in the world). Considering the only ones sharing this enormous ski area were 200-odd PSIA participants and about four or five of the skiing public, you could take your pick. Will we ski fresh tracks in the back bowls all morning and then ski freshies on the front side in the afternoon or visa versa? It was phenomenal! The afternoon sessions were a veritable smorgasbord of electives for the members to choose from. They could select groups from video analysis, ski with the US Ski Team, women’s clinics, race clinics, park and pipe, backcountry/avalanche, learn to snowboard/telemark, boot fitting lectures, children’s education, free skiing or even ‘popcorn and a ski movie’. I helped out each afternoon with the group entitled “terrain de jours”, which – due to
My group ranged from instructors who work for companies such as Vail to the “Maple Ski Bump” in up-state New York. the huge snow pack and recent new snow – led to some of the gnarliest, fastest and hardest skiing I have done in my life. We allowed our groups to try some of their new-found techniques (and old ones) on all the terrain Snowbird could throw at us. To cap off the day, evening lectures were conducted by some of the team members and special guests. Some notable and interesting ones I attended were: Michael Rogan and Katie Fry on the ‘New Technical Concepts’, Olle Larsson from the Romark Ski Academy on ‘Race Technique Evolution’, and new team member and Olympic silver medallist Deb Armstrong’s ‘Differences Between the 80s and Today’.
All the groups gathering to decide – which side of the mountain should we ski powder first?
All in all, a fantastic week of sharing great experiences with some very interesting people – all who love the sport of snow sliding as much as the person sitting on the next chairlift. It enabled everyone to get excited and reenergized about their profession and sport after a long hard season of work. It was cool to add an Aussie flair to this event and the knowledge and experience gained will return back to the Australia ski fields with me in winter 2006. The Snowbird Ariel Tram lifts 125 people per car and climbs roughly 5000 vertical feet in little over seven minutes.
Autumn 2006
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I hope you all had a great summer/ winter, wherever you ended up. I have had the first full summer in a while and it was kind of nice to work on a tan from the neck down. It didn’t make the summer any easier hearing of the great season the Northern Hemisphere was having. However, at least I was able to get back into water and get a few more waves. Winter has hit, and it is shaping up to be a good season.We have had snow every week for the past four weeks. Still not settling for long, but the ground is getting colder. See photos of Friday 21st of April 2006. It still amazes me how much goes into maintaining a ski resort over the summer months whilst building a summer events program. New for this season is: more improvements to
It has been a summer of many changes in Thredbo, both on the hill and in the Snowsports School.As some of you may be aware, Brad and Monika Spalding have decided to retire from the Snowsport School organisational roles.They can now concentrate on growing the “Wild Brumby” Distillery and Café. I am confident in speaking for all involved in Thredbo that they will both be sorely missed. However, their company will be enjoyed by many travelling on the Alpine Way. During their time in Thredbo as a part of the Thredbo team, Brad and Monika were instrumental in setting up specialized ski and snowboard programs that are today recognised throughout the industry worldwide. In addition to this, they have developed programs such as: Little Rippers, a snowboarding program aimed at the five to six-year-old snowboarder; the well-known Thredboland animals that are known
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Autumn 2006
M T B AW B AW / S M A L L M O U N TA I N REPORT
James Ko r n w e i b e l the snowmaking system; new retail shop and general store; renovations to Alpine Hotel; sundeck on the Village Central, and further improvements to the lifting systems.
gardens that will be spread throughout the resort, with rails and hits hidden amongst the trees and the snow skate park near the Skiosk. The taste of summer and the beach has tempted me to spend more time in the sand than on a snow-covered hill, so this will be the first winter that I will miss in years.After finalising everything up here we will be heading to Perth to soak up the sun on the west coast and go back to university. We look forward to getting back to the east coast and getting some riding in over this winter, and hopefully catching up with a few of the crew. Hope you have a great season.
If anyone is down this way this winter, check out the new terrain
THREDBO REPORT
Jeremy Va l e n c o u r to perform every Tuesday after ski school and also make an appearance at the fibre optic flare run; Friday flat Freddy; and the “Swinger Video Analysis System”. Good luck, Brad and Monika – you will be missed! The new management team at Thredbo will be led by Adam “jerbs” Hosie and will consist of Andrew “Killer” Kilburn, Natasha Murray and Lisa Harris. I am sure I am speaking on behalf of all in Thredbo when I wish the new team all the best. Further to this we have also improved the snowmaking in Thredbo.We are going fully automatic.We have completed one third of a $6 million process.
At the touch of a button, we are able to turn on and adjust our snow guns to suit the conditions.This means 50 per cent more snow (if the conditions are right). Upon the completion of the project, we will have as much as three times the amount of snow, better quality and greater coverage. After a strong season in the USA working and trying to train for my Level 3s, I have come to the conclusion that we have some of the best training/trainers in the world. So if you are going to sit for any exams this season (or even if you are not), please take advantage of any possibility to train with the trainers at your resort.They are some of the best in the world. On a final note, I would like you all to keep Dean and Jo Hill in your thoughts, their little daughter Olivia tragically passed away this summer
The time is approaching once again for us all to pack up our beloved quiver, put on our pom-pom beanies and make our way back to our favourite Aussie ski resorts. If you are lucky enough to be going to Hotham, then not only will you have a chance to ski more powder than anyone else in Australia, we also have a plethora of new and exciting developments for everyone to enjoy for season 2006. Practically all the facilities at Hotham and Dinner Plain have undergone drastic improvements or additions.The Kids Snowzone at the Big D has been upgraded to a complete Daycare Facility to include care for those aged between three months and five years.This will save families ‘mountains’ of time organising the kids during their holiday.We would also like to welcome Les Lazakaris as the new supervisor for the 7–14 year old program.With all these fantastic new additions our program will provide the best experience possible for our guests. Hotham Central has also been revamped with a ski and board storage service, a new deli-style eatery and extra seating where guests can take a break and withdraw money – because now, thanks to ANZ, Hotham Central has an ATM! There is also a new heated
OPENING SEASON REPORT HOTHAM
Demelza Clay entrance to the building, which will make après skiing at Hotham a little less dangerous. It seems like our restaurants and cafés have all had a makeover, with AJ’s opening until 7pm and Swindler’s getting a juice bar.Also at DP, a new Japanese-inspired restaurant called Tsubo will offer a fresh and healthy focus to eating out. Queen’s Birthday weekend will see the opening of our most exciting addition, DP Central and Onsen Spa complex.This new state-of-the-art facility includes a 15-metre lap pool, gymnasium, café/restaurant, day spa, retail outlets and hair salon. Located 10 kilometres from Hotham there are more reasons than ever to visit our little sister resort. Back on the slopes we have extended our snowmaking with the construction of a high-level reservoir at Mt Loch car park. Mother Johnson’s return will now receive some man-made loving, and by next year our snowmaking capacities will be doubled.A word to the wise, make
sure you observe the locals’ conduct and refrain from eating the snow! Our expanse of expert terrain will be more accessible this year with new Kat Skiing Adventures, which will allow further exploration of Hotham’s famous powder stashes. The Terrain Park has also received a ‘Park Bully’, which will be solely dedicated to the building of jumps, tabletops, berms and other features to keep the jibbing masses foaming at the mouth. Our friendly Hotham Lift Engineers will also be running the Heavenly Valley Chair from 7:30am Wednesday to Saturday, weather permitting.This is great news for early birds and should also provide an excellent opportunity for our instructors to get some early morning training, it may even present a new time slot for some private lessons. On behalf of Nigel Mills and everyone at the Hotham Snowsports Centre, I would like to welcome you all to our amazing resort. Good luck for all those resitting exams in June, and for anyone coming to visit we know you will enjoy this place as much as we do. I hope you all have a safe and exciting winter.
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RECALL/CERTIFICATION UPDATE Snowsports instruction is an ever-evolving occupation. Like most industries around the world, all those involved in it must stay up-to-date with the latest trends, be they small or large.
• Attend Trainers’ coordination as either an employee or an in-house trainer.
As of winter 2006, both the ISIA (International Snowsports Instructors Association) and our own resorts within Australia have decided that it would be good business practice for all active Level 2 and 3 members to attend an official APSI certification update.
• Attend a discipline-specific x-over course.
To update your current certification, you simply need to be a financial member and to show that you are actively furthering your snowsports instruction education within the Australian system. To stay updated, the following is a list of options from which each member can choose:
• Attend an APSI training course or exam for either a level or discipline not yet achieved by that member.
• Attend an official APSI Recall (note, a recall is no longer available through in-house training). Updating needs to occur every 2–3 years. If your name appears on the list below, you will need to attend some sort of certification update to keep your qualification current. Recalls require a minimum of four participants to run, although additional courses/dates can be organised upon demand.
• Attend Rookie selection.
RECALLS RECALLS 2006
Alpine Level 2
Andrew Grope
Mark Littlebury
Alpine Level 3
Marianne Anderson
Miranda Guinness
Kim Macken
Nigel Bolton
Matthew Appleford
Bruce Halket
Frances Maher
Andrew Bor
Roderick Bailie
Nathan Halliburton
Ed Martin
Tina Burford
Andrew Brady
Michael Hart
Bianca Murray
Justin Carter
Rachel Byron
Jamien Hawkins
Crystal Newbound
Georgina Chapman
Michael Bennet
Adam Hewson
Ian Nunn
Virginia Creak
Julia Cane
Tiffany Ingle
Graeme Sanderson
Mark Dixon
Chris Cochrane
Ruby Lyn Junor
Colin Tee
Mike Diver
Chris Dale
Phillip Kelly
Amelia Toohey
Stuart Diver
Bruce Fenwick
Lisa Kilpatrick
Michelle Vari
John Falkiner
Ross Gallagher
Crystyan Kowalczk
Adam Williams
Ian Ferguson
Alex Geary
Neville Leel
Peter Gray
Jasmin Gray
Stephen Limeburner
Stephen Gray
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Snowboard Level 2
Snowboard Level 3
Glen Hobday
Chris Hilton-Wood
Rebecca Bale
Mike Diver
Sandra Paul
Brett Houghton
Jed Buffier
Marc Emerson
Alan Tait
Troy Ingle
Dive Burton
Jean Harper
Seth Jones
Brendan Ellis
Matthew Lyons
Peter Ely
Glenn Maddocks
Vanessa Evans
Anthony Dromgool
Wayne McKenzie
David Fine
Graham Hills
Howard Noble
Justin Graves
Jane Mildren
Brian Brown
Ian Parham
Susan Joyce
Noel Mungovan
Carl Drury
Belinda Reitstatter
Marc Joshua
George Nadj
Byron Evans
Peter Reynolds
Rachel McCallum
Stewart Taplin
Allan Tait
Wayne Smith
David McNiel
Michael Tolley
Robert Speirs
Scott Mitchell
Linda Turnbull
Metree Taffa
Brett Pearce
Ross Taylor
Peter Romero
Danielle Hankinson Paul Henry
Shane Sheeran Wes Sherriff
Brian Keeble
Nordic Level 3 Nordic Level 1
Susan Steel
Telemark Level 1
Disabled Andrew Dean
Nordic Level 2
Chris Cochrane
Leanne Guy
Robert Hoier
Margaret Hayes
If your name appears on the list and you have completed training in the last three years please let me know. If your name is missing of the list, please contact me to check the status on your certification.
AUSTRALIAN DEMO TEAM FUNDRAISER THREDBO PRO-AM AUGUST 19–20TH 2006 Help support the Australian Demo Team attend Interski Korea 2007 by getting involved in our fundraising pro-am at Thredbo this August. The format is quite simple:
Step 1 – Qualifying On Saturday 19 August, all interested racers of any discipline can take two runs of a basic Giant Slalom course. Teams of four will be made up from the four competitor types, determined by the racers’ fastest qualifying times.
Step 2 – Auction Saturday night cocktail party includes an auction for the sale of some great donated products as well as all the qualifying teams.
Step 3 – Race day Teams race and all those involved in the auction night will reap the rewards. Proceeds from the auction of teams will be divided as follows: – Owner of the winning Team
40%
– Owner of second place team
20%
– Owner of third place team
10%
– Australian Demo Team
30%
Even if you or your guests are not racers, come and be involved in what is a great weekend. Or – if you cannot make the trip – why not put together a syndicate? All you have to do is buy the fastest team to win!
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30 YEARS ON! It has been 30 years since the APSI started, and it looks like we have come a long way. “Continually striving to improve” seems to be the common theme from this country, where supposedly there is no snow. However, we all seem to work in Australia and many of us cope quite well overseas.
30 years is a mile stone worth celebrating. I also think it is a great time to look back and thank all the people involved in the running of the APSI, without whom we would not be where we are today. I have included a copy of the honour roll (out of the latest alpine teaching manual) which shows all
the positions held over the past 30 years. Let us also not forget the many Board members, technical committee groups, trainers and examiners throughout the years – and, of course, all the reregistering members. To all of you I simply say Thank you!
APSI Honour Roll Technical Director
ASAA Training Coordinator
Alpine Chief Examiner
Year
President
1976
John Whitehouse
1977
John Whitehouse
1978
John Whitehouse
Jorg Dutschke
Jorg Dutschke
1979
John Whitehouse
Micheal Porter
Michael Porter
1980
John Whitehouse
Michael Porter
Michael Porter
1981
John Whitehouse
Michael Porter
Michael Porter
1982
John Whitehouse
Michael Porter
Michael Porter
1983
Henke Tuppe
1985
Bruce Hawkins
Administrator
Snowboard Chief Examiner
George Pimoser Peter Reynolds
George Pimoser
1986
Bruce Hawkins
Peter Reynolds
1987
Bruce Hawkins
Peter Reynolds
Don McInnes
George Pimoser Brad Spalding
1988
Bruce Hawkins
Colin Baldock
Don McInnes
Brad Spalding
1989
Bruce Hawkins
Tom Peters
Don McInnes
Brad Spalding
1990
Bruce Hawkins
Tom Peters
Don McInnes
Brad Spalding
1991
Tim Corkhill
Tom Peters
Don McInnes
Les Tokolyi
Brad Spalding
1992
Tim Corkhill
Roger Byrnes
Don McInnes
Les Tokolyi
Brad Spalding
1993
Kerry Lee-Dodd
Roger Byrnes
John Fahey
Les Tokolyi
John Fahey
1994
Kerry Lee-Dodd
Roger Byrnes
John Fahey
Les Tokolyi
John Fahey
Dean Hill
1995
Kerry Lee-Dodd
John Fahey
John Fahey
Les Tokolyi
John Fahey
Dean Hill
1996
Kerry Lee-Dodd
John Fahey
John Fahey
Robyn Bowen
John Fahey
Dean Hill
1997
Kerry Lee-Dodd
John Fahey
John Fahey
Robyn Bowen
John Fahey
Dean Hill
1998
Kerry Lee-Dodd
John Fahey
John Fahey
Robyn Bowen
John Fahey
Dean Hill
1999
Kerry Lee-Dodd
Ian Bruce
Ian Bruce
Robyn Bowen
Ian Bruce
Dean Hill
2000
Kerry Lee-Dodd
Ian Bruce
Ian Bruce
Robyn Bowen
Ian Bruce
Dean Hill
2001
Dave Anderson
Ian Bruce
Ian Bruce
Robyn Bowen
Ian Bruce
Dean Hill
2002
Dave Anderson
Ian Bruce
Ian Bruce
Claire Stanton
Ian Bruce
Dean Hill
2003
Dave Anderson
Andrew Rae
Andrew Rae
Claire Stanton
Andrew Rae
Dean Hill
2004
Tony Smythe
Andrew Rae
Andrew Rae
Claire Stanton
Andrew Rae
Jason Clauscen
2005
Tony Smythe
Andrew Rae
Andrew Rae
Claire Stanton
Andrew Rae
Jason Clauscen
(With apologies for accidental errors and omissions) 12
Autumn 2006
ALPINE REPORT
Summer is a time for skiing for a lot of our APSI members. For me, once again it was time for surfing and imaginary skiing on my Swiss ball in the Jindabyne office of the APSI. My surfing is improving slowly, with more trips this summer and a scar on my nose to prove my troubles.The problem still remains that, like many of our guests, I want to be a pro. However, the amount of time I spend on a surfboard is more like that of an overly keen snowsports enthusiast who makes 4–5 ski trips per year.As a result, like many other parents, I will probably have to live out my professional tour dreams through the eyes of my children – proven by this photo of the fledgling efforts of my two-year-old.
Andrew Rae On top of this, with the help of the alpine technical committee we have been able to improve the alpine training courses to include some new and exciting changes which will be implemented in all training and examining after the National June Resits.
NEW FOR 2006
To meet the demands of the ISIA (international body) and ASAA (Australian resorts) all members will need to stay current and updated, therefore a recall will be scheduled at each resort.As in-house training to replace a recall is no longer an option, other recalls can be scheduled on demand if minimum numbers are met.
ISIA stamp accessibility
Traverse for Basic Position, instead of the side slip demo.
This season, through the help of ASPA (ski patrol), we will be able to access First Aid courses and avalanche courses with more ease from each of the major resorts in an effort to meet the ISIA requirements. A 2 day alpine X-over course will be schedule upon demand.
Three demos will again be examined, including the snowplough turn, side/slip traverse and basic christie.
This comfortable rocking in front of the internet allowed me to work with Jason and his team to produce a top quality snowboard manual, work on a streamlined Redbook/staff handbook with Claire, update the alpine exam pack and demo CD, secure some more pro-deal opportunities for all members, as well as create more training aids for the APSI training staff to help tighten up on consistency in the products we provide.
Recalls
CC exams
Level 1
The imaginary snowsports were a little more eventful. I did not once fall off the Swiss ball this season, and I have also updated with the addition of wheels.This makes it faster for me to rock back and forth, trying to emulate the feelings of skiing, or (to some extent) even snowboarding.
progressional, the other correctional. • Demos: At the exam, three runs will be chosen from a list of four: basic christie, basic parallel, dynamic short turns and bend & stretch. • Free Ski: At the exam, three runs will be chosen from a list of four – dynamic long turns, bumps, change of rhythm and skiing on one ski
Level 2 The Level 2 course is now an eight-day intensive training program intended to prepare the instructor for teaching both intermediate adults and children alike.This course has been broken into 2X4 day blocks: • Block 1– Adults teaching and demos. • Block 2 – Kids teaching and free skiing New Examinable components include: • Demos – basic christie, basic parallel and snowplough wedeln. • Free ski – bumps or terrain adaptation, medium and shorts.
Level 3 • Teaching: Two teaching assignments per candidate will be examined this season – one
National Demonstration Team It is the last season to train and the last season to obtain the required funding to attend what is internationally the biggest and most important event for the snowsports instructing industry, Interski Korea 2007. Interski itself is an informative exchange of technique, methodology and cultural style that attracts not only the best snowsports instructors from 36 nations, but also the ski media, industry specialists, equipment suppliers and thousands of participants. It is where we, as an association, get a chance to not only pick up new ideas, but to check our own training system. (continued on page 14)
Autumn 2006
13
Alpine report continued from page 13
On August 19–20th, the Demo Team will once again be hosting the annual Pro-am fundraising race in Thredbo.This event is open to all instructors and their guests from all resorts, with the enticing possibility of not only returning home with some great bargains from our auction, but to also take home 40 per cent of
Hope everyone has had a great summer or winter! Another winter season is looming – where did the last eight months go? Here in Aspen-Snowmass, Colorado, it has been non-stop, with great snow and business.
the overall prize money – and that can be done without even racing. So come and attend a fun weekend and support the team that trains hard to represent you on the international stage.
Final reminder Do not forget that whatever discipline you are involved in, my position as full time Training and Programs Director is solely here to
DISABLED ADAPTIVE REPORT
Graeme Morris • snowboarder – a spinal injury (broken back in two places) with slight head trauma; • snowboarder – a double belowknee amputee; • skier – first-timer, partially blind.
In the first week of April this season,Aspen/Snowmass hosted the 20th Annual National Disabled Veterans Winter Sports Clinic.There were over 400 participants, 90 of them from the current war in Iraq. This is the first time I have been able to commit to all of the six days. It was a lot of hard and rewarding work – eight-hour days on a volunteer basis. I thought I was fit – but by the end of the week? I didn’t move for the next two days! I worked with three snowboarders: • snowboarder – a hemiplegic partially paralyzed on one side; 14
Autumn 2006
All were a real challenge, but by the week’s end all were almost riding independently. It was a real buzz (but please don’t get me started on Bush and Howard’s politics!) CO-ORDINATION CLINIC 2006
The Rookie Selection is coming up. If you would like to become an in-house trainer, please let me know on courtenaymorris@hotmail.com. We would like to have some dedicated people in each resort. We would also like to have at least one day on-snow training, during the Co-ordination Clinic week. Come and give it a go. Instructors with Level 2 and above, in any discipline, are invited to attend – as are any other people who are interested in getting involved.
help you. If you have any questions, any time of the year, do not hesitate to contact me, or at least keep up to date by checking the APSI website. It has the latest news, employment opportunities across the resorts and discipline-specific reminders. Enjoy the winter and I look forward to seeing you on the real hill.
I will be visiting each resort this season and holding training clinics. Dates will be posted through APSI and Head Trainers, at each resort. Exams will be in September as usual, and will be scheduled not to clash with other discipline exam dates. There will be the addition of a Level 2 Certification, which is going to consist of three track, mono ski and blind guiding on intermediate terrain.All instructors holding current Disabled Certification can attend. Also, if you have done your Disabled Certification, we now have a PIN (Disabled/Adaptive), which we would like to send to you. Contact the APSI office with your details. A big thank you to Andy Rae for all his support and help.Thanks again, enjoy your winter and we’ll see you on the hill in my 30th season, in Thredbo,Australia Graeme Morris
NOTE TO ALL MEMBERS WISHING TO WORK OVERSEAS: CHANGES TO THE ISIA AND WHAT IT MEANS TO YOU The International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA) is a noncommercial international organisation for the protection and promotion of the interests of professional ski instructors. It aids the exchange of information and the relationships between the national ski instructor associations. Recognised ISIA status can make it easier for you as a member to gain employment overseas. Currently, APSI members gain the benefit of ISIA status at both Level 2 and the Level 3 (full cert.). You must do additional training modules set out by the ISIA to receive the individual stamp of recognition that goes on your membership card. The ISIA is tightening up the way they run things, including: obtaining a list of all ISIA stamp holders; reserving the right to assess how any country follows the ISIA recommendations; and ensuring that each country’s membership Well, the summer has gone. A lot of people have had another winter, skiing overseas getting the fresh new powder and the sub-zero temperatures.As for me, I had my first summer in eleven years and I can now see why a lot of you have decided to stay home and enjoy the great Australian summer. Instead of skiing and snowboarding down nice white mountains, the rest of us unfortunately have to put up with sailing 42ft yachts around Sydney harbour or putting in a 30ft putt for birdie, perhaps hitting a backhand down the line in tennis or enjoying a Sunday afternoon on a motor cycle heading to the beach to play soccer. That’s all over now, though, as it’s back to the snow we all go – and let’s hope this one will be a cracker.With
cards state what year the member last updated their qualifications. As a result, the APSI office will need to tighten up on the proof of all additional training modules before releasing any ISIA stamps. Below is an outline of the additional training modules, all of which should be more easily accessible this season to all members of all disciplines. To Gain an ISIA stamp on your APSI membership card you will need to: • Be a current member. • Have passed all components of either Level 2 or 3. • Attend an official APSI recall if you received your qualification over three years ago. • Hold a current senior first aid certificate (available at each resort). • Attend an avalanche awareness course (available through ski patrol 2006).
PERISHER REPORT
David Winn snow already covering the mountain on May 7, it looks like it will be. Once again, Perisher Blue has continued improving itself to make it the biggest and best ski resort in the southern hemisphere. Development included upgrades to tube town, continued snowmaking upgrades on rollercoaster, a new Sherpa winch cat and various upgrades in environmental areas.
Attend or hold a second discipline certification (includes x-over course or Disabled/adaptive course). Provide proof of ability to teach in a second language. In an effort to meet these demands, this season all theory exams will include some general knowledge questions (including, safety, avalanche awareness, marketing and history). We have also been working with ASPA (ski patrol) in an effort to make both the first aid and avalanche courses more accessible in at least the five large resorts for winter 2006. In addition, all recalls to keep your qualification updated can only be run through the APSI, not in-house, and need to be dated on your membership cards. These recalls are in the calendar and extra dates can be scheduled on demand if minimum numbers are met.
director for Perisher Blue and Don McInnes on his new role in management.Tina holds a great amount of experience and skills, which will ensure that the ski school’s success and future are in safe hands. I hope you all had a great six months and look forward to seeing you on the slopes.
This year has also seen a few changes in personnel. I would like to congratulate Tina Burford on becoming the new ski school Autumn 2006
15
NORDIC REPORT
Welcome back to winter – at least, that’s what it feels like in Canberra at the moment. I hope this early cold weather and the snowfalls in the mountains in recent weeks are giving a hint of a good 2006 season. Personally, I have had a busy summer. Fellow APSI Instructor, Zac Zaharias and I journeyed to Europe to compete at the World Masters Cup cross country races in Brusson,Valle d’Aosta, Italy. For a single discipline series, it attracted 1,100 competitors from 25 countries, many of them past Olympians and world cup skiers – quite a competition and conducted with typical Italian panache. More important as far as “Nordic” is concerned was our exposure to high-end skiing technique and the French and Italian APSI equivalents, the ESF and FISI.While training at Les Saisies in France, we associated with the ESF instructors on a daily basis. The instruction of adults and children that we saw had a high level of commonality with our current teaching techniques.We picked up some handy hints on what to do with bored kids, and gained an understanding of just why these countries are strong in Nordic competition when over 100 children turned up for a local regional competition day run by the ESF. In Italy we stayed at the Villa run by the Origone family. Eldest son Jean Noel is the FISI Maestro di Sci (Alpine and Telemark) at Champoluc, Monta Rosa, and young brother Simone, held the downhill speed skiing record in 2003/4. Jean Noel was particularly interested in discussing the finer points of Australian Telemark instruction – I wish ‘Tele’Tony,‘Multiskill’ Danny or Graham Hammond had been there! Fun aside; I have managed to do some work on the Nordic manual re-write.This has been between answering the surprising volume of Nordic queries that the off-season generated and the other necessary
tasks of the Redbook update and the 2006 course program, otherwise known as the “best guess crystal ball”. The 2006 Nordic Redbook
For commonality, the discipline TDs have been re-jigging the Redbook format and moving some of the common items to the staff handbook.All I can say at present is that it makes sense, and will be a better and more usable system for trainers and students alike. Nordic in particular will have simplified and clearly structured course and exam instructions.There will be guidance sheets for candidates and examination and practice marking sheets designed to enhance commonality of assessment across trainers. Please bear in mind this will be a “first edition” under the new format and will take a season to settle down. The Manual
This is still a work in progress, but the Nordic Progression is there and I have some nice diagrams to assist understanding of the text. The manual shares sections one and two with the 2005 Alpine manual but have been “nordicised” where necessary.These cover Professionalism and Concepts in five chapters. Section Three will be the ‘Nordic Progression’, Section Four – Reserved at this stage, and Section Five,‘Sharing the Experience’, will be as common as it can be with Alpine. I intend to put out the 2006 Interim Manual as a
first draft to be liberally scribbled on during the season by trainers and instructors. It should be used in conjunction with the current Green Book. End of season 2006 feedback will hopefully lead to a First Edition for season 2007, produced to the same level of excellence as the Alpine and Snowboarding Manuals. A warning for those not on my regular “Nordigram” list, Nordic track skills and Nordic downhill techniques are treated separately in the new progression. Instructor Matters
Maintenance of accreditation is an important part of APSI, but more important is staying current. Recalls are specifically designed to ensure all instructors are on the same net, share tips and tricks and catch up with changes in techniques, which is very important as we are not essentially ski school based. For example, skating technique has changed significantly in recent years, along with the way newer skis and bindings interact with the snow and how pole length affects skiing efficiency. Instructors need to be aware of these changes, particularly when teaching at the higher end. Accreditation can be maintained by attending a recall activity every three years. Equipment
Noted at the Torino Olympics was a revival of the NNN binding. My guess would be that it represented half the market at cross country and significantly more at biathlon events.This could be a sponsorship thing, but being lucky enough to have a pair of Factory Race Department Rossignol X-ium skates and boots with NNN R4 series bindings, I don’t think so. The bindings attach to a plate that is integral with the ski’s construction, and come with a key that allows fine adjustment of the pivot point of the binding on the ski as well as boot size. Continued on page 17
16
Autumn 2006
Nordic Report continued from page 16
You will see these plates more regularly on Madshus and Peltonen skis in future. In my humble opinion it is a few years too late, but after six years or so,‘skate cut’ skis have gone.They are good climbing skis but were always downhill dogs.The ‘out of track’ running stability difference in the new straight-sided Fischer skis is noteworthy.Watch out for a new concept in Salomon Pilot bindings as well.As for the new ‘Telemark Norm’ system – I feel it will remain with the Australian “Norm” – at home on the couch watching telly. Courses – 2006
There appears to be a mild resurgence in Nordic for this season seemingly driven by schools’ desire to do well at interschool competition and the need for some of the smaller resorts to cross-train instructors. The problem is going to be trainers. If you want to be a rookie Nordic trainer, make contact and I will do my best to make it so. Current Trainers should have the course ‘dob’ sheet by now.Your responses will be appreciated.
Nordigrams
Nordigrams are a method of getting timely information out to you, but they are not a one-way communication device. I can only represent you at APSI Board level and effect changes you see as needed if I get feedback. I will continue to
communicate by email throughout the season and welcome your thoughts and criticisms. For urgent matters, my mobile (at least voicemail) is always on. Snail-mail is also welcome. Meanwhile, Ski you on the trails. Warren Feakes
SODERGREN SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATIONS In 1997 the APSI Board of Management established the Sodergren Scholarships in memory of Mike and Mim Sodergren. Scholarships are awarded each year, with the successful instructors receiving all APSI courses and examinations free of charge. Congratulations to Camilla Byron who has been awarded the Sodergren Scholarship for 2006. If you are interested in applying for the 2007 Sodergren Scholarship please forward your application to the APSI office by 01st April 2007. The successful applicants must meet the following criteria: •
Commitment to personal education, training and accreditation in the Snowsports industry
•
Professionalism and image
•
Contribution and service provided to the industry Autumn 2006
17
Buller Ski Lifts has invested more than $4 million in capital expenditure this summer, including $1 million to expand the resort’s snowmaking system and $1 million on the fourth stage of the Village Centre re-development that will bring a year-round supermarket to the Village. Other investments include equipment upgrades for Buller Sports’ ski and snowboard rental fleet, a new PB300 Park Bully groomer and the first stage of the Blue Bullet mid-station redevelopment that will provide a new home for the Snowboard School and Race Department. • Snowmaking has been extended to the Shaky Knees run, which will see the introduction of more reliable teaching terrain. A new automatic system of snowmaking technology will be used that ensures the more efficient energy and water consumption.
Wow – it’s only the start of May, and up here in the high country we already have a foot of snow, with many other falls occurring in April. While the current snow might not last until the start of the season, let’s hope it’s an indicator of things to come. The Lift Company has been hard at work over summer, with a lot of the preparation work for the Wombats Ramble snowmaking extension undertaken, with the remainder of the works to be hopefully completed over summer ’06 / ’07. An expansion of the already extensive snow fencing and farming network has been completed, to protect and gather as much of the lovely white stuff as possible and have it where we need it.The lifts formerly known as Tom Thumb and Playground have both been replaced, now to be known as 18
Autumn 2006
G E N E R A L M O U N TA I N REPORT
Simon Lock
• The Mt Buller Park (MBP) has been extended and improved for boarders and free riders.A new PB300 Park Bully groomer has been purchased, and the park has now been clearly defined into three areas to cater for every level of boarder and skier. Ski and Snowboard School Report
• The Village Square update has continued over summer, with further improvements that include the relocation of the ticket office to the upper level opposite Cattleman’s Café, a snow roof added to the central stairs, and the addition of a Foodworks Supermarket and Noodle Shop into the complex. • This season the Bullnet system will be introduced to the mountain. A system of ten plasma screens that will provide real-time information on weather conditions, lift status, grooming reports and other guest information.
FA L L S C R E E K REPORT
Pe t e Sheridan “Mouse Trap” (quite appropriate given mouse numbers around town at the moment) and the “Monkey Bar” respectively.The Mouse Trap will be fully undercover to ensure that the guests who probably need it most get a comfortable ride up the hill.The “Monkey Bar” is a new platter lift, located across from the former Playground lift site, and will reportedly transport 900 skiers per hour with a two-minute trip time. In other news, the lift formerly know as Bilia Bullet has been renamed the Falls Express, just because it’s quick! The Gully Chair will also be open until 8pm every night to help people get around the Village more easily.
No new major changes to school structure or product for 2006 following the major extensions to the children’s centre in 2005. A number of new supervisors have been appointed:Tony Smythe, appointed to the role of Training and Schools Supervisor; Paul Romagna, appointed to the role of Adult Supervisor and who will be assisted by a new member of the Ski and Snowboard School team, Paul Schmidt. Paul Schmidt is a new recruit to Buller from Canada.
The village, and particularly the ‘Bowl’, will also come alive this season with a new bungy trampoline set to thrill those who seek it, the tube park running as per normal, and rail jams in the tube park area where our Snowsports School instructors will teach kids to ride boxes and rails in a fun and safe environment. To further boost our efforts in the terrain park front, the Lift Company has purchased a ‘Park Bully Kassbohrer’.This machine is designed and built especially with the creation of terrain park features in mind. I hope that everyone had a great summer or winter wherever you were, and that all are refreshed and ready for another big season. See you on the hill. Pete
2006 APSI COURSE OR EXAMINATION REGISTRATION FORM CONDITIONS FOR APPLICANTS 1. Registration for all Training Courses and Examinations close fourteen days prior to the commencement of the course/exam. Applicants are advised that registrations may close prior to the advertised date if course maximum numbers are reached. 2. Registrations received after the closing date but prior to the commencement date will ONLY be accepted if places are available and will incur a late fee of $100. 3. Registrations on the first day of the course/examination will ONLY be accepted if places are available and will incur a late fee of $150. 4. Registrations will only be accepted after payment is received. 5. All applicants must be members of the APSI. APSI membership fee is NOT included in the registration fee. 6. Applicants must complete a separate Registration Form to enrol for each Course and the Examination. 7. In the event of the applicant cancelling the booking: APSI starts to incur costs for your course from the time we confirm your booking, and the closer it is to the start of the course, the less likely we are to find someone to take your place. So if you cancel, APSI will make a charge. If you wish to cancel a confirmed booking this must be done in writing by the person in whose name the booking is made. This should be sent directly to the APSI office. Refunds take effect from the
✃
date we receive your written cancellation. Refunds are made on the following scale: (a) prior to course registration closing date – 15% deducted from payment of total fee, (b) after closing date and prior to the first day of course – 25% deducted from payment of total fee, and (c) any other – no refund. 8. APSI reserves the right to reschedule or cancel Courses or Exams if less than 4 members have registered for a course or exam by the closing date. APSI reserves the right to relocate the event if less than 4 registered candidates. 9. APSI reserves the right to reschedule or cancel Courses or Exams due to lack of snow or poor conditions. 10. The decision to participate in any APSI event is entirely that of the applicant. APSI will not accept responsibility for loss, injury, medical costs or cancellation costs associated with any APSI activity. 11. Participants are required to meet on the first day for Courses at 8:15am and for Examinations at 7:45am, except for participants for all Nordic events who are to meet at 8:45am. 12. Completion of the Registration Form is acknowledgement of the applicant’s acceptance of these conditions. Please complete all details and forward to APSI at least 14 days prior to the event commencement date Post: APSI Suite 11 137 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690 Payment by Post accepted by Fax: 02 6056 0622
2006 APSI COURSE OR EXAMINATION REGISTRATION FORM Surname
First name
Telephone No.
Email address
Snow Sport School
Course Code
Event Starting Date
/
/
Event Location
Please find enclosed my Cheque/Money Order for $ I authorise APSI to debit $
from my:
as full payment for the event, OR
■ Bankcard ■ Mastercard ■ Visa
Cardholder name
Signature
Card No.
Expiry Date
/
/
Autumn 2006
19
2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS ALPINE Dates Course Code
Details Course
Closing Date
Venue & Cost Mt Buller $135 Falls Creek $135 Mt Hotham $135 Perisher $135 Thredbo $135
Recalls 09 July
06ARB
Recall
25 June
30 July
06ARF
Recall
16 July
05 Aug
06ARH
Recall
22 July
12 Aug
06ARP
Recall
29 July
19 Aug
06ART
Recall
05 Aug
Resits 19 June
06CRH
05 June
19 June
06A1PH
20–21 June
06A1RH
22 June
06A2RH
23 June
06A3RH
CC Resit Exam Level 1 Prep Day Level 1 Resit Level 2 Resit Level 3 Resit Level 2 Course Level 2 Course Level 2 Course
02 July
Level 2 Course Level 2 Course
09 July
Level 2 Courses 16–23 July 06A2CP 20–23 July 27–30 July 24–27 July 31 July– 03 Aug 23–30 July
06A2CT 06A2CB
06A2CF
30 July– 06A2CH 06 Aug Level 3 Courses 24–28July 06A3TB 24–28 July
06A3TP
31 July– 04 Aug 31 July– 04 Aug 02–06 Sep
06A3RB 06A3RT 06A3RP
Level T&D Level T&D Level R&F Level R&F Level R&F
05 June 06 June 08 June 09 June
04 July 10 July
16 July
3
10 July
3
10 July
3
17 July
3
17 July
3
19 Aug
Mt Hotham $115* Mt Hotham $115* Mt Hotham 115* Mt Hotham $115* Mt Hotham $115* Perisher $600 Thredbo $600 Mt Buller $600 Falls Creek $600 Mt Hotham $600 Mt Buller $400 Perisher $400 Mt Buller $400 Thredbo $400 Perisher $400
Alpine Exams 14 July 15 July 20 July 21July 28 July 29 July 31July 01 Aug
20
Children’s Certificate 06ACB2 Children’s Certificate 06ACS Children’s Certificate 06ACP1 Children’s Certificate 06ACP2 Children’s Certificate Children’s 06ACT Certificate 06ACF1 Children’s Certificate 06ACF2 Children’s Certificate Autumn 2006 06ACB1
30 June 30 June 06 July 07 July 14 July 15 July 17 July 17 July
Mt Buller $160 Mt Buller $160 Selwyn $160 Perisher $160 Perisher $160 Thredbo $160 Falls Creek $160 Falls Creek $160
Alpine Exams (continued) 03 Aug 06ACH1 Children’s Certificate 04 Aug 06ACH2 Children’s Certificate TBA 06ACW Children’s Certificate 06ACEP Children’s 02 Sep Certificate 04 Sep 06ACEB Children’s Certificate 05–06 Sep 06A1EB Level 1 Exam 18–19 Sep 06A1EP Level 1 Exam 07–09 Sep 06A2EB Level 2 & ACC 07–09 Sep 06AAEB Advanced Children’s 14–16 Sep 06A2ET Level 2 & ACC Advanced 14–16 Sep 06AAET Children’s 10 Sep 06A3PP Level 3 Prep Day 11–13 Sep 06A3EP Level 3 Exam
TELEMARK Dates Course Code
20 July 20 July (14 days prior to the exam date)
19 Aug 21 Aug 22 Aug 04 Sep 24 Aug 24 Aug 31 Aug 31 Aug 27 Aug 28 Aug
Details Course
Closing Date
Venue & Cost Falls Creek $135 Perisher $135
Recalls 24 June
06TRF
Recall
10 June
24 June
06TRP
Recall
10 June
Resits 25 June
06TREF
Resit
11 June
25 June
06TREP
Resit
11 June
Courses 27–30 June
06T1CP
13 June
27–30 June
06T1CF
27–30 June
06T1CB
19–22 Sep
06T1CP2
05–08 Sep
06T2CH
05–08 Sep
06T3CH
Level 1 Course Level 1 Course Level 1 Course Level 1 Course Level 2 Course Level 3 Course
Exams 01 July
06T1EP
01 July
06T1EF
01 July
06T1EB
Mt Hotham $160 Mt Hotham $160 Mt Baw Baw $160 Perisher $160 Mt Buller $160 Mt Buller $340 Perisher $340 Mt Buller $465 Mt Buller $380 Thredbo $465 Thredbo $380 Perisher $135 Perisher $480
Level 1 Exam Level 1 Exam Level 1 Exam
13 June 13 June 05 Sep 22 Aug 22 Aug
17 June 17 June 17 June
Falls Creek $115 Perisher $115 Perisher $320 Falls Creek $320 Mt Buller $320 Perisher $320 Mt Hotham $425 Mt Hotham $450 Perisher $160 Falls Creek $160 Mt Buller $160
2006 CALENDAR OF EVENTS Exams (continued) 23 Sep 06T1EP2 09 Sep
06T2EH
09 Sep
06T3EH
SNOWBOARD Dates Course Code
Level 1 Exam Level 2 Exam Level 3 Exam
Details Course
09 Sep 26 Aug 26 Aug
Closing Date
Recalls 09 July
06SRB
Recall
25 June
06 Aug
06SRH
Recall
16 July
06SRT
Recall
29 July
12 Aug
Resits 27 June
06S1RB
29 June
06S1RT
27 June
06S2RB
30 June
06S2RT
02 July
06S3R
Courses 24–28 July
06S2CT
24–28 July
06S2CH
17–21 July
06S3TP
31 July– 04 Aug 22–23 July
06S3FP 06SFCB
29–30 July
06SFCP
Exams 08Sep
06SFEP
04–05 Sep
06S1EF
04–05 Sep
06SCEF
13–14 Sep
06S1ET
13–14 Sep
06SCET
06–07 Sep
06S2EF
11–12 Sep
06S2EP
29 Aug
06SPP
31 Aug– 02 Sep
06S3EP
Level 1 Exam Level 1 Exam Level 2 Exam Level 2 Exam Level 3 Exam
13 June
Level 2 Course Level 2 Course Level 3 T&D Level 3 R&F Freestyle Course Freestyle Course
10 July
Freestyle Exam Level 1 & CC Children’s Certificate Level 1 & CC Children’s Certificate Level 2 Exam Level 2 Exam Level 3 Prep Day Level 3 Exam
26 Aug
15 June 13 June 16June 18 June
10 July 03 July 17 July 08 July 08 July
19 Aug 19 Aug 30 Aug 30 Aug 23 Aug 28 Aug 15 Aug 17 Aug
Perisher $160 Mt Hotham $170 Mt Hotham $180
Venue & Cost Mt Buller $135 Mt Hotham $135 Thredbo $135 Mt Buller $115* Thredbo $115* Mt Buller $115* Thredbo $115* Perisher $115* Thredbo $425 Mt Hotham $425 Perisher $425 Perisher $425 Mt Buller $170 Perisher $170 Perisher $170 Falls Creek $450 Falls Creek $340 Thredbo $450 Thredbo $340 Falls Creek $340 Perisher $340 Perisher $135 Perisher $480
NORDIC Dates Course Code
Details Course
Closing Date
Venue & Cost Perisher $135 Falls Creek $135 Perisher $135
Recalls 15 July
06NRP
Recall
01 July
15 July
06NRF
Recall
01 July
06NRP2
Recall
24 July
06NSF
Skills Entry
10 June
24 June
06NSL
Skills Entry
10 June
01 July
06NSP
Skills Entry
17 June
05 July
06NSIW
07–09 July
06N1CP
Skills 20 June Improvement Level 1 23 June
10–12 July
06N1CL
Level 1
26 June
26–29 July
06N2CP
Level 2
08 July
30 Aug– 02 Sep
06N2CF
Level 2
16 Aug
26–30 July
06N3CP
Level 3
12 July
30 Aug– 03 Sep
06N3CF
Level 3
16 Aug
06NEP 06NEF 06NEF2 06NEP2
All All All All
22 13 27 02
07–08 Aug (1/2 days) Courses 24 June
Exams 05 Aug 27 Aug 10 Sep 16 Sep
Levels Levels Levels Levels
July Aug Aug Sep
Falls Creek $135 Lake Mountain $135 Perisher $135 Mt Baw Baw $135 Perisher $240 Lake Mountain $240 Perisher $340 Falls or Lake Mountain $340 Perisher $450 Falls or Lake Mountain $340 Perisher Falls Creek Falls Creek Perisher Level 1 $160 Level 2 $170 Level 3 $180
ADAPTIVE CERTIFICATE Dates Course Details Code Course
Closing Date
Venue & Cost
18 Sep
06DE1P
04 Sep
16 Sep
06DE1H
19 Sep
06DE2P
Perisher $170 Mt Hotham $170 Perisher $170
17 Sep
06DE2H
* Price is per component
Level 1 Exam Level 1 Exam Advanced Adaptive Exam Advanced Adaptive Exam
02 Sep 05 Sep
03 Sep
Mt Hotham $170
(Continued on page 22)
Autumn 2006
21
2006 Calendar of Events continued from page 21
TRAINERS CO-ORDINATION – ALL DISCIPLINES Dates Course Details Closing Code Course Date
Venue & Cost
06 Jun
06RP
Perisher
07–08 June 09 June (1/2 day)
06TT 06EDT
Rookie 23 May Selection Trainers 23 May Co-ord. APSI 23 May Employee’s
FIRST AID & AVALANCHE COURSES Please contact your Resort Training Co-ordinator for the dates and prices for First Aid and Avalanche Courses
Thredbo/ Perisher Thredbo
All events and prices are subject to change at the discretion of the APSI Board of Management
All trainers must register for this event please email claire@apsi.net.au or call 02 60560611
Well, you can feel it in the air. The 2006 season is approaching and for those who didn’t get a chance to get overseas, you’ll soon be doing those long lost turns again. For those who did get a chance over summer – here we go again! The good news for Andy Rea and myself is that the snowboard manual is complete. I would like to thank Andy for the huge effort he put in while I was overseas.Without his help it would still be a long way off completion.
SNOWBOARD REPORT
Jason Clauscen
We will also be looking for several other snowboarders that can be reserves.
This season will see homework for everyone as they start to read and learn the new-look manual. For the first time that I know of, the skiers and snowboarders will be reading a lot of the same information, bringing our industry closer together.The new ski and snowboard manuals will make their way to Inter-ski next year, and I’m sure we can be proud of the product we’ll be presenting.
Last season was a tough one for some instructors and trainers during the exams.As we know, the results were not the best. Early in the season there will be resits for those candidates that qualify. I wish those candidates the best of luck and not to stress out before-hand. Preparing yourself mentally and having the chance to do some training will help. Having already gone through the exam process you’ll be familiar with the standard required and also some of the pressures involved. Be confident!
The Demo team is still looking for sponsors and support, so if there is anyone willing to help, please contact the APSI.There will also be fundraisers held this season, so please promote and support these events.There is one spot remaining on the snowboard team that will be decided at trainer’s co-ordination, if anyone is interested – be there.
After spending another season overseas and watching the standard of other countries, I’m once again proud of the standard of the Australian instructors.There are so many Australians that are full-time instructors in the industry and keep presenting a high level of knowledge, ability and customer service overseas.We need to remain
22
Autumn 2006
careful that we do not make it a competitive relationship with other countries.They have their requirements, and we have ours. It is more important to look after our own backyard instead of making comparison with what we do and what they do. Rather, learning about other systems will only improve the industry across the board. This year will see the Freestyle certification continue with a course in both Victoria and NSW.These courses do have limited spots, so if you are interested try and arrange the time off early.This goes for all courses and exams.There are also no resits set for Level 3.This will be announced when conditions are appropriate. My main focus this season is to see that the trainers and training programs are running appropriately, to ensure that the results at the end of this season will be a lot higher. The ball doesn’t just sit at the feet of the training, it sits in the hands of the candidate involved. I think if the candidates improve the way they train and work as a team, the results will soar. I wish everyone this season a safe and enjoyable one. Get out there and rip some turns! Jason Clauscen
Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors Inc. Suite 11, 137 High Street Wodonga Victoria 3690 Telephone: 02 6056 0611 Facsimile: 02 6056 0622 Email: apsi@apsi.net.au Website: www.apsi.net.au
APSI MERCHANDISE ORDER FORM All products are available online at www.apsi.net.au Otherwise orders can be faxed to the office on 02 6056 0622 or sent to: APSI Suite 11 137 High Street Wodonga Vic 3690
Name
APSI membership#
Address
State Phone
Postcode
PRODUCT
QTY Ordered
PRICE (inc GST)
Postage & Handling
TOTAL
Alpine Teaching Manual (2005)
$85
$12
$97
Snowboard Teaching Manual (2006)
$85
$12
$97
Nordic Manual
$22
$8
$30
of stock of L & XL, please contact the office to place order)
$65
$15
$80
T–Neck (Red or White) XS, S,M, L
$30
$10
$40
Hat (Black or Silver)
$10
$5
$15
APSI* Certification Pins
$11
$3
$14
ISIA Badges*
$11
$3
$14
Alpine Demo CD
$8
$3
$11
TOTAL
$
Fleece Jacket XS, S, M, L, XL
Size
Colour
(currently out
*Available to members only
PAYMENT DETAILS Please find enclosed cheque/money order for $ Credit Card Details:
or Please charge my credit card for $
■ Bankcard ■ Mastercard ■ Visa
Cardholder name
Signature
Card No.
Expiry Date / /
Autumn 2006
23
APSI gratefully acknowledge the sponsorship of the following organisations
SnowPro is the official newsletter of the APSI. The views expressed in SnowPro are not necessarily those of the APSI. Please address all correspondence to: Australian Professional Snowsports Instructors Suite 11 137 High Street Wodonga VIC 3690 Phone: 02 6056 0611 email: apsi@apsi.net.au website: www.apsi.net.au