2007

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PRESIDENT’S REPORT

Tony Smythe HI ALL AND WELCOME TO THE ANNUAL EDITION OF SNOWPRO AND A SPECIAL WELCOME TO ALL OUR NEW MEMBERS WHO JOINED US THROUGH THE YEAR. HOPE YOU ALL ENJOYED A RIPPER SEASON WITH PLENTY OF FRESHIES EARLY IN THE SEASON THEN LOTS OF BASE LATE TO GET US THROUGH TO THE END. (AS I WRITE THE BIG KICKERS ARE STILL INTACT ON THE BULLER SUMMIT, THE LITTLE BULLER SPUR GLACIER IS ALSO STILL HOLDING SNOW). 2007 came and went all too quickly as usual, but wasn’t it great to have snow conditions that were as good as anywhere in the world. (Well that’s what it was like at Buller for few weeks anyway). How was the season for you? Lots of work, plenty of parties, new friends or even a certificate or two. Hope it was great and you all have plenty of fond memories to take away. We too, at the APSI, have had a memorable year with lots happening. The highlight of the year was undoubtedly our attendance at Interski, one should all be aware of this event by now and inside this edition you will find lots of reports and pics from the adventure. Mountain “development” teams have been selected. Interski represents the pinnacle of the snow sport and I urge all of you strive to make the 2011 team. Claire and Andrew have, as always done a great job in the office and on snow, and we sincerely thank them for their efforts. A really big thank you also goes out to all the Technical Directors of the various disciplines. Sometimes we overlook the kudos that these dedicated guys deserve. After all, it is this team that is shaping our Snowsport future. Well done gentlemen.

A few years ago I spoke with Andrew about evolving his job to encompass all aspects of running the APSI with the overall goal being a General Manager. The feedback is there to suggest we are on the right track. The technical aspects of coordinating all the disciplines are well in place with all the TDS appreciative of the approach; you will now be seeing more continuity across the disciplines. The next step will focus on business modeling, i.e. funding submissions, product placement, sponsorship, web site and data base management. Once again, if any of our members have any experience in any of these areas and are happy to contribute, please let us know. After all it is YOUR association and every little bit helps. Congratulations to Richard Jameson on his appointment of Alpine “Chief of Exams”. From all reports a very capable, professional performance, well done RJ. This is a role that has traditionally been undertaken by the Alpine TD and is stepping stone in developing Richard towards this position. Next season will see Richard assuming more roles within the Alpine TD role. A few of the other changes were the introduction of the Children’s Certificate for Snowboard. This was widely accepted and pass rates were very good. We even had a snowboard candidate participate in an Alpine exam, which leads to question can this course be trained in Discipline specific then examined jointly? Level 2 Alpine saw the introduction of a more defined “Block” system, designed to ease the time and financial burden of completing the Level 2 in one hit. Further it addresses the needs of the Snowsport schools and introduces“Coaching” content, which is a basic introductory coaching content to enable instructors to deliver coaching lessons aimed at Interschools participants. Once again the feedback on the format was well received, especially the “continual” assessment aspect of the Coach and Ski block. At our recent board meeting we had some spirited discussion on the current structure of the Board. At present we have 13 representatives on the board and with such a large number it is often difficult to gain a quorum to hold me on the meetings. The by-law amendment proposal at the next AGM will be to have one mountain representative on the board of management, with a sub committee of

individual resort representatives reporting to this person. This will streamline proceedings as well as present cost saving initiatives. Overwhelmingly across all resorts were the reported levels of increased business. Most probably the combination of the great snow and the pent up spending anxiety of the 2006 season waiting to be released. Coupled with some resorts reporting being understaffed the cry of being “under the pump” was widely heard. However with such a huge year it was disappointing to note the declining participation rates at course and exams. At CC and Level 1 it is easy to explain reduced participation numbers, i.e. less new hires, it would be interesting to hear your feed back as to why Level’s 2 and 3 are also declining. Level 3 Exam participation has more than halved in the past 5 years! Is it worked loads, cost, the system? All feedback will be treated in the strictest confidentiality and should be directed to myself at maloha@bigpond.com. I would like to thank one of our partners for his support of the association. Andrew Abbercrombie through his company “Flexirent”, has been providing us with super deals on PC’s and laptops. It has saved us quite a bit of late, and I am pleased to be able to announce that “pro deals” on computers are now available. This is a unique opportunity, so if you have any computer requirements, please research all your technical requirements, contact Claire and wait for the quote. The APSI will add a small handling fee and is an initiative to value adds to your membership. If you have any other “deals” that can be added in this manner, please let us know. Speaking of deals, we still have a quantity of fleece T Necks that need to disappear from Claire’s storeroom, any marketing gurus out there let us have your thoughts! We will be busy as usual over summer making improvements for the coming seasons, for Claire and Drew it will be a chance to catch up on some well earned rest and relaxation. I wish you all the best and thank you for your support over the season. Merry Christmas and Happy new Year. Look forward to seeing you all back safe and well in 2008 Tony Smythe

Summer 2007

SNOWPRO

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2007 by APSI Inc - Issuu