PSIA-RM Fall 2010

THE JOURNAL OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PROFESSIONAL SKI AND SNOWBOARD INSTRUCTOR

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PSIA-ROCKY MOUNTAIN-AASI Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Educational Foundation PSIA REPRESENTATIVES Joel Munn, President, Western Slope Fred Rumford, Vice President, Southern District Brian Dunfey, Secretary, Member at Large Donnie Mechalke, Front Range Michael Melhauser, Front Range J.P. Chevalier, Front Range Earl Saline, Member at Large Joe Webster, Member at Large Jon Hinckley, Southern District Rhonda Doyle, Southern District John Wiltgen, Western Slope Linda Guerrette, Western Slope COMMITTEE CHAIRS Ruth DeMuth - Adaptive Chair Jonathan Ballou - Alpine Chair DUSTY DYAR - Children’s Chair JP Chevalier - Member School Chair Patti Banks - Nordic Chair Tony Macri - Snowboard Chair

There’s No Place Like Home

By Dana Forbes, Executive Director PSIA-RM-AASI

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or those of you who don’t know me, I am not the least bit shy. I attribute this to the fact that I moved eleven times while growing up. I went to four different elementary schools, two different middle schools and three different high schools. For most of us, the feelings works the same— i.e. if you are either a six year old walking onto a new playground or a fifteen year old walking into a lunch room, you are terrified.

For me, it was a bit different. I had nothing to fear because deep down inside I had nothing to lose. I have never had a place one calls home, a place you go back to and visit when you grow up.

It did not appear any different when I moved to Steamboat three years ago. I was numb to the moving experience. I knew I would quickly make friends to replace the old ones and thought someday when I left it wouldn’t matter. These feelings lasted but a short time as I quickly came to realize that Steamboat was becoming home to me. The community was like no other I had lived in.

It is home to a diverse community made up of bankers, teachers, ranchers, lawyers, retailers and service industry people… who all share a common bond, the mountains. For most, it’s to slide on the white stuff in the winter and for others it’s to hike, bike or just admire the vista.

When I first took this job, I couldn’t understand why our home quarters were located in Steamboat. In fact, in my interview, I even questioned it. After living here for a short while, I realized why.

I am so proud we celebrated our 60th anniversary on September 27th. We have come a long way from the days when Rudi and Dottie Schnakenberg ran the organization out of the back of their Willy’s Jeep. 60 years in Steamboat and up until a month ago we rented our office space.

Now I am very pleased to announce that on October 1st we will be moving to our newly purchased home located by the Steamboat Resort in the Grand Hotel. The Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Educational Foundation purchased the property. To you, our dedicated 2

and future members, this purchase speaks loudly and heralds our commitment to you and to this organization and its long-term sustainability. It is an investment in you. We are committed to support the long-term value of the ski and snowboard instructor.

To you the board of directors; thank you for making this happen. Without your vision and guidance this organization would not take the

strides it has. It is my honor to work with you as you inspire me to work hard and always to do right by this organization.

If someone were to ask me why the office is in Steamboat, I would answer because it’s Ski Town USA and shouldn’t the educating and certifying body for all of CO, NM, AZ, WY, TX, KS, NV and OK reside here?

Besides there is no place like home!

A PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

The Snowboard World

By Tony Macri

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hope this article finds everybody enjoying a healthy and fun summer. As you begin to wrap up your summer activities and watch the leaves change color, I hope you are getting as excited about the upcoming season as we are. After a busy summer of discussions and brainstorming, I am happy to report to our membership that your Committee has been working quite diligently on updating some of our resources and creating new ones. We also recognize that some of you may be saying, “why does it always seem that the standard is always getting higher?” Well rest assured that we aren’t increasing the standard level throughout any of the certifications this season. However we are raising the level of consistency and effectiveness of the snowboard examining staff by making them go through a more formal review system.

First off, some of these updates include revamping our written tests. We recognize that some of you have difficulty taking written tests and we will simplify and make them clearer. This will be done to the level 1, 2 and 3 tests as well as Movement Analysis.

We are also in the process of rewriting the Freestyle Accreditation scorecards. Speaking of which, the name of this event will also be changing to Freestyle Specialist.

These scorecards are being designed to give you more specific feedback in a more direct manor and will follow a similar format of the scorecards that we currently use through the certification process.

We were busy last season collecting footage. We are going to continue doing this and then hope to be able to put together a new standards video for the Level 1, 2, and 3 certifications. We have been actually shooting this footage at actual exams so that we can give you a realistic impression of what to expect at your exam.

Lastly, we are in the process of developing a thorough review process of all the snowboard examining staff. This will be consisting of a feedback from the office, feedback from clinic managers, feedback from their peers, but most of all feedback from you guys taking events. This is why it is super important that we get accurate and timely feedback from you.

I would like to leave you with this closing thought as we wrap up the summer activities and get ready for the upcoming season: I’m sure you are all very excited and motivated to ride. I want you to devote some to understanding what motivates you. It’s important that we harness that motivation and use it in February when it gets really cold, or in March when it gets really busy. This is important because those people that are coming to take a lesson with you are super motivated and you don’t want to let them down because your motivation has fizzled out. So I ask you while it’s fresh use it to your advantage and always remember it could be worse, you could have an office job. Enjoy!

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New Lifetime Members For contributions over the years the following instructors were granted lifetime membership by both PSIA-Rocky Mountain-AASI and PSIA/AASI: Butch Graves Freda Langell-Nieters Johanna Hall Donnie Mechalke Thank you for all your time, dedication and devotion to this organization!!

Thank you Phil Weinstein for editing and proofing all our articles!

FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

The official publication of PSIA - Rocky Mountain - AASI P. O. Box 775143 Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 Phone: 970.879.8335 Fax: 970.879.6760 Executive director - dana@psia-rm.org Director of Operations - carolyn@psia-rm.org Director of Education - dave@psia-rm.org Events Coordinator - ks@psia-rm.org website - www.psia-rm.org General Information Submissions of articles, photos or other items for publication are invited. PSIARocky Mountain- AASI members submitting articles of an educational nature with a minimum of 500 words will be reimbursed $100 per published article.

Type copy should be double spaced and sent to the editor at the above address.

A disk may be submitted along with a hard copy in either PC or MAC formats.

All the submitted material is subject to editing. Use of all material will be at the discretion of the editorial staff. Articles are accepted on the condition that they may be released for publication in all PSIA/AASI National and Divisional publications.

Instructor to Instructor is published four times per year by the PSIA-Rocky Mountain - AASI divsion. Permission is hereby given to PSIA/AASI and all divisions of PSIA/AASI to copy original materials from the newsletter providing credit is given to PSIA - Rocky Mountain - AASI and the author, and the material is not altered. Articles that contain specific copyright notices may not be reprinted without written permission from the author.

Subscriptions: Persons who are not members of PSIA - Rocky Mountain AASI can purchase a one-year subscription of Instructor to Instructor for $15.

Send your name and address along with payment to the above address.

Note: Materials published in Instructor to Instructor which have been provided by persons in other than an official capacity, or for official purposes, are the responsibility of the author, and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of PSIA-Rocky Mountain - AASI.

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ASEA/ National Report Fall 2010

By Peter Donahue

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utumn is the best time of year. The colors in the garden and on the mountain are drifting deeper into fall, the twilight lasts a little longer and the nights have the edge of coolness. With winter just around the corner, fall is a time for reflection and anticipation. Our national association had a prosperous year despite predictions of gloom and 2011 will be a year of celebration, both of our 50 years of service and of the opportunities ahead. What follows are some highlights of the past year and some new developments coming your way.

Our national membership has broken through the 30,000 mark for the first time, coming in at 30,163 as of the ASEA board meeting in early June. This long sought goal is an important milestone for the association and it represents our growing strength in our industry. Nearly as important is that we actually know our number in real time since the deployment of the new National Database System. We no longer have to rely on clumsy and antiquated reporting and data transcription from nine divisions to have only a reasonable guess.

The board approved the Children’s Specialist Certificate program, the first collaborative, nationally recognized Assessment Based Certificate program for the association. Previously, Children’s Accreditation and ACE 4

programs had been developed and conducted without national standards or recognition.

Don’t worry that your Children’s Accreditation will expire. That credential is equivalent to and will be honored as a National Children’s Specialist 2. Programs we have incorrectly called Accreditations (the “A” word… ) will be renamed as specialist programs in the future.

Also approved was a re-write of the Alpine Standards and all new Snowboard Standards adopted similar formats and content areas.

These standards will receive annual reviews under a proposed national Strategic Education Plan which is being developed by the national Education Department in collaboration with the divisions.

The Movement Matrix is getting re-vamped and ASEA is working with a new development group to make improvements in video delivery, navigation, sharing content with other applications, and managing the addition of new content more easily. The new version looks great!

The new national database will leverage membership data using Higher Logic, a dynamic social networking platform. Beginning in September 2010, members will have access to an enhanced profile page and will be able to participate in an integrated mem-

bership directory. Members will have access to resource libraries with a personal bookshelf and document sharing capability as well as to forum/egroups and RSS feeds directly on their login page. The ASEA board, Staff, and Teams Task force have been using the tool to manage communication since early June.

Interski, the quadrennial gathering of Snowsports professionals from around the world, is happening at St Anton Austria from Jan. 15 -22. More important than the event is the value that our participation brings to our members in terms of educational materials, teaching tools and future programs. Stay tuned for some great insights into the world of international snowsports instruction!

The 50-year anniversary celebration will take place next spring, April 4-9, at Snowmass in Aspen CO. Plan on coming to this event for sure and bring the whole family to celebrate five decades of instruction past and more yet to come. The event will include activities for kids and parties for all!

As a part of the 50/50 (50 year anniversary) celebration, award-winning journalist Peter Kray (U.S. Editorial Director of Ski Press World, and founder of Shred White and Blue Media, LLC) has been retained to create content for Multi-media distribution that celebrates and commemorates the 50th anniversary of PSIA and AASI. The project will employ a variety of content to highlight how, “… the US embraced, expanded, and ultimately built its own independent vision of one of the world’s most enduring sports.”

The content is intended to, “… serve as the baseline for any potential documentary on the subject, (book, short film, etc.).”

More than ever before, your membership in our association really counts in our industry. The ASEA and our divisions are on the cusp of a new level of accountability, professionalism and member service. This can only lead to greater recognition from our resorts and better services for you and the skiing/riding public. At a time of near record highs in national snowsports participation and despite the economic downturn, I am enormously optimistic for our future. As we all know in our hearts, snowsports are not a luxury, they are a passion!

A PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

You’re Going the Wrong Way!

By Dave Schuiling, Director of Slideways Education

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re you a one-dimensional slider? If you only slide one direction, then you are half of a skier or rider, incomplete and out of balance with the universe. In reference to ebb and flow, yin and yang, expiration and inspiration, are you on one side of natural harmony? If you don’t ride switch, stop on both sides, or spin both directions, you may be missing the key element toward self-actualization.

In my last article, I made reference to expanding one’s horizons and branching out to new and different sliding equipment.

Although the cross training benefits of cross discipline pollination are tremendous, becoming more versatile at your home and utilizing familiar gear are a great place to start. Therefore, it’s time to start riding the wrong way!

Correction please, because that last statement was “old school.” It’s time to start riding the “other” way; backwards, switch, reverse, fakey, retro, back side, revert, you get the point. Or not.

An Instructor e-mailed me in April expressing concern that switch basic parallel was a level two skiing exam maneuver. Backward skiing had been explained to him as simply an instructor trick for watching their students and he was concerned about the safety issue involved with not looking where one was going! Safety is always the priority, of course, but I made reference to the skiing Instructor Development Pathway (IDP) explaining the relevance of the ability to tip/turn the feet and legs from a different and versatile context. Switch skiing shows a level of mastery of fore/aft balance and potential Level 2 candidates are gaining greater ownership of this skill blend. Therefore, they explore basic freestyle mechanics that are relevant to Level 5, 6, and 7 students. I also went on to say, “we certainly cannot deny the freestyle movement, the relevance of modern equipment, and the new direction our snowsports industry is taking (no pun intended). Our industry has embraced freestyle by marketing and advertising freestyle features which, in turn, has strongly influenced the motivational desires of many of the younger participants who learn to ski in our children’s programs.”

His reply, “I don’t teach kids and I don’t FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

plan to teach freestyle. Secondly, improving fore/aft balance by practicing it backwards is about as logical as suggesting that fore/aft balance when walking is enhanced by doing it backwards.”

Well, now I was truly inspired. In fact, I’ve been composing this article since April!

I knew that going backwards was a key component to many people’s success and mine over the years. I grew up a competitive trick water skier and spent half my time sliding backwards and spinning in “reverse” directions. Reverse tricks were encouraged since you compile more points in your run for doing them. A 540-degree wake trick is accomplished in four different ways: you can take off and land from the forward or backward position and spin right or left. Sounds familiar? Slopestyle skiers and snowboarders score higher when they include regular and “switch” (reverse takeoff) tricks and also spinning both directions.

Although Simon Dumont went a lot higher in his half pipe run at the X games, Tanner Hall was more versatile with different spins takeoffs and landings, hence taking home the gold medal. And Shawn White, can you say Double Mctwist 1260? Switch riding is highly encouraged in snowboarding and is a required element in the level One Instructor Training Course (ITC) exam. When teaching beginner snowboarders, I would celebrate the student who took me literally and leaned his/ her entire body weight over the nose for that first, basic edge change. The result? The tail was so light that it would simply keep going resulting in a 180 or most of the time, a complete 360. I’d point out the fact that they were already doing advanced freestyle maneuvers on their very first day! Switch riding is crucial to one’s safety while learning to snowboard as the, “floating (more positive than falling) leaf” requires the rider to stay on one edge and maneuver both directions. Switch skiing can help a skier achieve the dorsi-flexion required to truly feel the front of their boots. The more I thought about sliding backwards and the many times I played with it while teaching, the more inspired I was to learn more about backing my business down the hill. As it turns out, there’s a whole world out there devoted to retro move-

ment. The research on backward walking and running is extremely extensive.

Did you know that 100 steps backward walking is equivalent to 1,000 steps forward?

Research reports that backward movement while lessoning stress on the body strengthens the heart, lungs, muscles and joints. Overall balance increases as well as hearing and peripheral vision. Backward locomotion has been used extensively in rehabilitation and training; the benefits also include a more erect posture, reduced range of motion, increased functional range of knee and hip joints and more range/balance of lower extremity muscular activity.1 Just as I was beginning to design my entire pre-season workout regimen around going the “other” way, I found the clincher, the true Dalai Lama moment for my research madness. Moving backwards may be good for your brain! It fits the essential criteria for neurobic activity that cause neural connections to grow in your brain. In order for an activity to be a brain building neurobic activity it must have one or more of the following going for it. 1) Involve one or more of your senses in a novel context. 2) Engage your attention. 3) Break a routine activity in an unexpected, novel way.2 I can guarantee that when you turn around and start heading switch down a frozen slope, neurobic activity kicks into overdrive.

Although switch sliding is not only a heck of a good time, it is physically very good for your body, and even makes you smarter! I can’t think of any better reasons to improve your game than to rewind your way around the mountain. Expand your horizons and become more at peace, more in touch with the natural harmonic rhythms of the mountains.

Just imagine the multi dimensional, intellectual chairlift conversations that will inspire new technologies and medical breakthroughs.

Please practice safe sliding while riding switch and remember to look over your shoulder or under your arm pit! I look forward (and backward) to seeing you out there.

A 1 http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/btbates/backward/ backward1.htm 2 http://www.onlinebraingamesblog.com 5

N-Mail

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our N-mail is here. You might be asking, “what would something as Nordic as my N-mail be doing here in September?” You’ve got a good point. But as you should know, being a Nord isn’t seasonal.

Although there’s no reason to give up on late summer, fall, and their associated outstanding activities, it’s time to start planning for winter. You have much to accomplish once the snow flies!

So here we go. The first item on our agenda is looking ahead. Planning is critical. What are your Nordic Skiing goals for this winter?

Education? Definitely. Certification? Possibly. Improved technique? Always. Enhanced endurance and speed? Hopefully (at least some day). Participating in a PSIA-RM Nordic event this winter can help you accomplish any or all of these goals. It’s just a matter of figuring out which events to choose. For this N-mail, let’s focus on education and expanding your horizons which is, coincidentally, a big theme around the division this season.

The PSIA-RM Curriculum Guide will help, but perhaps I can be of assistance as well. May I suggest the Nordic Instructor Rendezvous— XC, Tele, or both—as an outstanding way to get your season rolling and put you on the right track towards achieving your Nordic Skiing goals for the winter? There’s something about the Rendezvous that makes this event consistently fun and worthwhile, whatever the snow conditions. Every year it’s well attended and a huge amount of fun. Maybe it’s seeing the many familiar faces (and meeting new ones) so early in the season. Maybe it’s just the excitement of the start of the new season and getting in some quality skiing in addition to great technique tips and teaching ideas in early December. But it’s always an inspiring event, something you shouldn’t miss. Log on, you might as well sign up right now.

Other, more specialized early season events are XC Beyond Level 3 and Tele 401 Workshop. It’s still a bit early for finalized details, but if my Intel sources are correct, this year’s XC event should feature Classic Technique with Dave Stewart, head coach of DU Nordic.

If you are already Level 3 XC certified and looking to refine your traditional technique as well as get the latest on elite level classic ski6

By Jim Sanders

ing, this is your clinic. On the high-end Tele side of things, the “Tele Trainers Workshop” will keep you on the cutting edge of Tele training and skiing concepts, thus providing a great early start to your season.

Not to get stuck on the high end of the spectrum, as mentioned in the last N-mail, we are offering a brand new way to expand your Nordic horizons this year with the “Learn to Skate” and “Learn to Tele” days in January.

These events will be offered at a variety of ski areas around the division on the same day, so you can try something new and get clinic credit without having to travel all over the state.

But then again, you might want to travel across the state for the PSIA XC National Academy, slated to take place this year at Devil’s Thumb on Jan. 31 – Feb. 1, simultaneously with the SIA Snow Show On-Snow Demo. This is something totally new and it’s going to be a winner. I don’t have a lot of details yet, but it should feature National Nordic Team members, elite level coaches and racers, Nordic instructors from around the country, Devil’s Thumb (our own Nordic version of Mecca), and 2011/12 equipment to demo. Having attended the SIA On-Snow Demo at the Thumb last winter (it was awesome) and participated in the Tele National Academy at Arapahoe Basin last spring (it rocked) I can tell you first hand that this is going to be a great event, a one of a kind experience. This event is still breaking news for me, so let me just say that there will be

more details to follow in the next N-mail.

Along the lines of expanding horizons, I have to continue some harping from the last N-mail. Sure, there are plenty of Nordic things you should do this season, both for education and certification. But to truly develop versatility and breadth of experience, you might also try something that would seem, well, unnordic at first. In the last N-mail I suggested Children’s or Freestyle Accreditation. In case these don’t spark your interest, why not consider taking any of our many PSIA-RM clinic offerings on Alpine skis or a Snowboard?

Maybe even get on the path of Level 1 Cert for one of these seemingly non-Nordic disciplines? Okay, I hear it now. (Circle appropriate terms) “I used to Alpine ski/Snowboard, but I didn’t like the crowds/noise/lines/hype/ fur coats/corn dogs. That’s why I became a Nord.” First of all, once a Nord, always a Nord, it goes way beyond equipment choices.

Second of all, why not forget the stereotypes and venture out and take a look at some of these types of sliding from the lens of the present: you with your current body of snow sliding and instructing experience and knowledge. There is so much to learn, especially the empathy you get by becoming a beginner again. Other great benefits you might just realize include meeting new and interesting folks with more common interests than you might imagine, new perspectives and teaching ideas, improved skills, and increased experiences/understanding you will be able to share with your clients and their families (who more than likely slide on a wide variety of equipment when they take a winter vacation). Go ahead, try it, it won’t hurt so badly.

One of the beauties of Nordic skiing is you can go out for an XC or Skate session just before or just after you Alpine or Snowboard.

Your Nordic equipment won’t get jealous for the short time you are away.

That’s enough about winter for now. It will be here soon enough, and we’ll be more than ready by then. Personally, I still have several high peaks to explore on foot before it gets too cold. I hope to see you up there.

There’s always time to chat in the high country. Until then, you can e-mail n-mail at hugeglide@aol.com. See ya’.

A PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

Fitness

By Donny Roth

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ow often do you work with a guest that fails to meet his or her goal, or his or her potential, for lack of fitness? We typically focus on improving a student’s technique in order to maximize the benefits of the day. This is only logical. We cannot change someone’s fitness level in one session, although we may help a student to be more efficient. But isn’t it rewarding when we get to spend time with a guest that comes prepared? lack of fitness? We typically focus on improving a student’s technique in order to maximize the benefits of the day. This is only logical. We cannot change someone’s fitness level in one session, although we may help a student to be more efficient. But isn’t it rewarding when we get to spend time with a guest that comes prepared?

Could this work the other way around?

Do you think students notice when their pro is fit? In reality, most of our students won’t spend enough time with us to notice a difference. Most instructors spend so much time on their skis that they excel at maximizing their own efficiency, and always appear smooth as silk. The reality is that we are not always so dialed-in, and being athletes, we feel those limitations.

Hopefully, you’ve been out all summer riding your bike, hiking or running, playing in the river, rock climbing, or any of the other activities that we all enjoy in the warmer months. These activities can give you a strong fitness base particularly in the areas of aerobic capacity and body coordination. This is a great start. But it is not enough to really perform at your peak as a skier.

While being physically fit enough to go on a hike or a long bike ride would be an awesome start for most of our students, it is not good enough for a full-time ski professional.

Injuries, fatigue, and a lack of motivation for free-skiing are all signs of lacking the proper fitness to do this job well.

Attempting to “ski yourself into shape” is not sufficient. Early season skiing does not change your fitness level. It simply allows you to get used to the movements and become more efficient. It is important but it is not a substitution for coming into the season prepared.

FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

To properly prepare as a ski professional it is critical to spend a period of time in the fall training specifically for skiing. Gyms like the Alpine Training Center in Boulder, Colorado, offer skiing- specific programs for avid-skiers and professional athletes alike. This July I had the opportunity to go through a sample workout directed by owner Connie Sciolino.

After catching my breath and coming back to my senses we were able to have a great discussion about training properly.

Skiing is an activity that requires agility, balance, and a high capacity for work meaning to create an intense output over a short period of time. Riding a bike, hiking in the mountains, and trail running all build aerobic fitness and strength. But as Sciolino points out, “Skiing requires a lot of eccentric movement with the quads therefore we do a lot of cleans, jumps, and sprints.” meaning to create an intense output over a short period of time. Riding a bike, hiking in the mountains, and trail running all build aerobic fitness and strength. But as Sciolino points out, “Skiing requires a lot of eccentric movement with the quads therefore we do a lot of cleans, jumps, and sprints.”

A good early season training routine must emphasize agility. There are various ways of training to become more agile, but a workout that involves plyometric exercises, like jumping, trains agility and builds power at the same time. Jumping linear, lateral, on and over obstacles and in patterns is excellent training that relates directly to improved onhill performance.

It’s critical to recognize the benefits of getting this training in before the season gets going. Sciolino makes an excellent statement when she says “Starting the season strong, one will be able to do more, ski more, push harder throughout the season instead of spending the first few weeks tired and sore from skiing.” All of this training will also build core strength - a critical component to injury prevention. Even small injuries early in the season can be major setbacks. Properly preparing for the season in October and November can prevent a professional from playing catch-up.

If done well, it allows one to stay an important step ahead!

Joining a group is also extremely beneficial. While a good plyometric routine does not have to be overly scientific and can be done alone, there are good reasons to train in a group environment. Obviously paying for a scheduled class helps motivate one to fit it into the day. But the big bonus comes during class when you begin pushing each other. In my case, even though it was a private situation Connie brought in one of her best clients to help push me. It worked tremendously well.

There were many instances when I wanted to quit but the guy next to me was still suffering, so I chose to as well. Sciolino acknowledges this by saying, “Training in small groups allows athletes to motivate each other, to push each other, and build a true spirit in the gym.

Its pretty amazing mostly because everyone is training harder and smarter than if they were on their own.”

If we think about our experiences while skiing well, we know that good skiing feels powerful, energetic, and agile. Skiing from top to bottom without stopping is always a rewarding experience. As a pro, being able to “light it up,” and still talk at the end of the run is an important skill. None of this happens magically. We have to put our time in, and train like professionals. This fall consider joining a group for some ski specific training.

It will pay dividends.

Donny Roth is a PSIA-RM Examiner, and owner of Alpine Ambitions. For more information, visit oth is a PSIA-RM Examiner, and owner of Alpine Ambitions. For more information, visit www.alpineambitions.com The Alpine Training Center is located in Boulder, Colorado, and is owned and operated by Connie Sciolino. For more information visit www.alpinetrainingcenter.com A Donny Roth is a PSIA-RM Examiner, and owner of Alpine Ambitions. For more information, visit oth is a PSIA-RM Examiner, and owner of Alpine Ambitions.

For more information, visit www.alpineambitions.com The Alpine Training Center is located in Boulder, Colorado, and is owned and operated by Connie Sciolino. For more information visit www.alpinetrainingcenter. com 7

The Continuing Evolution of Our Organization

By Linda Guerrette

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he RM Board of Directors along with Dana Forbes, Executive Director, are looking at opportunities to transform how we meet the needs of the membership, member schools, the industry as a whole, and the new IRS Tax Form 900. In examining these opportunities, we realize the challenge is to welcome new members and retain existing ones. This will require creativity and innovation, especially since we operate in a complex and constantly changing world.

We pay homage to George Engel Jr., Merrill G. Hastings Jr., Willy Schaeffler, Rudi Schnackenberg, Trad Fortna, Gorden Wren, Sepp Olmi, Hans Wagner and Per Stoen for their insights and devotion to the idea of developing this organization. They established a platform to address future challenges regarding customer base, the economy, ski and marketing technologies and changes in the industry as a whole.

The Board looks forward to weaving our roots into a vision and direction that seeks opportunities to sustain and grow within our own organization and align ourselves with others.

“Organizations are goal-directed, boundary-maintaining, and socially constructed systems of human activity, whereupon people pursue activities too broad in scope to be accomplished by individuals or families acting on their own.”

PSIA-RM-AASI is a goal-oriented orga-

nization. In the last few years, we have migrated to being an Adaptive organization and will continue to be Adaptive because most people have learned to expect continual improvement in their life experiences.

In order to manage change and not have it manage us, we have asked ourselves a few key questions: how much do we change, under what conditions, and is the rate of change responsive to changing environments? Thus, the Board is thinking strategically about transformation in the following dimensions: Goals, Boundaries, and Activities (systems).

Goals

Besides reflecting the wants and needs of our membership, Goal-setting should take into account the potentially conflicting preferences of other organizations and individuals who supply their resources. This sensitivity drives home our need to affirm our purpose and principles as we attempt any redesign.

Last year, the Board worked on developing the Strategic Message which is currently being utilized as a lens over everything we do as an organization. Noteworthy is that this message supports the idea of operating as an Adaptive organization. Expansion of the Professional Development Series, which offers ongoing job specific training for the membership, is one area where we are devoting energies.

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Boundaries

In September, 1969, after a year of arduous work by Jim Riley, President of RMSIA, and Rudi and Dottie Schnackenberg, the IRS granted RMSIA a tax-exempt status under Section 501 (c) (6). We also have a Section (c) 3 for our Education Foundation.

Operating as a nonprofit organization comes with responsibilities to the public. Organizations by nature differentiate between members and non-members. We are being given the opportunity to re-engineer our Boundaries between those two groups.

What exactly that will look like is being discussed at this juncture. When we have more information we will share it with you.

Activity Systems

People, information, and materials comprise Activity Systems. We endeavor to bring RM into compliance with tax law and have devoted significant time to that issue.

The IRS Tax Form 990 was definitely the impetus for The Board to examine the following areas: Governance, Management and Disclosure and Compensation information.

IRS Tax Form 990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax, is the IRS’s primary tool for gathering information about tax-exempt organizations, for educating organizations about tax law requirements, and for promoting compliance with tax law.

The 2009 Form 990, schedules, and instructions have been revised to modify and clarify certain reporting requirements.

Defining Board Principles and Practices will provide the Board structure which will enable us to operate more effectively and efficiently as new members join the existing Board on an annual basis. This foundation will allow the Board to concentrate on strategic issues that add value to the organization and thus the membership. Policies are established to guide behavior and provide the platform to evolve.

Compensation considerations required the Board to examine how RM establishes and reports compensation. A Compensation Workgroup was established to evaluate the process and our actual compensation packages including cash, salaries and benefits.

PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

Adaptive Party

By John James The workgroup gathered information from Salary Surveys, consulted with HR professionals in charge of developing compensation packages, and did extensive research on developing compensation philosophy and complete compensation package designs.

The IRS requires compensation packages for nonprofit executives (and other nonprofit employees) to be reasonable.

So, what is “reasonable”? Reasonable compensation is defined by Reg. 1.162-7(b) (3) as the amount that would ordinarily be paid for like services by like organizations in like circumstances. Here, all forms of compensation — not just salary or wages — must be included in the analysis.

After all of the fact gathering, the Board made wage adjustments for the RM staff and thus we have met the “reasonable” level and we are in compliance. Through the combined efforts of the Compensation Workgroup and the Board, a compensation philosophy and a structure for a complete compensation package have been established. A Compensation Committee will continue to evaluate the package and present recommendations to the Board in the future.

The Board is excited about taking the purpose and principles that were established 60 years ago and making them relevant in today’s world. How we accomplish the purpose and principles may look different but it is a tribute to the following statement, “to learn is to change. Education is a process that changes the learner. Learning involves interaction between the learner and his environment, and its effectiveness relates to the frequency, variety, and intensity of the interaction” The Board understands “To manage a business well is to manage its future; and to manage its future is to manage information.”

So please, let your Board representative know your thoughts: what you would like to see changed and what you would like to see us keep doing…

Thank you for your involvement. This is your organization. lindaguerrette@aol.com A FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

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hat if you threw a party and no one came? Let me re-phrase: what if you threw a party and quite a few people wanted to come, but they had a hard time finding the front door; then once they found it the bouncer scared off most of the people and those that actually got in went through a maze of unlit rooms with no real direction to the party? How many people who finally make it to the party would really want to stay?

That’s what it has felt like in the world of Adaptive Snowboard Certification the past few years. The pathway had been confusing with many different modules and no endgame in sight because of a lack of a Level 3 Certification. All of this has kept many quality adaptive snowboard instructors from even starting the process.

When the Adaptive Snowboard Committee (Scott Anfang, John James, Bobby Palm and Barbara Szwebel) gathered in Steamboat in late February to develop the ASB Level 3 Certification, we quickly realized the entire certification process needed an overhaul to draw more people into this ever-growing market.

We immediately tackled the Level 1 Cert and decided we needed something much more broad based. Our solution was to develop an Instructor Training Course fashioned after Alpine and Snowboard. A three day “clizam” would give more people a chance to enter the process without having to pigeonhole themselves into a specialty. Also, many adaptive programs have a large volunteer base who are extremely motivated and dedicated, but often don’t have the opportunity to train ASB specific.

This will help fill their needs. Of course safety for both instructors and students is still a primary focus, so we maintained a

high standard of riding in Cert 1, with a strong emphasis on the ability to ride switch. However, the only prerequisite to sign up is membership in PSIA-AASI-RM. Once a broad base of knowledge is established in Cert 1, it made more sense to make specialties the domain of Cert 2. So we returned to the three established modules for Adaptive Snowboard: Visually Impaired/Cognitive Disabilities/Hard of Hearing, Physical Disabilities/ Stand-Up, and Physical Disabilities/ Sit-Down. Each is a three day event with two days of clinic and one day of exam. Emphasis at Level 2 will be more toward developing progressions specific to disabilities, enhancing technical understanding of equipment and medical issues, and furthering riding ability to expand a student’s terrain options. Pass any module and you have achieved Level 2 Adaptive Snowboard.

Finally, we returned to our original purpose—constructing a Level 3 Certification for ASB. Once again, we drew from the strengths of the Snowboard process and decided upon a concept-oriented, futuredriven event. Candidates will have to complete and pass the remaining two modules before attending the 2 day Cert 3 prep and passing a 2 day exam. Those clinic days will extend candidates’ riding capabilities, increase their disability knowledge, and their capacity to develop new, innovative techniques and progressions. Examiners will give candidates feedback throughout the clinics and counsel them on whether and when to take the exam.

What do you think? Sound like a party worth attending? At least, there’s no velvet rope blocking your way. We want you to join us. We’re a fun group and we have a lot to share, so check your curriculum guide for the upcoming event dates.

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INSTRUCTOR TO INSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER

Summer 2010 Board Briefs

The official newsletter of the Rocky Mountain Division is published four times per year with an average circulation of 6000.

The schedule for submission of articles and advertisements is listed below:

A complete copy of any of the minutes may be obtained by contacting the RM office.

ISSUE

SUBMISSION DELIVERY

DEADLINE

Fall Winter Spring Summer

August 10 November 10 February 10 May 10

September December March June

CLASSIFIED AD RATES

• Classified rate for members is $15 for up to 200 characters, and $2.00 for each additional 50 characters. Maximum ad length is 400 characters.

• Classified rate for non-members is $30 for up to 200 characters, and $4.00 for each additional 50 characters. Maximum ad length is 400 characters.

DISPLAY ADVERTISING RATES

1. On July 15th, Brian Dunfey made a motion to purchase Units C2 and C3 shops at the Grand Hotel Condominiums, 2300 Mount Werner Circle, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487.

2. A call to vote was made on July 17th with results counted July 19th. The board voted to purchase Units C2 and C3 shops at the Grand Hotel Condominiums, 2300 Mount Werner Circle, Steamboat Springs, CO 80487.

3. At the August 4 & 5 meeting, the board voted to accept the proposed salary ranges for staff. It is the responsibility of the Executive Director to determine the salaries of individuals who hold these positions.

4. The board held an executive session to

determine personnel matters.

5. A telephone conference call was held August 30 and the board voted to approve both the PSIA-RM and Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Educational Foundation budgets.

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University of Colorado Continuing Education October 2010

• Ads submitted must be camera ready or in digital format.

• All ads will be printed in black and white only.

• No ad cancellations will be accepted after the submission deadline.

Size

Price

1/12 page $60.00 1/8 page $90.00

1/6 page $115.00

¼ page $175.00

1/3 page $220.00

½ page $330.00

2/3 page $420.00

¾ page $475.00 Full page $600.00

Width x Height

2.5” x 2.5” 2.5” x 3.75” or 3.75” x 2.5” 2.5” x 5.0” or 5.0” x 2.5” 2.5” x 7.5” or 7.5” x 2.5” or 3.75” x 5.0” 2.5” x 10.0” or 5.0” x 5.0” or 7.5” x 3.35” 5.0” x 7.5” or 7.5” x 5.0” or 3.75” x 10.0” 5.0” x 10.0” or 7.5” x 6.67” 7.5” x 7.5” 7.5” x 10.0”

* Inserts, colors and special arrangements quoted upon request. * All ad prices are quoted per issue.

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Ron LeMaster

Ski Technique and Biomechanics Presented by Ron LeMaster

A course for coaches, instructors, and all skiers seeking to improve through an in-depth understanding of how skiing works and how the best skiers in the world ski.

The course will provide an in-depth exploration of ski

technique and its application to advanced skiing situations.

Ski design and boot setup will also be discussed.

In-class presentations will draw heavily on video and photos of expert skiing and World Cup competition.

Educational credit granted by the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).

• Four 1½ - 2 hour sessions

• Tuesday evenings, Oct. 5 - 26, 6:00 pm at CU, Boulder • Cost: $98. Discounts available for CU alumni and staff • Open to the general public

• For more information, or to enroll through the University of Colorado web site, visit http://conted.colorado.edu/ and find course NCLS 1100.

Ron LeMaster is the author of numerous books and articles on skiing and ski technique, and lectures frequently throughout the ski world. He is a technical advisor to the U.S. Ski Team and Vail Ski School.

PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

INQUIRE-­INSTILL-­EXCITE

By Stacey Gerrish

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nquire-­Instill-­Excite Inquire, instill and excite! This is the mantra I repeat to myself when teaching. Inquire-­‐ to know my students through conversation and observation. Instill-­‐ to introduce through gradual and persistent effort, movement patterns in students of various ages and abilities.

Excite-­‐ to create, enhance and continue their experience and excitement while on the snow.

These principles are complimented with use of the CAP model.

The CAP model is essential to effective instruction and coaching for all ages, children and adults. The CAP model is teaching the “whole student”, addressing their Cognitive abilities and needs, their Affective (emotional) abilities and needs, and their Physical abilities and needs.

As instructors our role is to provide a safe, fun learning environment for our students.

To accomplish this successfully we need to function as “investigators”. We need to investigate each student, assess their cognitive understanding and needs, assess their emotional state, their motivations, and assess their physical capabilities, and THEN we develop our action plan for the lesson. Too often as instructors we skip the investigation and go directly to the action plan, our instructor comfort zone.

Establishing the initial connection is the easy part, sharing names, ages, home towns, and previous ski or snowboard experience.

The in depth investigating is continuous and should carry on for the full duration of the lesson. As you gather and assess continually adjust the action plan to meet each student’s ever changing needs.

Apart from establishing the initial connection, these are my seven most important concepts for teaching children to ski or snowboard.

1. Ask questions and find resolution together: Instructors often ask how to deal with “difficult” situations with children, for example “I’m teaching Joey and he cries when the wind blows, what should I do?” Did you ask Joey why he’s crying when the wind blows? If Joey’s response indicates he has a fear related to wind, let Joey know it’s okay FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

to have fears, share some of your own. Most importantly take Joey aside and ASK THE QUESTION, let Joey answer the question and then work together to find a resolution. Too often when I’ve given this advice the instructor says “good idea! I was so frustrated with his crying I took the whole class inside for a break. I didn’t ask him any questions, next time I will.”

2. Mileage on appropriate terrain: As a result of being in school, most parents and children are motivated by progress and results (scores, grades, level changes). They see advancement as success and as good value.

Instructors are frequently asked, “when can I have poles, when can I ski on a blue/black/ double black/tree or glade run?” As instructors we need to set up fun and relevant practice/mileage time so it doesn’t feel verbose and repetitive to our students. Mileage can be an adventure and an effective tool for promoting movement changes and skill growth.

3. Creative teaching: Pizza slice and French fries are valuable descriptions to use while teaching although they’re considered “old school” and while children benefit from repetition they’ll remember and respond to creative, appropriate and relevant word choice.

Listen and learn from the children in your lessons and use their words to create exercises to help them learn skills. Investigate their current lingo, listen to their phrases and conjure up a way to use their words in your drills. Keep it relevant to skill enhancement, they’ll relate to their own words, they’ll remember the les-

son and they’ll want to participate in the drill.

4. Expectations: We have them, the parents have them and the children have them. Ask questions to gather the various expectations early in the lesson, listen, take note and be sure to review and compare their expectations with the reality and options as the lesson unfolds. It’s important to include the children’s expectations and to review the lesson achievements with the children prior to lesson end. Then review again with the parents.

5. Train to independence: Set children up to be independently successful on the slopes rather than only successful when following their instructor. While their perceptual skills are developing this can be a challenging feat, but not an impossible one. Teach them how to maneuver the mountain, increase their awareness of their surroundings, and teach them how to gauge speed, distance and space related to moving and to stopping. Teach them how to make smart and safe choices and acknowledge them when they do.

6. Include props: Props and/or teaching aids are wonderful attention grabbers while working with children. Especially if the prop is something the children relate to and want to play with. Props help them maintain a “distracted focus”. The prop distracts them enough to keep them focused and learning when the prop is used as a relevant piece of the lesson. Props could include stuffed animals, toys, bubbles, stickers, cones, racecourses, mountain specific children’s learning zones, balloons, and helmet covers.

7. Responsibility and reward: Many children favor a feeling of responsibility; it makes them feel “older”. Set guidelines and boundaries within the lesson, and assign some responsibility to the children (choosing the next run, helping someone else when they fall). When they perform their responsibility well provide a reward, something they view as tangible and something you can truly follow through with. (If you have stickers, they could collect a sticker from you.) Inquire, instill, and excite! Following a successful lesson, remember what you did to establish the result, write it down. Do this often, review your list and you’ll notice your amount of successful lessons will surpass those frustrating ones!

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If only…

By Ronnie Hyatt, Evergreen, CO 80439

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f I only knew then what I knew now, I would have, ... ”. That’s what I was saying to myself on the ride home from Vail last January. I had worked hard and had a this great sense of accomplishment. Yet I was a little troubled as well. I had just passed my Level 1 Certification and was exhausted.

Everyone I talked to prior to taking the examination, said that getting your Cert. 1 was a piece of cake more or less, and not to worry. And sure enough I had done it. But it wasn’t as easy as I thought it was going to be, or was lead to believe.

I studied the material, completed the instructing prerequisite, and attended an on-snow training session at my home mountain. I was off to cross the T’s, dot the I’s, get my pin, get a raise, and move up the pecking order at ski school. I was on my way. I was nervous but at the same time confident I would pass with flying colors, (even with a couple of broken ribs).

The first day of the Level 1 ITC was the Alpine Indoor Overview. Indoors? Really? I wanted to get outside on the snow and learn how to be a ski instructor. How could I do that sitting inside all day? Well, it didn’t take long for me to realize that what I knew about being a ski instructor was only just the tip of the iceberg. I can’t tell you enough how invaluable that indoor overview was.

It takes everything you’ve studied, expands it, and then gives you more. At the end of the day, I left satiated, and at the same time hungry for more knowledge.

The second day was the Alpine Teaching/MA. I was in awe when I walked in the room to stow my gear and get ready to go on snow. Many of the examiners there were guys and gals that were/are legends in the snow industry. Now I was getting really nervous. Once we got on snow and warmed-up, the butterflies were all but gone. My examiner was phenomenal in creating an atmosphere that soon allayed my jitters. There were about 10 of us in our group and he took the time not only to get to know each of us, but also took the time to train us individually as well. I felt I had done a more than a decent job of MA, skied well and knocked the teaching out of 12

the park. I was learning so much and picking up so many new ideas and techniques that I couldn’t wait to get back to my home ski school and implement my new found knowledge. Only one more day to go.

The third day, Alpine Skiing. I was looking forward to this day. Our examiner told us not to be nervous and not to worry if we flubbed something this day. He told us he would take the better of the two days, yesterday and today for our final assessment score. I was in heaven. I skied really well yesterday, so I had nothing to worry about.

My only concern was getting through the varied terrain with a couple of broken ribs.

Just so long as we stayed out of the bumps I was money. I wasn’t skiing as well as I was yesterday but holding my own. Time for the varied terrain, Bumps. I’m not that good in the bumps to begin with but even worse with broken ribs. The first run wasn’t nearly good enough so I got to go again.

My examiner took me under his wing and began to give me and a couple others in the group a bump lesson. And it worked! Skiing them the correct way sure is a lot easier on broken ribs. My examiner continued to give me a little extra instruction throughout the day. I was in heaven. I was getting a free lesson from one of the best, and was going to get a pin at the end of the day to boot. All the pain and hard work was going to pay off.

I got my pin. But I just passed: Barely.

Where my classmates had seen a home-run in my teaching exam, my examiner’s view differed. And he was right. Good.

That would give me something to work on and never repeat again, hopefully. He said my skiing was marginal. Marginal? Sure I was tired and didn’t ski as well the second day but the first day I had done pretty well.

And I even conquered the bumps.

Even though I passed I was somewhat dejected on that two hour ride home. I had finally found something that I was truly passionate about and I was just marginal?

I love being an instructor, sharing my passion with others, getting to see that kid that didn’t believe in his/her-self at the beginning of a lesson, beam with the biggest grin

on their face at the end of the day, doing what they thought was impossible, and having fun doing it. I had big plans for my skiinstructing career. Marginal.

When I got home the first thing I did was sign up for all the Cert. 2 training available at my home mountain. I went to as many MA sessions as possible. I sought out a wide spectrum of advice from lifties, ski patrol, groomers, ski rental agents, ski/sb instructors, the children’s TLC team, supervisors, managers, and the ski school director. I watched how the veterans taught and asked them questions about the hows/what ifs of their teaching methods. Participating in the Cert. 2 training and talking to my home mountain trainers made me realize that my examiner had been right.

If I had only knew then what I know now, I would have taken advantage of as much of the free training my home mountain offered prior to the Level 1 ITC, gotten frank advice on what I needed to work on and then worked on it. If I had only knew what I know now, I would have stayed at a hotel instead of commuting 2 hours each way in order to save a few bucks. The broken ribs didn’t help my skiing and I was so exhausted after the full days of ITC that the pain from them kept me from falling asleep at the wheel on my way home each day. If I had only knew then what I know now, I may have been a better instructor earlier on by applying what I was learning during training sessions (that I didn’t take). I did a decent job but feel bad knowing if I had known then what I know now I could have made my students experience even better.

Had I not been humbled (Marginal), I don’t know if I would have come back to my home mountain and strived to make myself a better instructor. In part because of the training opportunities available at my home mountain, and especially due to the support of other instructors and the leadership team, I was awarded Part Time Youth Instructor of the Year at Copper Ski and Ride School. I could not have done it without everyone at Copper. And I could not have done it without that honest and fair assessment by Rick, my RM-PSIA’s ITC examiner.

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Instructor of the Year­: Richard Thorpe, Telluride

Scholarship Recipients

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nline event registration will be available again to all Rocky Mountain members but with something new! You will now be able to complete your online event registration at the national website: www.thesnowpros.org. Members will need to login using either the user name and password they have created for the site OR their national number as both user name and password. In the lower portion of the menu on the left-hand of the screen you will see a link for ‘Meeting Search’ where you can search by division, discipline, session (clinic type), location and start date.

While you’re at the site, please check your profile and update any contact information that has changed including mailing address, phone numbers and e-mail address. This information allows the Rocky Mountain and national offices to contact you so please keep us up to date! While there, please go to the ‘My Schools’ section and add the member school(s) where you teach.

The Rocky Mountain website, www.psia-rm.org, will still be available for membership information, Rocky Mountain member benefits, member school contact information, RM scholarship information, descriptions of clinics and exams, educational materials, application form downloading, newsletters in PDF format, job opportunities in RM and product ordering.

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ichard Thorpe began his career as a ski instructor in 1971 and, though he has pursued other paths, Richard has always remained determined to be able to do what he loves best: teach people how to ski. For the last decade, Thorpe has worked at Telluride Ski Resort and is now a private lesson instructor and trainer. He has performed consistently in a variety of positions and roles, including instructor, trainer, coach and ski school council member. Whether he is teaching young first-timers or helping longtime skiers perfect their skills, Thorpe is loved and respected by his clients for his kind and honest approach. His strong work ethic and exceptional people skills make Richard one of the most successful instructors at Telluride and in all of Colorado.

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Hannah Morrison, daughter of member Doug Morrison, was awarded a $500 Educational Foundation scholarship. She begins her freshman year at the University of Arizona.

Paul Britvar, son of member Lovelyn Britvar, was awarded a $500 Educational Foundation scholarship. He begins his freshman year at the University of Montana-Bozeman.

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Rocky Mountain Regional Team Training

Arapahoe Basin April 18 – 20, 2011 Practice & train for the 2012 National Teams Selection.

Simulate (mock) the National Selection process to success!

Gain Valuable Insight and Feedback to enhance your development.

Bring back valuable tools & coaching to your home resorts.

Represent your Division as you train together for the big show! *Disclaimer: This regional process is NOT required to attend the National Selections in 2012, although it is strongly encouraged! Whether or not you are able to attend the regional training/ selections, you will need to let the Rocky Mountain office know of your intention to participate in the National Teams selection by November 1, 2011.

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Winter 2010-11 Job Postings Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Instructors The NSCD is currently accepting applications for adapted ski and snowboard instructors for the 2010-2011 winter season.

This seasonal position begins November 8, 2010 and ends April 10, 2011 with an hourly wage range from $11.00 to $12.00 DOE. Work weeks are generally 40 hours but if not lessons are booked schedules may be curtailed. Instructors teach skiing and/or snowboarding to individuals with disabilities, assist with the instruction involved in the weekly, special, and sit ski programs and also support other departments within the NSCD. Qualified applicants must have at least a PSIA or AASI Level I certification at the time of hire or obtain it by February 11, 2010, at minimum be an intermediate level skier, and have a background in working with people with special needs, teaching, or the instruction of ski and/or snowboard lessons.

Adaptive Ski and Snowboard Instructor and Program Coordinators The NSCD is currently accepting applications for adapted ski and snowboard instructor/program coordinators for the 2010-2011 winter season. This seasonal position begins November 8, 2010 and ends April 17, 2011 with an hourly wage of $13.00. Work weeks are generally 40 hours with no overtime opportunities.

Instructor/coordinators teach skiing and/ or snowboarding to individuals with disabilities several days per week and also coordinate a weekly program within NSCD. Program coordination consists of communication with contracting agency, overseeing and mentoring volunteer instructors who teach the agency lessons, collecting agency participation data and progress notes and communicating with the NSCD rental shop for daily equipment needs.

Qualified applicants must have at least a PSIA or AASI Level II certification at the time of hire, at minimum be an intermediate level skier, and have a background teaching people with special needs to ski and/or snowboard.

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Customer Relations Representative The NSCD is currently accepting applications for customer relations representatives for the 2010-2011 winter season. This seasonal position begins November 8, 2010 and ends April 10, 2011 with an hourly wage range from $10.00 to $12.00 DOE. This position acts as a front line receptionist and also performs other daily duties such as coordination of lesson check-in, answer telephone calls; make reservations; sell tickets; answer routine questions; prepare invoices, registration materials and informational mailings; maintain files and records and perform data entry.

Qualified applicants must have computer skills and customer service experience.

To obtain more information or to apply for a position please E-mail or send cover letter and resume to Beth Fox, POB 1290, Winter Park, CO 80482 or E-mail it to bfox@nscd.org.

Join the fun in

Angel Fire, New Mexico Now hiriNg instructors for the 2010-2011 winter Season • We are “Instructor Centered” • On-going Training Provided • Everyone teaches adults, children, privates and groups • We offer incentive based pay • PSIA/AASI Focus • Cert Reimbursement/ Scholarship Program • A level playing field and we feed you lunch!

• Reasonable egos accepted.

Happy guests expected.

Equal Opportunity Employer RObIn MAy, AFSSS Director PO box 130, Angel Fire, nM 87710 angelfireresort.com

(include resume & cover letter)

Rmay@angelfireresort.com

Ski and Snowboard Instructors

Looking for an exciting winter in the Rocky Mountains teaching, come join the Crested Butte Ski and Ride School. The ski and ride school is committed to continued education and training in order to provide the highest level of teaching and guest services to our guests who visit Crested Butte Mountain Resort.

PSIA Level 1, 2, and 3 Certified Ski Instructors AASI Level 1, 2, and 3 Certified Snowboard Instructors For more information visit our website at www.skicb.com and look under employment or call Nicholas Herrin, Director of the Ski and Ride School nherrin@cbmr.com 970.349.2224 EOE

PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010

Loveland Ski Area Ski & Snowboard School is searching for the superstars to join our fun local team.

• Administrative Assistant • Certified & Uncertified Instructors Full & Part Time • Desk Customer Service Representatives • “A” Priority Status Instructors Full Time PSIA – AASI Level 2 + Certified Instructors and Advanced Educators. Guaranteed 7.5 scheduled hours available 5 days/week from 11/20 - 4/3/11. Early season teaching available as well. Late season teaching commitment is required. Private request and student incentives. Potential for holiday overtime pay. Previous instructor training experience is preferred. This is a great opportunity to become “core” Full Time professional at an established family owned Colorado Ski Area.

We will require a personal interview to pre-sign up for On-mountain hiring clinics for non-certified instructors. We ask for a minimum 14 day commitment on weekends and holidays and minimum 22 days for family pass benefits. All Full Time Instructors need weekday commitment. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please visit www.skiloveland.com on our employment page to download and print an application or come to the Office at Exit 216 I‐70 12 miles west of Georgetown.

FALL 2010 PSIA-RM/AASI

Family Friendly and Family Fun

Looking for family oriented full and part time ski and snowboard instructors for the 2010/11 ski season. PSIA certification not a requirement, just love of snowsports and a resonable skill level, plus a desire to be a part of the family team. We are located just 22 miles from Taos and our season is the longest in New Mexico. For information on joining our fun family, contact skisue@sipapunm. com or send your resume to: Sue Leslie PO Box 157, Vadito, NM 87579 Phone 575-587-2087 or 800-587-2240

Are you a growth oriented professional looking to join a high quality organization?

Be a part of the leading edge in Winter Park Resort’s Ski & Ride School which was the innovator of Guest Centered teaching! The Ski & Ride School at Winter Park Resort is currently accepting applications for: Adult Snowboard Supervisor International - Full-time only Level II & III Certified Ski Instructors Full-time and Part-time Level II & III Certified Adult and Kids Ski & Snowboard Instructors Full-time Level I Certified Kids Instructors

Taos Ski Valley Children’s Snowsport School Program and Instructor Supervisor

This position is responsible for the 1st grade through age 15 snowsports program.

It insures that parents and children have a positive experience. Also, it is responsible for developing a positive work environment for staff. Requirements: • College degree or equivalent preferred and experience in related field (i. e. childhood education.)

• Supervisory experience and knowledge of ski school administration and human resources management.

• Current full certification from PSIA or other recognized professional ski teaching certification program preferred.

• A complete background check is made of all persons in this department. A favorable background check is required.

To apply, visit www.skitaos.org .

Winter Park Resort is located in the beautiful and still wild Grand County, Colorado, averages snow totals of 300”, hosts a base area of 9000 feet, and is home to the mogul capital of the U.S.A… Mary Jane, extremely Colorado.

Apply online today at www.winterparkresort. com/employment or contact the Human Resources Recruiting Office for further information.

Email wpjobs@winterparkresort.com Phone 970.726.1536 Website: www.winterparkresort.com/employment

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PSIA/AASI Rocky Mountain Division P.O. Box 775143 Steamboat Springs, CO 80477 970.879.8335 / Fax 970.879.6760 www.psia-rm.org

Have you changed your PERMANENT address?

Please contact the PSIA-Rocky Mountain-AASI office in Steamboat Springs.

970-879-8335 phone 970-879-6760 fax carolyn@psia-rm.org

TAKE IT TC- THE NEXT LEVEL 16

PSIA-RM/AASI FALL 2010