PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

THE JOURNAL OF THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN PROFESSIONAL SKI AND SNOWBOARD INSTRUCTOR

SPRING 2013

Rocky Mountain Board Representatives Joel Munn, President, Front Range Rick Hinckley, Vice President, Southern District Rick Rodd, Secretary, Member at LargE Jenny Cooper, Southern District Donnie Mechalke, Front Range Alicia Houchen, Front Range Andy Docken, Western Slope Jane Tarlow, Front Range Tiffany Truitt, Western Slope Robert Lemley, Member at Large Robin May, Southern District Jason Hartmann, Western Slope PSIA/AASI Representative Peter Donahue COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Kirsten Atkins – Adaptive Chair Jonathan Ballou – Alpine Chair Dusty Dyar – Children’s Chair Jim Shaw – Nordic Chair Michael Blanton – Snowboard Chair Jack Sciacca – Member School Chair

Get your budget on

By Executive Director Dana Forbes

W

hile many from the outside world would assume as instructors we live “the lifestyle” whereas money does not matter, most of us know that is far from true. As a young single mom I recall how challenging it was to pay the bills on an instructor’s salary. The ebb and flows of the season and off season seemed to always keep me behind. I remember once putting the check to the gas company in the electric company’s envelope and vice versa, just to buy me some time. Fortunately I have learned over the years in order to avoid the pain and agony of having to sleep in your uniform because they shut your heat off for not paying the bill, that you must tell your money where you want it to go…before you spend it.

Might I suggest a project since its spring and many of you have some time on your hands; do a monthly budget.

Step One: Go through your last 12 months of bank statements and determine where and what you spend money on. A 12 month average is the best way to deal with the sporaticness of your spending and income.

Step Two: Put together a spreadsheet listing all expenses like rent, car payment, car insurance, electric/gas, fuel, phone, cable/ internet, groceries, restaurants, entertainment (aka bar tab), sliding equipment, clothing, gifts, animals, vacations/travel and anything else you regularly spend money on.

Step Three: Figure out your income. Be sure to include all jobs, gratuity, gift money and so on.

Step Four: Drop the categories and the dollar amounts onto a spreadsheet with expenses listed first from most important (food/rent) to least important (PBR and those cute jeans you saw online). Tally the total.

Step Five: Just below the expenses list all sources of income from the most consistent (job) to the least (winning the lottery). Tally the total.

Step Six: If you know how to work in excel, write a formula to add up both of your total expenses and total income, then a formula to automate the difference between expenses and income (this may prove to be a depressing number but fear not this is going to make things easier).

2

Step Seven: Copy the “main” budget into a new column and name it after the next upcoming month “May.” Each upcoming month will need some attention and slight tweaking.

Before the start of the next month, go through each category methodically to better gauge what it might be. For example, I have to drive from Steamboat to Denver twice in May plus I have one river trip in Grand Junction, therefore I may need to up my gas allowance and restaurant allowance. Now also keep in mind if your income is projected to be less then your spending then you need to reduce all extra spending until it equals out and you are on top. So maybe you don’t eat out for most meals or you buy a 12 pack instead of drinking at the bar.

Step Eight: Add a column that is for “spent and made” and every day update that column with the days spending or income. Again, use a formula to add up where you are at. As you spend it you need to deduct it from the monthly allowance. For example if you have $300 for groceries and you spend $54 you have $246 left.

Step Nine: LIVE by it! This will only work if you are disciplined. If it happens that you over spend in one area you must take it from another however this is not possible for bills, only for fun spending. For example, at the beginning of this month we went out for a nice anniversary dinner and spent our entire eating out budget so therefore we were not allowed to eat out again for the month of April. While a sacrifice, I must say the dinner was worth it and as cold as it’s been I would rather have heat than pizza delivery.

Step Ten: SAVE SAVE SAVE! I can’t emphasis this enough. When you have a good month and have a little extra, put it aside for mud season or those new skis you want next year. It’s a rule of thumb to have $1000 safety fund for emergencies like if your car breaks down. This will keep you from using a credit card. If you can do an auto withdraw from your paycheck to your bank every pay period that makes it super easy. Even if it’s only $25, it will be there when you need it, like the frozen chocolate bunny from Easter that you find after a rough day in September.

Step Eleven: Debt is the enemy. Pay off credit cards first. It is the top line in my budget above rent. Until all your loans are paid down you should not increase your spending. If you don’t have the money, don’t buy the thing.

The “thing” isn’t worth it. If you use a credit card and it has an interest of 10% and you buy something for $500 and it takes you 1 year to pay it off, you are paying $50 in interest.

Keep in mind that this is a process. You need to give it a few months to get the numbers just right and you need to give it even longer to discipline yourself to making the right choices when it comes to your money.

Remember to make adjustments so you have no surprises, this is why a daily check in will help. It also reminds you of your allowances so you don’t randomly spend $200 on clothes when your budget was $150. Be patient and disciplined and I assure you things will get better. As a member of Rocky Mountain you should know this is not much different than what we do annually for our two companies.

In March we start to work on next year’s budget. In June we approve it and every month after we check on it. I can tell you in the last six years this company has improved its products, reduced its spending and increased its savings so we can assure our sustainability.

On a recent board call I recommended no increase in dues or event fees for the 2013-14 season and the Budget and Finance Committee agreed. By being smart with our money we can be smart with yours.

Please don’t hesitate to call (970-879-8335 or email dana@psia-rm.org if you need help starting your own personal budget or if you have questions on your division’s budget.

PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

A World of Pure Imagination

By Dave Schuiling

C

ome with me, and you’ll be, in a world of pure imagination.” – Willy Wonka In many ways, during our winter time occupation, we truly do live in Wonkaland. Our guests are on vacation, escaping the real world and for a brief point in time, “living the dream.” When teaching children, this playful approach to viewing the world is a given, however we often get to slide with adults who are as giddy as Charlie when he found the golden ticket.

Achieving a goal, learning something new or attaining a milestone begins with a dream.

Dreaming big gets the juices flowing and you get so excited that you often forget what you’re doing. You make the buzzer shot to win the game, sink the long putt, win the masters race, slide the urban down-flat-down rail; maybe you earn that promotion or become the Ninja from GI Joe. I have a nine year old who wants to be that Ninja and eventually be number one ranked tennis player, the next Novak Djokovic. My job is to believe him wholeheartedly because to thwart his dreams is potentially detrimental to his ultimate potential. I also live with someone who wishes to win a ski SlopeStyle gold medal in the Olympics. In his mind, his Dad has absolutely no doubt in his ability to achieve that dream. Dreams are not only healthy; they are necessary steps toward achieving our goals.

Our guests come to us with dreams and we help give them the confidence and skills to attain them. They want to rip that black mogul run, ride down from the top of the Gondola or simply ride the lift for the first time. As sliding industry lifers, we also continue to dream. Can you imagine yourself getting that Silver pin after three days of focus at your Level 2 certification? Can you imagine yourself slaying your pipe run at the Level 3 Riding assessment day? Can you imagine yourself holding your line down Prima in total control on your way to passing fall line bumps? Can you imagine your name being called at the Rocky Mountain Trainer as the crowd erupts in applause? These are a few examples of constructive dream building.

Psychologist William James once said, “No man will ever accomplish all the things he has dreamed, but he will never do anything which

he has not dreamed.”

The stuff dreams are made of, as with all great performances involve incredible hard work and dedication. The qualities of a champion are cultivated through repetitious dreaming, or seeing themselves achieving the dream, and then working tirelessly to get there. Over the years, we have all witnessed the Cinderella stories that allow us to believe that anything is possible. A goose bump victory is the culmination of years of positive dreaming, and of course training. A few that come to mind are the 2007 Rockies, the 1954 Milan High School (Hoosiers) basketball team, the 1969 Miracle Mets, the 1980 US Men’s Olympic Hockey Team and Ted Ligety’s 2006 Gold medal in the combined.

We all have heroes that fuel our dreams. Our heroes never asked the question of “if” but

only “when.”

Now that most of the lifts have stopped turning, we all have some time to dream big about faceshots, perfect corduroy and our next season’s performance goals. Keep them alive by referring to them often and set some training goals to achieve them. What will you do this summer to stay on track and come back next season, stronger, fitter and smarter with your eye on the prize? Call it a new season’s resolution and go big!

When Helen Keller was asked if being blind was absolutely the worst thing, she replied, “No the worst thing is to be sighted and have no vision.” It all begins with a dream. Do you have yours?

Dave Schuiling Director of Education and Dreams

SPRING 2013 PSIA-RM-AASI 3

Got Skills?

By Jim Shaw

S 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 Coordinators - carissa@psia-rm.org and tim@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. 4

kills. These are the outcomes we are looking for as skiers. Outcomes in the ability to control the edge angle of our skis. Outcomes in the ability to control the rotation of our skis. Outcomes in the ability to control the pressure on our skis. Outcomes in the ability to control our balance over, against and, on our skis. And specifically in telemarking, outcomes in the ability to control the change of lead of our skis. The movements we make that control and determine the outcomes on our skis are what we as instructors teach and as athletes strive to improve. Becoming more efficient and effective at moving to create the desired outcome (and income!) is what it means to become more skillful.

In the RM Division our educational offerings are intended to teach and enhance an instructor’s skills and/or an instructor’s understanding and ability to teach skills. Certification events should evaluate an instructor’s skills as well as his or her understanding and ability to teach skills. This represents a significant difference from teaching maneuvers. For those of you who have attended a telemark event you may have practiced shuffling or monomark. These tasks could be viewed as maneuvers. It would be more accurate to view them as tasks that help to improve and identify our ability to isolate the lead change skill from the other skills. There are many tasks that can be used to improve our ability to isolate or blend skills!

As you may or may not know there has been a great deal of activity regarding the clarification, understanding and/or maintenance of a National Certification Standard.

Telemark has not been left out of the mix. In October PSIA National hosted a Fall Conference. The intention was to establish a more consistent understanding of the National Certification Standards across all divisions.

The 9 individual divisions were invited to send representatives to discuss and clarify these national certification standards. Patti Banks , The Nordic Committee Chairperson, represented The Rocky Mountain Division.

The current National Certification Standards were created about 6 years ago at a similar October conference at Copper Moun-

tain. The Tele Standards can be found on the RM website on pg.25 of the Nordic Handbook. http://www.psia-rm.org/education/ telemark/reference-materials The National Certification Standards center on the concept of skills (The Skills Concept!). The focus at the Fall Conference was on skills and the National Certification Standards. A sampling of possible tasks was used to highlight skills with the emphasis on the skills rather than the task. The National Certification Standards are benchmarks that we can use to evaluate our skills.

I have recently had the opportunity to attend clinics and training events with Education Staff from The Rocky Mountain Division as well as several other divisions. I am happy to report that the divisions have more in common than not. The idea of teaching and evaluating from the perspective of skills is alive and well! It seems that The National Certification Standards and the idea of evaluating and teaching telemark skills is becoming more “National”. That benefits all of us, both nationally and internationally!

If you would like to see more of where we sit internationally check out “Intertele” and www.facebook.com/groups/InterTele/permalink/374705352619245/#!/groups/InterTele PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

How Teaching Tools Can Be Used Very, Very Differently

By Patti Banks

I

had the pleasure of teaching a Breckenridge guest named Michael on and off for one month this winter. It was always fun skiing with him, and he was very inquisitive. I decided I was going to pick up a copy of one of my favorite books on skiing, “Ultimate Skiing” by Ron Lemaster, as a tool to help Michael’s technical understanding.

Michael and I took a coffee break on one of the days we skied together. Just then, Ron Lemaster happened to walk by. I waved him over and mentioned that I would love to get an autographed copy of his book as a gift for Michael. Coincidentally, Ron had a copy of the book with him. He willingly obliged,

writing a personalized note, signing it, and giving it to Michael. Michael was grinning ear to ear.

At the end of the lesson the time came for Michael and me to part ways. However, his new, autographed copy of “Ultimate Skiing” was bigger than any of the pockets in his ski jacket. How was he going to ski back to his condo with his new “tool?”

With a grin on my face I suggested, “Just put it down the front of your pants.” Michael paused for a moment as he considered this option, then obliged, giggling as he put the book in its safe place for transport.

We had worked on leg steering a lot in our

lessons. As he skied off, I thought I heard him mumble something about a new drill for teaching leg steering. Smiling, I headed back to the locker room thinking what a good sport he was, and how it had been another fun day.

This is the text I received from Michael later that afternoon: “Please tell Ron that his book improved my skiing without my reading a single word! Given the cozy residence in my pants, turning with anything other than my legs became a painful exercise! It truly is a great teaching tool.”

Thank you Ron for creating a great teaching tool that’s as useful in the bush as it is in the hand!!!!!!

SPRING 2013 PSIA-RM-AASI 5

Sweetspot Ski Trainer The new SkiA Sweetspot Trainer is the smallest, lightest ski trainer in the world. It’s simply the best device to train accurate, centred balance (and posture) for skiers. Uniquely, it also trains rotation and edging skills. It’s amazingly dynamic, quick and fun to use.

There are 4 sizes of interchangeable balance blocks, so it can be used by complete beginners, yet can also challenge the very best skiers. A single training session of just a few minutes can produce immediate results – but the hardest blocks take time and great skill to master. Try it yourself, use it with your clients, and get great results.

“It’s an essential tool for every serious skier” Chris Fellows – author of Total Skiing, and Director NASTC “It‘s been quite amazing to watch skiers with a habitual, unbalanced style coming off the slopes, stepping onto the Sweetspot Trainer and changing almost instantly” Jaz Lamb, ISTD4, Director of BASS Morzine “It’s a ‘must have’ for all ski instructors” - Andrew Lockerbie, former chair of BASI (British Association of Snowsports Instructors) PSIA-RM members get a special 45% discount Pay just $39.82, plus P&P (RRP $72.50) Use discount code PSIA-RM on www.skia.com/us

Children’s Update

By Dusty Dyar, Children’s Chair

2012/2013 has been a super year for Children Specialists. We saw an increase in CS2 participants, and we are setting records with CS1.

For 2013/2014 CETT (the Children’s Education Training Team) is very excited. We will introduce the path way for trainers of children instructors toward verification of Rocky Mountain Children’s Trainer. The CS2 format will be modified, and we will open the hiring process for CE1 (Children’s Examiner 1).

In 2014 the children’s committee will be accepting applications for children’s education staff. Prerequisites for applicants are snowboard, nordic, or alpine RMT, secondary-discipline certification, Child Specialist 2, and Freestyle Specialist. The hiring process will include interviews, writing samples, and on snow clinic leading. Contact the RM office this fall for applications and more information.

We are considering a new product for 2014, the Rocky Mountain Children’s Trainer (RMCT)!!! The children’s committee will be researching the demand for this product. This event is designed to create a pathway and verify trainers of children’s instructors. Prerequisites for RMCT are level 3 in at least one discipline, CS2, and Freestyle Specialist. Candidates will also need clinic credits from the list of optional prep clinics.

Through the RMCT process understanding and application of human development will grow, along with the development of presentation and group leading skills. Some sample objectives (will be updated as the process is finalized) are: 1. Candidates will demonstrate their knowledge of PSIA-RM’s children’s products and ability to train instructors to be successful at CS1 and CS2 through writing samples, indoor presentations, and on snow clinic leading.

2. Candidates will demonstrate their ability to lead fun clinics with creativity and movement highlighting their ability to use the various models of learning and development while leading clinic scenarios.

3. Candidates will demonstrate a high level of knowledge of human growth and development pertaining to each section of CAP........

Please contact the office if you are interested in the RMCT and believe that this level of verification as a children’s specialist could be of value at your home school.

Congratulations to the Successful Candidates for the Board of Directors!

6

Joel Munn

Alicia Houchen

Jenny Cooper

Andy Docken

Western Slope

Front Range

Southern District

Member at Large

PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

Your Organization!

INSTRUCTOR TO INSTRUCTOR NEWSLETTER

By Michael Blanton, Snowboard Chair

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: ISSUE SUBMISSION DELIVERY DEADLINE

F

irst of all, on behalf of the Rocky Mountain Snowboard Education Staff, thanks for a great season! Being on the AASI-RM committee for the last 13 seasons, I have celebrated the success of our organization, as well as taken on the burden of our challenges. The foundation of our goals always lies within the relevance of the information we share, and the experiences had by our membership. Just recently I have had several conversations with members regarding their experiences and perceptions of our organization.

The Myth- Developmental clinic offerings do not exist other than certification preps.

The Reality- The last two seasons Preps have been changed to “Exam Previews”, as they do not offer the practice time necessary for a true “Preparation”. The purpose of the preview is to show the exam format to the participants. The preview also identifies the standards, where the participant lies within the standards and a pathway to achieve the standards. Developmental clinics are offered to complement the Previews allowing adequate practice time and more coaching. These two day sessions consist of Ride 201 and 301, Teach 201 and 301 and Movement Analysis 201 and 301. Unfortunately, very few developmental clinics have run due to lack of interest. Your committee is in the midst of structuring the developmental clinics along with the previews to offer prerequisite choices to set you up for success.

The Myth- Our organization is always changing the exam processes at the members’ expense.

The Reality- You only need to sit in on one committee meeting to know that your committee works for you and your benefit. We are constantly asking questions like

“How will this affect our membership?”, “What is the benefit to the membership?”

Every committee member is dedicated to the purpose of process and the experiences of every member.

The Myth- We are not doing anything to stoke the new members in our organization.

The Reality- Our educational foundation has given away a substantial amount of scholarships in all different categories. This is an attempt to recognize and acknowledge sub-cultures within our organization. If you have other ideas, please let us know!

The Myth- The education staff is not sending out consistent information.

The Reality- Although personalities differ amongst the staff, the process and training behind the scenes has the ultimate goal of consistency. Two years ago we switched all Education Staff from Independent Contractors to Employees. The snowboard committee also named a developmental coach to oversee training and feedback for the staff. Every piece of feedback is reviewed and addressed with each person on the education staff. The feedback is reviewed by the coach, the committee and our Director of Education, Dave Schuiling. The person in question is given a pathway for development that they must address before they are allowed to continue leading events.

For those of us on the education staff, this is our way to pay it forward. We do what we can to help others, much like we were helped at one time. This is our way of giving back to a lifestyle that has given us so much.

So next time you find yourself in a conversation between US (the members) and THEM (the organization), remember OUR organization only consists of US! Have a great summer!

Winter Spring Summer Fall

December 10 March 10 June 2 August 10

January March June September

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

• 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.

SPRING 2013 PSIA-RM-AASI 7

Where’s the Fun?

By Dusty Dyar, Children’s Chair

H

ave you heard the mantra Safety— Fun—Learning? Over the years, I have attended several clinics at several different resorts where this has been presented as a general guideline to lesson organization. Recently I have taken the opportunity, as I travel, to observe kid’s pros teaching lessons to various age groups. This left me wondering what happened to the FUN. A s ski schools become more and more outcome based, safety and learning become highlighted. Instructors profile their students needs and promptly reduce the difficulty of the terrain several notches for optimum skill learning. Normally I would find this appropriate, but I am noticing that the group stays on the low end terrain for the whole lesson while the instructor moves from one skill development exercise to another. This might be great if the CAP model was just P, but it is not. Luckily there is also a C and an A in the CAP model. Let’s take a closer look at the motivations and values of the affective realm.

Why is it that a child can be in ski school all week learning how to balance over the center of the boots, steer through nice round C shaped turns, and tip both skis to corresponding edges then spend the last day of their ski trip with mom and dad leaning back and straight lining runs in a wedge? There are various answers to this question, but one may possibly be that the physical and cognitive learning was never anchored with the affective motivations or values. Think simply “minimum effort for maximum reward.” A child can stack their skeleton over their heels and brace against the pressure from a wedge and ski all day. The wedge gives them speed control and a sense of security, and the goal is downhill so why spend more energy trying to turn back and forth. I find when I move children back and forth from easy learning terrain to terrain just inside their ability, the skill development tends to stick as the children have ownership and autonomy of their choices. You may also find that after a challenging run, skill application on the teaching terrain becomes more accurate. Also break-up the learning segments with free time to let the affective decisions blend in throughout the day. This also allows you to check for understanding.

8

Ski school policies are also becoming more restrictive, dictating where age groups and levels are allowed and not allowed to go. If you have students that are ready for the next step but are restricted by policy, don’t break policy, go to your supervisor and have a discussion and ask for permission. The other caution to be aware of is there is a fine line between motivating challenges, and over terraining children. Over terraining children will de-motivate, create fear, promote defensive behaviors, and is no longer safe. Verify a child’s cognitive understanding, physical

ability, and affective desires to choose appropriate challenges.

So remember to keep fun as a priority and let children ski on terrain that is at and challenging for their level. Use all the features you can; terrain parks, half pipes, bumps, trees, steeps, supper flats, ect.; to reinforce skills. This can be as big of a learning piece as a day spent doing tasks and exercises on easy teaching terrain. Having free time within the lesson promotes ownership of their decisions, and opportunity for your input. If you’re not having fun, they aren’t either.

PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

Breaking the Mold to Ride Like a Pro

By Jonathan Delk

A

s instructors we have an idea in our minds of what looks good, what is effective, what has style. We have been coached, trained and otherwise convinced that riding should look a certain way. We see it in all of our styles and its present in everyone we teach. We teach solid foundations that our students can take to whatever part of the mountain they desire.

There is some kind of pride we gain when we look back behind us and see little mirror images of ourselves as the little rippers are linking their turns and finding their rhythm.

This is where I believe our pride should be limited. It is time that we start fostering individual style, and start letting the pros do what they do best. Push boundaries and inspire the next generation. We should start breaking the mold of what we see as levels 7-8-9 and start letting our students decide what these levels should look like.

As instructors we teach towards ideals. We want the students to make the most effective movements to create the most efficient turns.

We teach basic tricks and at times we stifle individuality and style. When was the last time you watched “Deeper”, “Art of Flight”, or any snowboard film and didn’t feel a bit of inspiration? We all do, and so do our students. The truth is they want to ride like the pros, not us. So we have a choice, we either need to start riding like the pros, or start understanding how the pros ride so we can coach them to that level. The latter sounds a little more likely.

Let’s take some common things we see the pro riders do: “A consistent Open Stance” – While it is a nightmare to watch lower level riders with no ability to separate the upper and lower body ride with a consistent open stance it can be extremely functional for our higher level students. It provides the ability to lower the Center of Mass without moving it further over the heel edge. It creates a wider scope of vision for the rider’s heel side edge turns. It also lends to a more powerful aft movement through turn shape. Watch some pro riders ripping powder, racing border-cross, or getting ready to drop into a massive kicker, their shoulders aren’t lined up with their board

or perpendicular to their lead foot. They are mostly all riding with an open stance. It is a powerful move when utilized properly.

“A Break at the Waist on the Toe Side” – This is equally difficult to watch in lower level riders. Inconsistent edge angle, collapsing at the waist, possible heel edge catch are all common outcomes of this move. The thought makes me cringe with the sight of sore tail bones. The break at the waist is amazingly effective as an absorption maneuver in choppy or bumped terrain, for quick rolls from edge to edge, and for more leveraged power for popping. Almost know rider rides completely stacked with “Shoulders over hips and hips over knees on the toe side”. Similar to skate boarding or surfing, a break at the waist can provide a lower center of mass and more range of motion for flexion and extension moves. Almost know pro rides without it.

“Kicking the back foot” – We all get those “level 9” riders who couldn’t carve for their life, but can kick a turn around with their back leg like it’s their job. Well, why can’t it be? We all kick our back leg here and there for the occasional speed check or recovery move. Ever watch riders hit rails? Many of

them will kick their back legs all the time on approaches to rails and jibs. While it isn’t pretty or efficient, it is still an effective approach and landing maneuver. And while we get some style points for approaches and landings, let’s be honest, it’s the maneuver that really counts.

These are just three examples of some common things you can see many pro-riders do. I am certain we can pick out plenty more. Now don’t get me wrong. I really do encourage minimizing the use of some of these moves up through level 6 and striving to create the strongest foundation possible. But as riders progress into level 6 and beyond we should encourage individuality and exploration of movements. When, as instructors and coaches, we start to see some of these “bad habits” showing up it is important that we don’t knock down the moves or tell our students they are wrong. Their favorite pro might ride like that, and that’s an important image to foster in our students minds. These moves are evident in riders who ride at the highest level. We should encourage these moves and show our students the best times to utilize them. In fact, we all could learn a bit by breaking our mold and riding more like a pro.

SPRING 2013 PSIA-RM-AASI 9

Horst Abraham inducted into U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame Responsible for the birth of the American Teaching Method (ATM) and appointed to serve as the technical vice president of the Rocky Mountain Ski Instructors Association and director of training and development for the Professional Ski Instructors of America.

Please visit this page of their website for details: www.skihall.com/index.php?_a=document&doc_id=9&PHPSESSID =e2ab5dfe1f5d511529c5d754f548edfd&id=419



 DUES REMINDER 

2013/2014 dues statements will be mailed in May, 2013.

•

Active and Inactive member dues total is $111.00 for 2013/14 dues - Rocky Mountain portion is $50 and PSIA/AASI national portion is $61.

•

Alumni member dues total is $50 - Rocky Mountain portion is $25 and PSIA/AASI national portion is $25. Please contact the RM office for eligibility details.

•

NEW - Senior membership - Rocky Mountain portion is $40 and PSIA/AASI national portion is $51. In order to be eligible, the member is 75 years of age or older and has a minimum of 10 years continuous membership.

•

Dues may be paid by calling the Rocky Mountain office at (970) 879-8335 with credit card information. You may also mail a check to PO Box 775143, Steamboat Springs, CO 80477. Online dues payment is possible at http://www.thesnowpros.org.

•

If you have any questions, please contact the Rocky Mountain office at (970) 879-8335.

•

Please remember that dues must be in the office by June 30, 2013 to avoid the late fee. Any payments received after 6/30/13 without the late fee will be mailed back for the additional late fee.

•

If you have had or will be having a change of address, please check your account at http://www.thesnowpros.org to assure that a valid mailing address is on file.

•

Please update your e-mail address as the first and last reminders for dues payments will be sent by e-mail. The first e-mail will be sent when the dues invoices are prepared and ready for payment. A paper statement will be mailed after the first reminder. A second email reminder will be sent in mid-June to anyone who has not yet paid 2013/14 dues.

10

PSIA-RM-AASI SPRING 2013

55-year members in attendance: Bud Marolt, John Morris and Charlie Paterson

Dana with 55-year member Charlie Paterson

Spring Vail SpringFling Fling2013 2013 at at Vail

Congratulations to anniversary-year members and all who made it a great party!

Congratulations to anniversary-year members and all who made it a great party!

THANK THANKYOU! YOU!

45 Year members at Vail Spring Fling 35 year Members at Vail Spring Fling

Bud Marolt, 55-year member with Executive Director, Dana Forbes 25-year Members at Vail Spring Fling SPRING 2013 PSIA-RM-AASI 11

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