Miscellaneous

AZC_Misc1995

INSfRU Vol. 16 No.3 PSIA-I Granted Ed. Foundation Exempt Status By SHANNON KIPP, SNOWBIRD I am very pleased to announce that the PSIA-I Education Foundation has been granted federal income tax exempt status under section 50l(a) code of the Internal Revenue Service, based on organizing documents described in section 501(c)(3). WHEW! Simply stated, we now have an organization that can raise money by tax deductible donations, fundraising activi­ties and services, all for the benefit of our instructors. During the spring meeting of the Board of Directors, the decision was made to open up committee positions to our mem­bership. Two committees that exist at pre­sent are the projects committee and the Ways and Means committee. Projects pertain, but aren't limited to, activities such as instructor scholar awards, ski related research and publica­tion, and sponsorship of professionallec­tures similar to the existing Fall lecture series. The Ways and Means committee con­cerns itself exclusively with fundraising and money making activities. It is evident by the strength of our division, that we have many diverse and talented members. If you have an interest in volunteering for either one of these commi ttees, please call George Mosher, committee chair of Pro­jects, at: 208 529-3698, or Mike Thur­good, committee chair of Ways and Means, at: 801645-8724. The first goal of the Projects committee is to establish three individual $50.00 scholar awards to the 1996 Spring Clinic. The determination of the three recipients will be based on the applicant's type-writ­ten essay, along with two letters ofrecom­mendation from employers, clinicians and/or college professors, who have a pro­fessional interest in the applicant. Within The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain SUMMER 1995 Bill Lash congratulates Keith Lange on his induction into the PSIA Intermountain Hall of Fame. Lange was recognized for his ski industry accomplishments during the Spring Clinic banquet. the essay, applicants must address the fol­lowing topics: _ Professional history, including certifi­cation status, where individual is em­ployed, for how long, and what duties are carried out at the work site (Le. is the individual a supervisor, does he/she work with a children's program, race department, etc.). _ Why should the projects committee consider this applicant? _ How will this scholarship benefit the recipient professionally? Academi­cally? All scholarships will be limited to Inter­mountain Division instructors certified at level II and above in Alpine, Nordic and Snowboard disciplines. Casual part-time, part-time and full time instructors will be eligible to apply. Directors, trustees and or officers of PSI A-I, and PSIA-IEF, will be eligible to receive scholarships, as will their relatives. Recipients are selected without discrimination based on gender, race, handicap or employment status. Upon completion of the clinic, the re­cipient will be required to summarize his/her account in an article for the Edge. Any violations of the terms of the grant will result in the return of any future grant applications made by the individual. So get going! Of course, this won't be the only announcement for the scholar­ships. There will be reminders posted in forthcoming issues ofthe Edge, and infor­mation will provided to each individual ski school. The first date of acceptance of scholarship applications will be January 1, 1996. Application deadline is set for March 1, 1996. Please send all correspon­dence to the divisional office. _ Education Comer By JO GARUCCIO. PSIA EDUCATION CHAIRPERSON Although July seems an unlikely time to begin thinking about the 1995-96 ski season. there are few items that may interest those die-hard members who "think snow" year around. You know, they were the ones still eking out the 94-95 season at Snowbird on July 4! And even if you do not fall into that category, you may want to just glance at the information below. First, let me begin by clarifying a few things about our last DECL hiring clinic. We have received several calls with questions concerning the event and feel that the membership should be clearly informed about the squad that trains them for certification and update credit. As most of you know, the obvious way to earn a spot on the DECL body is to try-out at the hiring clinic held every two to three years. Remember, this position is essentially a part-time job. It is not a level of certifica­tion, and therefore it is not something that is attainable by everyone. We choose those individuals who we think will do the best all-around job for the membership. In addition, we only have so many spaces available for that job. We do not need to hire new DECLs every year. There is also a second method for attaining the position and it is similar to the process followed by many ski schools. If you believe that you possess the necessary qualifications, you may by-pass the hiring clinic and simply petition the Board of Directors. For example, if Bill Eagan, the current coach for the USA men's downhill squad and past PSIA Western clinic leader and examiner, suddenly moved to Salt Lake City and wanted to be involved in Division training, he could submit a letter and resume to the BOD, and the BOD would then determine whether or not to hire him. Although this has not happened very often, the provision was approved by the BOD several years ago. Why? We did not want to lose talented. experienced clinic leaders or examiners who either took a leave of absence or transferred in to our Division. During the 1994-95 season, we hired four new DECLs from the January hiring clinic and three through petition. The three who were chosen through the petition process have all been examiners and clinic leaders in either this division, Western or Rocky Mountain. (Caroline Jalbert and Phil Beliveau both transferred into Rocky Mountain as examiners and clinic leaders under similar circumstances.) It was not a clandestine event. However, we apologize for not keeping the member­ship properly informed about the procedures. Please welcome the following DECLs for the 1995·96 season: Nathan Emerson-Jackson Hole (hiring clinic) Rob Sogard-Snowbird (hiring clinic) Jay Marquiss-Sundance (hiring clinic) Mark Wheadon-Sundance (hiring clinic) Ralph K. "Ole" Olsen-supervisor, Deer Valley; PSIA-I DECL coach, examiner and clinic leader Jim Kercher-ski school director, Jackson Hole; Western Education Chairman, examiner and clinic leader in both Western and Rocky Mountain divisions Kathleen Hesler-Jackson Hole; examiner and clinic leader in both Western and Rocky Mountain divisions On to 1995-96! We are currently working on the calendar for 1995-96 and should have a draft ready for ski school directors in the next two weeks. Hopefully, a second draft for the membership will be ready by Aug. 20 and a finalized calendar printed by Oct. 1. However, we can offer the following information. At the moment, the Ed College is slated for mid-January and will have a similar agenda to years past. There will be an assessment preparation track as well as clinics continued on page 3 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Children The Future For PSIA Committee By PATII OLSEN, DEER VALLEY The National Children's Committee met in June in Lakewood, Colorado in con­junction with the national PSIA commit­tee and Board meetings. There was a re­sounding theme that flowed through the entire meeting of the all the committees, guest speakers, BOD: "Children are 25 percent of the population and 100 percent of the future." The main topics addressed by the Chil­dren's Committee were: keeping the JETS and the Children's Committee separate groups; the National Children's' Sympo­sium; JET tryouts; a new children's man­ual, video and handbook; publication schedules; and more. There was a great deal going on and many guests joined the Children's Committee meeting through­out the entire time. Guests like Tony For­rest, PSIA Nordic Team; Carol Levine and Dee Burne, PSIA Demonstration Team members past and present; Tim Ross, US Ski Team; Jack Copeland, Mammoth Mountain ski school director; Dick Tappley, Ski Engineering; Mike Shaw, National Snowboard Team; and more. Everyone was very interested in the goings on of the Committee. Children are 100 percent of the future, whether it be future guests or future ski instructors. We as ski area employees need to keep this in mind. With most every child comes two parents. If the Children are happy somewhere, the parents will certainly be happy. This vacation for all of them will be a great one. For this year it was decided by the BOD: • to keep the JETS and the Children's Committee separate. • The new children's' manual will be the first item to be processed and that will take place by 1997. • The National Children's' Symposium will take place at the National Academy in April at Snowbird. • We will hold a Divisional Children's Symposium at the Ed College or on another date at Deer Valley. • The JET tryout will be held this year. continued on 3 JETS Selection Criteria Set By PSIA Selection of the JETS will be on a divi­sional basis. Each division will hold its own hiring clinic. Therefore, the next se­lection of the JETS will allow for nine members-one person from each divi­sion. This is the criteria that was approved by the BOD for PSIA and it is hoped that each division will use this same criteria. Candidates must be: • member in good standing. • work for a recognized ski school, coach, club race program. • Levellll certified. Candidates must atte~d and provide: • two-day selection or hiring clinic-$150.00 • three letters of recommendation 1) one from a ski school director or supervisor. 2) one cross discipline representation. (children, examiner, snowboard etc.) 3) one letter, your choice. • one page resume. • One-page description of why you want to be a JET and your commitment. • Three-page article or essay. If you are interested in becoming a JET please consider this criteria. No date or ski area has been set at this time. There will be more information sent to all PSIA-I ski schools when it becomes available. _ CHILDREN continued/rom 2 The final decision as to how to do it will be up to the Intermountain PSIA-I BOD. They will address this in their Fall meeting. This is a short note on the meeting, but it does give you an idea of the events coming up for next year. Remember "Children are 100 percent of the fu­ture."- Patti is co-chairman of the PSIA-I Children'S Committee. President's Message By ALANTITENSOR, PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN PRESIDENT How quickly the time arrives. Another winter is past. As strange a winter it was; it was a good one--c-warm and snowy.· Nature kept us on our toes·all season long. The Spring Clinic typified the winter. Sweater weather Friday with powder conditions Saturday and Sunday. Speaking of the Spring Clinic-ifyou missed it-you really missed it. Great skiing and boarding, top-notch clinic leaders and memorable banquet. K.eith Lange was inducted into our Hall of Fame. It was an honor to be in attendance .. Surrounded by the who's who of ski teaching; all there because of Keith. As the clinic wound down it became apparent a ton of effort had gone into it. Jo Garuccio as clinic organizer, Nancy and Mindi from the office covering detail after detail, Rex Ames organizing awards and the bounty rich raffle. Mary and Len, being the consummate hosts. If you see them. thank them. There are a lot of people doing a lot of woIt: for this division. The wage we pay Nancy & Mindi doesn't come close to what they give in return. Rodger and Johave literally put countless hours into making the Ed & Cert programs the best in the country. Stew is already impacting national decisions as our PSIA rep. Stew, Dori and Rodger keep the Edge informative and readable. I've never seen a more conscientious Board than the present one, or more talented and dedicated DECLs to assist in training and certification. The primary concern is the membership's welfare. The only major improvement I can imagine would be member participation. You, the membership, told us you wanted geographic equalization on the Board elections. Your Board delivered--few ran-almost as voted. The Division has taken the high road in the Ed and Cert programs. Individual responsibility. You are primarily responsible to prepare yourself for certification. Your ski school has the secondary obligation to provide you with guidance, direction and finally, when necessary, PSIA-I is there to assist your school. This direction only works with member participation. Next fall, as you prepare for the upcoming season, please calendar some time for divisional participation. EDUCATION CORNER continued/rom 2 geared towards Level II and III instructors who need update credit. We are looking at new ideas to keep everyone interested and welcome your input. If you have creative ideas about clinic topics, feel free to callJo at 801 272-0854. The Spring Clinic is tentatively planned for the weekend after Easter, and this year it will be held as an event. In other words, barring some really outrageously ingenious excuse, participants will attend the entire week-end. Costs will include clinic time, banquet, prizes and fun! We also plan to have a Division photo contest with winners presented at the banquet. Look for categories and details in the next EDGE, and be prepared for a spring clinic week-end. For those of you interested in going to National Demo Team try-outs (April 28 - May 5 at Snowbird), we will choose our regional squad in late January. All Current Level llIs are eligible, and if you are seriously thinking about it, start planning now. Read everything you can get your hands on and look at a summer fitness program so that you will be strong and healthy when the season begins. If you need help in planning your preparation, feel free to give us a call. Lastly, the National Junior Education Team or "Jets" will be comprised of one representative from each division. Each division is responsible for choosing their representative. Please take a look at the criteria included in this EDGE. If you are interested in applying, call the office ASAP. We will need to decide how we will approach· this task and it will depend on the number of interested instructors. Enjoy the summer! It took a while, but it finally made itt INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 Certification Comer By ROOOER RENSTROM, PSIA-I CERTIFICATION CHAIRPERSON Although the ski-teaching season has been over for weeks, Snowbird just closed its doors to skiers July 4 and the Mirror Lake Highway may still be closed when you read this. All in favor of another winter just like this past one please honk your hom. pSIA is in the midst of some significant changes involving certification~which most people will be happy to hear about. But first, I'd like to recognize the people who contribute to the success of certification and education efforts in the Division. The Memhership: The commitment to improve one's self is the driving force behind certification. Certification does not anoint ski instructor's with magical powers; it simply recognizes the time and effort devoted to improving knowledge and skill. Everyone who attended an assessment this past season should congratulate themselves for their efforts. And, whether or not you qualified at the level you sought, I hope you continue the learning process that you have embarked upon. The DECLs: The people who conduct education and certification events for the Division are amazing in their commitment to the membership and ski instruction. Although there are many personalities and approaches in their efforts, they all share one thing: every one of the DECLs is motivated by the desire to improve the future for certified ski instructors. I would like to thank each of them for the excellent job and extra effort they provided this past season. It is a real privilege to be associated with such a dedicated group of individuals. The Office: Nancy and Mindi help pull off a miracle that would drive most of us insane. Although the DECLs do a great job, we would all be running around in circles if Nancy and Mindi didn't keep us headed in the right direction and outfitted with the information we need to do our jobs. Thanks! What's New on the Horizon? People often wonder why the certification process continues to change~the answer is simple. We all know the certification process is far from perfect: it should change. Everyone I speak with, at the Division and national level, wants two things from certification: I) a process that reliably assesses the knowledge and skills of ski instructors and, 2) does so in an equitable manner. Two years ago the PSIA Education and Certification committees agreed to adopt a national set of minimum standards for certification. (The national Education and Certification committees are comprised of the divis ional education and certification chairpersons.) This year, at the national meeting in Lakewood, Colorado in June, the Education and Certification committees met jOintly to continue the process of cooperation begun with the adoption of the national standards. Improving the certification process and helping the membership reach their goals were items foremost on the minds of the committee members. At the urging of the committees, PSIA will likely delay-up to the spring of 1996-publication of its new Alpine Manual. Originally scheduled for publication in September 1995, the delay is to ensure the manual meets the educational and certification needs of the membership. PSIA believes that the membership needs and deserves a top-notch publication that can be used as a comprehensive reference. PSIA is also scheduled to release study guides to help instructors prepare for certification. These study guides are not expected to be ready by the fall; however, PSIA Intermountain will produce study guides that will be available in the late fall. These study guides will be invaluable in helping direct study and practice. Also, every division currently uses a written test to assess knowledge for certifi­cation, The committees have charged themselves with sharing those tests and improving them. Those efforts may lead to a nationally standardized written test. The process of certification is exhilarating and enjoyable for some and, unfortu­nately, heartbreaking for others. However you have personally viewed certification in the past, I hope everyone realizes that PSIA and PSIA Intermountain are commit­ted to the continual improvement of certification for the future. Enjoy the summer. 4 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Women's College Inspires Personal Development By NONA WEATHERBEE, SNOWBIRD Fifty women instructors, representing eight of our nine PSIA divisions, con­vened at Snowbird for some great skiing and personal development April 1-5 at the 1995 PSIA National Women's Education College. The staff of clinicians included PSIA Demonstration Team members Dee Byrne and Nancy Oakes. Carol Levine, a past D-team member, was also the event organizer. Mariam Sodergren, a Junior Education Team (JET) member, came from Alpine Meadows, CA. Mermer Blakeslee came from Eastern, where she is an examiner as well as in charge of the women's program at Ski Windham, NY. Finally, Former Alta instructor Caroline Joubert came in place of Annie Varielle­Savath, who became ill at the last minute. It was great to see and ski with Caroline again She misses Alta and all her friends but has had an exciting year working for Annie at Telluride. Past PSIA Women's Ed Colleges have each had a focus. Two years ago at Winter Park, CO., the focus was on physiological differences between genders and the im­pact these differences may have on skiing performance and equipment selection and fit. There are two excellent articles in the fall '93 issue of The Professional Skier that talk about physiological differences between the genders. Last year, during the Women's Ed Col­leges held at Sun Valley and Stratton, the focus was on understanding the social and psychological differences that impact per­formance and the desire for women to continue in a sport. A Wall Street Journal this past season pointed out how both men and women take up the sport of skiing in equal num­bers. The article went on to say that women tend to drop out of skiing at a higher rate than men. Understanding how different types of people learn will help us to be better teachers and will help to keep people coming back to the sport of skiing. To read further about the findings at the '94 Women's Ed Colleges, read Carol Levine's article in the Winter '95 edition ofTPS. This year at Snowbird, the focus was on personal development and great skiing! There were two guest speakers this year who gave excellent presentations. Sunday evening, Dr. Nancy Moore gave a motiva­tional talk on the pursuit of excellence and how one can become a more effective person and leader in both their personal and business lives. Monday evening, Elissa Slanger, a pio­neer in women's ski programs, gave a presentation on fear. Since running women's ski seminars for over 20 years, Elissa has gone on to get a degree in clinical psychology. Elissa explained how fear is a life preserver that has a biological basis. Performance anxiety isn't necessar­ily fear. To have effective learning there should be some arousal, otherwise, stu­dents become bored. If there is too much arousal (fear), then learning stops. Elissa went through steps on how to deal with fear in a class situation. The presentation was informative and interesting. There were two other informal indoor sessions during the four days. Dee Bryne and Nancy Oakes showed a video from Interski and talked about what went on. Carol Levine lead an interesting session on body alignment and the importance of being in a neutral stance. She talked about being balanced for and aft as well as being under or over edged and what to do about it. Women instructors tend to lack infor­mation and understanding on body align­ment and are therefore hesitant to help students that might benefit from some in­sight on what to do or who to go to get a better performance out of their equipment or possibly buying better equipment. Lis­tening to Carol's explanations gave me inspiration to further my knowledge on this subject. Last but not least was the skiing. Snow­bird and Alta had some great terrain and snow conditions for all levels of chal­lenge. Tuesday we headed to Alta for a change of scenery. Thanks again to Alta for extending free lift tickets to the Ed College participants, Each morning there was a skill focus for the groups. In the afternoons, clinic leaders changed so eve­ryone had a chance to ski with different clinic leaders. This was my second PSIA Women's Education College. The fun and supportive atmosphere created by the tal­ented clinic leaders keeps this a popular event. What we give in our local women's seminars is given to us during this national event for women. I came away with a new enthusiasm for a sport I love. Getting a chance to enjoy skiing and learning new things with like­minded people is what makes women's programs popular. I for one hope to see more national women's ed colleges in the future. If you (women) have never at­tended a women's-only PSIA event, try and attend one next season. From skiing runs like Great Scott and Jaws to making smooth turns on Election, the '95 national Women's Ed College was a success foraH who attended. _ Are you highly motivated and interested in an opportunity to grow with a progressive Ski School? Our unique education and evaluation system will help you accomplish your ski teaching goals. We offer an excellent wage and benefit package. Job opportunities available for: Instructors experienced in teaching group and private lessons to all ages. Instructors specializing in children's lessons. Instructor apprentice program candidates. Please send a resume and two letters of recommendation to: Deer Valley Ski School P.O. Box 889 Park City, UT 84060 (800) 4 Ski Job (475-4562) Deer Valley Ski School ... "A Commitment to Excellence" INSTRUCTORS EDGE 5 One hundred and twenty five years ago there was only one type of skiing. It was a form of nordic transportation along with recreational ski jumping. In Scandinavia, local ski jump­ing competitions were held for demon­strating this popular recreation. One prob­lem was the skis and bindings that were used for these competitions lacked fore­to- aft stability upon landing. This prompted Sondre Nordheim of Telemark, Norway to enlarge his base of support by sliding one ski farther forward thereby originated the telemark position. This, along with lowering his center of gravity, proved to be an efficient landing method and soon became popular with the local jumping competitors (Flower, 1977). Within 50 years this telemark position evolved into a skiing turn and was often compared to the Christiania turn (Schneider & Fanck, 1937). From a prac­tical point of view, the telemark tum was seen to have no advantages above a christy type of tum (Strom, 1977). By increasing the fore-to-aft stability of the telemark position the side-to-side stability was compromised and was constantly an is­sue. Benno Rybizka, Hannes Schneider's assistant ski school director in St. Anton Austria commented that anyone who has learned a stem tum or stem christy has no need for the telemark tum ... although he did comment on its gracefulness (Ry­bizka, 1938). In 1972 Lito Tejada-Flores noted that even among Nordic specialists it was under debate if the telemark turn was really useful for anything. Recently, the telemark technique has re­evolved into a backcounty pastime (Barnett, 1979), and today it is hard to take a run in bounds ata ski area without seeing at least a couple of telemark skiers. Tele­marking has become a very popular way to enjoy the skiing environment as tele­markers regard their chosen form of de­scent as having more freedom and offer­ing a greater challenge. This greater free­dom and challenge is not without price. More strength may be necessary in the telemark tum, due to the greater flexion in the knees, and stress on the supporting or postural musculature (Lamack, 1992). Because of the lower stance and increased need to make balance adjustments during telemark skiing, it is felt that the energy requirements may be greater than for al­pine skiing due to more muscular activity in the legs and upper body. Therefore the purpose of this study was not to debate the 6 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Telemark vs Alpine Which takes more energy? By RON KIPP AND ANDREA WHITE practicality or pleasure of the tel em ark tum but to determine the energy differ­ence between today's telemarking com­pared to today's alpine skiing. Energy is the capacity to perform work. Although not a good term for a recreation, work can be thought of as the energy taken to ski a set path or distance. In the physi­ologic sense, energy can be measured us­ing involving three measurements; 02 or the rate of oxygen consumption at the muscular level, heart rate to determine how fast the heart beats, and lactates to measure the amount of lactic acid in the blood. We hypothesized that for a given hill, snow condition, and turning radius that 02, heart rate, and lactate values dur­ing telemark skiing would be greater than for alpine skiing. To assess the differences in energy ex­penditure for telemark and alpine skiing we recruited eight subjects of equal tele­mark and alpine skill level. They were 3 females and 5 males with an average age of 28.3 years. On the average they had been skiing telemark 38 day per year for 6.3 years and alpine 34 days per year for 17.4 years. All skiers used a modem plas­tic upper telemark ski boot in conjunction with either a Riva cable or Voile binding. Only production telemark skis were used for telemarking. All alpine gear was upper end competition type. Both telemark and alpine skis averaged 20Ocm. When sub­jects were asked what they perceived their skill level to be on a 1 to 10 scale (1 being novice, 10 being expert), the average score was 8.0 for telemark and 8.4 for alpine. Being of equal proficiency in both telemark and alpine was important since each subject would be compared to him/herself to see which style of skiing used the most energy. To determine the 02 portion of the en­ergy cost, each skier skied with a snor­kel- like mouthpiece in their mouth con­nected to a two-way valve which permit­ted outside air to be inhaled while expired air was channeled to a large Douglas bag. The Douglas bag was attached to a frame pack that the skier wore during each tele­mark and alpine ski run. At the end of each run the air in the bag was analyzed for 02 and C02 and the total volume was measured. Within one minute of the com­pletion of the run, a blood sample was taken via a finger stick. The blood was later analyzed for lactic acid. Heart rate was measured every five seconds from the start of the run to its conclusion using a heart rate monitor which was worn around the skiers chest. The run was a timed 12 gate GS/NAS­TAR type course on Wilbere Ridge at Snowbird Ski Area in Utah. Subjects were instructed to use the same level of intensity for both the telemark and alpine ski runs. Average time for the telemark condition was 41.83 seconds, while al­pine was 35.44 seconds. Although it took 6 seconds more to complete the course with telemark turns as opposed to with alpine equipment, the same amount of work was accomplished. When oxygen consumption, heart rate, and lactate were compared, all values indicated a greater energy expenditure for the telemark condition. Although when appropriate statistics to determine if these differences were due to more than chance occurrences, only the heart rate and lactic acid values were statistically significant between the two different styles of skiing. The six seconds extra that it took to complete the same work (the course) contributes to the extra en­ergy taken to perform in the telemark condition. Since skiing is primarily an anaerobic sport it is not that surprising that heart rate and lactate differed signifi­cantly between the two conditions. Measures of oxygen consumption would likely have shown differences between groups had the course been longer, per­mitting a larger volume of air to be sam­pled. In a similarly designed study, using A test participant prepares to run a course with an apparatus designed to cap­ture expired air in a Douglas bag. an alpine only condition over a full length giant slalom course, it was found that al­pine skiers demonstrated energy expendi­tures equivalent to 120 percent or greater of maximal oxygen consumption (Saibene, Cortilli, Gavazzi, & Magistri, 1985). Can we say that one mode of skiing takes more energy than the other? From a scien­tific standpoint we would need repeat the test over with a larger group of individu­als. Although from a practical view as skiers we might now be a bit inclined to say that the telemark condition takes more energy for an equal amount of work. So what are the implications of knowing more about the energy requirements of skiing? First of all, this knowledge is very useful to determine the type of physical preparation necessary to perform the task successfully. If indeed telemark skiing de-mands greater physical strength and power, the skiers must prepare appropri­ately. Additionally, the use of more en­ergy will impact the hydration status and nutritional needs of the skier. The high fat, high alcohol diet of many vacationers may be even more of a problem if one is tele­marking. Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank Snow­bird Ski and Summer Resort for lift tickets and the use of the race hill and timing. References Barnett, S. (1979). Cross-country down­hill and other nordic mountain skiing techniques (2nd ed.). Seattle, WA: Pa­cific Search Press. Flower, R. (1977). The history of skiing and other winter sports. New York: Methuen. Lamack, D. (1992). The telemark turn. National Strength & Conditioning As­sociation Journal. 14(3).6-9,86-90. Rybizka B. (1938). The Hannes Schneider ski technique. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company. Saibene, F., Cortilli, G., Gavazzi, P., Magistri, P. (1985). Energy sources in alpine skiing (giant slalom). European Journal of Applied Physiology, 53, 312-316. Schneider, R., & Fanck, A. (1937). The wonders of skiing: A method of correct ski-ing and its applications to alpine skiing. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons. Strom, E. (1977). Pioneers on skis. Cen­tral Valley, NY: Smith Clove Press. Tejada-Flores, L. (1972). Wilderness Skiing (5th ed.). San Francisco: Sierra Club. - PSIA, NSP Enhance Skiing PSIA and the National Ski Patrol have approved a plan to provide ski enhance­ment seminars to NSP members. Under the plan, PSIA will coordinate on a divisional basis with NSP to offer clin­ics conducted by PSIA division trainers. The plan is an effort on the part of NSP to offer its membership access to high­quality ski training opportunities. According to PSIA Education Director Linda Crockett, PSIA is looking forward to the opportunity to work more closely with NSP and expect., the events to be beneficial for both organizations. _ PSIA, Subaru Sign Marketing Plan The National Ski Patrol and the Profes­sional Ski Instructors of America have announced a partnership agreement with Subaru of America that offers a $500 dis­count on new Subaru cars to members of the organizations. The new partnership became effective June 16, and is a unique sports marketing arrangement that offers direct financial benefit for everyone involved. NSP and PSIA, with a combined membership base of 51,000, will receive vehicles from Subaru and Subaru will become the "rec­ommended" car of NSP and PSIA. Subaru of America will also give PSIA members and any family member $500 off the lease or purchase of any new model Subaru. This offer is above and beyond the trade-in allowance and all local incen­tives. Subaru will also provide a special cash incentive to the associations for each new Subaru vehicle the associations' members purchase through dealers na­tionwide. The agreement also includes the development of joint ski programs forrec­reational skiers that will be offered at se­lected resorts across the country. "We are excited about this new relation­ship and excited about working with a company whose commitment to skiing is unparalleled," said Mark Dorsey, market­ing director for NSP and PSIA. "NSP and PSIA's focus is to carry the messages of fun, performance. and safety through edu­cation programs to the grass roots of ski­ing. We greatly value Subaru's support of our nonprofit associations in this effort." "By focusing on safety and education in the sport of skiing, Subaru can provide a valuable service that is consistent with our corporate values," said Mary Treisbach, director of marketing for Subaru of Amer­ica. "We are excited about this new rela­tionship and about extending Subaru's commitment to the sport." To participate in the program, call the PSIA Member Information and Services Team (MIST) at 303 988-0545, or fax them at 800 222-4754, and ask them to send you a voucher. You can only benefit from this program if you have the voucher. Subaru has limited the number of vouchers. so call soon if you are con­sidering a purchase. _ INSTRUCTORS EDGE 7 Old-Time Pins To be eligible to receive a 20 or 30-year pin, a member must have been a PSIA member for at Least 20 or 30 consecutive years, as of the end of the 1994/95 ski season. Accomplishment of these mile­stones indicates a strong commitment to high standards of professional ski teach­ing, and reflects excellent support of PSIA. Thank you and congratulations! If you believe you should be on one of these lists, but are not, please contact the office. 20 Year Pin Ernie Anderson Larry Asam David Bauer Jeffrey Bayless Daniel Blankstein Kerron Cozens Robert Davis Steven Dougherty Kathryn Flanigan James Hadden Robert Hammond Loydene Hubbard­Berg Dfan Keiley Richard Lee Kent Lundell David McCormick Pam Mitchell Stuart O'brien Peter Russell Paul Swaner Bob Swenson Pamela Wallis Martin Wikstrom 30 Year Pin The following members are the first recipients of the 30-Year PSIA Pin now being issued. C.Craig Bennion Bill Briggs Jim Burris Dave Bybee Stein Eriksen Charles Fields Dick Fry Stanley Fry John Gee Frank Gillette Robert Grant Sofie Hamilton Allen Hartman Ron Hill Terry Hines Karrie Jenson Sid Jenson J. Phil Jones Danny Koester Lex Kunau Robin Locke Max Lundberg Gene Palmer Clark Parkinson Bonnie Pond Ed Pond Charles H. Quinn Harry Reed Dean Roberts Richard Seiger Dave Thurgood Richard Voorhees James Wharton 40 Year Pin Alf Engen Bill Lash Friedl Lang KSmith Wood Anderson Bill Ashley Hugh Olander Keith Lang Earl A. Miller M. Earl Miller Junior Bounous Maxine Bounous Lou Lorenz Eddy Morris Bob J. R. Smith 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Top: Dave Thurgood accepts 30-year pin from PSIA-I President Alan Titensor. Bottom: Rex Ames doles out one of the many prizes he obtained forthe Spring Clinic. Quotable By LAURIE SINDEL, ALTA Here are a few quotes I've collected. "Turning higher or lower is different than turning early or late." - Steve Bounous on racing. ''Try to make the edge change while flexed." - Dee Byrne on retraction. "A turtle only learns something when he sticks his neck out." - Nancy Moore, PSIA Women's College speaker, on fear of failure. "Not practice makes perfect, but practice makes permanent." - Nancy Moore on practice. " Pretend that every single person you meet has a sign around his or her neck that says, 'Make me feel important.' Not only will you succeed in sales, you will succeed in life." - Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics, on success. "You might as well take your downhill ski off and throw it away, since you're not using it anyway." -Tim DeGenero, AlfEngen instructor, on skiing flat light. "You need a game plan so you have something to deviate from." -Shawn Smith, PSIA Demonstration Team coach, on organization. • Note: From your point of view----PSIA: What's the scoop. Reprinted from NSAA Member Update. February 1995. YOU can't pick up a magazine nowa­days without reading someone's opinion about how PSIA is a hor­rible organization. It seems that PSIA is single-handedly responsible for the de­cline in skiing growth, the U.S. economic slump, and quite possibly the war in Bos­nia. Well maybe there has been a little exaggeration. One thing's for certain though, there is a great deal of confusion about just what PSIA does, who they are, and how they fit into the ski industry. PSIA Is inherently confusing First of all, PSIA isn't one organization. It's ten! Each organization has a separate board of directors. They are incorporated separately. They have separate budgets, financing, and agendas. And, they intend to keep it that way. PSIA consists of a national umbrella organization and nine regional divisions. The divisions are responsible for the ac­tual testing of ski instructors. The national organization is responsible for unifying instruction around the country by devel­oping and distributing a standard method­ology called ATS, the American Teaching System. The national organization also establishes minimum test standards for all certification levels in all divisions across the country. PSIA's structure, though confusing, is similar to that of the other ski instructors associations around the world such as the Swiss Ski Verband, The Austrian Ski Fed­eration and The Ecole Du Ski Francais. The reason these organizations are so fragmented is that skiing developed re­gionally, not nationally. The divisions ex­isted long before the national body. In most cases, the purpose of the national body was to unite the regions and stand­ardize instruction throughout the country. Which leads directly to the biggest point of controversy surrounding ski instruc­tion, standardization. A lot of people don't want ski instruction to he stand­ardized. This resentment is often bitter and emotional. PSIA gets caught in the fire. Ski teaching is viewed by many as an expression of their personal freedom and identity. Fact is, there are performance standards for sports instructors. It's not hard to iden­tify the characteristics of good teachers. But that doesn't change human nature. PSIA: What's the Scoop? By Jack Copeland, They don't want to be accountable to a standard. However, ski teaching is potentially big bucks for ski areas. Not just in terms of revenues but in terms of liability. The area is legally responsible for the actions of its employees. Ski areas are therefore re­sponsible for the training of all employees including ski instructors. PSIA runs instructor certification ex­ams. These exams recognize and acknow­ledge instructor competency. They con­firm the qualifications of people calling themselves instructors. One thing you get with certified instructors is tangible skills. These skills are confirmed by testing. However, certification tells you nothing about personality. No major ski area, that I know of, hires instructors based solely on their skiing ability. If you are looking for outgoing personalities, you will have to emphasize those values in your hiring clinics. PSIA exams are not a personality test. PSIA is also not in the program, devel­opment business. How you use your in­structors in your resort's programs and packages is up to you. Your programs and the instructors' promotional role is up to your management, not PSIA. However, PSIA does offer ski school management seminars on program development, mar­keting, business management and person­nel- related issues; they do not tell ski ar­eas or ski school directors how to run their business. At my ski resort, my owners, manager and I have developed a mission for the ski school. Our job is to make sure students have a great time skiing and are success­ful. Every department in the company plays a role in this process. And the out-come is that skiers want to come back-that's our goal. We have customized the basic instruc­tional program outlined in the American Teaching System. PSIA encourages eve­ryone to customize the system to meet their needs. A TS is a good basic curricu­lum, but it cannot possibly be everything to everyone; it has to be adapted. We have modified it to include separate lessons for six different age groups, for a variety of lesson lengths such as one hour, two hours, three hours, four hours and six hours. We offer all-day, half-day, and multi-day group lessons. We offer spe­cialty ski weeks for groups, families and businesses. We consider our optimum adult class size to be seven to one (stu­dents to teachers). While we won't tum anyone away who wants a lesson, we do make every effort to employ and train enough instructors to insure small classes even at peak times. All of these decisions support our basic mission. The programs, the instructors' role and the ski school management strategies are solely our decisions. We don't expect PSIA to involve themselves in these matters and we don't want them to. We support, the PSIA exam process be­cause it fits our needs. It develops and recognizes high levels of communication, skiing and teaching skills. It is a very powerful motivator for our staff. We use it as an opportunity to train our instructors to higher levels of performance. PSIA's role is to certify competent ski instructors. That's all. We decide how to use those instructors. If you are unsure about how the exam process supports good teaching skills and values, you should contact the president of your PSIA Division to help you with general and specific questions. Ski in­struction can playa powerful role in build­ing a successful ski resort. Exactly what that role is and how instructors are utilized is up to each individual ski area. The scoop on PSIA is that it can help you develop a solid core of quality ski teach­ers. You have to decide how you're going to use them, because that's none of PSIA's business.-J ack Copeland is ski school director at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area in California and chairman of the PSI A Steering Committee. INSTRUCTORS EDGE 9 1994-95 Certification Results Alpine Level I David Hansen Sundance Christian Shutes Jackson Hole Mark Hanson Grand Targhee Clay Smith Grand Targhee Thomas Hanson Powder Mountain Matt Snyder Wolf Mountain Brandon Adams Wolf Mountain Nephi Hawkes Deer Valley Tom Spencer Park City Jack Ahem Brighton Karen Haycock Deer Valley Shawn Stenmark Jackson Hole Melissa Allen Beaver Mountain Gwen Hays Alta Jill Sullivan Alta Richard Andersen Solitude David Heinemann Jackson Hole Greg Anderson Alta Jan Henriksen Brighton Joe Tate Wolf Mountain William Anderson Snowbird Michael Hodge Park City Kathryn Torello Deer Valley Rick Hoggan Deer Valley Dorothy Traiger Brighton Lyle Barton Wolf Mountain Kimberly Hopkins Pebble Creek Michael Tremel Park City Kenneth Bayer Brighton Stephen Howe Park City Marvin Bembenek Powder Mountain Steven Hymas Powder Mountain Joseph Venuti Brian Head Cali Bennett Deer Valley Steven Victor Powder Mountain Scot Bergeron Jackson Hole Chester Jacobs Brian Head Bruce Bicksler Park City Jaren Janke Brighton Daniel Wallace Park City Suzann Bird Powder Mountain Terry Jeffs Wolf Mountain Robert Webb Park City Jayne Blair Park City David Jensen Kelly Canyon Benjamin Wilson Jackson Hole Dave Boucher Powder Mountain Erik Jensen Powder Mtn Alton Winkelman Park City Kimberly Boyd Kelly Canyon Mike Jewett Powder Mountin Paul Woodin Snowbasin Whitney Boyer Sundance Randy Johnson Elk Meadows Phil Wood Brian Head Christopher Brindisi Jackson Hole R. lamar Jordan Brian Head KellieWoods Brighton Clinton Burfitt Brighton Curtis Wright Grand Targhee Richard Butler Kelly Canyon Kim Keffer Park City Devin Wright Sundance Jackson Hole Usa Kirchenheiter Park City Jason Cameron Donna Knudsen Sundance WCeecnildyy C Caarnrlesoyn KellyP Carakn Cyoitny Wilhelm Kogelmann Park City Alpine Level II Amy Clemens Jackson Hole Jeremy Larsen Snowbird Vickie Clough Kelly Canyon Casey Leavitt Grand Targhee Danny Aldred Sundance Michael Conklin Snowbird Brooks lloyd Alta William Anderson Snowbird Tracey Connolly Park City Sloane Andrews Jackson Hole Julian Cordova Alta John Me Cray Park City Robin Corey Grand Targhee Mary Mc Entire Park City Missy Berkel Alta Connie Cox Kelly Canyon Wanda Meyer Alta Bradley Blunck Grand Targhee Jill Cramer Park City James Miller Deer Valley Michael Conklin Snowbird Grand Targhee Timothy Moody Park City Katherine Dallin Frank Moran Elk Meadows Kathleen Crowley Jackson Hoi Robert Decker Pebble Creek Donald Moseley, Jr. Jackson Hole Chuck Denwalt Park City Thomas Deis Powder Mountain E. Ryan Dittmar Sundance Amy Nelson Solitude Nancy Downard Deer Valley Bryan Dowie Deer Valley Steven Nichol Snowbird William Dugdale Jackson Hole Amanda Niederhauser Beaver Mountain Michael Elwood Deer Valley Holley Duncan Deer Valley Steven Fernow Solitude Sundance Sharee Oliver Brighton Corby Egan Kimberly Olsen Grand Ta rghee Dan Fuller Park City Kim Ellis Kelly Canyon Scott Olsen Brian Head Kent Ellison Wolf Mountain Pamela Grant Sundance Gregory England Deer Valley Eric Petersen Park City David Erekson Brighton Kevin Pigg Park City Chris Hayes Park City Pete Erickson Jackson Hole Christopher Poepping Park City Andre' Heiber Park City Noel Heslip Brian Head Sundance John Popple Park City Joseph Feller James Potter Deer Valley Willie Holdman Sundance Danny Flynn Park City Mark Purcell Deer Valley Kathleen Hutcheson Park City Corey Foster Kelly Canyon lisel Freestone Sundance Alison Rehnberg Jackson Hole David Jorgensen Sundance Christine Fulmer Jackson Hole Evan Ricks Kelly Canyon Michael Kelley Deer Valley Philip Robertson Wolf Mountain Nathan Gardner Deer Valley Phillip Rowe Park City Kristopher Kelton Deer Valley Cameron Gauld Wolf Mountain Joseph Kernan Park City Josie Gay Brighton Jared Schaalje Sundance Joshua Goodman Jackson Hole Nancy Schafner Solitude Elizabeth Lockette Park City Nathaniel Craig Gorton Jackson Hole Julie Schultz Deer Valley Neil Lundberg Sundance Douglas Gormley Deer Valley Nancy Seamons Wolf Mountain John M. Gray Jackson Hole Debra Sebek Deer Valley Richard Mackay Deer Valley lisa Green Kelly Canyon Kori Shadrick Alta Andrew Matthews Park City Maury Grimm Snowbasin Matthew Sheehan Park City J. Scott Mc Gee Grand Targhee Heidi Mc Kinstry Snowbird Wolf Mtn Hardy Sherwood Park City Kristen Hannay Heidi Moran Sundance 10 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Gerry Newton Elk Meadows Adaptive Level I Nordic Downhill Level II Dave Neierhauser Beaver Mountain Stephanie Brown National Ability Center Brian Bush Deer Valley DNaoveildle POeltpeinrs en DSeuenr dVaanllceey JTCorhanrcaisetthyoa pCnho eCnrhn Caoorlllnyto rna d NNNaaatttiiiooonnnaaalll AAAbbbiiillliiitttyyy CCCeeennnttteeerrr WULesitlaliits iaG R oUircsdhsoainer rd son NoDDnee eeArrf fVViliaaalltlleeedyy SKcoori ttS Rhaicdhraicrdks Wolf MounAtaltina DKoouurgtlnaesy D Huoslelidnabye rry NNaattiioonnaall AAbbiilliittyy CCeenntteerr JJoehssni eS mWihthit,m Jor.r e WoWlfh Miteo uPnitnaeins Natalie Streeter Park City Snowboard Level I Nordic Downhill Level III Brad Wagner Deer Valley Frank Weide Powder Mountain Curtis Chapman Wolf Mountain Brian Brassey Deer Valley Joel Wood Deer Valley Lance Cry Wolf Mountain Randy Huskinson Grand Targhee Jim Zeleznick Snowbasin Vern Goldsmith Snowbird Connie Knab Brighton Charles Hall Wolf Mountain James Ludlow Park City Alpine Level III Justin Jones Wolf Mountain Steven Mc Farland Deer Valley Erica Knight Wolf Mountain Skip Merkley Wolf Mountain DRaonb eArtu Atrmy mann Jackson HAoltlea SJAetaefrfvyreenny L ONowricmeheror le Wolf SSMnnooouwwnbbtaiirrindd SLCaehnaricnse SR Seawailtreoledn i sh DDeeeeBrrr iVVgaahlltlloeenyy Andrew Baker Alta ASaureo Sn kWeeenb b WWoollff MMoouunnttaaiinn Greg Underwood Alta Kyle Bracken Snowbird Shawn Wiest Wolf Mountain Nordic Track Level I C. Scott Cheney Alta Michael Collaer Pebble Creek Snowboard Level II Roger Anderson Pocatello Parks & Rec James Collins Jackson Hole Christopher Bloom Pocatello Parks & Rec Dustin Cooper Deer Valley Craig Brenchley Snowbasin Mark S~vers Grand Targhee Dave Carlson Wolf Mountain Michael Voorhees Pocatello Parks & Rec Michelle A. Dickson Sundance Stephen Connor Solitude James Dumas Deer Valley Lance Syr Wolf Mountain Todd Denlinger Wolf Mountain Nordic Track Level II Laura Fearon Jackson Hole Gregory Short Snowbird Jane Gissi Deer Valley Sue Skeen Wolf Mountain Christine Boyack Sundance Sandra Guzman Snowbird J. Russell Wong Snowbird Susannah Clutz White Pines Randy Hustinson Grand Targhee Douglas Halsey Jackson Hole James Hilding Snowbird Snowboard Level III Nordic Track Level III Stephen Holmsen Jackson Hole Eric Janes Deer Valley Brett Hunsaker Brian Head Samuel Palmatier Sundance Jessie Whitmore White Pines C. John Killen Powder Mountain Andrea Martin Snowbird Nordic Downhill Level I Robert Mulder Deer Valley Deborah Myers Brighton Helen Armstrong Solitude Chris Bunting Jackson Hole T. David Reynolds Jackson Hole Mark Deterline Sundance Tim Sattelmeier Alta Bruce Hennessey Jackson Hole James Schulz, Jr. Jackson Hole Tony Jewell Jackson Hole Chris Searle Brighton Richard Reese Grand Targhee Nancy Schafner Solitude Laura Todt Alta Justin Silcox Jackson Hole Lance Tweden Snowbird Ric Stattin White Pines Robert L. White Park City Carin Stimolo White Pines PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN DIVISION 571-4123; Pebble Creek:Scott Rockwood 208 232-7998, Donna Erickson, 208 232-7613· Powder Mountain:Barbara Berry and Rick Berry, 801 782-5238; OtTlCers: President, Allen Titensor; Administrative V. P., Stew Marsh; Certifi- Snowbasln:Mike McConvill, 801 876-3110, Dick Mulder; Snowbird:Carlie cation Chairperson, Rodger Renstrom; Communications V.P., Dori Pratt; Edu- Siemel, 801 944-4520, Nona Weatherbee, 801 278-2140; Solitude:Lynn H. cation Chairperson, Jo Garuccio; Executive Secretary: Nancy Perkins; PSIA Suksdorf, 253-2355, Daily Oliver 801 487-9172; Sundance:Scott Warr, 801 Representative, Stew Marsh; Current Board Members: 1992-95, Ernie An- 785-6544; Chairperson:Lynn Suksdorf, Solitude, 801485-8423 (hm) 801461- derson, Shannon Kipp; 1994-95, Mike lllUrgood; 1993-96, Rex Ames, Dave 3234 (wk and message). Peck, Dori Pratt, Allen Titensor; 1994-97, Jo Garuccio, Stew Marsh, George Mosher, David Yovanovich; Instructor Representative Committee Mem- bers: Alta:Lisa Robinson, 801 742-2016, John Musser, 801 9426144; Brian The Instructors EDGE, the official publication of the Professional Ski Instruc-tors of America Intermountain Division, is scheduled to be published five tinleS Head:Mark Wilder 801 586-9603; Brighton:Rick Smith 801 596-8443, Dave a year at a non member subscription rate of$15, subscri~ions available t.hrough Strang 801466-1344; Deer Valley:Steve Weinstein, 801 645-8077, Kim M~y- the Division Office. Division Office: 2855 Pamela Dnve, Salt Lake City, UT hew, 801654-4241; Jackson Hole:Nathan Emerson 307 733-7969, Terry Snuth 84121, (80l) 942-2066. Editorial and Advertising Office: 4664 Oearview 307 733-3715; Park City:Phil Gratz, 801 486-8279, Rick Dunnebacke, 801 Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 (80l) 272-0854, Rodger Renstrom, Editor. INSTRUCTORS EDGE 11 PSIA-I would like to extend its thanks and appreciation to the following companies and organizations which donated to the 1995 Clinic. PSIA-I would also like to thank and Solitude areas for hosting this past season's event! The Instructors EDGE A publication of PSIA-I 2855 Pamela Drive Salt Lake City. Utah 84121 Opinions presented in the EDGE are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Intermountain Division. 12 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 04-000824 NORM BURTON 1376 KINGSTON DRIVE OGDEN, UT 84403 L / / INalU Vol. 17 No.1 24,000 Strong PSIA is reporting more than 24,000 mem­bers as of its latest count. PSIA Eastern accounts for almost twice as many of the organization's members as any other divi­sion with nearly 40 percent of the total. PSIA Intermountain ranks sixth out of nine divisions in total membership with a reported 1,547 members. We may not be big, but if you remember last winter, we sure have it good. PSIA Membership by Division Division Members % AJaska ...................................... 169 ................ 7.0% Central .................................. 2,836 .............. 11.7% Eastern ................................ 9,3,86 .............. 38.9% Intermountain ........................ 1,547 ................ 6.4% Northern Intermountain ............ 349 ................ 1.4% Northern Rocky Mtn ................. 665 ................ 2.8% Rocky Mtn ............................. 4,744 .............. 19.6% Western ................................ 1,930 ................ 8.0% Northwest. ............................. 2,524 .............. 10.5% National .............................. 24,150 PSIA Board Report By S1EW MARSH, PSIA BOARD REPRESENT A TIVE Following are highlights ofthe 1995 PSIA summer workshop meeting and Board meeting. As your board representative 1 believe it is important that you are aware of the happenings at these meetings. Each ofthe PSIA -I board members has received the minutes of these meetings and if you are interested in a copy please contact the office or myself. Summer Workshop At the summer national work session, a good deal of time was devoted to discus­sion pertaining to the delivery of quality education materials that will be supported continued on 2 The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain FALL 1995 PSIA Membership Western (7.99%) Rocky Mtn (19.64%) Northern Rocky Mtn (2.75%) Northern Intermountian (1.45%) Intermountain (6.41 %) Eastern (38.87%) How does PSIA Intermountain fit into the official picture of PSIA? Here are the 1995 PSIA membership figures based on division. Examiners Study Basics in Mammoth By CHRISTINE KATZENBERGER, SNOWBIRD The 1995 National Examiners' College at Mammoth Mountain, California was geared toward skiing fundamentals in an effort to help bring all divisions to similar standards. PSIA Demonstration Team Coach Sean Smith, who has worked ex­tensively with the US Ski Team, contrib­uted to this goal by sharing six points of skiing that emphasize basics. The six points of emphasis Sean covered have been a basis of training for the US Ski Team. Sean used a giant slalom focus to review most of the following concepts with the alpine skiing examiners. Open Stance Open stance relates not only to how far apart the feet are, but also to how far apart the lower legs, knee's and thighs are spaced. The legs should appear parallel rather than knock-kneed. An open stance is necessary to allow the inside leg to actively work throughout the tum. In ad­dition, when speeds increase, as in the case of a super G or downhill race, and a racer uses an "A" frame to check speed: there is a real chance of injury to the knee joint. The knee joint is not structured to handle the forces that arise at these speeds. To dial in the open stance, Sean had examiners practice runs leaving railroad­track marks in the snow. We watched each other make slight turns out of the fall line and checked to see if the skis left parallel track marks without skidding. The exam­iners were then allowed to try a super G tum. These were not connected turns, just one tum in a rounded shape out of the fall line. We were not allowed to ski connect­ing turns until we left true railroad tracks in the snow. Balance Zone The balance zone is formed by a fore and aft and side to side pOSitioning of the feet that permits an even distribution of bal-continued on 11 Administrative Report By S1EW MARSH; PSIA-I ADMINISTRATIVE V. P. As current Administrative VP I felt it important to infonn the membership of the Divisions' fmaneial status. I intend to make this a yearly statement so that the members are aware of the current fmancial status of the Division. Listed below are the financial statements ofPSIA-I for the year ended June 30, 1995. If you have questions regarding them, contact Stew Marsh or Nancy Perkins. If you wish a copy of the statements please contact the office. ASSETS Cash in savings ......................... 7988.52 Money MarkeL" ................... , .. 64248.04 Savings, prepaid dues ............... 1383.00 Certificates 01 deposit... ........... 31753.45 Returned checks ............................. 0.00 BookslManuals Inventory .......... 3041.62 Pins Inventory .....•...................... 2819.85 Misc Inventory ........................... 16n.32 Equipment ........................... "'. 28626.81 Furniture and fixtures ................. 2357.06 Depreciation Allowance ......... -20756.21 TOTAL .................................. 123139A6 LIABILITIES & EQUITY Accounts payable ............................ 0.00 PSIA dues, PSIA ............................. 0.00 Prepaid dues, PSIA ................. 32550.00 Prepaid dues, PSIA-I .............. 30264.00 U 01 U Ski Archives ......................... 0.00 FICA & Federal withholding ............. 0.00 State withholding ............................. 0.00 Members equity ....................... 55428.15 YTO Income (loss) ..................... 4897.31 TOTAL .................................. 123139A6 INCOME STATEMENT Period ending June 30, 1994 OECL hiring assessment... ........ 2500.00 Alpine assessments ................ 16553.50 Nordic assessments .................. 3085.00 Snowboard assessments .......... 1655.00 Alpine clinics ............................ 26002.50 Alpine, train the trainer .............. 1025.00 Nordic clinics ............................. 1675.00 Snowboard clinics ..................... 1244.00 Alpine dues .............................. 38651.00 Nordic dues .............................. 2232.00 Snowboard dues ....................... 1396.00 Adaptive dues .............................. 235.00 Ski School dues ........................... 850.00 Retired member dues .................... 30.00 Edge income ................................ 55.00 Interest income .......................... 2718.05 Inventory sales ........................ 11686.86 Other income, mise sales, fate fees Past dues ................................... 2009.00 Transferfees ............................... 254.05 Returned check fee ................... 1841.00 ·TOTAl REVENUES ............... 116155.96 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE EXPENSES JUNE 30, 1995 OECL hiring assessment .......... 1844.88 Alpine assessments ................ 13271.77 Nordic assessments ................. 2335.84 Snowboard assessments ........... 919.63 Alpine clinics ........................... 19780.42 Nordic clinics ............................. 1755.92 Snowboard clinics ..................... 1018.00 Train the trainer .......................... 775.78 DECL-Training Alpine ............... 1338.13 DECL· Training Nordic ............... 541.17 DECL· Training Snowboard ........ 456.93 Board of Directors....... ...... .......... 561.66 Certification committee ............. 1531.93 Education committee ................ 1531.93 SS Oirectors committee .............. 268.19 Children's committee .................. 668.63 Secretary contract........ ........... 19911.17 Office assistant ..... .................... 3268.93 Professional fees ...................... 1365.00 Awards and Hall of Fame ........... 395.72 Bad debt expense ....................... 371.00 Book, manuals .......................... 9543.14 Copying/printing expense ......... 2081.84 Depreciation expense ............... 3843.72 Edge publication expense ......... 5350.63 Insurance expense ................... 2188.43 Bank charges ................................ 22.04 Misc expense ............................ 2561.79 Mise sales! accessories .............. 158.94 Office rent ................................. 2100.00 Office storage locker.... .......... ..... 350 .40 Office supplies .. ........ ...... .......... 1920.96 Pins ............................................. 457.68 Postage and freigh!... ................ 3584.95 Repairs and maintenance ......... 1253.89 Telephone expenses .................. 866.39 Travel-President ......................... 450.95 Travel-Secretary ......................... 750.07 Travel-Education chair.. .............. 241.02 Travel-Board of Directors ............ 618.38 Travel-Miscellaneous ............... -1000.00 TOTAL EXPENSES ............. 111258.65 NET INCOME OR LOSS .......... 4897.31 PSIA BOARD continuedfrom 1 throughout the association. Many repre­sentatives to the national meeting ex­pressed their desire to be involved in vari­ous aspects of planning and development for both ongoing and future projects. The board of directors and national office staff are listening to these groups and making the best effort to meet their needs. As Mark Anderson reported, PSIA had an exceptional year. The strategic plan objective to recruit more members was accomplished. I hope that we can continue this pattern in years to come. He also stated the desire to provide programs and services to new members. The quality of the The Professional Skier was an impres­sive accomplishment and continues to get better and better. The national events were well represented and we did succeed very well in Japan. The agreement with Subaru of America was solidified and will represent a sub­stantial marketing avenue for PSIA. This will be facilitated with various seminars held throughout the country. A Subaru sponsored seminar will occur in March at Sundance. I look forward to this event and what it may bring to PSIA-I. Highlights of the board meeting: • Our board (PSIA-I) must continue to recognize the need to request an action plan for moneys for team involvement. • National Academy dates are set for ar­rival on April 19 and departure on 26. The academy will include Demonstra­tion Team tryout training. Team tryouts will begin on Sunday, April 28 and go through the following Sunday. • The 1996 summer meeting is scheduled for June 6-10 at Copper Mt. • An issue of Board concern was the pro­posed membership age limit of 16 years. There was much discussion of this matter and the fact that it may incur a liability issue was brought forth. Also, it was believed this might be a ski area management issue, not a PSIA national issue. It was moved to table this motion until the board obtains a legal opinion regarding the ramifications. • Additional sections of The ABC's of . Ski School Management will be pub­lished. Included will be: Marketing of the Ski School, Auditing of the Ski School and Customer Service, and "Where to Find List" of reference ma­terial; books, articles, computer pro­grams, videos, speakers, etc. • A competition will be held for members to design a new "Ski with a Pro" win­dow (bumper sticker). Prize money will awarded to the winning designs. The following members of PSI A-I were given lifetime membership in PSIA and PSIA-I for their support and dedication to the profession of ski teaching. Earl Miller, member number 155: Cer­tified in 1951. Earl has been a ski area designer, ski coach and ski school direc­tor. His most notable contribution was the invention of the ski brake and the Miller releasable binding. Dean Roberts, member number 177: Certified in 1957: Dean was the Director of the ski school at Solitude for 20 years. He was a PSIA-I board member for eight years and an examiner for many years. Gene Christiansen, member number 312: Gene has been teaching skiing full time the last 30 years at Alta. In 1975 he was a PSIA Demo Team alternate. He was a PSIA-I examiner during the 1970s. Please congratulate these fine individu­als when you see them skiing, they are truly due this recognition in our industry. The budget was the fmal item that was discussed. Once again PSIA Executive Director Steve Over presented a budget that remained balanced and in line with other associations our size. It is my belief that this association continues to operate in a manner that has prevented any dues increases to its members due to the dili­gence of the national staff and the board of directors. Finally, I would just like to remind the membership of the partnership that PSIA now has with Subaru of America. The benefits to any member or family who purchases a new Subaru the opportunity to receive a $500 rebate on any Subaru model after all negotiations have been completed. Please feel free to contact my­self or MIST at the national office. There will also be a workshop at Sundance spon­sored by Subaru, March 8-10. More de­tails on this event will follow. Ovemll, I believe the general atmos­phere of the workshops and the board meeting was productive. As PSIA contin­ues to grow, more and more account­ability is expected in all areas. I believe that Mark Anderson and the current Board of Directors are very active listeners to the concerns of the membership and the direc­tion the teaching profession is taking. I am open to any suggestions from our Board or the membership at large. _ Communication Message By DORI PRATT, PSIA-I COMMUNICATION V. P. Greetings from your Communication V.P. I hope your summer has gone well and everyone is looking forward to the upcoming winter. I would like to take this opportunity to print a report that I gave to the B.O.D. on June 4 1995. I would like to reiterate and remind every member of their special privileges, not only as a member of the board but also as a member of our honomble institution, PSIA-1. I am guessing that all of you, including myself, would like to see some positive changes in this organization. Well, let me give you the good news about positive changes. Positive changes can happen because you have volunteered for your organization and there is even more good news about volunteering. You are needed! You have made the right choice! Congratulations! Volunteering looks good on your resume. Volunteering provides a sense of fulfillment. Volunteering is a chance to "give back" to your organization. Volunteering is the politically correct thing to do. Volunteering is an educational experience. Lastly, be comforted in knowing that you have volunteered for a noble cause, a non-profit organization. So, now is the time, step forward and be heard. Remember your organization needs you. See you on the slopes. Thanks, Dori Pratt Snowboard, JETs, Nordic Team Selection The responsibility for selecting repre­sentatives for the PSIA National Snow­board, Nordic, and Junior Education Teams has been placed with the divisions. Each division will be responsible for se­lecting one representative for each disci­pline who will also serve as their disci­pline's national committee member. PSIA-I's selection process will take place in the spring. The process for determining team mem­bers has yet to be determined and will be based on the number of applicants. Selec­tion possibilities include: 1. Selection based on applications-in­cluding resume', letters ofrecommen­dation, interview, etc. 2. Selection based on video taped per­formance and application. 3. Selection based on on-snow perform­ance and application. 4. Other options to be determined. Application requirements are subject to change, but will most likely include: • Certified Level III member in good standing with the Division. • Currently employed full-time at a ski school and active within the Division. • One-page resume • One-page explaining why you would be a good team member and committee chairperson. • Personal commitment signed by your ski school director confirming avail­ability for team and committee respon­sibilities. • A technical paper (not to exceed three pages) based on discipline-specific ski instruction. • Two letters of recommendation: ski school director and cross-discipline person. Additional information will be printed in the EDGE as it becomes available. _ INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 NSRA Pro Form Process Explained The National Ski Retailers Association has announced the development of a pre­ferred list of NSRA ski shops who have requested to service instructors and pa­trollers when they purchase equipment on one of the special purchase programs. "We understand from conversations with the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the National Ski Patrol that many professionals had difficulty finding shops that would handle their purchases," Richard Bohr, president of The Ski & Sport Plus, Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and chair­man of the NSRA Special Projects Com­mittee, said. "So we are compiling a list of NSRA member shops who would like to work with ski professionals." The list, together with a Special Pur­chase Eligibility Form, will be available to PSIA and NSP members who send a self addressed envelope to the NSRA of­fice. The listings are by state and contain addresses, phone numbers, and key con­tacts at the Shops participating. These shops will have copies of the purchase forms. Since the 1992/93 ski season, ski profes­sionals have received the Special Pur­chase Eligibility Form attached to The Professional Skier or Ski Patrol Maga­zine. However, there was no information on shops supporting the program The form, almost identical to the form used tile past three years ,requires approval by a ski school or patrol director. Ski professionals may get the list of shops participating in the program by sending a self addressed stamped enve­lope (52 cents postage) and a photocopy of their membership card to the National Ski Retailers Association: National Ski Retailers Association, 1699 Wall Street, Mt Prospect IL 60056. Manufacturers place certain limitations on their pro form programs. Restrictions include the equipment that may be pur­chased and the level of PSIA/NSP mem­bership required to participate in the pro­gram. "The National Ski Retailers Asso­ciation is encouraging participating shops to supplement manufacturer's programs to include working ski professionals sometimes not included under manufac­turer programs," NSRA managing direc­tor Thomas B. Doyle said _ 4 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Orthotics Control Foot Motion in Athletes By JOHN SENATOR, D.P.M. By definition, an orthotic is a shoe/boot insert that contours an individual'S foot providing arch support, as well as decreas­ing pronatory and supinatory forces that pass through the foot. Orthotics/foot beds are either rigid, semi-rigid or soft. Rigid orthotics can be fabricated out of one of several types of rigid materials such as acrylic, metal, or a relatively new mate­rial, carbon-graphite. Extensive clinical research has proven the effectiveness of rigid orthotics in con­trolling abnormal foot motion. Limiting excessive (abnormal) motion in the foot has been shown to reduce the incidence of injury in athletes. Health professionals have used rigid orthotics in treating abnor­mal biomechanics in athletes ranging from marathoners to professional football players with great success. Little if any research has been performed on the effects of rigid orthotics on skiing biomechanics. Although, those of us in the sports medi­cine field are well aware of the tremen­dous advantage rigid orthotics offer to the recreational and professional skier. Per­formance and comfort are often dramati­cally enhanced with rigid orthotic use, however, these are subjective findings and difficult to document in a clinical setting. Researchers speculate that the purpose of a rigid orthotic in a ski boot is to limit excessive motion at certain joints in the foot. Motion of the foot in the ski boot becomes more restricted maintaining the path of energy transmission from the body directly to the ski. All motion, from the hip, knee, and ankle is transferred directly to the ski without any unnecessary move­ment in the foot. This translates to better edge control and less muscle fatigue. Many ski professionals and racers are so obsessed with obtaining a tight boot fit that they will often use boots one to two sizes too small in an attempt to limit extra motion of the foot. Of course, ltwel of comfort dramatically decreases, and ski­ers are able to tolerate the boots only for the duration of the run. Actually the "tight fit" theory is applicable to skiers of all levels. Because joints of the foot can move within the ski boot, the skier will buckle the boot too tightly in an attemptto control excessive motion. This leads to ischemic pain (pain due to decreased blood circula­tion) and neuritis (irritation of nerves). The rigid orthotic eliminates excessive motion, thus eliminating the need to buckle too tightly. Many skiers will notice a feeling of looseness when using rigid orthotics because they no longer need to squeeze the foot to achieve the same level of control. Another advantage of the rigid orthotic is they will maintain their original shape for a lifetime. Softer orthotics will often lose their original contour within several months of usage, thus decreasing their initial effectiveness. For the average skier this may not present a problem, however; racers often win or lose by fractions of a second and need every possible advan­tage. In conclusion, the benefit of using a rigid orthotic is two fold. First, to increase boot comfort desired by all skiers. Second, to increase performance on the slopes allow­ing a racer to shave fractions off course times. - Dr. John Senatore is a staff podiatrist at Union Memorial Sports Medicine Center, Baltimore, MD and president of Quick Edge Custom Foot­bed Corporation. Adaptive Alpine Ski Clinics Conducted by the National Ability Center, Park City, Utah Nov 18-19 Nov 29-30 Dec 9-10 Jan 6 Call Kim or Brook at 801649-3991 to register. Clinics are $25 per day, includes pass. Clinics in monoski, bi-ski, 3-track, 4-track and blind techniques. Open to professional instructors and volunteers. Accessories • Books • Manuals Remember, when you order your manuals and accessories through the PSIA·I office you are helping support the Division. ITEM # DESCRIPTION NON-MEMBER MEMBER PRICE PRICE 01C 02C PSIA·I Blue binder .......................... 10.00 03C PSIA Lapel Pin ............................. , N/A 04C PSIA·I Certified I Pin (bronze). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. N/A 05C PSIA·I Certified II Pin (silver) .................. , N/A 06C PSIA·I Certified III Pin (gold) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. N/A 07C ATS: Alpine Skiing Manual ................... 49.90 OBC ATS: Alpine Skiing Video (Part 1) . . . . . . . . . . . .. 39.90 09C ATS: Alpine Skiing Video (Part 2) . ... . .. . .. . .. 39.90 10C ATS: Snowboard Skiing Manual ............... 35.90 11C ATS: Alpine Set (Manual & 2 Videos). . . . . . . . .. 99.90 12C ATS: Full Set (Both manuals and videos) . . . . .. 129.90 13C ATS Strategies for Teaching ............. , .... 10.00 14C ATS·H Alpine Handbook ..................... 27.90 15C ATS·C Child Centered Skiing ................. 49.90 16C ATS·N Nordic Handbook ..................... 27.90 17C 1BC ATS Snowboard Handbook .............. , .... 27.90 19C ATS Children Handbook ..................... 27.90 20C ATS Children's Development ................. CALL 21C ATM III Teaching Concepts ................... 12.00 22C ATM Methodology ......................... " 6.00 23C Captain Zembo's Ski Teaching Guide for Children .. 6.00 24C Introduction to Ski Teaching .................. 12.00 25C Effective Teaching & Training ................. 10.00 26C 27C 2BC Risk Management in Ski School. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. B.OO 3.00 4.00 B.OO B.OO B.OO 24.95 19.95 19.95 17.95 49.95 59.50 5.00 14.95 24.95 14.95 14.95 14.95 6.00 3.00 3.00 6.00 5.00 4.00 SHIP 3.00 NC NC NC NC 3.00 2.50 2.50 3.00 3.50 3.50 2.00 2.00 3.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 2.00 Postage and Handling, See Item, maximum $5.00 charge for multiple items. Orders should include: nanIe, status, ID number, shipping address, item number, item description, quantity ordered and total remittance. NAME __________________________________________________ _ STATUS. ______________________ ID·NUMBER, _______________ _ SHIPPING·ADDRESS __________________________________ _ CITY ___________________ STATE ZIPCODE, ____________ _ Item#:_ Dese. :, ___________________ Quantity: __ Total priee:, ___ _ Item#:_ Dese.: Quantity: __ Total priee: ___ _ MANUALS/ACCESSORIES TOTAL: ______ _ ADD 6.125 PERCENT UTAH STATE SALES TAX: _____ _ POSTAGE AND HANDLlNG:. ______ _ TOTAL DUE: _____ _ SEND ORDER WITH FULL PAYMENT TO:PSIA·I, 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121 Welcome the 1995-96 Ski Season! PSIA Intermountain Lecture Series • November 28 P eiformance: How to Train the Mental Abilities Tom Miller, Ph.D. Sports Psychology Whitmore Library, 2197 E 7000 S, SLC 6:30·8:30 pm Sign up limited to 65 • December 5 What's Happening on the World Cup and How and When Does it Apply to Us? Tim Ross, Coach's Education Director US Ski Team Whitmore Library 6:30-8:30 pm Sign up limited to 65 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 5 PSIA-I Alpine Calendar Clinics NOVEMBER Nov. 18 Train the Trainer Part 1* Nov. 19 Train the Trainer Part 2* Thanksgiving - Nov. 23 6:00-9:00 pm Snowbird, inv. only 8:30 am Snowbird, inv. only Nov.28 Lecture: Performance: 6:30-8:30 pm Whitmore Library How to Train the Mental Abilities 2197 E 7000 S SLC Tom Miller, Ph.D. Sports Psychology Sign up limited to 65 DECEMBER Dec. 5 Lecture: Whars 6:30-8:30 pm Whitmore Library Happening on the World Cup and How and When Does It Apply to Us Tim Ross, Coach's Education Director US Ski Team Dec. 3 Dec. 13 Dec. 14 Sign up limited to 65 Ski Improvement Train the Trainer Part 1* Train the Trainer Part 2* Christmas Week - Dec. 20 - Jan. 2 JANUARY Jan. 7 S2, S3 (assessment prep) Jan. 7 Ski the Steeps Jan. 8 M2, M3 (assessment prep) Jan. 8 T2, T3 (assessment prep) Jan.10 M2, M3 Jan.10 T2, T3 Jan.10 Ski Improvement Jan. 10 S2, S3 Jan. 10 Master Teacher 8:30am Alta 6:00-9:00 pm Loc. TBA, inv. only 8:30 am Deer Vly, inv. only 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am Jackson Jackson Targhee Targhee Solitude Solitude Solitude Brighton Brighton Martin Luther King Day - Jan. 15 (Jan. 12-15) Jan. 17 M2,M3 8:30am Elk Meadows Jan. 17 S2,S3 8:30am Elk Meadows Jan. 18 T2, T3 8:30am Brian Head Jan. 20 Ed College 8:30am Deer Valley Jan. 21 Ed College 8:30am Deer Valley Ed College will include a children's seminar, introduction to teach­ing disabled skiers, an on-snow alignment clinic with John Feig, A ski improvement seminar for National Ski Patrolmen plus general skiing and teaching topics. Jan. 22 Regional Selection National D-Team Try-outs Jan. 23 Regional Selection Jan:24 Regional Selection 6-9:30 pm 8:00am 8:00am SLC,TBA Snowbird Snowbird Selection and criteria for Nordic, JETs and Snowboard TBA by Jan. 1, 1996; decisions will be made in the spring. Jan. 30 Jan. 30 Feb. 1 Feb. 1 S2, S3 Part 1 T2, T3 Part 1 S2, S3 Part 2 T2, T3 Part 2 FEBRUARY Feb. 3 assess. prep (topics TBA) Feb. 6 M2, M3 Part 1 Feb. 6 Race (SL or mod. GS) PI. 1 Feb. 8 M2, M3 Part 2 Feb. 8 Race Part 2 6-9 pm 6-9 pm 6-9 pm 6-9 pm 8:30am 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm 6:00pm Park City Park City Park City Park City KeUyCanyon Nordic Valley Nordic Valley Nordic Valley Nordic Valley Feb. 11 - 24 President's Week Feb. 26 assess. prep (topics TBA) 8:30 am Beaver MI. Feb. 27 Variable Conditions 8:30 am Powder Mt (will include 3 Snow Cat rides; price for clinic $45.00) MARCH March 5 M2, M3 March 5 S2, S3 March 8 T2, T3 March 8 Bumps APRIL Easter Sunday - April 7 Spring Clinic -A Wasatch Front Affair! April 12 Spring Clinic April13 Spring Clinic-Alpine April 13 Spring Clinic-Snowboard April13 Spring Clinic-Nordic April14 Spring Clinic-all disciplines 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am Sundance Sundance WolfMI. WolfMI. 1 :30 pm - 4:00 pm 8:30 am - 4:00 pm 8:30 am - 4:00 pm 8:30 am - 4:00 pm 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Park City Park City Brighton Solitude Snowbird Spring Clinic will be an EVENT; unlike the Ed College where you may attend one or both days, the cost of Spring Clinic will include 2.5 days of skiing and the banquet plus assorted goodies! Banquet will be held in SLC; watch Edge for any lodging discounts in SLC area. END OF SEASON! * Please note that two Train the Trainer Clinics are on the calendar. The intent is to provide ski school staff trainers with up-to-date information concerning education and certification-to keep them in the divisional loop so that they are beller prepared to share information and answer questions in their ski schools. The clinic is not designed to teach instruc­tors how to be trainers. Those instructors should be looking at topics such as "Master Teacher." Assessments JANUARY Jan. 5 Levell Assessment 8:30am Jackson Jan. 18 Levell Assessment 8:30 am Brian Head Jan. 22 Levell Assessment 8:30am Solitude FEBRUARY Feb. 4 Levell Assessment 8:30am Pebble Creek Feb. 5 S2 Assessment 8:30 am Targhee Feb. 6 S3 Assessment 8:30 am Jackson Feb. 8 S2, S3 Assessment 8:30am Deer Valley Feb. 27 Levell Assessment 8:30am PowderMI. Feb. 28 T2, T3 Assessment 8:30am Snowbasin MARCH Mar 1 T3 Assessment 8:30am Jackson Mar 2 T2 Assessment 8:30am Snow King Mar 6 Levell Assessment 8:30am Sundance Mar 7 S2, S3 Assessment 8:30am Elk Meadows Mar 20 S2, S3 Assessment 8:30am Brighton Mar 28 T2, T3 Assessment 8:30am Brian Head APRIL Apr9 T2, T3 Assessment 8:30am Alta Apr16 S2, S3 Assessment 8:30 am Snowbird Apr16 T2, T3 Assessment 8:30 am Snowbird Note: unless otherwise specified, all PSIA Intermountain clinics cost $30 per day. PSIA-I Snowboard & Nordic Calendar Snowboard Clinics JANUARY Jan 11 DECL Training 2 Jan 12 Level II Riding Prep Jan 12 Level III Riding Prep Jan 21 Ed College Jan 22 Ed College FEBRUARY Feb 25 Level II Teaching Prep Feb 25 Level III Teaching Prep 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am 8:30am Targhee Jackson Jackson WolfMtn WolfMtn Wolf Mtn. WolfMtn Mar 2 April 12 April 13 April 14 DECL Training 3 Spring Clinic 8:30 am Brian Head 1 :30 pm - 4:00 pm TBA Spring Clinic-Snowboard Spring Clinic-all disciplines 8:30 am - 4:00 pm Brighton 8:30 am - 3:30 pm Snowbird Snowboard Assessments JANUARY Jan 13 Levell Assessment Jan 31 Levell Assessment FEBRUARY 8:30am 8:30am Feb 12 Level II Riding Assessment 8:30 am Feb 13 Level III Riding Assessment 8:30 am MARCH Mar 18 Level II Teach Assessment 8:30 am Mar 19 Level III Teach Assessment 8:30 am WolfMtn Brighton Solitude Solitude PowderMtn PowderMtn One clinic is a prerequisite for each level of certification. In addition. a second clinic is strongly recommended. Deadlines for registration are two weeks prior to event. You must have your name in the office no later than the two-week deadline to be considered for the event. Call Nancy Perkins if you have questions. And please, remember to sign up for clinics early so they don't get canceled. Nordic Clinics DECEMBER Dec 1-4 DECL Selection and Training Dec 16 NID II & III Dec 18 Track II & III JANUARY Jan 8 NID II & III Jan 19 Backcountry Clinic Jan 20 Education College: NID Clinics Jan 21 Education College: NID Clinics Jan 12 Track II & III FEBRUARY Feb 5 Track II & III Feb12 NIDII&1I1 APRIL Solitude Park City Teton Pines Jackson TBA(South) Deer Valley Deer Valley Solitude Pocatello Solitude April12 Spring Clinic 1 :30 pm - 4:00 pm TBA Solitude Snowbird April13 Spring Clinic-Nordic 8:30 am - 4:00 pm April14 Spring Cfinic·all disciplines 8 :30 am • 3 :30 pm Nordic Assessments DECEMBER Dec 15 Level I Assessment JANUARY Jan 6-7 N/D Assessment II & III Jan 19 Levell Assessment Jan 24 Track Assessment II & III &25 FEBRUARY Feb 10 N/D Assessment II & III & 11 Feb 13 Levell Assessment Feb 22 Track Assessment II & III &23 MARCH Mar 12 Track Assessment II & III &13 Mar 13 N/D Assessment II & III &14 Mar 22 Backcountry Assessment II & III 23 & 24 Sundance TBA Pocatello Jackson Jackson Teton Pines Pocatello Sundance Solitude Tetons Please sign up early for clinics early so they don't get canceled. New Quick-Edge Custom Footbeds are extremely strong and light. Fashioned of Car­bon- Graphite, Quick Edge reduces wasted motion, helps transfer more energy from feet to skis, and reduces muscle fatigue. Thoroughly tested in the lab and on the slopes, Quick-Edge is considered indispensable by ski instructors and ski professionals. Priced at just $139.95 (includes S&H), your custom made Quick Edge Custom Footbed is available direct from the manufacturer or your local ski shop. Education Comer By JO GARUCCIO, PSIA-I EDUCA nON CHAIRPERSON Its hard to believe that another season is about to begin. It seems like just yesterday that I hiked out of Dalton's Draw on the 4th of July at Snowbird. And, since my Triathlon season won't be complete until Nov. 11, I am just a little confused. But here goes. We have spent the summer arranging the calendar, looking for new talent, and editing information. We hope to bring you a more di versified education program and add a little creativity to the assessment process. Watch for information on a pilot teaching exam we hope to conduct during the spring. Here is a sneak preview of some of the up-coming events. Fall Lectures Lecture topics are new and different, so plan on signing up early. The limit on the room at Whitmore Library is 75, and we will accept 65 applications. And, hear this! We are not allowed to accept money at the door - Salt Lake County Library rules. So, you must sign up at the office. If you show up at the door, you will be sent away. Sorry! Also, no food or drink allowed. This year, PSIA-I will host Tom Miller, Ph.D. Sport Psychology on Nov. 28. Tom has worked with the US Biathlon and Cross-country teams in the areas of individual and team performance. Tim Ross, Coach's Education Director for the US Ski Team will be our guest on Dec. 5. Tim has been instrumental in training ski coaches throughout the country, and truly has witnessed performance at its' very best. Tom will discuss performance and how to improve your mental abilities. Accord­ing to Tom, as athletes and coaches of sport, we train the physical side and generally pay little attention to the mental side. As ski teachers, we are expected to perform at our best everyday. Perhaps by learning a few mental skills, we can bypass those nerve wracking situations at the top of "Great Scott" and coach our students to do the same. Tim will take a look at the World Cup and discuss where and how "what the World Cup Skiers are doing" applies to us, and where it quite possibly does not! He gave a similar lecture at the coach's seminar in Mammoth in May and it was very well received. Come listen to information generally not available to ski teachers. It's a must for all instructors looking for new and innovative ideas. Lecture location: Whitmore Library, 2970 E 7000 S SLC For instructors in faraway places, we hope to tape both lectures for future viewing. Education College Ed College agenda will be available in the Dec. Edge. but just to encourage your appetite for information, here are a few of the options planned so far: Children's Seminar Introduction to Teaching Physically Challenged Skiers Indoor/On-snow Alignment Clinic with John Feig and DECL members Ski Improvement Seminar for National Ski Patrol Members A New Master Teacher's Seminar All The Regular Stuff Regional Selection for National Demonstration Team Tryouts For all instructors planning on going to regional try-outs for the National Demo team, start pulling your application materials together now. In addition to the standard assessment application appearing in the EDGE, you will need a resume', continued on next page 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE PSIA-I Education Foundation Spring Clinic Scholarship By GEORGE MOESHER A common comment on my clinic evalu­ation forms has been, "how's about a free clinic?" The "free clinic" isn't here yet, but we're getting closer. The formation of the PSIA-I Education Foundation allows the opportunity to provide clinic scholarships to members of the Division. The first scholarships will be in the form of three $50 tuition supplements to be awarded next spring for this season's Spring Clinic. The scholarships are available to Certified Level II and III members only. The Education Foundation was in the works well before I became directly in­volved. Shannon Kipp has gone out of her way to make the foundation a reality. As a member of the Board I discovered an underlying mission statement within the Board, to do whatever we can to support the mem bership. The creation of the Edu­cation Foundation and this season's three scholarships reflects that commitment. Scholarship applications will be ac­cepted January 1 through March 1. The requirements are: • A typed essay that includes: • A paragraph that describes your pro­fessional history, including your certi­fication status, where you are em­ployed (and for how long), and what your duties are (a supervisor, chil­dren's program, racedepartment,etc.). • A paragraph stating why you should be considered for this scholarship. • A paragraph that states how this schol­arship will benefit you professionally and academically. • Two letters of recommendation from employers, clinic leaders, or college professors who have a professional in­terest in you. If you are awarded a scholarship, you will be required to summarize your expe­riences during the clinic in an article for The Instructors Edge, the official publica­tion of the PSIA-I. The scholarship appli­cation form, printed on the next page, will also be available through ski schools. • Jon Miya PSIA-I member Jon Miya, an instructor at Powder Mountain Ski Resort, died July 9 after diving into Willard Bay to rescue his two daughters. Jon was a loving father who loved life. In addition to being a professional ski instructor, Jon enjoyed hunting, fishing, camping, boating and golfing. Jon's love of people took him to Kaysville Jr. High School were he strived to make learning science fun and interesting. Jon was born August 31, 1954 in Salt Lake City to Kazuo and Edith Oda Miya and grew up in Layton. He graduated from Layton High in 1972 and Weber State College in 1986. He is survived by his wife, Sharon Youd Miya; children, Ryan, Annie and Beth; parents, Kazoo and Edith Oda Miya; brothers, Paul Reed Miya and David Glen Miya. _ Articles for next EDGE due: November 22 Send directly to editor at address in back of EDGE. PSIA Hires Marketing Coordinator Audrey Pertinger has been hired as NSP/PSIA Marketing Coordinator. Audrey's background includes four years with Rollerblade, Inc. where she developed sponsorship, cross promo­tional relationships, and events for sev­eral Fortune 500 corporations. Most re­cently, Audrey acted as event sponsorship manager for SportS tar USA, Inc., where EDUCATION continued/rom 8 she sold corporate sponsorship for tele­vised sporting events. Her responsibilities will include imple­menting advertising and sponsorship ef­forts for NSP and PSIA. Audrey will also be involved with catalog development, support for teams, and implementation of electronic communication efforts. _ three letters of recommendation-including one from your Ski School Direc­tor- and a two-page paper, with one page each on the following subjects: • role and responsibility of the Alpine Team and its members _ your personal and professional goals In addition, candidates for the national team must meet the follOwing criteria: _ U.S. citizenship • Certified Level III • Full-time ski educator or coach • Can commit 30 days per season to PSIA Cost for regional tryouts: $100 Cost for national tryouts: $125 Future Photos Dust off those cameras! PSIA-I is having a photo contest. Winning slides and photos will be shown at the Spring Clinic Banquet. Watch for photo criteria in the next "Edge"-great prizes and lots of fun. i----------------------------------------------------------------------~-----------------------------------------------, I Spring Clinic Scholarship Application Please take advantage of this scholar­ship opportunity and then consider us­ing your skills and becoming involved in the Education Foundation. • The foundation's Ways and Means Committee is responsible for fun­draising and is the base of support for the foundation. Contact Mike Thur­good at [phone] to aid in fund raising. • Work on the foundation's Project Committee includes judging awards and finding opportunities to enhance membership services through spon­sorship of professional lectures, re­search, and publications. Go one step further and volunteer. Scholarship applications accepted January 1, 1996, through March 1, 1996. Name: __________________________________________________ __ Ski School: __________________________ _ Street Address:. _____________________ _ I I I I I I I I I I City: ____________________ State: Zipcode: _____________ : I I Telephone: ___________ Member Number: _________ : Ski Director's Signature: ____________________________________ _ Return completed application, essay, and letters of recommendation to: PSIA -Intermountain Attn: George Mosher 2855 Pamela Dr. Salt Lake City, UT 84121 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ INSTRUCTORS EDGE 9 PSIA Intermountain Division Alpine/Nordic/Snowboard Event Registration Pre-registration Is required for all clinics and assessments, there will be NO registration at events. DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 14 days prior to event (unless otherwise noted). I am registering for: D General Clinic D Assessment D Spring Clinic Type of Event: D Alpine 0 Snowboard 0 Nordic Please Print Name: Phone: First Last Address: Street or Box City State Zip code o Please check here if this is a new address and you wish it recorded in the office. Certification Status: DEL DC1 DC2 DC3 Certification Number:1 ~------------------~ Your Ski School: -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Event Location: --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pick Topic From Schedule: _______________ _ Date(s) of Event: ______ _ Indicate Group Preference for Clinics (if applicable): D Moderate D Aggressive Event Cost: $30 per one-day clinic (6 hours) $40 for Certified Level I Assessment and Workbook ($25 Assessment and $15 Workbook) $45 for Certified Level II and III Skiing/Mech Assessment $45 for Certified Level II and III Teaching/Mech Assessment Total Amount: _____ _ Assessment Registration Requires Director's Signature: ----------------------------------------- REFUND POLICY: Notice given before deadline, full refund; notice given after deadline but before event, 50% refund; no notice gven to office prior to event, NO REFUND. Mail to: Nancy Perkins, Secretary, PSIA-I Division Office, 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, Ut 84121 Release of Uability for Participation in PSIA-I Education or Certification Function I, the undersigned, have requested to attend the Professional Ski Instructor of America Intermountain Division (hereafter MPSIA_I'') education or certification function led by a PSIA-I designated clinic leader or examiner (hereafter MEvent Facilitators''). I am fully aware that the PSIA-I Event Facilitators are not trained or qualified in the areas of avalanche stability evaluation, routa finding, first aid, or any type of rescue, and that the Event Facilitators are trained only to teach skiing. ski instruction, and related topics, and evaluate skiing and teaching performance. As a professional ski instructor, or experienced skier requesting participation in this event, I fully accept and understand the responsibility for my personal safety, behavior, and performance. I am fully aware of the risks I am undertaking and release and forever discharge PSIA-I, Its officers, directors, employees, agents and all persons from any and all claims, injuries, damages, expenses, or actions arising from or related to my participation in the PSIA-I sponsored event and under no circumstances or eventuality will suit be filed against PSIA-I, its officers, directors, employees. or agents from any injuries resulting from participation in this program. I also agree to incorporate by reference all the provisions of the Utah Risk of Skiing Act (when applicable), and Your Responsibility Code as endorsed by the Professional Ski Instructors of America. Print Name: _____________________ ---'Signature:~ ___________________________ _ o Event participants must be 18 years old or older. You MUST check this box to verify you meet this age requirement. EXAMINERS continued from 1 ance. While sitting or standing, place your feet in the position you use to finish or initiate a turn. Notice how much of a ski lead you have. Slide your "downhill" foot forward, and note that there is a point where your weight shifts to one of your heels while the toes of your other foot point upward. You are now out of the balance zone. The point here is to use only that amount of ski lead that allows the skis to remain parallel and eliminates diver­gence of the inside ski. Excessive lead of the inside ski makes it difficult to initiate a tum, puts us in the back seat, and does not allow for a parallel stance. Lay your skis on the snow, or your carpet at home, so they form an open stance with very little ski lead. Note the imaginary parallelogram formed by the binding's toe and heel pieces. Now move one ski for­ward so that the toe piece of one ski is in the middle of the toe and heel pieces of the other ski. Note the change in the shape of the parallelogram. Imagine how the offset of the bindings would be duplicated in the knees, hips and upper body. Play around with this using extremes and try to visual­ize the position of the entire body every time you move the skis. Recentering Recentering refers to the movements re­quired in order to move from one tum to It's Classified BRIAN HEAD RESORT has openings for full· time ski and snowboard instructors. Join a great team and train with Jerry Warren twice a month. Call 801 677-2035 for appli· cations or further information. SKI INSTRUCTORS, SKI GUIDES, SKI PATROL and resort services positions available at Royal Gorge, North America's largest cross country ski resort. Call (916) 426· 3871 or write for an application top PO Box 11 00, Soda Springs, Ca 95728. another. This action is both fore and aft and side to side. To be able to make those railroad tracks in the snow we needed to plan the direction and shape of the tum and move our bodies with our skis throughout the tum, no static posing. The only way to make the skis track was to constantly respond to accelerating and de­celerating forces and recenter our weight to allow the ski to work. When we take a step forward to begin walking, we start our upper body and hips continued on 12 Certification Comer By RODGER RENSTROM, PSIA-I CERTIFICATION CHAIRPERSON Believe it or not, now is the time to start preparing for certification. Those of you who have visualized yourselves skiing while in-line skating this summer have taken a step in the right direction. Now keep up the good work. The Master Plan revision should be ready by mid December. This revision will contain certification requirements, a basic study guide, and background information to help your studies. In the meantime, here are a few suggestions to help you succeed: • Read. Written test material will come mostly from: the Master Plan revision, A TS II, ATS Children's Development, ATS Alpine Handbook, and ATS Children's Handbook. Start with A TS II chapters 1, 2, the Appendices, and the study questions in Section II. Study the C.A.P. model in ATS Children's Development. • Develop a plan. Laokat the calendar and create a certification plan, including clinics. Don't wait. Identify your skiing improvementneeds ASAP. Most people who have difficulty with the skiing portion ofthe exam need work on basics. Don't plan to simply practice demos; commit yourself to refining basic movements. Develop an agenda with a ski school trainer to begin training as soon as your area opens. Set aside at least 30 minutes a day to practice basic drills. The assessment format remains basically unchanged. Complete information will be published in the December newsletter. Until then, remember what mom always said, "the early bird catches the worm." THE NATIONAL ABILITY CENTER, located in Park City, Utah is accepting applications for Head Coach of the Park City Disabled Ski Team. Qualifications are current certifi· cation USSA Level I or II Coach with three years alpine coaching experience. Call (801) 649·3991. BRIAN HEAD RESORT has a new children's ski school program! Positions are available for full·time ski and snow· board instructors. Don't miss out on the exciting world of children's ski school. Call Jani Sutherland, 801 677-2035, for applications or further information. SKIER'S FRIEND The easiest to use, smallest ski shar· pener available. Out of your pocket quick edger that auto· matically adjusts to edge bevels. PSIA special- $9.95 + $2.00 S&H. Check to AdvantEdge Products, Inc., P.O. Box 524, Williston, VT 05495. Quality made in Vermont. (VT residents please add 5% sales tax.) EARN $50 FOR REFERRALS when your lead results in a rental for Skiers Accommodations of Utah. We oiter2,3,4 and 5 bedroom Townhouses at the mouths of Big and LitUe Cottonwood Canyons. Contact Tom and Nancy Kronthaler, information (801) 943·2426. PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN DIVISION 232-7613; Powder Mountain:Barbara Beny and Rick Beny, 801 782-5238; Snowbasin:Mike McConvill, 801 876-3110, Dick Mulder; Snowbird:Carlie Siemel, 801 944-4520, Nona Weatherbee, 801 278-2140; Solitude:Lynn H. Suksdorf, 253-2355. Daily Oliver 801 487-9172; Sundance:Scott WaIT, 801 785-6544; Chairperson:Lynn Suksdorf, Solitude, 801485-8423 (hm) 801461· 3234 (wk and message). Oft'"lCers: President, Allen Titensor; Administrative V. P., Stew Marsh; Certifi· cation Chairperson, Rodger Renstrom; Communications V.P., Dori Pratt; Edu· cation Chairperson, Jo Garuccio; Executive Secretary: Nancy Perkins; PSIA Representative, Stew Marsh; Current Board Members: 1993-96, Rex Ames, Dave Peck, Dori Pratt, Allen Titensor; 1994-97, Jo Garuccio, Stew Marsh, George Mosher, David Yovanovich; 1995-98 Danny Edwards, R. Richard Mul­der, Mike Thurgood. Instructor Representative Committee Members: Alta:Lisa Robinson, 801 742·2016, John Musser, 801 9426144; Brian Head:Mark Wilder 801 586-9603; Brighton:Rick Smith 801 5%-8443, Dave Strang 801466-1344; Deer Valley:Steve Weinstein, 801 645-8077, Kim May­hew, 801654-4241; Jackson Hole:Nathan Emerson 307 733-7969, Teny Smith 307 733-3715; Park City:Phil Gratz, 801 486·8279, Rick Dwmebacke, 801 571-4123; Pebble Creek:Scott Rockwood 208 232-7998. Donna Erickson, 208 The Instructors EDGE, the official publication of the Professional Ski Instruc· tors of America Intennountain Division, is scheduled to be published five times a year at a non member subscription rate of$15, subscriptions available through the Division Office. Division Office: 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121, (801) 942·2066. Editorial and Advertising Office: 4664 Cleatview Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 [phone], Rodger Renstrom, Editor. Next Edge Deadline: Nov 22 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 11 EXAMINERS continued from 11 in motion so everything moves ahead to­gether. We move our upper body and hips further forward as we move from a walk to a run. Of course, if we keep moving our upper body we may eventually fall face first into the ground. In skiing, we need to move our upper bodies and hips enough to keep aligned over our feet and balance zone. How far we move will be deter­mined by the amount of acceleration, de­celeration, andourneed to stay in balance. Maintaining even contact with the fronts of both boots through active use of the ankle joints helps a skier sense the move­ment needed to recenter. Lateral adjust­ments align the hip with the feet and com­pliment the edge angle needed for the speed and radius of the turn. Moving lat­erally does not mean taking the hip and camping out on the inside of the tum. Arc to Arc Maintenance of speed and flow is im­proved when turns are made from one clean arc to another. We had to use ski design-what the ski was meant to do-to maintain those railroad-track lines in the snow while connecting turns. Everything must work together-open stance, balance zone and recentering. We spent quite a few runs watching each other try to tighten the tum radius using more boot pressure and ankle flex and still leave clean parallel tracks. We gave feed­back on body position, ski lead and tracks The Instructors EDGE A publication of PSIA-I 2855 Pamela Drive Salt Lake City, Utah 84121 Opinions presented in the EDGE are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the opinions or policies of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Intermountain Division. 12 INSTRUCTORS EDGE in the snow, and I don't think anyone was able to perform consistently. Inside 1/2 strengthening Sean focused on the fact that much of the skiing population does not ski with a disciplined upper body. Many of us lack precision in how our upper body lines up with our lower body. Think back to last winter when you were traversing out to a powder shot. Did you let your arms hang low by your side, or swing which ever way felt good? Did you pay attention to how you held your torso, whether it be in the direction you were going or down the hill? We practiced traversing while keeping the inside 1/2 of the torso strong and facing in a direction that would allow the lower body to work with the terrain. Sean explained that the upper body can compli­ment what the lower body does, but the hands and arms can bring the upper body out of alignment. We do not focus on this part of our body enough. It is easy and comfortable to let our hands swing, or allow our hands and arms to subtly rotate at the end of a turn, causing the skis to slip away. To get into the next turn we may have to pivot our skis to bring us back into alignment. Our progression started from a straight run into railroad tracks, to arcs and into an uphill christie while maintaining a strong inside 1/2 of the upper body. I got it once, or maybe even twice, and I know that's what I'll be working on come fall. A weak and poorly diSCiplined upper body causes rlO-· 000('1 1 3 VENT MI~nTHEv.m BOX L~60 HUNTSI,.'IL.L.E, UT the skis to wash out and a loss of pressure buildup and edge turning force. In order to ski arc to arc you must concentrate on upper body, hip and hand position. Pole use Pole use may be the most difficult thing to get right. We began our practice by holding our poles with all of our fingers, which gave us added awareness of where our hands, forearms, and shoulders were related to our body. Then, while skiing railroad tracks, we lifted the baskets of our poles and held our poles parallel to the snow, concentrating on not touching our pole tips on the snow. Sean next had us swing our poles in the direction of the intended turn, being careful not to swing our hands or arms around the inside 1/2 of our body. The point was brought up not to make the pole motion with a back and sitting position, like we sometimes teach, but to swing the pole into the future so that the upper body and hips also move into the future. So here are some idea's to think about while fmishing up the rest of your hiking, biking and blading. After working on these very basic and specific items we could see that the group's skiing became much cleaner and more cohesive. The experience was beneficial for me and I hope this information can give you some added energy to transfer to your skiing this winter. - Christine Katzenberger is a PSIA-I DECL and National Junior Education Team Member rK) / BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID SLC,UTAH PERMIT NO.4383 / I NsrRU Vol. 17 No.2 The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain WINTER ONE 1995 Perfonnance: Mental Preparedness, World Cup Technique By RODGER RENSTROM pertise. PSIA Intermountain made that possible for instructors this fall with the PSIA-I Lecture Series. Ross. Miller shared his experience with the mental aspects of performance Nov. 28 and Ross discussed evolution in elite World Cup skiing Dec. 5. Both lectures were held at Salt Lake City's Whitmore Library. People who are serious about learning continually reach out to hear what others have to say about a particular area of ex- The lecture series highlighted sports psychologist Tom Miller, Ph.D., and US Skiing Coaches Education Director Tim Tom Miller The Mental Aspects of Performance Tom Miller, who along with University of Utah Sports Psychology Professor Keith Henschen, recently finished the first draft of a book on the mental aspects of perform­ance, stresses that mental preparation involves more than telling yourself or your students to relax. Miller describes performance as the "public, on-demand dem­onstration of functional skills, abilities and knowledge." It's the public and on-demand aspects of performance which cause problems for many athletes and excites Miller. "Mind manage­ment stuff, that's the cool stuff," according to Miller. Most of us have heard of the "zone," that state of mental being that permits an athlete to produce extraordinary results. Miller believes all athletes live in a zone of some sort. The No Zone: Miller's "No Zone" is the mental state-of-being experienced by an athlete when things aren't working. The Zone: The "Zone" exists when the physical state, mental state and emotional state come together. The O-Zone: The "O-Zone" occurs during those special periods of peak performance. continued on 2 Tim Ross World Cup Ski Technique Tim Ross likes to evaluate World Cup skiing on the basis of what has, and what hasn't, changed over the last dec­ade, but he emphasizes one thing for elite racers and recreational skiers alike: balance, balance and more balance. "Being the slightest little bit out of balance makes it impossible to be competitive at the World Cup level," said Ross. To get a feel for the small size of a skier's balance zone, Ross suggests gently rocking back and forth while standing on the floor in street shoes. How far forward can you lean before your heels barely begin to lift off the floor? How far backward can you lean before your toes begin to lift? The zone of balance which keeps your hips centered over your feet is small. Unfortunately, the length of the ski permits a skier to move way out of balance. "The fast people have impeccable fore/aft balance and they are always in a centered position," said Ross. He believes exquisite balance is one of the things that has changed on the World Cup. What Has Changed 1. Strength and fitness of athletes. Ross said that today's racers are stronger than ever before. continued on 2 Presidents Message By ALLEN TITENSOR, PSIA-I PRESIDENT Your Board of Directors has assigned me the task of outlining the cost increase in educational clinics from $25 to $30. As this has been the first fee increase in years, the Board was not only hesitant to pass it but adamant in wanting the membership to be aware of the factors involved in their decision. Of course the primary reason is increasing costs in the educational process. The membership has requested smaller clinic groups. Education Chairperson Jo Garuc­cio has really worked hard to achieve this goal; and in reviewing last season's numbers you can see that she has succeeded. The average clinic had six participants. The math is simple; smaller clinic groups, smaller revenues. The other factor involved Is the necessity to provide insurance for the clinic leaders. At the last Ski Instructors Representative Committee meeting, Cheryl Fox from the Deer Valley Ski School asked if the increased fees were going to education costs. An excellent question. I was able to respond that, yes they were going to education. Which allows me to cleverly shift to the topic of your SIRC. The SIRe was the brainstorm of "Roper" when he was president. Since it's inception, it has been very successful in keeping your Board of Directors infonned of membership concerns. This group's suggestions have been responsible for Significant changes in the structure of PSIA Intermountain and continues to be a factor in ski teaching. Unfortunately, a few schools are doing all the work and providing the input. The committee can only become more successful with increased participation. If your school has not had the chance to select representatives (each school is allowed two), please offer your services to your director. As overworked as she or he is at this time of year, I know they would appreciate it. If interested in the SIRe please volunteer your time run. If selected, please serve. MENTAL continued from 1 Miller believes the psychological aspect of perfonnance "is the difference" when comparing elite athletic performances. "Stress responses are common, it's part of being human," said Miller. The key to mental strength comes from an athlete's willingness to follow a structured pro­gram designed to prepare for every aspect of competition. According to Miller, when an athlete possesses the ability and skill to perfonn at a high level and falls short of their expectations, something's wrong with the program, not the athlete. Perfonnance programming requires the athlete to take responsibility for estab­lishing a foundation of physical, mental and emotional readiness. Building this foundation involves specific steps that al­low the athlete to focus attention on the process of perfonning rather than the fear of performing. Has the athlete truly committed them­selves to the process of preparation? Does the athlete possess the physical skills and abilities to perfonn-is the athlete prop­erly trained? Has the athlete studied every 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE possible aspect of the upcoming event and developed strategies for otherwise unex­pected distractions? When an athlete fol­lows a program that successfully answers these questions, then the mind is free to focus on the process of perfonnance. According to Miller, one of the greatest obstacles to peak performance involves an athlete's ability to mentally separate themselves from the task at hand. "The ultimate in control is the ability to let it go," explained Miller. You have to be able to separate who you are from what you are doing. Too often, athletes let fear of fail­ure- and a potentially bruised ego----keep them from reaching their potential. "When you talk to the greatest perform­ers, during the time they are performing, they have no ego. Ego is a fabrication of your mind," explained Miller. Fear of failure is a factor of an athlete's inability to objectively assess a situation and poor preparation. "Anxiety is worry about what might happen," said Miller. "You need to train like a scientist so you can perform like an artist." Although Miller used perfonnance ath­letes as the foundation of his presentation, he believes his concepts are easily applied to instructors taking an assessment or teaching skiing to nervous guests. "Per­fonning is a process, not a result," said Miller. "Focus on the process and the re­sult takes care of itself." Fear of failure often interferes. with a student's ability to learn to ski; instructors often fail to recognize the need to prepare students for learning. It is easy for instruc­tors to become so intrigued with what they want to teach that they forget what teach­ing is all about. "You don't teach skiing," explained Miller. "You teach people to ski. Keep it in that order." _ WORLD CUP continuedfrom 1 2. Athletic skill. Today's World Cup racers are better trained and more skilled. 3. Equipment Ski side cut: much more radical. Ski materials: skis aren't built the way they used to be. Boots: better link to the ski. Lifters: greater leverage. Dampening devices: quieter skis. Ross said another change in World Cup racing is harder to explain. "A huge change is the way the athlete's have made better use of gravity," he said. Skiers have modified tum shape and movement pat­terns to resist gravity as little as possible and use it to accelerate. What Has Remained The Same? 1) Natural laws of physics. Effects of gravity. External forces. 2) Biomechanics Using skeletal vs. muscular structure for support. Multiple joint flexing. Why study the World Cup? "World Cup skiing is often where the innovations come from," said Ross. "Technique drives technology and technology drives tech­nique." The current World Cup trend in tum shape is an example of one World Cup innovation. "It's more of a coma-type turn than a J -type tum," said Ross. The change in tum shape developed out of the racers' desire to complete more of the direction change high in the tum. This change in tactics and continued on 5 r The PSIA Intennountain Education College Alpine & Nordic: Deer Valley, Snowboard: Wolf Mountain Alpine Theme: Try Something Different! Saturday Jan. 20 Sunday Jan. 21 Introduction to Adaptive Skiing:mono-ski and blind disciplines (taught by the staff from the National Abilities Center in Park City; limit: 10) Teaching Students on Parabolics Ski Improvement:Moderate Ski improvement:Aggressive Ski Improvement:Moderate Ski improvement:Aggressive Advanced Mogul Skiing:Stu O'Brien; limit: 10 Introduction to Mogul Skiing:Stu O'Brien; limit: 10 Tweens and Teens:teaching 12 to 15-year-olds Balance and Alignment with John Feig:includes indoor and on-snow sessions; limit: 16 Fall Line Skiing at Deer Valley:Moderate Fall Line Skiing at Deer Valley:a mountain experience with an emphasis on various types of short turns - Aggressive Please see the Education Corner for clinic explanations PSIA 1994-95 Financial Report By STEW MARSH, PSIA-I NATIONAL BOARD MEMBER PSIA publishes its financial statements each year, but the numbers in this report tell only part of the story. We also want the members and others who may be in­terested to know how our income is gen­erated and how it is spent on behalf of the membership. The following will provide you with a 1994-95 summary of consoli­dated financial statements for PSIA and the PSIA Education Foundation. To make it easier to understand, all the figures be­low refer to the combined totals of both associations. These figures are taken from the PSIA and PSIA-EF combined finan­cial statements, provided by an inde­pendent auditor,. and cover the July 1, 1994 to June 30, 1995 fiscal year. Income steady, some expenses grow We had a total combined income of $1,184,498. PSIA is financially healthy, able to sustain quality programs and serv­ices, and is ready to expand support for our long-term goals. Membership dues continue to be the largest single source of income for our association, amounting to $750,505. This is an increase of$25,255 over the previous year, which translates to a membership increase of 842. The national dues remain at $30.00 per year for the 1995-96 season. The remaining revenue was from non­dues sources. The second largest source of income is from sponsorships which gen­erated $136,718. The remaining revenue was from advertising, $92,601; accessory catalog sales, $126,772; events $31,570; interest, $37,846; and miscellaneous in­come of $8,486. As you can see, the association relies heavily on non-dues income that is in many ways dependent on the overall fi­nancial well being of the ski industry and economy in general. We are hopeful that we can continue to generate this much-needed outside income which supports many of our valued member services. Expenses are focused through our strategic plan. PSIA's 1994-95 expenditures totaled $1,158,082. This figure, which exceeds the 1993-94 total by $251,709, incorpo­rates general operating expenses plus pub­lications expense, marketing, insurance, education committees and programs, training programs, teams. research and development, and member services. The largest portion of the additional expense is attributed to the purchase of a ware­house facility in Lakewood, CO. Within these broad categories, we align spending closely with our long-term goals, the most important goal being to improve the educational product we offer the member and supporting the work of our committees and teams. All of our goals-based activities support the associa­tion's fundamental commitment to serve our members at the divisional, national, and ski areas. continued on 12 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 Certification Comer By RODGER RENSTROM, :PSIA-I CERTIFICATION CHAIRPERSON The PSIA Master Plan revision should be back from the printer shortly. How will the revision differ from the original "Blue Book, , what is its purpose, and who should immediately obtain a copy? What's different The original Master Plan was conceived to be a guidebook for clinic leaders and ,examiners. The evolution of the clinic and exam process required an update to information. In addition, the new Master Plan is specifically designed to be a guidebook for all members. What's the purpose? The revised Master Plan provides a resource for the following information: • An introduction to PSIA Intermountain and PSIA. • A guide to the standards and requirements for each level of membership. • Basic study guides for Certified Levels n and III. • Teaching and technical reference supplements to existing PSIA publications. Who should obtain a copy? Anyone planning on attending a certification assessment should definitely obtain a copy ()f the Master Plan revision as soon as it is available, especially instructors preparing for Certified Level n and III exams. The office will notify ski schools as soon as the plan is back from the printer. Refer to the requirements and standards for the desired certification level and begin covering the material in the study guide. Preparation for exams should have already begun. Whether you are young, old, a children's specialist or a versatile veteran, the key to passing a certification exam lies in the preparation. The study guides included in the Level n and III sections of the Master Plan revision are designed to help you with long-term preparation; but, here are a few ideas to help you get started: Skiing Objectively assess your skiing skill level. Are you capable of meeting the certifi­cation standards for the Level you seek? Level I candidates must demonstrate good balance throughout aU skiing tasks. These instructors should be good parallel skiers on all groomed blue terrain. Level II candidates must also demonstrate good balance through all skiing tasks. Level II candidates should be able to ski a variety of turn shapes, ski various snow conditions, and ski variable terrain commonly skied by Level 7 recreational skiers. Remember, however, that instructors are not simply expected to ski the terrain, they are expected to ski it with skill and confidence. Level III candidates must be capable of skiing in balance. with confidence and finesse on all but the most extreme terrain and conditions. This does not mean that the skier has to be a testosterone-hyped-razzle-dazzle hot dog. But it does mean that the skier must demonstrate a refined use of ski design and the skill to efficiently deal with all conditions that may be encountered. For example: the ski