Miscellaneous

AZ_Misc1992

INSfRU Vol. 13 No.5 A Truly Extreme Experience Don't try this at home. By THEO MEINERS, JACKSON HOLE The extreme training session held in Jack­son Hole will never be forgotten. The objective was to teach instructors tactics and techniques to be used in deal­ing with a descent of 55 degrees and to overcome obstacles and fear. The goal is clear: to develop in the instructors con­fidence so they can deal with all terrain encountered off trail. April 2 ''Never Teach on Unfamiliar Terrain" 7:00 a.m.: I talked to the Jackson patrol leader and decided to go alone to recon­noiter the terrain for the extreme session scheduled for April 3. "Once is enough" is a famous, steep, couloir on the back side of Cody Peak, just south of Teton Village. It is fierce and ste~p and a challenge to everyone, regardless of their experience. I approached it with stealth and caution. One slip would have dire consequences. I determined it would be safe if I rap­pelled the training group in. The entrance was too sketchy for the group's abilities. I checked out all possibilities for anchors and decided on a 75-foot rappel onto a ledge I would dig into the ice. I then free-skied into the couloir. The snow was "harder than the back of God's head," and it took all my concentration to negotiate the entrance. The skiing was great. Very smooth. A narrow focus on the edges enabled me to make the descent without incident. April 3 The night had been warm. This con­cerned me. We would have to move fast. My terrain progression was very intense. Once is Enough off Cody Peak, then back to Earth for a run in Corbett's Couloir. 7:30 a.m.: I have nine instructors for the clinic, three snowboard and six ski instructors, all expert and elite class The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain Summer 1992 A snowboard skier descends into "Once is Enoughn on route to an unforgettable encounter with the consequences of skiing the extreme. Photos by John Lohn riders. In my introduction and interview I am surprised to listen to the variety of definitions of extreme skiing. It seems it is just outside of their collective comfort zone - "Not"! I explain to them the history of extreme skiing. Pushing the outer limits of im­agination, to risk all. A radical and utmost challenge to skill and adaptability. The ultimate descent. 8:00 a.m.: I conclude the interview and sign out all participants for the terrain I skied on April 2. 8:45 a.m.: The group arrives at the top of Cody Peak. The temperature is very warm. This concerns me. I begin at once to set anchors and rappel into the couloir. Inside the couloir I dig a ledge into the ice with my shovel. I have instructed the group to follow my demonstration and they begin to descend. One skier and two snowboarders are in and down when my continued on 3 Intennountain's New Dynamic Duo Intermountain's Scott Mathers and Bob Barnes outlasted rapidly receding spring snow and a field of over 50 instructors to earn spots on the PSIA National Demonstration Team during PSIA's team selection process April 29 - May 2 at Snowbird Scott, an instructor and trainer at Alta, repeats as a second-term team member and "Barney," a supervisor at Deer Valley, starts his fIrst term with the team. Below average snowfall and above average spring temperatures jeopardized the selection process from the onset and forced the participants into Snowbird's Little Cloud bowl for all four on-snow days of the event PSIA-I was represented by Barney, Scott, Ed Chauner,Jo Garuccio, Caroline Jalbert, Roy Piskadlo, Rodger Renstrom and Jerry Thoreson. PSIA-I member Ernie Anderson participated in the national event as a representative of PSI A Northern Intermountain. Congratulations Scott and Barney! _ Act Now! Timberline Race Camp Set for July 21-25 If you've been toMt. Hood in the summer, you always want to return. If you haven't been, this will be the perfect opportunity. PSIA-I will be offering a summer race camp July 21-25, 1992. PSIA-NW will also have a camp at Mt. Hood during this period. This will allow Intermountain members a chance to meet and exchange with Northwest members. The PSIA-NW has been holding sum­mer race camps at Mt. Hood for many years, and have had a great following and success. We will be sharing some of their lead in this summer's race camp. The dates include five days on snow, Tuesday through Saturday. This will allow for travel time if campers need to be home by Sunday evening. The basic schedule for each day will be loading the Miracle Mile lift at 7:00 a.m. with technique, tactics and gate training on the Palmer lift 7:30 to approximately 12:30. The main focus will be GS training with flex-gate slalom as desired. (Bring your pads and guards for flex-gate slalom if you desire). There will be video record­ing and review of your skiing. Also, after­noon activities such as roller blading, biking, hiking, volleyball, golf and windsurfing will be organized informally. The cost for the camp includes the $22 price for a daily lift ticket, which we all President's Message By CRAIG "ROPER" PEARSON, PSIA-I PRESIDENT I find the position of president of PSIA-I a challenging and very difficult job. It seems we are pulled in as many directions as we have members with needs and ideas. The key to success, in by belief, is to remain focused on who and what we are. The mission statement at the front of the Education/Certification Master Plan seems to say it best: "To motivate, educate and certify the members of PS lA-I. " If we remember this statement, it creates a clear and defined road for us to follow. We as Board of Directors members, must take the time to ensure our knowledge of our responsibilities and duties. We are faced with decisions which affect our members. The membership should be foremost in our decision making. It is our job to manage the Division with its best interest in mind. I am holding a Board of Director budget meeting in late July for the 1992-93 season. Although we have done budgets in June in the past few years, I believe we can plan better budgets by taking more time. We have finished a very successful season. Lack of snow did not seem t affect the new additions to the Ed/Cert Master Plan. We are always looking at change in our procedures. Some change is always needed to improve our product; but take care that we change out of need, not just for the sake of change. Look at what is successful and maintain stability where we can. Many thanks to all involved in the Ed/Cert Committee for their hard work. The office ran very smoothly again this season. Nancy did a great job for our members. The Ed/Cert Master Plan created a great deal of work for the office. We need to get the computer completely operational by July. There are numerous committees working within this division and I have tried to make all meetings. This was not always possible, but I will continue to try. As stated in the By-Laws, the president of PSI A-I is an active member of all committees and must be invited to these committee meetings. In closing, we must, as BOD members, manage the Division with good information to make decisions. Always call or write me with ideas, suggestions and concerns. Craig "Roper" Pearson 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE have to pay for. (No freebie's or discounts at Timberline.) The total cost puts well below that charged by any other camp. Your coaches will be our own DECL clinicians and you will receive 12 hours of clinic credit for attending. Transportation, lodging or camping, and meals are on your own. There will be one barbecue included in the cam fee. It is likely that we can arrange car pooling and caravan travel from SLC, arranged through our PSIA-I office. Deadline Is Here Your camp fee of $275 will have to be paid in full to our office by July 10. We will require a minimum number of sign­ups or the camp will be canceled. If you have questions about registration contact Nancy at our office. Or, if you have specific questions, call Ernie Anderson [phone] (early morning or eve­ning). There is no doubt this will be a great event and hopefully one we will continue to offer every summer. Make your plans and sign up ASAP. Summer is a greattime to ski. Listed below are phone numbers for accommodations close to Mt. Hood. There are also great campgrounds close to the mountain. Timberline Lodge 1-800-547-1406 Rippling River 1-800-669-7666 Huckleberry Inn 1-503-272-3325 Thunder Head Ridge 1-503-272-3558 Snoline 1-503-622-3137 Mountain Air 1-503-622-3169 Oregon Ark 1-503-622-3121 Shamrock 1-503-622-4911 Troll Haugen 1-503-272-3223 Value Inn Motel 1-503-272-3205 It's Classified Remember, all members in good stand­ing ofPSIA-lare permitted one free clas­sified ad per year. Position for Ski School Director at 49 Degree North Ski Area, located in northeastern Washington state; interested persons should either contact Denny Burmeister [phone] ext. 1 or send resume to: 49 Degree North Ski Area, Box 166 Chewelah, WA99109. Sunrise Ski School, Sunrise, AZ, will be hiring for the 1992-93 season: Children'S Supervisor and Children's Instructors. Please contact James Quick at P. O. Box 616, McNory, AZ. 85930. EXTREME continued from 1 belay man Tom Russo, a ski patrolman, yells down to me that he has received from mountain station a radio broadcast alert­ing him to an avalanche in Green River Bowl. Two skier s have been seen in the avalanche. I conclude the exercise and yell back that I will meet him on the other side of the mountain at the site of the avalanche. Now a very desperate race begins. My group is split. I have four and Tom Russo has the rest. They are safe with him. We must hurry. Skiing as fast as we dare we approach the avalanche crown. It is now 10: 10 a.m. The response is amazing. The victims at the scene ask us how we reached them so fast. I realize that they are excited and their search efforts are not organized. Without offending them we reorganize their efforts and listen to their stories. If Drew is down there he has gone off a 70joot cliff with three acres of snow. It doesn't look good. One member of our extreme group is stationed on top of the crown to keep sightseers from knocking off more snow onto the rescue parties. The rest of the group goes to the ledge where the sur­vivors have been looking for one buried skier, Drew Dunlap. Robert Garrett goes on his own to the toe of the avalanche, 900 vertical feet below, to join another party of searchers. If Drew is down there he has gone off a 70-foot cliff with three acres of snow. It does not look good. The rescue is under the control of the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol and reinforce­ments are arriving, keeping our focus and energy level high. Forty-five minutes have gone by and there has been no sign. No skis, no gloves, no pack. The patrol have summoned a helicopter which ar­rives with avalanche dogs, one for the ledge and two for the toe of the avalanche where R. G. and the others are searching. Tears of sorrow are beginning to fall, although no one mentions a negative thought. I keep thinking of the past and a flood of memories comes to me. I tell myself and the others to stay positive. Theo Meiners consuHs with his group before embarking on a trip to the world of extreme skiing and back. 11:40 a.m.: The dogs at the toe of the avalanche begin to bark and show signs of a find. Then a cheer is heard echoing from below. They have found him alive after 95 minutes, buried four-feet deep. A miracle! "Drew is alive!" Now, from everywhere on the mountain you hear celebration and see tears of joy. Never give up, never say die. Once Drew is extracted he is flown by helicopter to the hospital. He has a blown knee (ACL) which will require surgery. All other people who participated in the rescue are flown out of the backcountry by helicopter. April 4: I conclude the extreme training session in Corbett's Couloir. All par­ticipants agree that they have learned a great deal concerning accepting risk and moving with security and confidence in the mountains. The consequences cannot be denied. If you want to change, you must risk. An extreme experience not to be forgotten. Theo is a PSIA-I DECL Skiers ascend Cody Peak at Jackson Hole. No one realizes they will become entangled in a life and death race to save a victim of the natural hazards of backcountry skiing. INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 Hiking the Wasatch this Summer? National Forest manages much of this land in order to continue to provide these remarkable resources and opportunities. If you're planning on hiking along the The spectacular mountains surrounding The heart of the mountains is the back- Wastach Front this summer, the Forest the Salt Lake and Toole valleys offer out- country, that undeveloped and surprising- Service would like you to help protect our standing recreation opportunities and ly fragile land away from roads and picnic forest environment by being aware of water resources for the one-million people areas. The combination of dramatic backcountry concerns. If you're hiking in who live within an hour's drive of this scenery and easy access makes the back-areas other than the Salt Lake valley, unique backdrop. These mountains also country both popular and highly vul-you're encouraged to contact the land provide habitat for over 120 species of nerable. The steep, rugged terrain attracts management agency in your area. birds and mammals. The Wasatch-Cache and concentrates over 300 ,000 visitors per year into narrow canyon corridors. Your actions can guarantee that the next Certification Comer generation of area residents will benefit from the same backcountry resources and opportunities available to you today. By becoming aware of back country con- By JOHN DIEFENDERFER, PSIA CERTlFlCATION VICE PRESIDENT cerns and observing the following regula-tions, you are taking the first steps toward The summary for certification for 1991-92 shows that 50 candidates passed for backcountry preservation. Certified II this season and 18 candidates passed for Certified III. The passing ratios Protective Regulations were: The cumulative effects of many people visiting the forest make regulations Certifiedn Certified In designed to protect the backcountry Mechanics 81% 74% necessary. With your help, the following Skiing 89% 58% regulations will protect the water, wildlife Teaching 85% 56% and recreation resources which benefit Average 85% 63% area residents and forest visitors. Please observe all posted regulations and under-stand that these rules are strictly enforced. Certification Summary 1991·92 Watershed Regulations These Forest Service regulations apply Date Location Mech II Mech III Skiin!lll Skiing III Teach II Teach III to the Big Cottonwood and Little Cotton- Pass Fail Pass Fail Pass Fail Pass Fail Pass Fail Pass Fail wood canyon watersheds. Salt Lake 1/14 SLCC 13 3 11 2 County watershed regulations also apply to other local canyons. Please be aware of 1/31 Jackson 6 2 17 4 these restrictions when in protected 213 SLCC 6 1 10 0 watershed. Help keep your water clean. 2/22 Targhee 3 1 5 2 • No camping within 200 feet of lakes 211 Deer Valley 15 1 4 4 and streams 3/1 Ogden 10 2 4 4 (Helps protect fragile lake and stream shores and keeps pollutants 3/18 SLCC 27 6 17 11 out o/water.) 3/21 Alta 27 3 8 10 • No swimming or bathing in lakes and streams 3/22 Snowbird 5 7 (Keeps bacteria out o/water.) 3/22 Solitude 32 8 • No dogs or horses permitted ; ) 3/27 Targhee 3 2 2 3 (Keeps bacteria out o/water.) Wilderness Regulations 3/28 Targhee 5 1 5 0 Wilderness regulations vary throughout 4/20 SLCC 6 2 5 1 the country. The following acts are prohibited within the Mt. Olympus, Twin 4/21 Alta 8 0 15 6 Peaks and Deseret Peak Wildernesses and 4/22 Alta 13 0 8 7 that portion of the Lone Peak Wilderness located within the Wasatch National Forest. Please be aware of these special Total Participants 68 16 64 22 56 7 34 25 50 9 18 14 prohibitions when visiting Salt Lake Dis-trict Wilderness. 4 INSTRUCTORS EDGE • Camping groups over 10 persons (Helps reduce campsite damage and protects wilderness solitude.) • Camping within 200 feet of water or trails (Protects fragile lake and stream shores, offers wildlife undisturbed access to water, and preserves wilderness solitude.) • Camping within 100 feet of other campers (Reduces campsite expansion and devegetation, and protects wilder­ness solitude.) • Camping over three days at one sight (Helps reduce campsite impacts and protects wilderness solitude.) • Bedding or tethering a horse within 200 feet of lakes or streams (Keeps bacteria out of water sources and protects fragile lake and stream shores.) • Short-cutting a trail switchback (Protects trails and hillsides from erosion.) • Disposing of debris, garbage or waste (Keeps water sources clean and removes evidence of people from the wilderness.) • CampfIres within Mill B South Fork drainage in the Twin Peaks Wilder­ness and the Red Pine and Maybird Gulch drainages within the Lone Peak Wilderness (Campfires consume wood, kill vegetation, and sterilize soil. This regulation preserves decaying wood that improves soil for future plant growth and provides insect and bird habitat. This regulation also prevents scarring from old campfire circles.) Additional Regulations If you are planning on camping or pic­nicking in Mill Creek, Big Cottonwood or Little Cottonwood Canyon, please be aware of these restrictions. • No camping within one-half mile of any road in Mill Creek, Big Cotton­wood or Little Cottonwood Canyons • No fires permitted within 1/2 mile of any road in MCC, BCC or LCC (Both regulations reduce the effects of thousands ofpeople concentrating their activities along canyon road corridors.) Other Forest Service and County regula­tions also apply to local canyons. Contact the Forest Service for additional informa­tion. • Education Report By PAUL "P. J." JONES, PSIA-I EDUCATION VICE PRESIDENT A great big thank you goes to all of you on the Board and the Education Committee for your support and participation in the 91-92 season. With a special thank you to all the members of PSIA-I for their support and participation in educational clinics this past season. As members, without your support, participation and feedback our education plan would not succeed. Thank you very much! A statistical review of the past four years is as follows: PSIA Intermountain Education Events 1988·1992 1988·89 1989-90 1990·91 1991-92 Events 20 22 51 60 Participants Clinics 378 425 830 1,333 Ed College 98 50 167 223 Spring Clinic 134 98 208 182 . Entry Level n/a n/a 313 256 Total 610 573 1,518 1994 Change from n/a (-6%) 165% 31% previous year The significant increase in numbers after 89-90 reflects the introduction of the new EdlCert plan and the intro-duction of clinics required for certification. The success of the Ed/Cert Plan can be measured in many different ways. The goal of the Ed/Cert Plan is to increase participation and to insure quality and consistency of product. We have met the first criteria of the goal, that is, increased participation. In some people's eyes, increased participation is not desired and would not serve as a benefit to the industry. Upon continued review by the Ed/Cert Committee, which is comprised of the DECLs and chairpersons of the varying disciplines, we may make adjustments and recommendations to satisfy a wider spectrum of goals and needs for the membership and it's interface with the industry. A complete analysis of the Ed/Cert Plan is currently under way, looking at the causes and effects the Ed/Cert programs have had on the individual member and ski schools. This review originated with infor­mation collected at an Ed Plan review with the DECL group held on May 9. We reviewed Entry Level, Cert I, Cert II, Cert III, new potential products, the calendar and changes to the assessment system with specific concerns and recommendations. The members needs and wants are the focal point of the analysis. Your input and reflective thought about how the Ed/Cert Plan affects you and your ski school needs to be written and sent into the office, given to your ski school rep. or Board member so that the appropriate adjustments can be made for implementa­tion in the fall of '92. In the first two years your input has been invaluable and has truly shaped the essence of this program. Your continued input is not only welcomed, but essential to our professional growth and stability. Thank you to the Board of Directors, Alta Ski Lifts, all those who have participated and most of all to my wife and son for the time I have spent away from them in fulfilling the needs of this program. In my opinion, PSIA-I had a great year. Thank you. INSTRUCTORS EDGE 5 INTERNATIONAL PASSBOOK APPLICATION If you intend to travel to Europe and ski next winter, you should look into obtaining an ISlA Passport and Stamp. The passports and stamps sell for $5 each and permit Certified III instructors to ski European resorts at significant discounts. For additional information contact the PSIA national office at 133 South Van Gordon St., Ste 101, Lakewood, CO 80228. Name: (please print) Address: (city) (state) (zip) Home Division: Division Registration No. Please submit the following items and provide all of the following information: 1. Two passport phots (1 1/2" x 11(2") 2. Your place of birth: City: State: Nation: 3. Date of birth: 4. Height Weight: Sex: 5. Color of hair: Color of eyes: 6. Verification of full certified status (copy of PSIA Division membership card is adequate; please do not send original. 7. A $5.00 processing fee must accompany application. Upon receipt of teh above, we will process your application and an International Passbook will be sent to you. If you already have a passbook, you will need only a current stamp. Send this completed form, photos, $5.00 and a copy of your membership card to: PSIA International Passbook 133 So. Van Gordon St., Ste 101 Lakewood, CO 80228 PLEASE DO NOT SEND TO YOUR DIVISION . . " PROFESSIONAL SKI INSTRUCTORS OF AMERICA . . " 6 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 1991-92 PSIA-I Certification Results ALPINE CERT IFIED 1 Peters, Timothy Snowbasin Stapleton, Laura Snowbird Adams, Robb Park City Porter, Sean Park City Taylor, Jeffrey park City Arnett, Reese Solitude Reitman, Jed Park City VIm, Christopher Alta Avichouser, James Pebble Creek Rohrer, Matt Brighton White, Deborah Park City Bachorowski, Christopher Alta Ryan, Carol Snowbird Widmer, Ann Brighton Baumgarten, Kenneth ParckCity Sabat, Steven Park City Wong, J. Russell Snowbird Baylie, Neil ParkWest Sanford, Robert Jackson Wysong, Joshua Park Beadle, Bill Snowbird Schneider, Paul Park City Beggs, Thomas Alta Shapard, Steven Park City ALPINE CERTIFIED 3 Bird, Ted Park City Smith, K-Louise Brighton Armacost, Kurt Solitude Bradbury, Lori Snowbasin Smith, Jr., John ParkWest Brayton, Alan Jackson Brusa, Brian Brian Head Strauss, Susan Park City Chaffee, Kevin Snowbird Burns, W. Brantley Snow King Streeter, Natalie Park City Cox, Anthony Jackson Churchill, Susan Park City Tabke, Michael Park City Domonoske, Alan Park City Coleman, Michael ParkWest Tobie, Jason ParkWest Donato, Christopher Deer Valley Dalla, Ron Solitude Tomlinson, Kelley Park City Egan, Kristin Deer Valley Dalton, Gavin BeaverMt. Fantis, Tony Alta Del Vecchio, Mark Park City ALPINE CERTIFIED 2 Higgins, Suzanne Park City Demkovicz, Mary Park City Arndt, Jennifer Deer Valley Hodgkins, Robert Park City Donoghue, Rusty Park City Becker, Jim Park City Hodgson, Patrick Jackson Hole Dwinell, Sharon Alta Beckett, Chris Park City Lemly,Mark Park City Dyson, Donald ParkWest Berzins, Gunars Park City Lohn,John Jackson Hole Faecher, Barry Park City Bowers, Doug ParkWest Lunde,Kris Jackson Hole Ferguson, Gregory Kelly Canyon Buehler, Chad Brighton Norton, Scott Brighton Floyd, Coleen Solitude Carlson, Beth Jackson Owens, Tex Brighton Freedman, Don Butternut, NY Crockett, Charles Park City Vickland, Alyce Alta Gessner, Donald Park City Davin, Paul Park City Hardy, Christine BeaverMt. Deitz, Lynn Park City NORDIC CERTIFIED 1 Hayes, Chris Park City Drake, Alice Park City Fields, David Pocatello Henderson, J. Keith Brighton Duncan, Kerry Park City Miller, David White Pine Hoffman, Eric PrkCity Emens, Dorothy Nordic Valley Saurman, David Jackson XC Jensen, Lisa ParkWest Englebrecht, Michael Park City Vitale, Kathy Pocatello Johnson, Bruce Deer Valley Faletti, Alex Park City Wheadon, Nancy White Pine Jones, Robert Snowbird Fry, Mark Park City Kelley, James Solitude Gellen, David Park City NORDIC CERTIFIED 3 Demph, Mike Snowbasin Hackamack, Kevin Park City McGee, J. Scott Targhee Kitchens, Connie ParkWest Hanan, Courtney Jackson Hole Rinaldi, Richard Targhee Kreider, Elvin Snowbird Hoffman, Heidi Deer Valley Lowe, Richard Park City Kastner, James Snowbird SNOWBOARD CERTIFIED 1 Ludlow, Val ParkWest Loizeaux, Bill Park City Oldner, Thomas Kelly Canyon Ludwig, Stuart Park City Manning, Bruce Park City Shadrick, Kori Snowbird MacDonald, Cybille Deer Valley Markosian, Bob Snowbird Marquardt, Philip Parkwest McGinnis, Amelia Park City SNOWBOARD CERTIFIED 2 Mcintyre, Robert ParkWest McCulloch, Mary ParkCtiy Anderson, James Snowbird McKinstry, heidi Snowbasin Mills-Anderson, Vicki Snowbird Grunes, Daniel Jackson Hole Meadow,Jan Park City Moss, Leslie Brighton Harding, Hosephine Jackson Hole Melville, Rene Targhee Murray, Mark Park City Leibfarth, Lee ParkWest Meredith, Karen Brighton Newey, Xaidie Park City Minson, Clark Snowbird Minster, Bob Snowbasin Nyman, Becky Sundance Shapiro, Richard ParkWest Moldenhquer, Jane Deer Valley Peacock, Brent Alta Strang, David Park City Mortensen, John Snowbasin Pollock, Gordon Deer Valley Mulder, Robert Snowbasin Popovici, Adrian Solitude Congratulations! Ordel, Karen Park City Rogers, M. Scott Alta Palmer, Christine PowderMt. Roskelley, Curt Park City Peay, Kelli Sundance Ryan, David Park City Peay, Ben Sundance Shea, Brian Brian Head INSTRUCTORS EDGE 7 July Exercise Tip: How to Survive Heat in the West By JO GARRUCIO, SNOWBIRD July typically brings the hottest days of the year to the Intermountain region. Temperatures average around 95 degrees and quite possibly will reach the century mark at least five times before the summer ends. Exercising in these conditions requires certain precautions. Heat injury in the form of heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat stroke should not be taken lightly. The latter is considered a life threatening emergency, and inattention to the first two conditions can lead to heat stroke. Essentially, the body cools itself by cir­culating the heat to the skin's surface where it escapes into the environment. When the heat production is too great for the circulating blood to dissipate it. the sweating mechanism kicks in. The sub­sequent evaporation of the water in the sweat also cools the body. In th Intermountain area, the low relative humidity aids evaporation, and thus, the cooling process is more efficient. How-ever, this does not make us immune to heat stress. Extreme temperatures can sig­nificantly raise the core temperature of the body, and make it very difficult to cool. Water is still the best fluid replacement drink for exercise periods lasting one hour or less. The most significant action we can take when exercising in the heat is to maintain an adequate intake of water. Don't wait for thirst. By this time it's too late. Try to take in water every 15 to 20 minutes during activity. Palatable sports drinks such as Exceed or Body Fuel help insure proper intake, but they should be no more than a 7-10 percent solution to be most effective. Water is still the best fluid re­placement drink for exercise periods last­ing one hour or less. Also pay attention to dress and the time of day that you exercise. Wear light, loose clothing and run or walk before 10:00 AM or after 3:00 PM. Exercising indoors is another alternative. In hot weather, expect your heart rate to be higher than usual. Don't be afraid to slow down or shorten the workout. Maintain a high level of aerobic fitness. You will tolerate the heat better and ac­climate more quickly. Fit individuals tend to begin sweating at a lower core tempera­ture and are therefore more efficient at dissipating heat. Above all, heed any wamin signs. If you experience dizziness, ( nfu ')n, clammy skin, or cramps, stop I ~ ac"vity and find a cool shady spot fOffl . Be sure to replace water and electrOlYtes. The taking of salt tablets is usually not neces­sary and can actually promote heat stress when taken to excess without sufficient water. Jo Garuccio, M.S. Health Educa­tion, is a PSIA-I DECL. PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN DIVISION Officers: President. Craig "Roper" Pearson; Administrative V. P .• Gene Palmer; Certification V.P .• Jolm Diefenderfer; Communications V.P .• Bob Bames; Secretary: Nancy Perlrins; Current Board Members: 1990-93. Rex Ames. Jolm Diefenderfer. Chi Mellville. Dori Pratt, Allen Titensor; 1991-94. Sally Elliot, Steve Johnson., Craig "Roper" Pearson, Stew Marsh, Gene Palmer; 1992-95. Emie Anderson, Bob Bames, Shannon Kipp; Board Llasons: Alta, Steve Jolmson; Beaver Mountain, John Diefenderfer; Brian Head, Alan Titensor; Brighton, Jolm Diefenderfer; Deer Vally, Gene Palmer; Snow King. Ernie Anderson; Kelly Canyon, Gene Palmer; Mt. Holly/Elk Meadows, Stew Marsh/K. Paul Jones; Nordic Valley, Rex Ames; Palk City, Craig Pearson; Palk West. Allen Titensor; Pebble Creek, Chi Melville; Powder Mtn., Dori Pran; Snowbird, Bob Barnes; Solitude, Jolm Diefenderfer; Sundance, Scon Nyman. 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. 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 04-000824 A5 NORM BURTON The Instructors EDGE, the official publication of the Professional Ski Instruc­tors of America Intermountain Division, is 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, [phone]. Editorial and Advertising Office: 4664 Clearview Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 [phone], Rodger Renstrom, Editor. BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID SLC,UTAH PERMIT NO.4383 137& KINGSTON DRIVE OGDEN UT 84403 INsrRU Vol. 14 No.1 The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain Fall 1992 PSIA-I Spreads Out Education/Certification Work Load By JOHN DIEFENDERFER, PSIA CERTIFICATION V. P. As we approach a new season, it is impor­tant to look back at what went well last season and what could be improved. With the implementation of the Ed./Cert. Plan, the clinic and assessment participation is at an all time high. 1'm pleased that people are interested in their professional im­provement and look to the division to help with that. Along with the increase in num­bers comes an increase in work load. Since our division is run with volunteer time, no one or two persons can continue to commit enough time to make Education and Certification run effectively. When Roper and I looked at this careful­ly, we realized that we had two choices. 1) Hire someone to handle all the work and pay for that salary out of dues, clinic and assessment fees or 2) Take the work load and split it up among a lot more people. I think option # 1 may be our onl y choice some time in the future if our membership continues to grow. However to pay enough to hire a quality individual and provide benefits, the financial burden would be too much for the division to carry. This left us with option #2 as the most efficient way to provide education and certification to the members. The first step was to identify topics that needed to be covered under both Educa­tion and Certification. Fourteen were identified, eight under Education and six under Certification. Each topic then rep­resented a set amount of work to be com­pleted by one person and an assistant. In order to keep the amount of work reasonable, and to identify respon­sibilities etc. Job descriptions were writ­ten for each person to follow. These are on file at the office if anyone would like to see what qualifications were required and what duties were assigned to each person. The positions require taking responsibility for scheduling, income, and expenses. The title of "Executive" was chosen to accurately describe the roles of these individuals. EDUCATION Mechanics Clinic Exec .. Scott Nyman Skiing Clinic Exec .. Ernie Anderson Teaching Clinic Exec .. Caroline Jalbert Entry Level Clinic Exec .. Jay Shortsleeve Children'S Clinic Exec .. ChriS Katzenberger Clinic Development Exec .. Jo Garuccio DECL & Resort Trainers Training Exec. - Bob Barnes Specialty Clinics Exec .. Jerry Thoreson I am pleased to recognize, and excited to work with the following individuals who will be taking on their respective duties for the 1992-93 season. _ CERTIFICATION Mechanics Assessment Exec .. Tom Wood Skiing Assessment Exec .. Dave McCormick Teaching Assessment Exec .. Dave Crans Written Question Review Exec .. Ron Kipp DECL Performance Review Exec .. Rodger Renstrom DECL Hiring Exec .. Scott Mathers Spring Clinic, Ed. College Enhance Skiing By GEORGE R. MOSHER, TARGHEE The Spring Clinic and the fall Education College, each lasting two days, are relaxed events with the added enthusiasm of friends meeting again. Spring Clinic excitement was enhanced by a format change to 1/2 day programs. This year­end event is an annual gathering for Inter­mountain instructors. Many were relieved to finish the season, but others were ex­cited to share teaching and skiing ex­periences from throughout the year. Over 180 instructors were greeted by ideal snow and weather conditions during the Spring Clinic at Grand Targhee. Twenty clinics were involved which gave a good clinic to instructor ratio. Half-day sessions were well received by everyone. Action and variety were the call for the weekend, from two choices in children's programs through any regularly offered educational clinic, to advanced options including bumps, steeps and Divisional Examiner Clinic Leader expectations. Nordic options were also well received, particularly by veteran alpine instructors interested in track, skating and nordic downhill Off-snow activities began Saturday morning with the Nordic breakfast meet­ing at8:00a. m. After the day's skiing, the general membership meeting was held and new Board members, Shannon Kipp and Bob Barnes, were announced. Dinner was followed by a r~e and for those who didn't win at the raffle, Targhee Resort offered a Casino night at which everyone won. There was a rumor of a wild swim party, but details were sketchy. For those who were interested, an in­structor dual slalom was held on Saturday. The course was an extended NASTAR type layout, which proved to be fun for Snowboard, Nordic and Alpine racers. This season, instructors requested infor­mation from a Board member or a vice president on a variety of Ski School is­sues. A special group has been organized to address these issues at the ski school level. At the Spring Clinic, the first meet­ing of the Board liaison group took place. This group is developing to increase com­munication with the Board and under­stand current policy. As we begin this new season, become involved as a liaison or find out who represents your ski school. This year, enhance your new skiing goals by joining us at the fall Education College. _ Representative Committee Formed During the spring PSIA-I Board of Direc­tors meeting, the Ski Instructor's Repre­sentative Committee became a permanent committee. This committee is intended as a vehicle through which individual ski instructors may have their views, interests and concerns discussed and given to the Board of Directors or committee chairper­son for response or action. The committee's mission statement has been adopted and reads as follows: "To facilitate interactive communica­tion and representation between mem­bers, PSIA-Intermountain Board and committees." Each resort in PSIA-I will have two rep­resentatives who will sit on the commit­tee. the selection of the individual repre- Communications Report By STEW MARSH, PSIA-i COMMUNICATIONS VICE PRESIDENT Welcome all, to another exciting season. I am excited to be returning as the divisional Communications VP. I wish to thank Craig Pearson for once again giving me this opportunity to serve as the Communications VP. Also to Bob Barnes for his tenure as Comm VP and the job he did with the EDGE and divisional communications. Communications is a vital link to any group or association. It is my intention to continue to keep these lines open not only through the print media, but through positive verbal lines, as well. It will take effort on everyone's part, from the Board to the DECL members, to the members at large to keep the lines of communication open and functioning in a way to foster the well being of this association. With the advent of the Ski Instructors Representative Committee (SIRC), I feel that communication from the members to the Board will be enhanced to a degree never before achieved in PSIA-I. Already this group ofrepresentatives have met and provided the Board with concerns. Like with any committee the Board will act upon these in a timely manner. Within this issue you will note the calendar for the upcoming season. The Board in its summer meeting felt as though the Educational/Certification format should remain unchanged for another year. It was felt that there were some soft spots and areas of concern, but to change the format after only one year would seriously affect the program as a whole. It was decided to address the concerns of the directors and area managers by adopting a calendar that would meet the needs of the areas by scheduling events at each area. The intention being to cut down on time away from your home area and travel expenses. Please note, if you have read this far, that the deadlines will be strictly adhered to. Each clinic will have a limit so the sooner you register the better your chances will be to attend a clinic. The object of this calendar is to give you and your director a chance to know of your availability and intentions for the entire 92-93 season. Also within this issue of the EDGE you will find a reprint (with the permission of the author) of an article written by Stu Campbell. It was published in the September, 1992 issue of Ski Area Management. I found it very stimulating and thought provoking. Speaking with Stu on the phone he said," it may step on the toes of some, It I feel this is good and may stimulate directors. supervisors, area managers and instructors to think of more creative ways to promote better skiing to the better skiers. We've got to make it more fun. Wouldn'tit be great to see 1O~12 classes of advanced skiers aU over the mountain, skiing and not standing? Read the article and feel free to write a comment so we can share with others your feelings regarding this matter. Throughout this season I would like to stimulate thought and conversation with articles like this. Hopefully, it will get you to respond to issues within our profeSSion. I look forward to an exciting season and wish each of you the best. _ 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE sentatives is left to each ski school. How­ever, each representative has made a com­mitment to serve on the committee and to be available in each ski school. Lynn Suksdorf, chairperson, has committed to personally get to as many ski schools in our division as possible through the com­ing season. Ski schools which have estab­lished representatives include: Alta, Brianhead, Brighton, Elk Meadows, 1 ack­son Hole, Park City, Pebble Creek, Pow­der Mountain, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Solitude and Sundance. It is hoped that all ski schools will select representatives by this coming season. Since the committee is on behalf of all ski instructors, input is welcome from any instructor in the division, no matter part­time or full-time, or certification status. Also, meetings will be held throughout the division (meetings have been held at Park City, Targhee and Pocatello) each year. The next meeting will be held at either Elk Meadows or Brianhead in November. There will be an article from this com­mittee in each edition of the EDGE, and your input is welcome. Get to know your representatives and use them. If you can­not reach one of them, feel free to call Lynn at [phone] (Salt Lake City) any time. Remember, this is your committee to help you keep informed and to express your concerns, issues or interests. Committee Members: Alta Lisa Robinson and John Musser Brianhead Danny and Peggy Edwards Brighton Rick Smith and Dave Strang Jackson Hole Nathan Emerson and Terry Smith Park City Rick Dunnebacke and Phil Gratz Pebble Creek Scott Rockwood and Donna Erickson Powder Mountain Rick and Barbara Berry Snow Basin Lesli Pantone and Mike McConvill Snowbird Carlie Siemel and Nona Weatherbee Solitude A. 1. Workman and Daily Oliver Sundance Scott War _ ACEP Certification Clinic Scheduled for PSIA-I Members By RON KIPP, SNOWBIRD The American Coaches Effectiveness Program (ACEP) is the largest national coaching certification program in the United States. Since 1982 over 100,000 coaches have been certified in all sports and at all levels. The ACEPprogram uses a unique, three­phase approach to learning. The first phase, the clinic phase, requires atten­dance and participation in a clinic. The second phase, the self-study phase, re­quires the reading of the course textbook. The third and final phase, the testing phase, requires completion of a take­home test covering the textbook and clinic material. The intent of this approach is to ask coaches or instructors to experience the concepts more than once from dif- A Turn by Any Other Name is Still a Turn Enor Martinez has devoted considerable time over the past few seasons developing Spanish and Portuguese ski teaching aids. He has compiled manuals and audio cas­settes available at the following costs: Ski Teaching in Spanish or Ski Teaching in P ortug uese manuals-$15 each plus $2 shipping (.50 shipping for each additional copy). Spanish audio cassettes and text of Ski Teaching in Spanish-$25 each plus $2.50 shipping (.50 shipping each addi­tional copy). The Spanish audio tapes include: Commands/Ski Progressions-IOO minutes; Vocabulary--fIJ minutes. Portuguese audio cassettes and text of Ski Teaching in Portuguese-$30 each plus $2.50 shipping (,50 shipping each additional copy). The Portuguese audio tapes include: Useful Words, Ski Terminology and Ski Program--fIJ minutes; Ski Terminology and Ski Progressions-60 minutes; Vocabulary-90 minutes A pocket-size book of Ski Teaching in Spanish is scheduled for release in November. Contact Enor Martinez, 3508 Virginia Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84109, [phone]. _ ferent angles - auditory, visual and cog­nitive - in the belief that different styles can lead to maximum learning. The Leader Level program is designed for the coach or instructor with some training who wants to update his/her knowledge base or be introduced to some areas not previously studied, especially in the sport sciences. The sport sciences in­clude the areas of sport philosophy, psychology, physiology and pedagogy. These, along with sport management, comprise the Leader Level program. The philosophy area focuses on the objec­tives of a competitive sport program in terms of winning, development and fun. It also looks at coaching styles and their levels of effectiveness in different situations. The pedagogy area (the art and science of teaching) looks at the teaching of sport skills beginning with seasonal planning and daily practices. Included are learning theory and the importance of demonstra­tion, explanation and feedback in learning sport skills. The psychology area draws from some of the most basic and misunderstood is­sues in the psychological aspects of a per­formance. Communication skills and techniques of improving those skills are presented first. This is followed by a close look at reinforcement and behavior shap­ing. This area concludes with a basic ap­proach to motivation and the critical points in effective motivation. Sport physiology brings the basic prin­ciples of physical training together. Specific information about the develop­ment of optimum fitness in a well-planned training program is discussed and applied. Another important area discussed here is sport nutrition and its effect on enhancing physical performance. The sport management area covers many critical problem areas for coaches and instructors. Beginning with risk management and sport law, coaches and instructors look at their legal respon­sibilities to their athletes and clients with regard to the situation. The rest of this session focuses on the coach and instruc­tor in terms of stress management, coping skills and time management, and con­cludes with a look at the coach's healthy lifestyle. ACEP Leader Level certification is re­quired for ski coaches certification Level II and III through the United States Ski Coaches Association. For PSIA-Inter­mountain members completion of the clinic and subsequent certification will receive six hours of clinic credit. There will be an ACEP Leader Level clinic for PSIA-Intermountain members on December 9th, and 10th at the Univer­sity of Utah in HPR N225. Wednesday, December 9th will cover coaching philosophy and sport psychology and run from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Thursday, December 10th will cover sport peda­gogy, philosophy, and management and also start at 6:00 p.m. and conclude at 10:30 p.m. The course must be taken in entire. Cost of the clinic, materials, and all testing is $50.00. Sign up through the PSIA-Intermountain office (phone [phone]). _ Mocking Mechanics DEC Leaders will be conducting mock Mechanics 1, 2 and 3 assessments on Oc­tober 29, in order to calibrate and stand­ardize this year's assessments. If you would like to take part in a mock asscss­ment, your participation would be ap­preciated. This is an opportunity to gain valuable experience if you are planning to take an assessment this year, or if you would just like to sharpen your skills. For more infor­mation contact Nancy at the Division of­fice. Volunteers will be accepted on a first-come first-serve basis. _ Education College Set for Snowbird Refresh your skiing and teaching at Snow­bird on December 4,5 and 6. The 1992 Education College will sharpen your skills and prepare you for those hot-shot students that want an early season tunc­up. Come join us at Snowbird and get a jump on the 92-93 ski season. Look for more information in your mailbox in the next couple of weeks. _ INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 Although ski school revenues at most areas appear to be keeping pace with revenue figures in other departments, the "health" in this particular profit center might be deceptive. In fact, the situation may be deteriorating. While entry and novice level lessons are on the increase, many schools are seeing a steady decline in class lessons at the intermediate and advanced levels. What's more, resorts that track repeat business in ski school are finding dismal conclusions. Surveys, formal and other­wise, indicate that students have a very positive experience in their introductory lesson, but relatively few return for a second day. Those students who do try an upper level class lesson tend not to return. (It should be noted this is not the case in private lessons, where a guest, apparently satisfied with a given instructor, is likely to repeat several times.) The question, of course, is why? Is it economic, public perception, marketing or are ski schools simply doing a poor job or training staffs to administer advanced classes and teach already-good skiers to be better? The answer, in all likelihood, is all of the above. Economics A significantnumberoffirst-time skiers­but, unfortunately, by no means the majority----are likely to enroll in ski school for an introductory lesson. In some instan­ces this initial experience is free. At the very least, the student may be lured to ski school by a discount package. Typically, the cost of such a program looks something like this: Full-day lesson including lifts $25.00 Rentals (skis, boots, poles) $15.00 Total cost $40.00 On Day Two, and forever after, assum­ing that he continues, the student ex­periences sticker shock. He must buy a lift ticket because it's no longer built into the lesson, and he's looking at a tab that's nearly twice the introductory deal: Full-day lift ticket Half-day class lesson Rentals (skis, boots, poles) Total cost $35.00 $22.00 $15.00 $72.00 Not to mention lunch, beer, transporta­tion and lodging. It's not tough to figure out which expense the guest will decide to cut. "To heck with lessons," says he. "My buddy can teach me." 4 INSTRUCTORS EDGE What's Happening To Advanced Classes? By STU CAMPBELL, VICE PRESIDENT, SKIER SERVICES, REA VENL Y V ALLEY, CA Public Perceptions People are no longer convinced they need ski school. What was once a great tradition, the Learn-to-Ski Week, is be­coming a rarity as skiers spend fewer days at resorts. Dollars aside, they perceive they cannot afford to invest all or even a part of a vacation day in class. Equipment for beginners is far from per­fect, but compared to what we had to work with years ago, modem skis, bindings and boots make learning much easier. Shorter, more flexible skis, better fitting (and per­forming) boots permit many people to learn on their own. Everyone, the taught and the self-taught, progresses faster. It's not unreasonable to expect to be skiing green runs after just one day's experience. Grooming brings a consistency and uniformity to all but the steepest and nar­rowest ski runs. Snow conditions are no longer a serious challenge. Skiers, even at the lowest level, are lulled into a false sense of security by a carpet-like surface on what appears to be a smooth freeway. They can ski faster, with less fear and a semblance of control. Many skiers lack motivation. Occasional skiers have sold themselves on the belief that they will never get much better anyway. So why bother? Just have fun. There's also a compelling argument to be made that ski schools do too good ajob at the entry level. After an all-day session, most A-Class graduates can control their speed, stop and tum in both directions. They come away from ski school believ­ing they "know how to ski," and are there­fore ready to explore the mountain with their friends. Clearly the ski school has failed to sell them on the fact that more instruction will make skiing more fun, more exciting and safer. Marketing and Administration Unless it's run as an independent con­cession, it's unusual for a ski school to have its own marketing budget. Ski school is marketed as a adjunct to the rest of the resort-an amenity that's expected, though rarely sold very hard. There have been notable exceptions in which resorts have built entire marketing programs around the ski school's ability to "ac­celerate" people along the learning curve, but many large resorts do not even go to the expense of producing a separate ski school brochure. As a result, ski teachers tend to sell themselves as individuals, rather than as a group of teachers constituting a "school." Bad for esprit de corps of course, but more to the point, it discourages them to sell privates for themselves where they get a bigger piece of the action. In any case, advanced class lessons tend to be somewhat canned and uninspired. They're often taught by relatively inex­perienced people who are trying to gain enough teaching background to make it through a certification exam. (The really good teachers are already certified, typi­cally, and are filling their days with private lesson business they are generat­ing for themselves.) Catch-22 As a PSIA examiner for many years, I've seen that beyond the beginner level, teaching knowledge becomes increasing­ly vague, obviously a result of having far less experience with intermediate stu­dents. Confronted with an advanced-les­son problem, or worse, an expert teaching situation which relates to a specific terrain feature or snow condition, certification candidates usually reveal a lack of knowledge by offering one or two fairly standard progression lines as solutions. Because they lack credentials and con­fidence, those who teach intermediate and advanced classes, tend to use time and terrain unimaginatively. In many cases they don't yet know how to see the lay of the land in a creative way that will en­hance teaching. In my opinion, upper level classes, usually lasting an hour and a half to two hours, are too short to benefit students. What's more, because they must return the class to its starting point at a prescribed time-in order to meet the next class-in­structors dare not explore too far, venture to lifts other than the ones they know or deviate from a lesson plan they know will fit a particular time frame. They stay on "safe" terrain, lecture too much and ski too little. This paranoia is exacerbated by constant fear of liability exposure-to the resort and, possibly, to the instructor him­self. In many ski schools, certain runs and terrain features are officially deemed "OK" for particular classes, while other sections are classified as "Verboten." It goes without saying, this takes a whole lot of fun and learning potential out of any advanced lesson. Then there are the problems of splits and class sizing. As a manager, a ski school director must be concerned about teacher student ratios. To make ratios look more favorable he is constantly encouraging his supervisors to hit predetennined targets, that is: don't create classes that are too small to be profitable. In so doing, at upper levels where raw student numbers are small to begin with, a class may become an awkward mixture of people with slightly different abilities and/or problems. If the class split reveals three students who can't quite make a parallel turn, for instance, and three who barely can, all six people are apt to be thrown into one class-so one instructor is paid rather than two. Customers recog­nize this and they don;t like it. Unless the instructor does an outstanding job of teaching this nonhomogeneous group, those students are unlikely to return. Possible Solutions If the class lesson is to be a profit­generating service, resort operators and ski school directors must become more flexible, more price conscious and more aware of the quality of instruction being offered beyond the novice stages. Here are some options to consider: • Bridge packages that offer the second and even third lesson with a lift ticket, at a discount, would mean less of a hit to the new skier trying to make a rapid entry into the sport. More attractive multi-day pric­ing would reinforce his desire to improve. The first day could be charged at $40, and the next two days, including lessons, lift ticket and rentals, at $55, making the "There is nothing sexy about PSIA's new 'Center Line' and 'Common Threads' approach to teaching." three day all-inclusive introductory plan a package for $150. If the new skier is enticed to study for three days and the instructor was such that he truly does reach a reasonable level of competency, and has a great time doing so, the hook for skiing generally, and the specific resort, would truly be set. • Start-any-time programs, lasting two or three days, would attract a clientele that is no longer locked into Saturday-to-Saturday vacations or even Monday-to-Friday ski weeks. Students should be allowed to begin any day of the week (with obvious excep­tions during holiday periods). Though it will require some adjustment on the part of the ski school administration, more starting times, beyond the traditional 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. must be offered. In the case of lessons beyond the wedge christie where fatigue is less of a factor and mileage becomes more critical, lessons should be longer . • Perfonnance guarantees, such as "if you don't shortswing by the end of this (these) lesson(s), the next class is on us." would clarify goals and make advanced ski instruction far less vague than it is presently. By making classes result­oriented, not only would instructors be­come more motivated, ski school could again become an "in" thing to do. • Market the benefits of lessons. Play down the safety aspects of spending time in class. That's important, but the concept is boring and can never sell. Play up the wind-in-the-face thrill, the adventure, the lift-line cutting privileges, the camaraderie of skiing with people who are exactly at your level, the joys of experiencing new terrain, new kinds of snow and new techni­ques to manage them--all under the watch­ful eye of a certified expert. Rebuild the romantic aura that once sur­rounded the ski teacher. Encourage in­structors to ski glamorously and be glamorous ambassadors of the sport. Present the instructor as an exciting per­sonality. Tout charisma. • Less generic classes; more specific clinics. Get rid of the well-Iet's-see-what­we've- got-here approach to lessons. Part of most ski schools' success with begin­ners is that instructors, without years of training, can follow a preset teaching path that pennits them to express (and sell) themselves as individuals. To its credit, this is the crux of PSIA' s American Teaching System. • Better, more thorough teaching paths for intermediate, advanced and expert skiers need to be developed. Instructors must be trained to implement them, to have a big "bag of tricks" for dealing with powder, crud, bumps, steeps, ice and skiing in tress, chutes and flats. In general, offer more targeted instruction. Less fonnal teaching, less talk, more skiing, more fun and more tangible progress. Stress elegance and style, and preach less about functionality and efficiency, which many see as "ugly." Let terrain, snow conditions and the will of the class dictate the planned content of today' s lesson. • More creative discounting for groups and assurances that groups, large and small, can stick together in class would convince more guest to spend time in ski school. Travel agents and tour operators need more incentive to sell lessons. Offer more comps to group leaders, "two les­sons for the price of one," even freebie mini-lessons for groups-to whet the ap­petite for more instruction. • Encourage greater longevity for ski in­structors. Maintaining instructional talent is an important consideration. The "best" teachers will drift off to other resorts or other professions if there is not a continued on 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 5 1992 Alpine Clinic Schedule 1993 ENTRY LEVEL MECHANICS FEB 6 SPECIAL TRAINER'S CLINICS CLINICS Skiing 1, 2, 3 EVENTS TRAINING* Beaver Mtn. 8:30 am NOV 21 DEC6 FEB6 OCT 24 DEC5 Entry Level Clinic Education College Skiing 1, 2, 3 DEC Leader Certifica- Education College Alta Mechanics 1, 2, 3 Jackson Hole tion Training Trainer's Training 8:30am Snowbird 8:30am SLCC, So. Campus, Snowbird 8:30 am Trophy Room 8:30 am NOV 21 MAR 24 9:00 am Entry Level Clinic DEC12 Skiing 1, 2, 3 JAN 10 Targhee Mechanics 1 , 2, 3 Brighton NOV 10 Trainer's Training J 8:30 am Jackson Hole 8:30 am Northern Membership Beaver Mtn. 7:00 pm Meeting 8:30 am DEC5 MAR 24 Westbank Inn, Idaho Education Collef}e DEC12 Skiing 1, 2, 3 Falls JAN 10 Entry Level CliniC Mechanics 1,2,3 Park City 7-10:00 pm Trainer's Training Snowbird Elk Meadows 8:30 am Pebble Creek 8:30 am 7:00 pm NOV 11 8:30 am DEC12 JAN 8 Central Memb.Meeting TEACHING Olympus Hotel, SLC JAN 10 Entry Level Clinic Mechanics 1, 2, 3 161 West 600 South Trainer's Training Jackson Hole Sundance CLINICS 7-10:00 pm Park City 8:30am 7:00 pm 8:30 am NOV 13 DEC 12 JAN 9 DEC 17 Southern Membership JAN 10 Entry Level Clinic Mechanics 1 , 2, 3 Teaching 1, 2, 3 Meeti~ Trainer's Training Elk Meadows Beaver Mtn. Brighton Brian ead Station Tartee 8:30 am 7:00 pm 8:30 am 7-10:00 pm 8:3 am JAN 8 JAN 9 DEC17 DEC4 * Please note: Trainer's Entry Level Clinic Mechanics 1 , 2, 3 Teaching 1, 2, 3 Education College Training is only open to Sundance Kelly Canyon Powder Mtn. Skiing Improvement ski school trainers and 8:30 am 7:00 pm 8:30 am Snowbird supervisors who have 8:30 am been recommended for JAN 9 JAN 9 JAN 22 attendence by their ski Entry Level Clinic Mechanics 1, 2, 3 Teaching 1, 2, 3 DEC5 school directors. Beaver Mtn. Targhee ParkWest Education College 8:30 am 7:00 pm 8:30 am Entry Level Clinic Trainer's Trainin9 CHILDREN'S JAN 9 MARlO JAN 22 Children's Clinic CLINICS Entry Level Clinic Mechanics 1, 2, 3 Teaching 1, 2, 3 Skiing Improvement Kelly Canyon SLCC, Parlors A, B, C Jackson Hole Snowbird 8:30 am 7-10:00 pm 8:30 am 8:30 am DEC5 JAN 9 JAN 22 DEC6 Education College Entry Level Clinic SKIING Teaching 1, 2, 3 Education College Children's Clinic I Tartee CLINICS Snowbird Advanced Educator Snowbird 8:3 am 8:30 am Children's Clinic II 8:30 am Mechanics 1, 2, 3 JAN 30 FEB 7 DEC 6 Entry Level Clinic DEC16 Teaching 1, 2, 3 DEC 9-10 Education College Powder Mtn. Skiing 1, 2, 3 Pebble reek ACEP Amercian Coach- Children's Clinic II 8:30 am Solitude 8:30 am ing Effectiveness (must 8:30 am 8:30 am attend both days) JAN 30 FEB 7 University of Utah JAN 10 Entry Level Clinic DEC 16 Teachin~l, 2, 3 6:00 pm Children's Clinic I Brighton Skiing 1, 2, 3 Beaver tn. Beaver Mtn. 8:30 am Snow Basin 8:30 am JAN 23-24 8:30 am 8:30 am DECL Hiring Clinic MAR3 APR14 Park City JAN 10 Entry Level Clinic JAN 21 Teaching 2, 3 8:30 am Children's Clinic I Deer Valley Skiing 1, 2, 3 Alta Pebble Creek 8:30 am Deer Valley 8:30 am APR16 8:30 am ,J 8:30 am Spring Clinic Brian Head JAN 10 JAN 21 MORE CLINICS! 8:30am Children's Clinic I Skiing 1, 2, 3 Park City Alta 8:30am 8:30am Additional clinics APR17 JAN 21 Spring Clinic JAN 10 Skiing 1, 2, 3 covering a varieth of Brian Head Children's Clinic I Targhee topics including ace, 8:30 am Tartee 8:3 am Ski Improvement, Ad- 8:3 am vanced Educator and APR18 FEB 6 others will be listed in Spring Clinic Skiing 1, 2, 3 the next EDGE. Brian Head Kelly Canyon 8:30 am 8:30 am 6 INSTRUCTORS EDGE ) ) 1992 Alpine Assessment Schedule 1993 MECHANICS MAR 1 FEB 25 MAR 20 MAR 19 ASSESSMENTS Mechanics 2, 3 Assess- Skiing 2, 3 Assessment Skiing 2, 3 Assessment Teaching 2, 3 Assess-ment Alta Beaver Mtn. ment SLCC, Parlors A, B, C 8:30 am 8:30am Park City 1-10:00 pm 8:30 am FEB 5 FEB 25 MAR 21 Mechanics 2, 3 Assess- MAR 29 Skiina. 2, 3 Assessment Skiin~l3 Assessment MAR 19 ment Mechanics 2, 3 As- Park est Deer alley Teaching 2, 3 Assess- Idaho Falls sessmen 8:30 am 8:30 am ment 1-4:00 pm SLCC, Parlors A, B, C Solitude 1-10:00 pm FEB 25 MAR 21 8:30 am FEB 5 Skiing 2, 3 Assessment Skiing 2, 3 Assessment Mechanics 2, 3 Assess- Sundance Snowbird MAR 20 ment SKIING 8:30 am 8:30am Teaching 2, 3 Assess- Brian Head Station ASSESSMENTS ment 1-10:00 pm FEB 27 APR3 Nordic Valley FEB 8 Skii~ 2, 3 Assessment Skiing 2, 3 Assessment 8:30 am Elk eadows Alta Mechanics 2, 3 Assess- DEC12 8:30 am 8:30 am MAR 20 ment Skiing 2, 3 Assessment Teaching 2, 3 Assess- Ogden Park City FEB 27 ment 1-10:00 pm 8:30am Skiing 2, 3 Assessment TEACHING Brian Head FEB 25 Jackson Hole ASSESSMENTS 8:30 am FEB 8 8:30 am Mechanics 2, 3 Assess- Skiing 2, 3 Assessment MAR 20 ment Snowbasin MAR 20 Teaching 2, 3 Assess- SLCC, Parlors A, B, C 8:30 am DEC13 ment 1-10:00 pm Skiin~ 2, 3 Assessment Pebb e Creek Teaching 2,3 Assess- Jackson Hole 8:30 am ment Park City 8:30 am 92 Nordic Calendar 93 "If Mohammed can't come to the mountain, we'll bring the mountain to Mohammed," (sic) or vice versa. Due to the size and na­ture of our PSIA Nordic membership, we con­tinually find it difficult to set up dates for clinics and exams, and then find enough people to fill those events. This season we are scheduling a few events based upon re­quests from individuals and schools. The remainder of the events will be scheduled after compiling lists of our membership's wants and needs. The request line is open­( 307) 733-5908. No dedications, please. We will try to satisfy everyone's needs for clinics and exams, but we can't promise that it will take place in your backyard, so be prepared to travel to another location in the Division. Nov 7-8 Examiner/Clinic Leader/Administrator Train­ing- open to all Level III & old timers. Jackson vicinity ENTRY LEVEL CLINICS These clinics are designed to familiarize potentially new members with the many aspects of PSI A and are prerequisite to other levels. Folks with Nordic skiing Interests may attend any of the following entry level clinics to get started int the PSIA organization. Nov 21 Alta & Targhee Dec 5 Snowbird Dec 12 Jackson & Elk Meadows Entry Level & Mechanics I, II, III Jan 9 Beaver & Kelly Canyon Entry Level & Mechanics I, II, III Jan 30 Powder Mtn & Brighton Mar 3 Deer Valley LEVEL I CLINICS AND ASSESSMENTS An introduction to the three aspects of our program: Track, Nordic Downhill, Back­country Guiding. Includes three basic clinic topics specific to Nordic skiing. Mechanics I, Skiing I, Teaching I. Level I clinics will be scheduled throughout the Intermountain region by request. LEVEL II CLINICS Specialization in one of three disciplines. Track general touring techniques, diagonal stride, ski skating, nordic downhill specific to trackltounng 8:30am Nordic Downhill Techniques includes telemark, parallel and other techni­ques, on & off piste skiing Backcountry Skiing/Guiding Jan 9-10 Track skiing clinic Pocatello Feb 8-9 Track clinic/skating emphasis Jackson We anticipate several more Level II clinics; as requests pour in, we will match up people into common clinics. LEVEL III CLINICS AND ASSESSMENTS Scheduling will be coordinated with ski school directors and interested Level II in­dividuals. Spring Clinic April 16-18 at Brian Head. Nordic Skiers are also invited to attend any mechanics, skiing and teaching clinics as posted in the general calendar. Please check with main office for these clinics and preferred ski equipment type for skiing ses­sions. Thanks, Jack Bellorado, Nordic chairman [phone] INSTRUCTORS EDGE 7 HAPPENING continued/rom 5 reasonable number of advanced students to work with. Selling more upper-level lessons, even if it means a slight erosion in the profit margin, can help. Teaching beginners all the time does not offer a high degree of job satisfaction . • Attend more to locals. Virtually every ski area offers a program of some sort for elementary and high school students. But kids take these lessons for granted, espe­cially if it's free and part of a school phys. ed. program. They do not become word-of-mouth salespeople for the resort and school. A low-cost, flexible, by-invitation clinic series for locals, especially season pass holders, service people and business owners who share a vested interest in whether or not it snows, if handled proper- 1y and taught well, could be an immensely valuable sales tool. How much would it increase sales to have every bartender, ski shop employee, waiter, gas station atten­dant, hotel desk clerk and chamber maid in town singing the praises of his or her favorite instructor? • Sexier packaging could make ski school more attractive. PSIA, which for all practical purposes governs the content of ski instruction in this country, has done a masterful job of developing a teaching system that is biomechanically sound, humanistically and extremely effective. But if the truth be known, the general public knows virtually nothing about the American Teaching System and couldn't care less. Though they make sense academically, there is nothing sexy about PSIA's new "Center Line" and "Common Threads" approach to teaching The ski instructor's organization and the industry as a whole need to present ski in­struction in ways that tum people on, without compromising the very solid content of the teaching system. We need to take a step back for perspective, experiment with class for­mats, the station approach to terrain teaching, play with video more, look at marl<etability of the U.S. Demo Team (in Japan hot demonstrators are skiing's heros at the mo­ment). make leaming more seductive and reward those instructors who really deliver business, for the resort as well as themselves. Above all, we can't forget the obvious: that the satisfied, fulfIlled guest is one who's likely to return for more. Right now we don't seem to have enough of those. Reprinted with permission. • 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Accesories • Books • Mannuals If you don't see the item you want listed here, caU the Division office; we may have it in stock. Remember, when you order your manuals and accessories through the PSIA-I office you are helping support the Division. ITEM # DESCRIPTION NON-MEMBER PRICE 01B ATS Strategies for Teaching ....................... 9.75 02B ATS-H Strategies for Teaching - Handbook ......... 14.95 03B ATS-C Child Centered Skiing ..................... 37.95 04B ATS-N Strategies for Teaching - Nordic Handbook .. 14.95 05B NEW: PSIA Snowboard Instruction Manual- 2nd Draft. 8.00 06B ATM III Teaching Concepts ....................... 8.00 07B Teaching Nordic - ATS .... , .................... 12.95 08B The Official American Ski Technique (White Book) ... 12.95 09B Captain Zembo's Ski Teaching Guide for Children ..... 6.00 lOB Introduction to Ski Teaching ....................... 7.00 11B The Way to Ski ................................. 12.95 12B Stiegler-The Style of a Champion ................... 2.00 13B Risk Awareness & Skiing Safety in the Ski School ..... 4.00 Postage and Handling, 1 Item: .......................... 1.50 Each Additional Item: ................................... 80 For large orders, please contact the Division office for postage charges. MEMBER PRICE 7.50 12.95 24.95 12.95 6.00 6.00 10.95 10.95 3.00 6.00 7.95 2.00 2.00 1.50 .80 Orders should include: name, status, ID number, shipping address, item number, item description, quantity ordered and total remittance. NAME ______________________________________________ ___ STATUS _____________ ID·NUMBER _______________ _ SHIPPING-ADDRESS ____________________ _ CITY __________ STATE ____ ZIPCODE ______ _ Item#.· Desc.: __________ _ Ouantity: __ Total price . ·_ ___ _ Item#.:_ Desc .. : __________ _ Ouantity: __ Total price:. ___ _ Item#.:_ Desc.:. _________ __ Ouantity: __ Total price.: ___ __ MANUALS/ACCESSORIES-TOTAL.: ______ _ POSTAGE-AND-HANDLlNG: _____ _ TOTAL-DUE: _____ _ SEND ORDER WITH FULL PAYMENT TO: PSIA Intermountain, 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121. Ski Archives Legends of Competition By SUE RAEMER U of U SKI ARCHIVES The University of Utah's Ski Archives program was established in 1989 to preserve and nurture the Intermountain area's rich skiing heritage. this year the Advisory Board appointed an executive committee for leadership purposes and functioning committees have been estab­lished. Guidelines for membership in the organization are being developed, a logo has been designed for communication and identification purpos~s and the annual fall program has been planned. And speaking of the fall program, it's coming up Thursday, October 29. The purpose of the yearly program is to allow individuals to congregate with others interested in the preservation of the history of skiing in the Intermountain area, to meet the old and new pioneers of the industry and to just plain have a good time with a variety of ski enthusiasts. In the past, the archives program was by invitation only. Interest in the history of skiing and related programs was so widespread that the scope of the program was broadened to enable a larger number of participants. And, this is your chance to attend as all members of the PSIA are invited. The event will be held at Red Lion Hotel the evening of Thursday, October 29. A social will be held at 6:30 p.m. and the program will begin at approximately 7:30 p.m. The cost of the event is $10 per person and will include a grand October­fest buffet. There will be a "no-host" bar which will include soft drinks, beer and wine. Some of the local ski reps will dis­play and sell ski accessories at enticing prices before and after the program. The program will feature this year's honorees who carved a place in ski com­petition in the 1940s by recording a com­posite of triumphs that has never been equaled. The phrase, "Legends of Com­petition" is synonymous with Corey Engen, Sverre Engen, Suzy Harris Ryt­ting, Jack Reddish, Dev Jennings and Dick Movitz. These legendary skiers will be presented honorary awards for their achievements. A pictorial exhibit of this era of ski competition will be on display and a video presentation narrated by KUTV's Larry Warren will be shown. Seating is limited, so be sure to make your reservation as early as possible by returning the completed reservation form along with your check. Reservations must be confinned by check by Friday, October 23. Your check will guarantee you a great time. r-----------------------------------------------------------------------------, U of U Ski Archives Program Reservation Please make a reservation for _____ (number of persons.) I have enclosed $, _____ _ Name, _________________________ __ Address, ________________________ _ PhoneNumber __ ~--------------------- Return to: Dr. Robert Staab University of Utah Libraries Marriott Library Salt Lake City , Utah 84112 : A special note of thanks to PSIA-I for its recent contribution of $500 to the ski : : archives. Much apprectiation! , , L _____________________________________________________ ________________________ J USSCA Pre-Course Series Dates Scheduled The United States Ski Coaches Associa­tion is pleased to announce the schedule fore the USSCA 1992-93 Pre-Course Clinic Series. The USSCA Pre-Course Clinic Series is the first level of a four-part national alpine educational program. Each two and a half day clinic will cover numerous topics vital to the development of junior alpine ski racers, including: tech­nical and tactical sessions, course setting, the latest ideas on physical conditioning from the United States Ski Team Sports Science Program and on-snow applica­tion. Attending a Pre-Course clinic is a prerequisite for "Education 2," a week­long national coaches school consisting of a more advanced and in-depth series of lectures and practical application. Follow­ing the completion of Educations 1 and 2, one works on fulfilling a series of addi­tional prerequisites, culminating in a six­segment three-day comprehensive cer­tification examination. This alpine educa­tion and certification program provides a standardization of the goals and values of ski coaching and lays the groundwork for consistent and effective communication throughout the country. Pre-Course clinics cover varied topics including: sport science and psychology, condition­ing, drills, gate drills and course setting and tactics. These clinics are open to in­terested parents or ski instructors. Registration fees are $90 for USSCA members, $110 for non members and $125 for registration plus USSCA mem­bership. Preregistration is required and should be completed no later than two weeks prior to the desired clinic. For more information and clinic registration forms. write or call the USSCA, c/o Andrea San­ford, P.O. Box 100, Park City, UT 84060. [phone]. The dates and locations for the 1992-93 USSCA Pre-Course clinics are: Nov. 6-8 Nov. 18-20 Nov. 20-22 Nov. 20-22 Nov. 20-22 Dec. 4-6 Dec. 11-13 Dec. 11-13 Dec. 11-13 Dec. 18-20 Dec. 18-19 Jan. 13-15 Jan. 20-22 Mar. 19-21 Anchorage, AK Mammoth,CA Sunday River, ME Winter Park. CO Mt. Bachelor. OR Butternut Basin, MA Big Sky. MT Sugar Loaf, MI Bristol, NY Big Boulder, PA Stevens Pass, W A Alpine Meadows, CA Sunlight, CO Afton Alps. MN , INSTRUCTORS EDGE 9 Hetrick Offers Explanation of Snow Country Schools By BILL HETRICK PSIA PRESIDENT Braden Schools or SkiWee. This promo­tion is an opportunity for PSIA to get off the sidelines while other "cutting edge" programs receive public attention. One of the objectives of thePSIA strategic plan calls for PSIA to "promote ski teach­ing to area management, other ski in­dustry groups, and the public ... " The ob­jective is to help market your membership and to reinforce the public perception that taking a lesson from a "qualified PSIA instructor" is the best and only way to take a ski lesson. Unlike other programs, Snow Country is committed to actively promoting PSIA, and instructors who are products of PSIA's American Teaching System. This represents the first time that PSIA has been the beneficiary of widespread na­tional publicity on a consistent basis. It is also the first time that the D-Team has been the beneficiary of widespread public promotion. area management. It is our intent that as the schools and their stature grow, so too will the stature of membership in PSIA. Ideall y, this translates to increased pres­tige for the association and for you as a member. Why use D-Team members? We use members of the D-Team because the as­sociation and the industry accept them as representatives of ski teaching, not as in­herently better human beings than their fellow member. The message we ul­timately try to project is that a person taking a lesson from a PSIA member (whether he or she is Registered, As­sociate Certified or Certified) will benefit There are a number of PSIA programs supporting this strategy, including the charge to create "teaching celebrities" as The schools will travel to different ares each season, again with the cooperation of part of the association's ap-proach to promoting PSIA and the value of taking a lesson from a PSIA member or through a PSIA mem­ber school. Addition­ally, these programs generate public rela­tions and commercial opportunities, includ­ing special curriculum packaging and special schools. In pursuing these strategies, PSIA is participating with Snow Country magazine in develop­ing positive public im­pressions through the magazine by develop­ing a number of "high end and very limited" schools. These schools are being taught exclusively by D-Team members. The schools are very limited in their scope and are conducted with the full coopera­tion of the host are's management. They do not compete with the day to day operations of ski schools, any more than summer race camps, Mahre Training Centers, Vic 10 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Snow Country Ski Schools Making Rounds Snow Country Ski Schools, the only public ski training programs taught en­tirely by the PSIA National Demonstration Team, provide inter­mediate to advanced skiers an oppor­tunity to improve their ski technique in three or four-day schools. According to a Snow Country magazine news release, the program has been designed to meet the needs of the consumer by providing high levels of education and expertise during six hours of on-snow training and two hours of classroom instruction. No more than six students are grouped with each instructor. "We initiated this program to fill an important niche in instruction for skiers who wish to reach the highest level of their ability," says John Fry, editor of Snow Country magazine. "This particular program allows skiers at an advanced level to experience a customized lesson over three or four days regardless of their skiing objec­tive. The opportunity for people to ski in a personalized environment with this many members of the PSIA Na­tional Demonstration Team at one time is unique." All students complete a student profile questionnaire and receive video analysis and a post-school review. The program curriculum is developed from questionnaire responses and students are grouped with others working toward similar goals. "The 'D Team' involvement in the Snow Country Ski Schools exemplifies what PSIA is striving for," says Mark Dorsey, PSIA marketing director. "PSIA tries to show the public that PSIA members, trained in the American Teaching System, deliver top quality instruction across the country." Snow Country Ski Schools are held in cooperation with some of the finest ski resorts and ski schools in America. 1992-93 schools will be held at: Steamboat, CO Dec. 7-10 Killington, VT Jan. 7-9 Mammoth, CA Jan. 10-12 Snowbird, UT Jan. 11-14 Heavenly, CA Jan. 17-19 Killington, VT Jan. 24-26 Stowe, VT Feb. 1-3 Snowmass. CO Feb. 28 - Mar. 3 Three-day schools cost $750 per per­son and four-day schools cost $900 per person. Lodging and transportation are not included. Snow Country Ski Schools are part of the NYT Sports Leisure Di vision of the New Your Times Company. The division also offers world-class golf instruction through its Golf Digest In­struction Schools. magazines. • from quality training to participate in a quality ski experience. There will be bumps along the way, but we believe increased positive recognition from the press will result in increased positive recognition . for you as a PSIA member. Underlying this are the issues of team par­ticipation, dues im­pact and the benefit to the divisions. We are working hard to posi­tion team members as being a result of PSIA's system,and that they are very rep­resentative of the membership at large. It is important to remember that ap­proximately half of every dollar used to run PSIA comes from outside the dues struc­ture. Much of the sponsor revenue we receive is based on the team's existence and also forms the incen­tive for sponsors to ad­vertise in The Profes­sional Skier. It is also safe to say that in­creased publicity for the team (and for PSIA) increases the team's value to the industry, as well as to you as an individual member, thus strengthening our sponsor relationships. The result of this activity is a slowing of the rate of dues increase plus greater public and industry awareness of our association's activities. PSIA Revamps National Ed. Department This program in no way is an attempt to take over ski schools or be the primary source of training for ski schools. As you will see from the following PSIA mission statement, PSIA's role is clear. PSIA ser­ves a support role to members, schools and the industry by " ... developing, delivering, and validating unified educa­tional programs and materials, and to promote the sport of skiing through the growth and development of ski instruc­tion." The Snow Country Ski Schools are a part of our message to the public that skiing is more enjoyable if you learn properly from a PSIA member. We hope this gives you a broader understanding about our relationship with Snow Country, their ski schools and what PSIA is doing to support and promote you as a ski teaching professional. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call, write or fax me at the national office. _ PSIA has announced a reorganization of its education department designed to share responsibilities between two new positions. The change is scheduled to take effect on January 1. The reorganization plan creates the new postions of Research and Developoment Manager and Education Director. Max Lundberg will leave his current post as Education Foundation Director to assume the part-time salaried position of PSIA Education Research and Development Manager. According to PSIA, the remain­ing duties and responsibilities of the education department will be charged to the full-time PSIA Education Director. PSIA expects to begin a national search for Education Director candidates "as soon as feasible." According to PSIA President Bill Hetrick, "It is [PSIA's] intent that the total salary commitment for the two positions will be essentially the same as the current expenditure for the Director, Educational Foundation." When Lundberg assumes his new role as PSIA Research and Development Manager, he will be responsible for: developing, defining and coordinating in­formation on ski teaching methodology. mechanics, techniques and philosophy; managing and coordinating the activities of the Education Steering Committee; managing all technical Education Demonstration Teams; developing tech­nical content, program format, and faculty guidelines for the National Academy, In­terski, and other educational events; directing technical educational research and development for PSIA; developing or supervising the development of technical educational materials; representing PSIA and the USA in international matters; and writing technical educational materials for PSIA based on a case by case contrac­tual arrangement; along with other duties. Salary and benefits for Education Re­search and Development Manager in­clude: $22,000 per year, approximately 1/4 to 1/3 time; medical insurance; match­ing contribution of 3 percent of previous year's salary to the PSIA TSA; payment of contracted projects; and expenses. The details for the position of PSIA Education Director have yet to be an­nounced. _ Letters It's Classified My father, George R. Mosher III is a gold certified ski instructor at Grand Tar­ghee, Wyo. This year he passed Nordic Certified 1, 3 within days of each other. He began to nordic ski at the end of the 1990-91 ski season. In 91-92 he made nordic ski instructor. Now he has two golds. He has worked very hard to get where he's at now. His name was not printed as Nordic Certified. I was hoping you'd let the readers know or make a reprint. Jodi Mosher. Thank you Jodi. We're sorry for the orms- Remember, all members in good standing of PSI A-I are permitted one free classified ad per year. Mr. BACHELOR, BEND, OREGON .. We are looking for a few great X-C ski instructors. PSIA and WEC certification preferred. We are asking for a minimum 4daylweek com­mitment. Attitude and appearance do count. Contact: Mt. Bachelor, P.O. Box 1031, Bend, OR 97709, (503) 382- 2442. Pre-employment drug tests are required. Mr. BACHELOR, BEND, OR ... X-C RACEffECHNICAL LEAD: Responsibilities include leading the recreational and sanctioned X-C race operations and participation in training programs in our X-C ski school. Contact: Mt. Bachelor, Inc., P.O. Box 1031, Bend, OR 97709, [phone]. Pre-employment drug tests required. EOE. PURGATORYIDURANGO SKt SCHOOL is seeking ex­perienced instructors for the 199211993 season. We offer a warm climate, great ski conditions and a progressive. fun team of people. Hiring clinic is Dec. 5th and 6th. Call for application and information, 303-247-9000. ext 5132 EARN $50 FOR REFERRALS when your lead results in a rental for Skiers Accommodations of Utah. We offer 2,3,4 and 5-bedroom Townhouses atthe mouths of Big and Little Cottonwood Canyons. ContactT om and Nancy Kronthaler for information [phone]. SKIS & BOOTS FOR SALE: Skis K2 KVC 190 em and 204 em, like new; K2 VO 190 cm. used 5 times; Salomon 2S EXP PR5 & PR8 (188 cm1203 cm), excellent cond; all skis with Salomon 957 bindings. Boots: Salomon SX92 Equipe, Size 290 (womens 6.5 shoe. kids 4-5); Nordica 881. like new, women's 5. Call Jo at 272-0854. PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN DIVISION Officers: President, Craig "Roper" Pearson; Administrative V. P., Gene Pahner; Certification V.P., John Diefenderfer; Communications V.P., Bob Barnes; Secretary: Nancy Perkins; Current Board Members: 1990-93, Rex Ames, John Diefenderfer, Chi Mellville, Dori Pratt, Allen Titensor; 1991-94, Sally Elliot, Steve Johnson., Craig "Roper" Pearson, Stew Marsh, Gene Pahner; 1992-95, Ernie Anderson, Bob Barnes, Shannon Kipp. non-member subscription rate of $15, subscriptions available through the Division Office. Division Office: 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121, [phone]. Editorial and Advertising Office: 4664 Clearview Street, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 [phone], Rodger Renstrom, Editor. The Instructors EDGE, the official publication of the Professional Ski Instruc­tors of America Intermountain Division, is published five times a year at a Next Deadline: Nov. 10 for Dec. 10 and Jan. 1 for Feb. 1, Feb. 15 for Mar. 15, May 1. forJun. I INSTRUCTORS EDGE 11 Children's Clinics News from DEC Leaders - Mary Whit­tke, children's clinic assistant and Chris­tine Katzenberger, children's clinic ex­ecutive I thank Carol Workman for her efforts as the Intermountain Children's Committee chairperson for the past two years. Her time and leadership on this committee has been very helpful. I am very happy to take over this position and report to the division on whatever changes or new news takes place. Please keep in touch.- Chris • Mary Wittke and I have gotten together to develop children's clinics for the 1992- 93 season. Currently, we have two main clinics in mind. These are titled Group Management Techniques and Structuring Lessons "Bags o/Tricks". Spring ''Fling'' Clinic Review For now these clinics are specific to children, but we also plan to target the similarities of adult and children's ski teaching. These clinics should be of value to all the membership. We'd be interested in hearing some suggestions for future clinics. What a time Without a whine And in that time I saw lots of friends of mine Children's clinics and some gimmicks Made spring clinic more than just plain rythmic Thanks for the participation It sure made for conversation Who knows the implications We may get more fun situations Children's '93 Symposium February 1-3 I'm suppos'n Because it's sure to be One of the best PSIA INTERMOUNTAIN DIVISION ALPINEINORDIC/SNOWBOARD CLINIC REGISTRATION Pre-registration is required for all clinics, there will be NO registration at clinics. DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION: 14 days prior to clinic. THIS APPLICATION IS FOR A: 0 NORDIC CLINIC 0 ALPINE CLINIC 0 SNOWBOARD CLINIC NAME: ____________ ~~----------------~------------------------------------------------------- First Last ADRESS: ____________ ~--~--------------=_----------------~~----------------~~-------------- Sb"ect or Box City State Zip CERTIFICATION STATUS AND NUMBER _________________________________________ PHONE NO. ________ _ PICK TOPIC FROM SCHEDULE __________________________________ YOUR SKI SCHOOL. _________________________ _ CUNIC LOCATION ________________________________________________________ DATE ___________________ _ INDICATE GROUP PREFERENCE: (IF APPLICABLE) 0 MODERATE 0 AGGRESSIVE CUNIC COST $25.00 Per one day clinic (6 hours) $------- o Please check here if this is a new address and you wish it changed. MY EQUIPMENT MEETS DIN STANDARDS (SIGNATURE OF APPUCANT), ______________________ __ REFUND POLICY: Notice before deadline -FULL Notice after deadline, but before event- 50% NO NOTICE BEFORE EVENT - NO REFUND MAIL TO: Nancy Perkins, Secretary, PSIA-I Division Office, 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121 The Instructors EDGE A publication of PSI A-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 RAINER KOLB P. O. BOX 348 HUNTSVILLE, UT 84317- BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID SLC,UTAH PERMIT NO.4383 IN!lRU Vol. 14 No.2 DECL Selection Guidelines Set Guidelines that will be used to select new DEC Leaders have been designed to test a broad spectrum of candidate skills. The DECL Selection dates are scheduled for January 23 and 24 at Park City, Utah and prospective candidates are being advised to start preparing now, if they didn't begin preparing last spring. In an effort to reduce questions and con­fusion surrounding the selection process, the standards candidates are expected to meet are being printed in the EDGE. DECL Tryout/Exam Objective PSIA-Intermountain will hire up to 15 Certified Level III ski instructors who meet the DECL mechanics, skiing, and teaching standards during a two-day tryout/exam on January 23 and 24, 1993 at Park City, UT. NOTE: If more than 15 meet the "stand­ard," only the top 15 will be hired. Less than 15 may be hired if less than 15 meet the standard. PSIA-I DECL Standards Mechanics All PSIA-I DECL's will demonstrate an in-depth understanding of human mechanics, the laws of motion, and equip­ment design and performance. All PSIA-I DECL' s will demonstrate the capability to assess and communicate cause and effect relationships at all levels in all situations. Mechanics Preparation: Study every manual, book, article and video you can lay your hands on. In particular study the new ATS Manual and Video Series. Be prepared to accurately identify and be conversant in the technical aspects of skiing. Increase the depth of your knowledge relative to human movement patterns, the forces involved in skiing, equipment, technique and skiing skill development, and the history of teaching and skiing. Focus on the cause and effect relation­ships between equipment, the forces in- The Official Publication of PSIA-Intermountain Winter One 1992/1993 Ski Program Promotes Healthy Lifestyles Skiing is touching the lives of children throughout Utah once again as part of Ski Utah's elementary and junior high school Ski Fitness program. The Ski Utah program, in its second season of operation, has nearly doubled in size this year and involves over 3,500 children from over 40 schools across the state. The six-week program teaches healthy lifestyle and motor coordination skills during indoor sessions led by school teachers and ski instructors. A ski day at a local ski area tops off the program. PSIA-I instructor and DECL Jo Garuccio designed and imple­mented the program which is a cooperative effort by Ski Utah, Utah ski areas and retail merchants to help children experience the lifetime benefits of skiing. _ volved in skiing, and human movement patterns. Skiing AllPSIA-1 DECL's willdemonstrateac­curate and adaptable skiing that is consis­tent with the ATS Skiing Model in all conditions and on all terrain. Skiing Preparation: The Center Line Fundamentals/Common Threads should guide your skill development. Practice a variety of turn sizes and shapes, and the ability to ski rhythmically and to change rhythm efficiently and smoothly. Be able to mimic the turn shape and speed of any demonstration on any terrain and in any snow condition. Be prepared to ski the Center Line Milestones without a demonstration to guide you. Teaching All PSIA DECL's will demonstrate an in depth understanding of the A TS Teach­ing Model through situational application of teaching and learning theory for all levels of skiers in all situations, including indoors. Teaching Preparation: Practice ap­plication of the teaching model in 10 - 15 minute presentations both on snow and indoors. Have the ability to give or­ganized, clear, and concise presentations, both on snow and indoors. Crucial on snow, is that you communicate accurate and specific feedback while teaching your peers. The DECL Tryout/Exam Committee Scott Mathers from Alta is the DECL Selection Executive. Scott was chosen for this position by PSIA-I Certification VP continued on 2 President's Message By CRAIG "ROPER" PEARSON, PSIA·I PRESIDENT Greeting to all. We had our fall Board of Director's meeting Friday, November 6 at Park City Ski Area. Below is the President's Report which was written by me for the Board. As I began to put my thoughts together regarding the President's Report, I went back to PSIA·I's job descriptions. I read through all the job descriptions just to remind myself of the purpose of our jobs as Board members. Board of Directors 1. a group of administrators; council 2. one who directs a school, corporation, etc. Direct 1. to manage; guide 2. to supervise the action and efforts of (a play, etc) (Webster's New World Dictionary, July 1983) Article III Board of Directors Section 1. General Powers. The business and affairs of the Division shall be managed by its Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may adopt such rules and regulations for the conduct of their meetings and the management of the Division as they deem proper. It is clear to me that our mission is to manage the affairs of PSIA Intermountain. There are rules and government (BOD) that were set forth to run PSIA·I. the intentions have been, and must be, to benefit all our membership. We, as PSIA-I BOD members, must keep the whole picture in focus when we set policies, procedures, standards, etc. for the membership. I believe we must keep our mission clear and simple to understand. An instructor from a neighboring ski school approached me last week with a question we all need to ask ourselves; does the Division exist for its members, or do the members exist for the Division? He had specific concerns, but I believe this question should be asked of ourselves for the decisions we make. We, as PSIA-J Board of Directors, must manage the affairs of the Division in a positive manner. Our decisions must not be "narrow focused," but benefit all the membership. On October 23-24 Nancy and I attended the Presidents and Executive Secretary meeting in Denver, Colorado. This meeting was productive and informative. We made recommendations which were presented to the PSIA Board of Directors. My immediate objectives for the PSIA-I Board of Directors are 1) to ensure this season is set off on the right foot, 2) to create a road map to be the tool we can use for the future - a five-year plan. We should set forth goals, objectives and outline how to implement these goals. A time frame should also be set. It is very important that we keep moving forward in a positive manner for the benefit of the membership. The use of a plan should prove to be a useful tool in accomplishing this .• This message for the EDGE was written before the scheduled Fall Membership meetings. I hope those meetings were informative. The theme for meetings is to survey you, the membership. The PSIA-I Board of Directors needs good member­ship input in order to make good decisions in the operation of this division. Every ski school should have one or two members on the new Ski Instructor Representative Committee. This committee was formed last season as a communica­tions and advisory group between the membership and the Board. Please give your support to your local representative. This fall we had three members take positions which have taken them to the Great Northwest. Good luck Jerry Warren, Paul "PJ." Jones and Bob Barnes. Adrien Segil died this past fall after injuries received while riding his bicycle. We have donated money to the Salt Lake City Mayor's Bicycle committee in Adrien' s memory. Adrien wasa lifetime member of PSI A-I. Be sure to read the article in this EDGE about him. - Have a great winter. Craig "Roper" Pearson. 2 INSTRUCTORS EDGE DECL continued from 1 John Diefenderfer. Scott was selected be­cause of his experience both examining and being a candidate in exams and tryouts. Scott has been fully certified (level 3) since 1982 and is currently in his second term with the PSIA Alpine Demonstration Team. He was a member of the 1991-1992 DECL Selection Com­mittee, and has examined in PSIA-J for 4 seasons. Scott has been a key player in the development of the PSIA-I Educa­tion/ Certification Master Plan. Scott is also Level 3 USSCA Certified and is employed by Alta as a ski instructor and as the Ski School Training Director. Joe Waggoner and Rodger Renstrom are assisting Scott on the DECL Tryout/Exam Committee. Joe and Rodger were selected by Scott and John Diefenderfer. Joe is the DECL Training Executive. He has been certified since 1971. Joe was a member of the PSIA Demonstration Team from 1980-1984 and has been an ex­aminer and DCL for over 15 years. Joe was a member of the 1991-1992 PSIA-I DECL Selection Committee, as well as a selector in numerous DCL Tryouts in other divisions. Joe's vast examining ex­perience is a great asset to us. He has been a ski school director for over 15 years, 10 years at Bridger Bowl, four years at Breckenridge, and currently at Snowbird. Rodger Renstrom is the DECL Perfor­mance Review Executive. Rodger has been certified since 1979 and was a mem­ber of the PSIA-I Alpine Education Team from 1984-1992. He has examined for eight years. Rodger was a member of the 1991-1992 DECL Selection Committee and has been a key player in the develop­ment of the PSIA-I Education/Certifica­tion Master Plan. Rodger was selected in 1988 and 1992 to represent PSIA-I at the National Team Tryouts. He is currently employed at Snowbird, as a ski school supervisor. This committee is dedicated to provid­ing you with a fair and accurate assess­ment of your skiing, teaching, and mechanics skills. Because of their numerous experiences as "candidates," Scott, Rodger, and Joe empathize with you, the PSIA-I DECL Candidate. This committee will select a squad of ex­aminers in early January based on the number of candidates. These examiners will be selected on the basis of their ex­perience and qualifications. _ DECL APPLICATION Application Deadline:lnto the PSIA-I Office by January 4, 1993 Application must include completed application form including $50 fee, resume, written assignment, and time commitment. 1. Completed application form including $50 fee. Your director must sign-off on your ability to commit to 36 hrs of training and five clinic/exam days. 2. Resume: A one page resume, the "job objective" being PSIA-I DECL. 3. Write a "teaching tip" on one of the following topics. Submission of this paper is your authorization to print it in the "Edge." Appropriate length is around 500 words. Topics: Teaching Parallel Breakthrough; Teaching Wedge Turns; Teaching Dynamic Short Turns; Teaching Bumps; Teaching Steeps; Teaching Deep Snow Conditions. NOTE: The resume and paper may be used by the selection committee to help choose 15 DECL's if more than 15 meet the standard. Name: __________________________ Membership Number: Address: ________________ City: ________ State: ______ Zip: ____ _ Telephone: _______________ Ski School: ____________________ _ Director'sSignature: ___________________________________ _ ________________________S__e_n_d_ _to_:_ _P_S_I_A__ I_n_t_e_r_m_o__u_n_ta_i_n_,_ 2__8_5_5_ _P_a_m__e_la_ _D__ri_v_e_,_ S__a_lt_ _L_a_k_e_ _C_i_t_y_, _U__t _8_4_1_2_1_ _______________________ .J Instructor's Reps Meet at Brian Head By KIM HA YHEW The newly formed Ski Instructor's Repre­sentative Committee (SIRC) met at Brian Head Resort October 24. The meeting was called to order by committee chairperson Lynn Suksdorf and an extensive agenda was presented. The topics for deliberation included the certification process and costs, clinic hour requirements, expansion of clinic topics to include more the Certified III instruc­tors, reviewing and possibly revising the Board member election process. Remember, this is your committee and is intended as a vehicle through which you, members of the Division, may have your views, interests or concerns dis­cussed and brought before the Board through the committee chairperson. Your input is encouraged, always wel­come and can be conveyed to any repre­sentative. Each PSIA-I resort is invited to send two representatives to sit on the com­mittee. The selection of these people is left to the instructors at the individual resort. Committee Members Alta: Lisa Robinson, 801 742-2016, John Musser, 801 942-0144 Brian Head: Mark Wilder 801 586- 9603, Shawna Caine, 801677-2045 Brighton: Rick Smith 801 484-3533, Dave Strang 801466-1344 Deer Valley: Steve Weinstein, 801645- 8077, Kim Mayhew, 801654-4241 Jackson Hole: Nathan Emerson 307 733-7969, Terry Smith 307 733-3715 Park City: Phil Gmtz, 801 486-8279, Rick Dunnebacke, 801 571-4123 Pebble Creek: Scott Rockwood 208 232-7998, Donna Erickson, 208 232- 7613 Powder Mountain: Barbara Berry and Rick Berry, 801 782-5238 Snowbasin: Mike McConvill, 801 876- 3110; Lesli Pantone 801621-4527 Snowbird: Carlie Siemel, 801 944- 4520, Nona Weatherbee, 801 278- 2140 Solitude: A. J. Workman, 801943-0321, Daily Oliver 801521-6835 Sundance: Scott Narr, 801 221-0905; Chairperson: Lynn Suksdorf, 801 485- 8423 (hm) 801461-3234 (wk and mes­sage). _ Nominations Open The Board of Directors has opened nominations for the PSIA Board. Three positions on the Board will be open. The length of term of these positions is three years, starting in April 1993. Incumbent directors may run for re-election. Board members must be Certified members in good standing with the Division. Members interested in running for the Board must send the following items to PSIA-I, 2855 Pamela Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84121 beforePebruary 15, 1993. 1. A petition signed by five current cer­tified members of PSIA Intermountain in good standing. 2. A short biogmphy plus a brief state­ment of their expectations and goals which will be included in the ballot (two to three paragraphs). 3. A recent black and white only photograph - 1 1/2 x 1 1/2 inches. The election will be conducted by mail during March. Ballots will be sent to each member in good standing to the most cur­rent address available at the PSIA-I office. Results of the Board of Directors election will be announced at the General Mem­bership at the Spring Clinic. _ INSTRUCTORS EDGE 3 DEC Leaders Work on Mechanics By STEW MARSH, ALTA On October 24, approximately 25 of PSIA-I's current DEC leaders met at Salt Lake Community College for a workshop to enhance this year's mechanics clinics. Mechanics, the technical aspects of skiing and ski teaching, are vast. It was the intention of this group to review the cur­rent process. Volunteers presented ideas that would make these clinics and assess­ments more fun and interesting. Communications Report Communication Vital in Any Organization By STEW MARSH, PSIA-I COMMUNICATION VP Communication in any organization is a vast undertaking. Some people expect to hear and read about certain things, yet others expect material to be completely different. The EDGE is the vehicle where you can express what you want or ideas you may have on skiing and teaching. Rodger Renstrom, the editor of the EDGE has performed a magnificent and monumental task of preparing this newsletter for the membership. His job, to meet the needs expected by the membership sometimes seems insurmountable. I, per­sonally, wish to thank Rodger for all his efforts in making the EDGE such a quality product. It is still highly regarded by all the divisions. Both Rodger and I continue to solicit you, the members, to send in articles and editorial comments. Remember, the EDGE is merely a vehicle to communicate and exchange ideas, concerns, upcoming activities and more. Use it to your advantage. The fall membership meetings in Idaho Falls and Salt Lake City were well attended and provided a chance to exchange ideas. Craig Pearson came up with an idea to stimulate discussion on various topics. After the reports were given, those in attendance were asked to break into groups. Each group had a leader who took notes on the responses to issues. These were compiled and will be given to the Board for review. A compilation of the responses will also appear in upcoming issues of the EDGE. The questions were diversified in nature and tried to encompass different topics having direct affect on all members. Benefits for members, clinic subjects for Certified III skiers, creation of an education foundation, and the selection process for board members were questions to which each group responded. Spring in southern Utah! We have hardly begun winter and I'm talking about spring. Brian Head will be the host of the annual event. It will be the first time in southern Utah and it will be a fantastic event. April 16, 17, 18 are the dates and for the lucky ones who can continue south to bike or climb or whatever, it's a great chance to participate in this event. It'll be GREAT. Remember the Board elections are upcoming. Information regarding how many positions will be filled and the nominating process appear elsewhere in this issue. Please take time to know the candidates and VOTE! You will find on your dues notice a box to check if you are interested in donating to the University of Utah Ski Archives. In the last issue of the EDGE, Sue Raemer wrote an article about the Archives. It is a tremendous asset to the whole Intermoun­tain region in providing history about skiing, racing and teaching. Your donation is tax deductible and completely voluntary. None of your dues will go toward this benefit. It is a tremendous resource for us. Any amount is welcome, just check the box and include the amount with your dues amount. Finally, if any ski school would like a representative of the Board to meet with members of a ski school after skiing please contact the office or myself. These informal meetings have proven to be very effective in expressing your concerns. Have a great and productive season and a great holiday season to ALL. 4 INSTRUCTORS EDGE The morning was spent exploring ways to question candidates in behavioral ways. Dave McCormick and Scott Nyman showed the different ways a candidate might be interviewed. We first saw an interview that obviously put the person being interviewed in an awkward posi­tion. To make himself credible he had to make up responses for the questions asked. Through questioning like this we learned that it is more difficult to answer a question that is closed-ended than one that allows us to share actual experiences. It is more difficult to answer a question that is closed-ended than one that allows us to share actual experiences. The behavioral interview, which iden­tified the difference between asking a "what if' question and responding to an actual experience was enlightening. An example that might help you understand would be the following: "What if you had a skier with straight ankles ... " would be replaced with "When you had a level 3 class of skiers who could not bend their ankles, what did you do to help them?" This type of interviewing will help the candidate reflect on actual experience, not just artificial ones. Thanks to Dave and Scott for their presentation. Mike Stahley, Kevin Fay and Ed Chauner took the group through a Mechanics 1-3 clinic, respectively. Group participation was the main emphasis with each presentation. The group felt that smaller groups would be more manage­able and allow for greater participation. There is a great amount of information to be gained from these clinics and it was felt that the simpler they could be presented the better the outcome. It was felt by all that having the indoor presentation followed by an outdoor one would greatly enhance the knowledge gained. Presently, the only time this takes place is at the Education College. The committee plans to review the process to see if more full-day mechanics clinics can be offered. Remember, these clinics are open to all. A Certified 3 teacher can attend a Mechanics 1 clinic. Come and join the fun and get in out of the cold. • Clinic Responsibilities, Mech. Assessments By DAVE CRANS, ALTA As I write this I am acutely aware of the fact that snow has fallen in the mountains for six straight days (can you remember the last time that happened). Summer is over! So our focus now changes as Mother Nature draws us into a new direction. For many teachers in PSIA-I, both new and not-so-new, this will be the season to put your skills on display and have them as­sessed in an attempt to increase your cer­tification level (and your wage). There are numerous avenues open to assessment candidates that can increase the opportunity for success. Divisional clinics are one obvious route for learning, not to mention a requirement, but they are not one-way streets, nor are they the end­all. When you attend clinics this winter, you will go a long way toward helping yourself by showing up prepared. The basic material to be covered can be found in the Education and Certification Manual, so if you don't already have one, get one. Then read it, especially the material that you will be required to know and demonstrate. To have a basic handle on that information prior to arriving at a clinic has obvious implications. Considerable time can be saved that can be put to good use for more in-depth work. With that, understanding might come more easily. Depending on the cir­cumstance, i.e. a teaching clinic, more time can be spent on the snow working on implementation and skiing - less time indoors. We always do ourselves a disservice whenever we show up and expect a teacher to feed us everything. Most of the time, that can't possibly happen. And, after you have prepared' for and attended a clinic, don't just place your notes on a chair and sit on them. Take that information back to your mountain, your gym, your bathroom in front of a mirror and work on it. Expand on it. Experiment. Don't assume that you now know all that you need to know. Clinics are a terrific beginning; they are excellent for helping to fill informational blank spots, but they are not the end. continued on 8 §J~J[ MECHANICS Assess the Assessment By GREG HILL, ALTA The mechanics assessment was the topic for the P.M. session of the DEC Leader training October 24. DECLs were given the opportunity to apply information from the A.M. session in a mock assessment. Video Analysis was reviewed first. Just like candidates, each DEC Leader watched the video and completed the analysis sheet. Concerns about the format of the video and questions on the sheet were discussed and improvement'> should be made before the first assessment. Thanks to five volunteers the oral por­tion of the assessment was staged. Each DEC Leader scored the candidates and observed the use of behavioral question­ing. Scores were compared and questions were analyzed. After a good discussion and rephrasing of some questions the DEC Leaders should have a better feel for the application of behavioral questioning. The objective of this training session was to improve the assessment and better prepare those administering it. Without the help of Stan, Jim, Dave, Rick and Alice, the five volunteers, the training would have been less of a success. So thanks again to the volunteers. As a group, the DEC Leaders feel the candidates will benefit from the improvements made to the assessment'>. • Helping You Be on Your Best Behavior By DAVE McCORMICK, PARKWEST Here is a quick tip for all those candidates for certification out there. Start keeping a journal of your class and private lessons. Write down as much information as you can about each lesson. Recall in detail who your students were, how you deter­mined the content of the lesson, how you presented it, what were the results, was the student/teacher relationship a good one, how were the conditions and was there something that worked for you in the past that would have made this lesson better. Why is this a good tip? This season there will be an emphasis during assessments on a type of question­ing called "behavioral interviewing." Basically, this form of questioning is designed to help the candidate perform at their best and help the examiner assess the candidate's performance with greater ob­jectivity. Behavioral interviewing is can­didate- centered because it draws on an instructor's real teaching experiences and personal accomplishments. It asks, "what did you do," not "what would you do," de-emphasizing the hypothetical ques­tions that are often vague, confusing and intimidating. Behavioral interviewing is used by busi­ness in the hiring process. Its premise is the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior." When an employer can listen to a potential employee's work ex­periences and can follow up with ques­tions intended to clarify the details of that experience the employer can more ac­curately assess job skills. This season you can prepare for this kind of exchange with your examiners by as­king questions of your own during educa­tional clinics and in training sessions with other teachers. Things to remember about behavioral interviews: • The questions that are asked first are general, open -ended questions designed to make you reflect on a pre­vious experience. • Take as much time as you need to recall details of the situation. Allowing for silence is a key element in effective interviewing. continued on 8 INSTRUCTORS EDGE 5 Nordic By JACK BELLORADO, PSIA-I NORDIC CHAIRMAN A Nordic DECL meeting was held in Jackson, Wyoming and Grand Targhee resort on November 14 and 15. General and specific invitations yielded four attendees: Shirley Kinsy, Sam Palmatier, Craig Panarisi and myself. Ideas discussed were: 1. clinics and assessments, locations, dates and DECL assignments 2. review of old policies 3. suggestions for changes and additional policies 4. PSIA-I Nordic certification and membership benefits 5. suggested ways to maintain and increase our present Nordic membership. Flexibility the Key Summarizing very briefly, agreements were made that PSIA-I Nordic needs to have the greatest flexibility in planning and staging events in order to best serve our membership. The concept of "by request, at your convenience," seems to be working, based upon a recent serge in inquiries by interested individuals that were reported at the meeting. Suggestions were made for streamlining the program, to make everything less complicated, easier to track and more fun, yet retaining the depth and integrity that we've all worked so hard to build into the education and certification process. Note: further suggestions are always welcome. On Sunday the 15, the group reassembled at Grand Targhee Resort for off and on skis meetings hosted by Chi Melville and Clair Yost of the Targhee Nordic staff. Craig Panarisi gave his report at the National Education Committee meetings held earlier this fall. Chi and Clair were brought up to date on Saturday'S proceedings and we forced ourselves to ski a bit, both on the hill and on the tracks. Dates were made, assignments taken, plans were made, we shredded. The show must go on! On with the show! Keep calling in with clinic and exam/assessment requests. Nordic Clinic and Assessment Schedule Nordic skiing is the foundation from where all other skiing skills evolved. Know and ski the whole story, Ski Nordic! Nordic, telemark and backcountry clinics and assessments will be scheduled based on requests from individuals and ski schools for the 1992-93 season. Clinics are available for any Nordic discipline covering: certification, beginning to advanced personal skills, cross-over training, racing and more. All clinics count for PSIA Intermountain clinic credit. Clinics will be conducted by National Demonstration Team members, Intermountain examiners and former or current U.S. Ski Team members and coaches. Call to Schedule Clinics Call anytime to schedule your own clinic, assessment or just for information. Also, check the EDGE each issue for an updated Nordic calendar. Clinic leaders will see that clinics meet Intermountain requirements consisting of membership availability, pre-registration and fiscal responsibility. Get Nordic! Craig Panarisi PSIA National Nordic Demo Team Salt Lake City, Utah 801942-5718 6 INSTRUCTORS EDGE Jack Bellorado PSIA-I Nordic Chairman Jackson. Wyoming 307 733-5908 Thanks - Jack Bellorado Adrien Segil's Lifetime Adrien Segil, a lifetime member of PSIA-I, full certified 1955, #181, was born Septem­ber 13, 1911. died October 26, 1992 as a result of injuries suffered in an automobilejbicycle accident on October 20. Adrien taught skiing with the AlfEngen Ski School at Alta from 1954 through 1978. He was always involved in ISlA (Intermountain Ski Instructors Associa­tion) administration. He served as treasurer four years, 1967-1971 and as clinic committee chairman for three years. Adrien was an ardent promoter of the sport of skiing. He was especially noted for his effort~ to introduce the sport to newcomers and to help them to start. He was a dedicated teacher and always a stu­dent of ski technique and teaching methods. Some of his teaching methods were so innovative that at times he was the subject of friendly ridicule by his peers. Adrien was also a colorful and well­known person in the downtown Salt Lake business community, as the co-owner of Adrien and Emilie, a high-fashion woman's wear store. Adrien was an ardent horseman. He was also a serious bicycle rider having toured in many countries of the world. Since 1989 he served on the Salt Lake City Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee. Adrien will be missed by his many friend" in the professional ski-teaching community. He will be missed by his many friends that he made in his many and varied walks of life. Contributions may be made to: Salt Lake City mayor's Bicycle Advisory Commit­tee, in care of American Investment Bank, 200 E. South Temple, SLC, Vt 84111. • J ) J ) APPLICATION Please use this applica­tion fonn if you plan to attend a PSIA-I cer­tification assessment this season. If you plan to attend more than one assessment, you may photocopy this page for future use. Instructions: I. Complete this ap­plication in deulil and obtain your Director's or desig­nates signature. 2. Attach assessment fee (and research paper for M2 and M3 assessments) to this application and send to the PSIA-I office: PSIA-I, 2855 Pamela Dr., SLC UT 84121. 3. Your application must be received 14 days prior to the scheduled assess­ment. In the event sufficient applications are not in PSIA-J's possession 14 days prior to said as­sessment it will be can­celled and you will he so notified. Professional Ski Instructors of America Intermountain Division Application for Alpine Assessment Please print Assessment Date: Full legal name: Winter Address: Permanent Address: Winter Phone: Age: Location: first street street Assessment Title: middle last city state zip city state zip Permanent Phone: Birth Date: Status: Entry Level [I Certified 1 [I Certified 2 [I Certifed 3 [I Teaching Experience: Other Ski Instructor Certifications/Qualifications (subm it copies of certificates). Previous PSIA Examinations/Assessments: Dates Division Result Dates Division Result Dates Division Result I hereby certify that this applicant has met all requirements of the current certification policy for the level for which this application is made. ski school director or designate signature sponsoring ski school (Office use only) Date received: I J I ) Ellen Post Releases Young Skier Manual A new pubii­cation is avail­able to add to your library of instructional manuals. Author, Ellen Post Foster, has drawn on her experien­ces as an inter­national com­petitor, race coach and member of the PSIA Demonstration Team to write a manual for instructing young skiers. Photo-filled and descriptive, the photog­raphy turns the manual into a picture book that can be shared with student'>. Mike Porter, head coach of the PSIA Demonstration Team, wrote the foreword in which he states, "The design of each chapter is very innovative. Ellen develops the mechanical focus in a clear manner with a broad list of exercises to achieve an outcome, then expands the range of per­formance to include terrain, turn radius variations and gate drills. This is a com­plete manual in that it provides all of the content and strategies needed to meet the ever changing challenges inherent in our sport. Perhaps the most important point is that Ellen's approach and exercises are fun, exciting and encourage continued development. " The Alpine SkilIs Achievement Manual costs $16 and is available both through the PSIA national office or by sending a cer­tified check or money order directly to ElIen at: P. O. Box 371, Edwards, CO 81632. (Photo by the Schonberger Foun­dation.) _ Oldies But Goodies The names of Paul "P. J." Jones and Mark Riley were omitted from the last issue of the EDGE as recipients of PSIA 20-year pins. Both were certified outside PSIA Intermountain. Congratulations. Please notify the PSIA-I office if you have trans­ferred into this division. And let the office know if you have your 20 years in and haven't received you pin. _ Accesories • Books • Mannuals 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 01 C PSIA-I Ed/Cert Master Plan (no binder) .......... 5.00 02C PSIA-I Ed/Cert Master Plan with 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 08C ATS: Alpine Skiing Video (Part 1) .............. 39.90 09C ATS: Alpine Skiing Video (Part 2) .............. 39.90 10C ATS: Snowboad Skiing Manual ................ 35.90 11 CATS: 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 Strategies for Teaching - Handbook ..... 25.90 15C ATS-C Child Centered Skiing ................. 49.90 16C