2019 Year in Review: Top Stories in Ski Instruction

Here come the holidays! We hope all PSIA-AASI members have a safe and memorable couple of weeks sharing the snow with all of the vacationers treating themselves to some skiing and snowboarding.

Today’s news recaps some of the top stories in ski instruction from 2019. You can also read the top stories in adaptive instruction, top stories in free heel instruction, and top stories in snowboard instruction.

The 2019 PSIA Highlight Reel from Alpine Team Coach Michael Rogan

  • The dynamics of our entire organization are working well together.
  • We have better collaboration between the national and divisional pieces than ever before.
  • We have hard working Discipline Task Forces and E.L.C. that have the best intentions to better PSIA-AASI for the benefit of everyone.
  • The amount of days that we spent in membership clinics has grown, and the size of the National Academy has increased beyond belief.
  • We have also developed educational offerings in the form of manuals, e-learning courses, and consumer facing skier and rider online videos.
  • Our logo/shield has gotten more publicity and exposure than ever before.

Interski 2019

Speaking about Interski 2019 in Pamporovo, Bulgaria, Rogan also said, “In a shift away from the last two Interskis, many of the workshops in Pamporovo focused on teaching. This lined up perfectly with the U.S. presentations, as we have presented on teaching for decades. My key takeaway is that most countries are moving beyond pure technique and into concepts similar to our Teaching and People Skills ideas.”

Here, Alpine Team member Heidi Ettlinger shares her top takeaways from the event:

  1. In the U.S. we teach our guests and train instructors using the Five Fundamentals vs. isolating skiing into a specific technique or rigid maneuvers.
  2. We believe that the passion and motivation for learning to ski, and more importantly, sustaining this passion, is accentuated when skiers develop skillfulness and versatility. The Five Fundamentals allow us to customize our training of instructors and our focus when addressing the public in lessons to accommodate for each individual’s choice of terrain, conditions, equipment, and the chosen performance in these areas.
  3. Given the ever-changing demographics of our guests and their individual motivations for participating in snowsports, we must prioritize simplicity to help them get better more quickly, while giving them greater freedom in how they personally choose to explore the mountain environment.
  4. This presentation highlights the need to appreciate the diversity in how skiers individually interpret the mountain as a playground. When we coach to this diversity, we reduce the stigma that there is only one “correct” way to navigate the mountain.

Alpine Skiing Fundamentals

The new Alpine Skiing Fundamentals e-learning course, written by PSIA Alpine Team member Matt Boyd, was introduced to rave reviews. It covers an in-depth review of the fundamentals, along with a look at their history and development. The course costs $40 for members. Upon completion, you earn two continuing education units.

New ‘How To Ski’ Videos 

PSIA-AASI teamed up with SNOW Operating and Halley O’Brien to create a free YouTube video series you and your resort can use to show beginners how to ski and what they can expect on their first day. PSIA-AASI also teamed up with SKI Magazine to create a new e-learning course for parents on How to Raise a Skier taught by Aleks and Brian Smith (who are also parents).

Rogan, Boyd to Lead 2020-24 Alpine Team

The new Coaches were announced for the 2020-24 PSIA-AASI National Team. Rogan will return as coach of the team and Matt Boyd will act as Alpine Assistant and Development Coach of the 2020-24 Alpine Team.