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Skiing exam tasks

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Technical
We use tasks for two reasons

1. To evaluate movements
2. To develop effective movements

In a skiing exam, tasks are used to poke holes in your movements. If you own the movements, you shouldn’t have trouble with any of these tasks on reasonable terrain.

If you’re having trouble with a task, there’s something in your movements that needs fixing. So the task becomes both a diagnostic and troubleshooting tool. Tasks like railroad tracks and inside ski only are great for this.

Tactical
A lot of times we focus on the tech and forget the tactics. I can only handle so much technical coaching before I want to beat my head against the wall, switching to a tactical focus is a nice break.

Know the tasks and what they’re looking for. Practice them and make sure you have a focus for each one. Find a coach to help you put the spit and polish on them. Your goal is to be mentally prepared for whatever they throw at you.

Don’t assume how to perform a task from its name. Listen carefully to the examiner’s explanation and verify by watching the demo. If you don’t understand, ask for clarification.

Be prepared for examiners to ask you perform tasks differently, they may add a twist to a common task to see if you change it up. For example, you might be asked to perform wedge christies on a cat track with a double fall line.

Don’t forget:
• Don’t watch other candidates, they may confuse you
• Always start in a straight run
• Start slow, you’re going to speed up
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