Diva Ski Tips

A common trait of intermediate skiers is whole body rotation - also known as doing too much work .   The skier may turn the whole body as a unit, so that the torso is always square to the skis.  Or, they might generate rotation with upper body force - so that the shoulders turn more than the feet. There are lots of ski instructor drills to develop more effective movements - some of these drills focus on stabilizing the upper body - hold a tray, hold the poles flat, etc.  I often find that its more successful to help skiers learn to steer with rotary movements of the feet and legs independent of the upper body - once these skills are developed, upper body stability can be enhanced afterward. When we want to help develop independent leg steering, don't be afraid to go back to the basics - many of the exercises I use are similar to those in most beginner progressions .   Then, build the progression or lesson around what the student is capable of and their succ...

Intermountain My thanks to the folks at the Intermountain division for these resources. Also, thanks for a killer steeps clinic at Jackson Hole last year. Professional Knowledge and Glossary This is 55 pages of good stuff from teaching concepts to a technical glossary. Level I Workbook This workbook and study guide helps provide a framework for your level I prep and quizzes to check progress. Rocky Mountain Teaching the Aging Population Managing Splits & the Family Private “How” to Communicate with Success Women are Different Alpine Instructor Training Course Another workbook for new instructors and aspiring level 1s Level 3 Exam Teaching Tips 3-6 Year Old Educator’s Endorsement Workbook Theory of Multiple Intelligences Sensory and Motor Development Kids Accreditation Workbook Central Level 1 Study Guide A bit dated, but still some good information Level 2 Study Guide A bit dated, but still some good information Level 3 Study Guide A bit d...

Here are my dos and don'ts.  Add yours in the comments. Do accept responsibility for your preparation I was told I was a level 3 skier, but only on level 2 terrain, so I spent a lot of time on the road training at mountains up north. A friend of mine was not a book learner, so he recruited friends to repeatedly quiz him and talk through all the material in the books. It’s no one’s job but your own to get the training you need. Don’t wait for it to be given to you. Do your homework You should have a good understanding of all the material in Core Concepts for Snowsports Instructors , Alpine Technical Manual: Skiing and Teaching Skills and the Children’s Instruction Manual. Do have a plan Here is mine for this season. Do choose your coaches Everyone and their brother will try to give you feedback and advice on your training. I only listen to a few select people (the divas are included). I nod and smile when anyone else offers feedback. Part of your learning process is fi...

After a fantastic day of on snow coaching yesterday with Jeb Boyd of the PSIA National Team and Arc2Arc , he recommended what appears to be a pretty awesome update of Ron LeMaster's original book The Skier's Edge.  By the way, if you ever get a chance to ski with Jeb whether at a PSIA event or through his coaching company - Arc2Arc, go for it. Perusing it on the ride home, the 2009 copyrighted Ultimate Skiing (still by Ron LeMaster) is one of the best modern technical skiing resources I've seen.  Great pictures, examples of drills and how to use them, technical discussions, even profiles of US Ski Team athletes.  Since I just got my hands on a copy yesterday, I'm still working my way through it but already I've read clear discussions of the apparent but oft-confused centrifugal force (not a vector force!), alignment and center of mass differences between sexes, unweighting moves, analysis of the skill blends under different conditions, assessing forward lean i...

Ski instructors are as susceptible to trendiness as anyone. Remember the whole tea pot thing? This season’s trend is picking up the inside ski. If you see the following in a student this kind of activity could work: Hard finish to the turn resulting in a Z shape Issues with lateral balance or getting inside the turn Breakaway outside ski in the bottom half of the turn Settling in the knees Twisting or pushing skis to get on edge Pick up the inside tail If someone is drifting back or settling ask them to pick up the inside tail. This will promote flexing in the ankles and knees and will help center the hips over the feet. Pick up the whole ski If your student is centered, then we need to get them moving forward and inside of the turn. Start by picking up the inside ski and tipping it to pull the outside ski along with it.  It will take practice and coaching to get this to work. Why? Picking up the ski heightens the feeling of the movement forward and inside the turn. O...

Here’s a fun way to help students check their balance. The credit for this goes to a certain terrific teacher from Elk Mountain. You can start it off with a static activity so students can feel each zone and see diffences in the joints and fore/aft position. Then ask them to ski it. What your students feel may not correspond with what you see. They may also answer with what they think it is the right answer, instead of what they actually feel. From here you can take this in a number of directions. By the way, what is the right answer?

My apologies to the non-eastern instructors out there. I dug these sample score cards up on the PSIA-E Web site. The score cards give you a little checklist to use in your exam prep.  There are four points available in each module.  Currently, you need 10 points out of 16 to pass.  It all seems really fair and straight forward to me.    Creative Teaching Power of Transfer - Teaching Styles and Learning Modes Technical Validity of the Teaching Concept Group Handling Skills (Able to make age specific modifications) Communication Skills - Group Involvement, Personal Attention/Skiing Skills - Demos Movement Assessment Observations and Descriptions Potential Solutions/ Prescriptions Cause & Effect Relationship Effective Feedback Teaching Movement and Skills ATS Understanding Communication Skills/Terminology/Skiing Skills-Demos Use of Teaching Styles and Learning Modes Does the leader and the group see it, do it and understand it? Teachin...

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