Diva Ski Tips

Time for me to update this since I need to pack for Vermont. The weather is going to be variable so I'll need option. And if I forget something, then I have an excuse to go shopping. Did I miss something? Put it in the comments preferably before I finish packing for this trip. SKI GEAR AND CLOTHING • Skis, poles, boots • Sunscreen and lip balm • Gloves and mittens • Hats • Goggles and sunglasses • Neck gaiter • Snacks and gum • Hydration system • Lock • Boot covers • Helmet • Hotronic batteries and charger • Hand warmers • Boot Dryer SKI CLOTHING • Shell •Softshell • Tops (long johns and midlayer) • Ski pants • Long john pants (light and heavy) • Sports bra • Ski socks SHOES • Boots • Flip flops • Cute shoes (if room) REGULAR CLOTHING • Hoodie (I love having a comfy hoodie to relax in, especially if the room is cold) • Jeans • Après or going out clothes • Underwear • Bathing suit and coverup • Socks (plus fuzzy socks instead of slippers) • Paj

I did another Facebook post to ask fellow instructors what kind of questions they ask their students when planning a lesson.  My suggestions are mixed in with my colleagues. Initially my goal is to greet potential students and ask questions about their skiing and sports experience to make sure they are in the right group before we set off. Then my questions focus more on their individual goals and learning style.   This is way more questions than you would ever want to ask but I thought it would be a good way for people to start thinking about assessment since we've already had snow here in the East. Also,  your student's answers should be paired with solid movement analysis to create a lesson plan. I've been asked for a post on this and will try to putting something good together for you all. Get to Know You What do you do for fun? How are you doing today? Where are you from? Goals Is there anything you want to work on today? What do you

Sometimes in skiing, life, business and bike racing things go wrong and you get sucked into mental quicksand. I'll let a great thinker explain it. (It's at 1:14) In my first post I'll talk about ways to avoid getting yourself stuck or getting out. In the second, I'll talk about what to do when one of your student's is sucked in. Full disclosure: Managing your emotions and stopping negative thoughts is not easy. It takes self-awareness and discipline. This is what I try to do, sometimes it takes a while to succeed. Last weekend I was in a race and I really wanted to get on the podium for the first time. This race was one of my best chances to do it. I flew off the start line and into the first turn ahead of the field. Then I got a flat. That ended my race and I was not in a good mental place to race again a few hours later. I have been in the trees and made a bad turn that turned into a series of bad turns and ended with me crying and having difficulty

If you are a new instructor we've got everything you need to know in one easy to access place. If you aren't finding what you need, let us know and we'll write a post for you. Did we miss your favorite tip? Put it in the comments.  A noob’s guide to ski teaching A noob's guide to clinics and training A Noob’s Guide to Networking Should I join PSIA? The Divas' Guide to teaching CLC: Etiquette of ‘Do’s and ‘Don’t’s in the Corral

I'm a few weeks into cross season and playing in the mud means that playing in the snow isn't too far away. I'm signed up for a five day event in early December to kick start my season. Going to a PSIA event takes a lot of time and money, so how you do make sure you get the most of it when you can't control the weather? In my experience it's all about picking the right group and instructor. I reached out folks at my mountain and will offer my own in this post. Why are you there? " What your goals are for the week. are you looking to generally expand your knowledge and improve your skills? are you looking for skill-specific or exam-prep training? are you looking for a fun ski vacation with lots of socializing and a little bit of ski coaching on the side? once you identify what you hope to take away from your event, then you can begin to think about what kind of group you want to ski with " Share your goals with others as you mill around and start

In all my training clinics I hear at in our teaching system the movements in beginning and advance sking are more of less the same.  So what separates wedge, wedge chrisite, basic parallel and dynamic parallel skiers?  How can the same movements create vastly different outcomes? Picture a hot skier. “The edges are released and re-engaged in one smooth movement,” according to the Visual Cues to Effective Skiing cards. There’s no bracing, dead spot, quirky stuff or corrective movements. Now picture a wedge turner. Do they change edges? No. Why not? You can’t change edges without flattening or releasing the edge. Once the ski is flat you can steer it to a match. The earlier you flatten the ski earlier you match until the skis become flat at the transition between turns. Then you’re skiing parallel all the time. The timing makes all the different between a wedge christe and parallel turn. Duration - Length of time you do something Intensity - Power or force of the movements Rate

Helping people enjoy the sport I love When your coaching helps someone enjoy skiing more, conquer their fears or achieve things on the snow they didn't think they could do it is a pretty good thing.   Access to some of the best ski teachers in the country You can learn from great skiers at your mountain, in your region and even the PSIA national team. Great teachers for your friends and family   My boyfriend doesn't ski ( I love him anyway). I found him a great skier, with a good eye for movement analysis who knows how to coach him. My boyfriend said that he learned more in 30 minutes with his coach than a whole day of following me around, I'm going to let that go. Developing skills I need to rip When I started as a ski instructor I was a upper body rotating, foot picking up, z-turner and now I love to play in the trees, steeps, bumps, powder, crud and more.   "Networking" The Divas love to network in the bar apre ski or on the chairlift. We wil

written by Kerry and Debbie The Diva and D2 have many years of experience teaching in the corral in the Children’s Learning Center and have often trained instructors on how to teach beginner kids in that environment. In order to help others learn the magic of teaching in the corral, we’d like to share some of our tidbits of wisdom. Welcome to the world of teaching kids! DO: Count early and often. Children are slippery little buggers. Make sure you know how many you have at the start of the lesson, AND which ones you have. Learn their names, memorize their jacket/pant ensemble, do whatever it takes. Parents get upset when you hand back the wrong child. Or no child at all. DO: Wear your skis. You are a ski instructor, not a boot instructor. Yes we all know it’s harder to climb up the hill with skis on. But get over it; you are a ski instructor. Be in shape enough that you can skate up the hill throughout the two hours. Consider it your professional responsibility. Hey, it might even help

Understanding the technical fundamentals and vocabulary of skiing will help you get the most out of your training.  Most of the answers to these questions can be found in this blog. What are the four basic skills? (Every ski instructor should be able to answer this) Define the following turns and the blending of skills necessary to achieve them: Wedge Wedge Christie Basic Parallel Dynamic Parallel What are the characteristics of good skiing required to meet or exceed the PSIA level II standard? What is the difference between tipping and twisting skis? In what order does this work?

A quick heads up those aspiring to PSIA Level II or III in the Eastern Division - the exam format has changed so that the first requirement is to pass the written professional knowledge exam.  Previously, this was the multiple choice test taken during the Teaching phase of the exam.  Last year, PSIA-E administered the written exam after the skiing portion.  Now, it's first up and administered online . I recently " got to " take the exam myself.  Here are some points I've been reminding our exam candidates at the home mountain: You must pass the exam BEFORE registering for the skiing exam.  Remember, event deadlines are 3 weeks before an exam, so that means you need to be looking a month or more in advance to get the online portion done.   You can register for it without a director's signature, but you have to mail or fax the form to the office. As in the past, the best sources for the material are the Exam Guide , Alpine Technical Manual, the Core Concepts