The Journey for Level 3, part 1 (Author’s note: this blog has been a living article over the course of the season...please be kind regarding tense and time as these ‘plans’ have changed to ‘achievements’ as the season has progressed.) I came across a photo today on Facebook. 3 years ago (1/23/15) I received my shiny, silver, alpine, Level 2 pin at Whitetail Resort in Pennsylvania from PSIA. It was a fantastic day recognizing all I had learned and experienced the previous 5 years of teaching and skiing. It was also the capstone to a lot of time and energy I (and all the others who helped me in my journey) had devoted to this particular goal. I look at my face in that picture and I know what went into the shining smile. After seeing it today I knew I had to write about this next experience as well. When I got my level 2, my first courses of action were taking my first level 3 prep clinic (where I felt completely out of my comfort zone because I was mov...
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UPDATE: October, 2015: This has been updated with new links, programs, and information. Please let us know if you have other references, we promise to update again before 2020! - Kerry (Diva2) Last year when I was preparing for my L3 Part 1 Skiing exam, the Dev Team Diva turned me on to these great task descriptions developed by Bob Barnes for the PSIA Rocky Mountain Division (the Pocket Summaries listed under "Skiing" below). (Kerry's edit: Those pocket summaries are not on the PSIA-RM site anymore. But I think what you're looking for is in the Skiing IDP linked below.) In my search for them online, I discovered lots of other valuable ski teaching resources tucked away on various PSIA divisional Web sites. So I printed them out, organized them into categories, and stuck them in a binder. The binder became an invaluable resource in discussions with my good friend and ski coach as I helped him to prepare for his Dev Team tryout and he coached me to success in my ski...
My Level II Preparation in 10 Steps by: Shannon Rucker It takes more than you think. I've always been good at tests and I didn't realize how much of a hindrance this was for me until recently. My first season at Liberty, I took my Level I examination and passed at the end of the season. I moved into my second year assuming I would clinic some and work on my Level II skiing for the following year and that's what I did. I went to ProJam and did the Level II ski prep group. I was excited and knew these 5 days were going to get me nearly ready to take the exam. I figured that coupled with a little extra work back at Liberty and I would be in great shape for an end of the season exam. I was horrifically wrong. I learned a lot at Pro Jam and my skiing definitely improved however; what I didn't realize was exactly how far away from the standard I was. I left somewhat frustrated and upset. This was compounded when I heard the same thing upon my return to Liberty. ...
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 Co...
Since you are a ski instructor, you likely learned to ski many years ago. That feeling of uncertainty at the sight of the long slog down the beginner trail is a distant memory to you. For our students, it is foremost in their minds when they start sliding down the hill. One of the best ways to understand your students’ feelings, and therefore be able to help them be successful in the lesson, is to become a student yourself. I’m not talking about taking a ski lesson; we all know we can be successful in that or you wouldn’t be reading this blog. I’m suggesting you try an entirely new sport, with new skills and situations that will help you empathize with your students once you return to the snow. Hey, you might even have fun while you do it. This past summer I took whitewater kayaking lessons with Liquid Adventures Kayaking School . I had a couple of lessons last year and a couple of rolling sessions this year, on flat water. Wave-free, no current, and very non-threatening water conditio...