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Test Technique

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
A guy I work with grew up in Salzburg and told me he "skied a bit". He took the eurotest recently and was a split second slower than the pace setter.
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
easiski, The title of the the thread is "Test Technique" that is a French test, that is why people are talking about France. I didn't see elbrus's, post as critical, but I do see yours as defensive, surely the system is robust enough to stand a bit of comment.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
I think Easiski can be a little bit defensive at times but rightly so in that there seems to be so much bashing of the french system here on snowheads. She has certainly clarified a lot of misconceptions for me on the realities of working in Fance. To me the French produce a large amount of very highly trained professionals and offer the only place whereby an instructor can actually make a decent living.

I dont have a problem with their rules and regs (except one issue) and if one wants to teach in Switzerland or OZ you only need your 3 and off you go... If you want to work in France be prepared to put in the effort....
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Quote:

One of the reasons the Eurotest exists is because of the numbers of very high level skiers moving through the French system, they need a way to cull them!

Quote:

They may not be refined, but they are probably very good all round skiers with racing experience. I would not underestimate it!


I thought the above was quite complimentary towards the standard of the French instructors Puzzled
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Dypcdiver, The standard at the top of instructors in Britain, France, Austria and Italy is now the same, and it's high - but it is a career, and thus should be.

For part-timers there are plenty of lower qualifications to allow work in other places. Yes - TT is french, but as skimottaret, says there is a lot of french bashing on here which the other Eurogroup countries seem to be exempt from ..... why???? BASI was not forced to agree, they also wanted to standard to be commensurate with others.

TT is not Eurotest. Of course you have to train for it, of course you have to be a good skier, but skimottaret, is right: it's worth the effort. ENSA run a lot of training courses here, so I get to see the standard of the candidates .... The Prefor guys are generally better than the average Grade 3, but that should hardly be something to write home about.
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easiski, Slow down, I have not said anything about standards anywhere, my comment was just that you seemed to be jumping to the defence of the French system, when in my opinion there had not been any criticism. I of course fully support the fact that you are also entitled to your opinions. For what it is worth I don't hold BASI as be all and end all, my BASI goes back to Aviemore 1976/7 and I hated every moment.
I agree that skimottaret, now seems to be heading in the right direction with the helpful posts here. Smile
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Quote:

generally better than the average Grade 3, but that should hardly be something to write home about.


ouch wink wink a little BASI bashing instead of ESF bashing for a change Laughing
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
skimottaret, There's a BASI/ESF conference being held at Agincourt later this year. Laughing
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skimottaret, Not really, but they are generally better skiers at the start. Many Grade 3s are very stiff (I think it's the insistence that they have to conform to a certain 'picture). Also I did say 'average' - there are some very good Grade 3s, but some of the older ones are shocking!
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Quote:

some of the older ones are shocking!


i'm 45 on thursday Laughing . but i know what you mean about grade 3's, some of the GAP year youngsters that just passed the bar were not very good IMO....
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
beanie1 wrote:
skimottaret,

Date is wrong on the BASI website - it's actually the 3rd March.


thanks for that i just had an email from BASS confirming the 3rd.. will be booking up
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
skimottaret wrote:
Quote:

some of the older ones are shocking!


i'm 45 on thursday Laughing


Absolutely no hope for you then wink Laughing Laughing

Pipe & Slippers at the ready Toofy Grin

Just for our French neighbours. Type into Google 'Great French military victories' then hit 'I'm feeling lucky' Laughing
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
Spyderman,
Quote:

Just for our French neighbours. Type into Google 'Great French military victories' then hit 'I'm feeling lucky'

Laughing Laughing
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
skimottaret,

Pretty sure Easiski was referring to qualified longer ago, not just older! The BASI standard has improved a lot in recent years, in my view.
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
beanie1, i know i was just having a bit of fun to ward off the depression of now being in my "late 40's"
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
skimottaret,

Quote:

"late 40's"



Your going to be suicidal by the time you get to my age. Toofy Grin
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rob@rar, One word. Aldershot snowHead
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
ski wrote:
rob@rar, One word. Aldershot snowHead

I know it would be good for me, but I loathe skiing on plastic. And I wouldn't want the pants beaten off me everytime by GrahamN, either. It would all be too much for my fragile ego! More seriously, if nothing comes of current enquiries at Milton Keynes I think I'll have to get to Aldershot and at least give it a go.

Did you get out to Tignes this summer? I seem to recall you had some good snow there last year.
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Quote:

but I loathe skiing on plastic


snap
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar wrote:
And I wouldn't want the pants beaten off me everytime by GrahamN, either. It would all be too much for my fragile ego!

But if you'd taken my advice and started last year (or the year before) there would have been no danger of that! Wink
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rob@rar, Just got back.. Snow v good on Friday, and progressively worse Sat - Mon. Had the club out - did 3 days of gates - so now I'm looking forward to a lie-in. wink

Quote:

And I wouldn't want the pants beaten off me everytime by GrahamN



Whyever not, GrahamN, 's beaten me pretty much every time this year Laughing Laughing Laughing
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
And another thing !

Quote:

but I loathe skiing on plastic


Everyone does ! snowHead You just have to get used to it. wink
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
ski wrote:
Whyever not, GrahamN, 's beaten me pretty much every time this year Laughing Laughing Laughing

Well, it does make the job a hell of a lot easier when you never actually finish a course! NehNeh Laughing Laughing Laughing

(Maybe I ought to go a little easy on the sledging though - I've finally got around to putting in my entry for the Brit Champs, which could end up being highly embarrasing Embarassed )
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
GrahamN, Laughing Laughing

Guess what well practised manouvre was recorded on video, this weekend, for the whole club to enjoy ? snowHead

Good luck at the Brits...
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
beanie1, Yes.

skimottaret, You're nobbut a young'un!! However, realistically, TT is probably as far as you will be able to go with the race bits at your age. You can do it, but the governing factor is really a question of injury. If you do race training you will get hurt, it's a question of when and how much - not if. As we get older our powers of recuperation are not nearly so good. I certainly don't want to be discouraging, and I do think you should continue to train (at the very least it will improve your skiing enormously) and go for TT. Very Happy

Back in the day, Grade 3 was called "Assistant Ski Instructor", I don't know why they changed it - that seems about right to me. I have seen some truly aweful skiers with Grade 3s, running around in Europe boasting about being ski instructors. Shocked Truly bad for our rep!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Quote:

TT is probably as far as you will be able to go with the race bits at your age.


i am under no illusion of ever going any farther than TT. I heard the oldest to EVER have passed the Eurotest was 46. Even getting to TT standard would be a great accomplishment for me. If i make it great, if not i will have had fun trying. It is just a goal i aspire to in the coming years so hopefully i can teach a bit out in france when my daughter goes to Uni in a few years time.....

I have had loads of sports injuries and am leery of plastic. Getting hurt on snow i can deal with for some reason but would be majorly bummed if i got injured in pre season work so will be taking it real easy.. I am in no rush and am just looking for continual improvement....

Quote:

I have seen some truly aweful skiers with Grade 3s


I think it has tightened up from what i hear but still there are the odd exceptions. On our course of 20 there was one pass who honestly skied so stiff and unnaturallly i couldnt believe they gave her the nod so it isnt reserved for just rubbish skiers in the old days.....
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 And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
rob@rar, There is a staff meeting at MK on the 8th and i will bring up the adult race training issue.

Perhaps we can run some gates in tele gear on saturday Toofy Grin
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 So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
So if you're just off somewhere snowy come back and post a snow report of your own and we'll all love you very much
skimottaret, "On our course of 20 there was one pass who honestly skied so stiff and unnaturally i couldn't believe they gave her the nod so it isnt reserved for just rubbish skiers in the old days....."

That, of course, is one of the advantages of both TT and Eurotest - they are no-one's opinion. I overheard someone saying I only got my Grade 2 because the examiners liked my bum, and didn't get over it until I passed my Grade 1. Whether it was true or not it was possible in those days, and I suffered from an appalling inferiority complex about it for nearly 20 years! The guy who said it later told me he didn't' mean it - but it can work both ways! He later said that of course I deserved it, but that was 15 years later...
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
easiski, The gal in question on my course was a very up front lesbian so the examiners werent giving her any special favours "due to a nice bum" but that kind of rumour/comment can be quite damaging...

She probably just managed to tick all the technical boxes but her style looked like a truck driver going down the hill....
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 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
skimottaret wrote:
Perhaps we can run some gates in tele gear on saturday Toofy Grin

That wouldn't be a pretty sight!

Do you think there wold be enough demand for adult race training at MK to make it a commercially viable option for them? There seems to be a little bit of interest just here on snowHeads, so perhaps it would be worthwhile for them. They also have to bear in mind the changes that Hemel are going to be making in the next 18 months may well reduce the need for Londoners to travel to MK to ski on snow...
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 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
skimottaret, are you on the staff at MK?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
rob@rar, not sure but perhaps as a club it would attract more skiers willing to pay for rec time plus something for the trainer, kinda like putting out rails for the the boarders

slikedges, yup but only recently.
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 Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
skimottaret wrote:
rob@rar, not sure but perhaps as a club it would attract more skiers willing to pay for rec time


That would certainly be true in my case. I've not skied at MK for a few years, and bar this weekend's telemark lesson I don't have any intention of returning. But if there was a reasonably priced race training option on the weekend I'd be a regular visitor.
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rob@rar wrote:
But if there was a reasonably priced race training option on the weekend I'd be a regular visitor.

Me too.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
rob@rar wrote:

bar this weekend's telemark lesson I don't have any intention of returning.


The tele bug may bite, it did for me and now onto lesson 2 with more to come i recon.
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MK update.

SNowzone will be starting their own race club for adults "soon". this will be completely seperate from the Xscape race team that trains juniors there. They have bought the equipment and have the coaches lined up. They are just working on the schedule at the moment, once i here more i will pass it on.

They also have a brand new piste basher and the slopes were in excellent shape yesterday. with Zero rails and junk on the slopes except for a brief toboggan slot.
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 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
skimottaret wrote:
Anyone taken it? if so any tips?


No not taken it, nowhere near good enough but French instructors I know say take it in the Pyrenees.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
davidof wrote:
skimottaret wrote:
Anyone taken it? if so any tips?


No not taken it, nowhere near good enough but French instructors I know say take it in the Pyrenees.


That IS a good tip thanks. by the sound of the thread i wont be thinking about taking this for a few years though......
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Thanks skimottaret, interesting news.
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rob@rar, didnt get a chance to talk about your other issue though, teh "man" was too busy
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