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Recommended ski instructors

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Resort: Predeal (Romania)
School: Flug de Nea
Instructor name: Emile (but all the instructors equally good!)
Season: 2009/10
Level: First trip to the mountains having learnt the basics at Tamworth fridge
Lesson type 5 days lessons, 2x2hr lessons a day, group varied from 6 to 9
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: Took me from snowplough snowdome skier to confidently and quickly parallel skiing reds over the course of the week. Was with a mixed group ranging from never stood on skis before to experts which split into 4 or 5 separate classes and everyone without fail said they ended the week a far better skier than they started. The school has a couple of former Romanian Junior slalom champions and a Romanian 2006 winter olympics skier on the instructing staff.
ski holidays
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Resort: Val D'Isere
School: TDC
Instructor name: Colin Tanner
Season: 2009/10
Level: 10 weeks with loads of bad habits and rubbish technique
Lesson type 2x 3hr private
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: I can't recommend Colin highly enough. Two of us shared a couple of private lessons. The brief was to sort out bad habits we've developed from not having lessons for ages. Colin instantly spotted what we were both doing wrong, and we spent the two lots of 3 hours working on fixing these issues with in-depth technical explanation of what we were doing, why it was bad and what we should be doing, with loads of fun drills and exercises along the way. After the lessons I felt like I was skiing much more efficiently and in control. I'll be back for more.
snow conditions
 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?
Has anyone had any private or groups lessons with any ESF instructors in Les Arcs preferably acr 2000?
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Hi guys,
first time on this blog.
We skied in Innsbruck early this year and had university students as our ski instructors booked via a ski school . Looking to do the same this year and would like to see if any of the students from Innsbruck university would like to earn some pocket money and cut out the ski scholl who were overpriced.The dates are 18-22 dec and looking to ski the Stubai Glacier. email me nisheetpatel1@yahoo.com
snow conditions
 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Resort: 3 Valleys
School: Snowarea
Instructor name: Claude Decagny
Season: 2010-2011
Level: Intermediate
Lesson type: Private
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5

Can't reccommend Claude enough. Myself and my mate had a very enjoyable morning in Val Thorens with him who tried to improve our technique. Excellent communicator, and immediately picked up on our many, many problems!

Money very well spent, thanks Claude!
snow conditions
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Oldmacdonald, Claude is a snowHead - snowarea - and a very popular instructor on the EoSBs. Very Happy
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Resort: Les Arcs - 1850
School: Arc Adventures
Instructor name: Phillipe (2 Kids age 11 & 8 - private lessons) and Dominic (adult private lessons)
Season: 2010-2011
Level: Diamond (Kids) and Intermediate
Lesson type: Private
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5

Obviously I wasn't there with the kids, but judging from the tales I got when they returned with Phillipe they had enjoyed a whale of a time with him - off piste, moguls, half-pipes, black runs, top of Aiguille Rouge and down. He gave us good feedback about their standard and areas to work on and graded them both as 'Diamond' skiers.

I had a couple of excellent lessons with Dominic. He picked up from where SH's own rob@rar had worked with me which I felt meant an accurate assessment (by both instructors actually) of where I was. He found ways of deflecting my attention away from the slope and to just end up skiing up and I was amazed by the end of the second 2 hr session at how well I was following his trails through short and long turns, half turns, full turns and with some degree of speed despite an often very compact and hard surface. I felt well instructed and with a higher confidence level than I started. Quite prepared to recommend either Phillipe or Dominic from my kids reports and my own experience.
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
I love reading Snowheads forum but this is my first post. Joined just so I could say how much I loved Samoens and in particular, Zig Zag ski school. I haven't used the helpful template as we had 5 different instructors. We stayed for the month of January 2011 and my little girl (aged 4) and my mum's young-ish partner learned to ski with them. I had researched online before we contacted them and the feedback and dialogue was 1st class. My 4 year old went to Samoens as a shy, not particulalry people friendly (as only they can be aged 4!) non-skier and returned a confident snowhead. She LOVED the instructors and they were excellent with all the kids (and grown-up kids). I have been in many ESF groups over the years and didn't want my little girl to learn with them (nothing personal with ESF, they were-mostly-all good) but I knew she would need lots of "t.l.c" in a small group (ESF can and did have up to 13 little 'uns!!) and Zig Zag delivered-BIG time. Can't recommend highly enough.
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Resort: Samoens
School: www.Skisession.fr
Instructor name: Nicolas
Season: 2001-11
Level: Beginners and intermediate
Lesson type Private group
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments:

A really superb instructor. A freerider in his early/mid thirties with more broken bones than you'd really want. Private self-employed instructor, lived in and been instructing in Samoens all his life, previously with ESF. We booked private lessons from him for 6 mornings for four complete beginners who soon split into two streams. He encouraged the ditzy girls giving them confidence well beyond what they expected; he put the brakes on the mad and encouraged the careful.

I had two afternoons with him, I'd class myself as an intermediate, with four weeks' skiing under my belt, and he improved my skiing no end, giving me more skill to tackle bumps with control rather than no control, steeper slopes.

What impressed me most was at the start of the first lesson he asked me to ski 100 yards down a green and decided at that point where the lesson was going.
snow report
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Resort: Chamonix
School: Evolution 2
Instructor name: Michel Bruel
Season: 2010-2011
Level: Intermediate
Lesson type: 3-hour private steep and off-piste
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5+
Comments: Started off as a steeps lesson on piste. It very quickly morphed into a steeps lesson off-piste in thigh-deep powder down open faces and through trees, including pillows and bumps. The best 3 hours I have had on snow to date.

Michele is a UIAGM/IFMGA guide and ski instructor. His English is very good and his sense of humour even better, which helped to ease my trepidation when facing my first off-piste open face in deep powder. He nimbly pushed me beyond my comfort level when we hit the trees and I was soon bouncing over pillows and bumps with confidence. I will definitely book him again.
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
hi all anyone looking for good instruction give this guy a go. skianil@yahoo.co.uk did some lessons with him at hemel and then went to austria and worked there with him. he is based in hemel but is in seefeld twice a month as well skied all week in kuhtia its only 35 min from seefeld snow was great there even though seefeld was strugling if you want lessons at the snowcentre he will do it or you can arrange to have lessons in seefeld area just contact him for more info
ski holidays
 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.
Actually if that's who i think it is, i can vouch for that one, he does know his stuff.
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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
Resort: Tignes - we were staying in Les Brev but lessons started in Val Claret where there was access to more and better snow
School: http://www.abraskidabra.com/ ; Rorie also works with ESF which I think is unusual as they don't often let Brits in!
Instructor name: Rorie Scott
Season: 2010-11
Level: intermediate
Lesson type we booked Rorie for 5 x 3 hours and sent different family members to him each day
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: We are a family of 4 (kids aged 12 and Cool, all with very different skiing skills / aptitudes / attitudes and personalities. I expected that any ski instructor would, naturally, have more affinity with, and therefore impact on, some of us rather than others, but Rorie was absolutely fantastic with each of us. He was very gentle with the slightly reticent 8 year old and just gave her 3 simple things to think about and work on; with the gung-ho 12 year old he (quite rightly) didn't bother with boring technical explanations but showed him a few things then they were off, fast and furious, blacks and moguls and off piste ("seriously awesome"); with my husband and me he told us clearly what we were doing that wasn't quite right and how to fix the issues, and gave us various technical exercises to illustrate the points which really made us feel the difference. Great spotting of problems and great explanations, very patient and happy to explain things different ways to get the point across. He instinctively knew our comfort levels and gently pushed us slightly beyond them, but only after he'd inspired enough confidence that we would have happily followed him anywhere. I would say he's quite an understated sort of character, a genuinely lovely guy with a real gift for teaching. We would all use him again without hesitation.
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
that was an eight not a smiley!
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Is this the worlds worst review thread? A casual observer might conclude that it doesn't matter where or with whom you hire private instruction, virtually all of them is absolutely brilliant and without fault.
ski holidays
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Presumably:

1) people who get average or lacklustre instructors are less inclined to review them

2) people reading the review are able to read between the lines in the comments for the qualities they would particularly value in an instructor

3) people who think this is the world's worst review thread are capable of ignoring it and going elsewhere instead of making sarky comments to people who have bothered to make a review just in case it helps someone else (as it helped me).

Non?
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Hodgeheg,

1) Hense the point of my post
2) I read between the lines when reading a quite obviously biased TO resort/accommodation description. I'd like independent reviews to be rather more direct.
3) By the same token, you are free to ignore my posts and/or not be quite so po-faced about a very obviously light-hearted comment.

TTFN
snow report
 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?
Dr John wrote:
Is this the worlds worst review thread? A casual observer might conclude that it doesn't matter where or with whom you hire private instruction, virtually all of them is absolutely brilliant and without fault.


It is totally pointless. Does not help anyone make a choice, +1 Dr John.
ski holidays
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Dr John

1) I for one have found this thread valuable, it helped me to find an excellent instructor.

3) As I see it, the main difference between our posts (other than the underlying spirit of them) is that mine might help someone.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Hodgeheg, are you dressed as an Edwardian gentleman as you type this at your grand oak desk? Cos that's how I'm picturing you.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
Dr John wrote:
Is this the worlds worst review thread? A casual observer might conclude that it doesn't matter where or with whom you hire private instruction, virtually all of them is absolutely brilliant and without fault.


Dr John, the thread title is 'recommended ski instructors' - so I'm not sure why you're confused?
snow report
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Dr John, this thread is not for reviewing instructors but for recommending excellent instructors.
ski holidays
 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
can anyone recomend ski school in valdisere for 12 year old girl going over 7 january
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Any recommendation for an instructor in st anton for 2
I am confident on reds, blacks if conditions are good, my wife more nervous, reds are fine if conditions are good.
I may also try a little offpiste.

Thanks
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Resort: Serre Chevalier
School: Ski Connections
Instructor name: Petit Paul!
Season: 2011
Level: Confident all rounder, but lacking any sort of style or finesse!
Lesson type 4x 3hr in a small group (2 of us!)
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
(Would give 6 for fun if I could!)
Comments: Utterly brilliant balance of fun and learning. A small group (Self plus one other. Who was a constantly whining Frenchwoman with every maladie et malaise known to man! Also, she spoke no English, so all lessons were in French which was good for me.) He had a really calm, friendly way of teaching, but made sure that the point always got across. Made sure we got to ski all sorts of terrain across the hill, which really helped push me on. I'm back in Serre Che in a couple of weeks, and am going to be having a few private workshops to work more on getting beyond the ropes and better at the bumps. Will be asking for him by name!


As an aside, Mrs Slackal (Nervous beginner!) had a week's lesson with Christian from the same school. To say that he was utterly brilliant for her skiing would be an understatement to end all understatements. She was grinning like a lunatic at one point in her lessons as I waited at Aravet to meet her for lunch, skiing really well. When I pointed her back up the hill and said, "See that? You just skied down a red piste with ease! Well done!" Her reply was, quite simply, " Shocked " and then after a moment or two she said, "Christian's brilliant! I would never have done that without his tuition!"

So, all in all, Ski Connections at Serre Che - Very, very, very much recommended!
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 snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
Can anyone recommend a one on one tutor in St Anton am Arlberg.
Skiing.
I want to improve my technique. I can get down most slopes with varying degrees of confidence, but I think I lack any style.
I will be there from 30th Jan to 4th Feb 2012.
Thanks
snow report
 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.
Resort: L Plagne
School: Reflex
Instructor name: Christophe Lagu
Season: 2011/2012
Level: 6 weeks comfortbale on groomed blacks, leanring bumps and shorter/faster turns
Lesson type 1x 2hr private
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: I have reviewed the lesson in more depth elsewere on the forum. I can't recommend Reflex highly enough. My faults were instantly spotted with explanations and drills to follow. I was pushed to a level I wasnt expecting leaving me with fond memories and an appreciation of how to enjoy my skiing even more in future.
snow conditions
 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
resort=sauze dolux
school=sauze red
instructor=dada
season=11/12
lesson type=3x1hr lessons
scores 5 all round
it was a young guy called Dada, ex racer and local racing club coach, pushed me hard through the lessons and we worked on the fine tuning of my skiing, i came away with drills to practice ski thoughts and feelings to emulate and understood clearly what he wanted from me,
if your a high advanced/expert skier going to sauze loking to improve i'd deffo recommend Dada,
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 You know it makes sense.
You know it makes sense.
Thorpedo Did youget any joy out of your posting??
I'm there Xmas week and exactly as you, looking to get some guidance on my chaotic technique.
snow report
 Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Thorpedo Did youget any joy out of your posting??
I'm there Xmas week and exactly as you, looking to get some guidance on my chaotic technique.
snow conditions
 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Resort: Whistler
School: Whistler Ski School (the official one,anyway)
Instructor name: J.M., from Toronto
Season: 2012-13
Level: 3
Lesson type group - Max4
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: really, really good ski day - he identified each of our problems early on and then worked on them throughout the day. Loved it. But tiring!
snow conditions
 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Resort: val thorens
School: ESF private lessons
Instructor: David Mitchell
Level: 1 beginner (6 hours sno dome) 1 intermediate (4 weeks)
Lesson type: private 3*4 hours + extra if I can squeeze in later this week!
Assessment:
Communication: 5
Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
Effectiveness treatment: 5
Fun: 5
Comments: brilliant instructor. Perfect mix of focus on my basic skills while also spending time pushing my much better skier boyfriend. Makes perfect sense and I'm learning so quickly while grinning from ear to ear. Knows how to push you while keeping you smiling. Excellent at confidence building. Well worth the money -can't thank him enough.
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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?
Resort: Les Gets
School: http://www.ecoledeski360.com/index-gb.php
Instructor name: Yannick (YaYa)
Season: 2013
Level: Advanced intermediate (about 8 lessons over three weeks doing anything from drills, deep powder, bumpy blacks, icy steeps)
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: Great guy, sussed the problems we have very quickly and was clever in ironing them out. Huge amounts of fun and well as improvement.
snow report
 You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
Resort: Morzine
School: BASS
Instructor name: Jon Dunn
Season: 2013
Level: Perfecting Parallels Course
Lesson type Group lesson 3 x 3 hours
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: Excellent level of tuition that was individually tailored to the group. Maximum group size is 6, although we only had 4. Jon is a brilliant communicator and is able to articulate concepts clearly, he's also a nice guy and lent me his spare gloves when I stupidly forgot mine. I've had lessons from several instructors since I began skiing last year and Jon is easily the best.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Resort: Somewhere in the three valleys
School: Ski Marmalade
Instructor name: Greg
Season: 2013
Level: Snowheads level 5
Lesson type Group lesson 3 x 2 hours, shared private 3 x 1.5 hrs
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: I took lessons over three days at the EoSB with Greg. Really great guy to get on with, lots of exercises looking at ski edges. He improved my turn shape no end, getting onto the outside ski of the turn really early on, lots of weight on the outside ski and driving the foot around the turn as the turn progressed. Thoroughly recommended.
ski holidays
 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
its Greg Jones snowHead
snow conditions
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Resort: Meribel/Courchevel
School: Ski Marmalade
Instructor name: Jo Jo
Season: 2013
Level: Snowheads level 6/7
Lesson type Private lesson 1 x 3 hours
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: I was really not enjoying my skiing on my previous trip because I was very scrappy and at the edge of control. Jo Jo worked on my turn shape (similar to previous Ski Marmalade poster) initiating turn much earlier and applying more pressure on the outside ski. Had some time left over so we did some stuff on steeps and moguls, in the latter picked up some really good ideas which I had never considered. Jo Jo is extremely enthusiastic and I would thoroughly recommend her. She also did some lessons for my daughter and boyfriend who are second week skiers, they have picked up some good technique and are now extremely confident.
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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!
Resort: Tignes
School: TDC
Instructor name: Sarah / James / Gavin
Season: 2012/2013/2013
Level: intermediate
Lesson type Off Piste - private/private/group
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
- Communication: 5/5/4
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5/5/5
- Effectiveness of treatment: 5/5/5
- Fun factor: 5/4/5
Comments: Each of the three instructors I've tried have had slightly different methods. Sarah's level of enthusiasm is way above anyone else & her attention to detail is very high (3 x 3hrs). James probably got the most out of us in such a short time (1 x 3hrs). Gavin taught us under the hardest of conditions for the first 2 days and I did struggle a bit but he was really patient (3 x 3hrs).
All three really pushed us, we skied terrain that I'd never thought possible before the lessons. They have to be commended in not only their teaching skills but also in imparting a level of awareness and enthusiasm. I've put a couple of 4's in the scores above not because they were lacking in any way, but only in order to try to separate one from the other.
I'd be happy to have any of them as my instructor again, & I'm sure I will as all the lessons I've had with them were far superior to any other schools I've attended.
ski holidays
 You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Resort: Morzine
School: BASS
Instructor name: Tom Watt
Season: Dec 2013
Level: Beginner (small children)
Lesson type Group (4 in group)
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding): 5
- Communication: 5 BASS has British instructors so obviously no communication issues whatsoever.
- Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
- Effectiveness of treatment: N/A
- Fun factor: 5
Comments: Tom has a real gift for teaching children and you can see he enjoys it as much as them. He talks to them in a fun but non-patronising manner that ensures they're making progress. I was incredibly impressed with both Tom and BASS and when I saw the massive groups of kids taken out by ESF I knew I'd made the right decision choosing BASS
snow conditions
 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
Resort: Pitztal Tirol
School: Develop Your Skiing
Instructor name: Toby
Season: 2014/2015
Level: Advanced
Lesson type: All mountain skills
Assessment (1=poor; 5=outstanding):
Communication: 5
Accuracy of diagnosis: 5
Effectiveness of treatment: 5
Fun factor: 5
Comments: I just wanted to say thank-you for a fantastic week's training at Pitztal. Your coaching was excellent and I achieved a lot more than I was expecting, particularly off piste! You helped me develop my basic skills so that you could guide me safely through a range of more challenging conditions. I found the video analysis particularly useful and felt that by the end of the week I was more aware of how to improve my own skiing in the future. Having such great snow and a lovely hotel was an added bonus!
check out the web site www.developyourskiing.com
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