 Poster: A snowHead
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Just wanted to share my celebration with my snowHead friends: I passed my level II teaching exam yesterday, so will have my silver pin as soon as I document a silver NASTAR medal and get that to PSIA-RM. I'm excited; I feel like it is a great accomplishment for me, especially given that I've only been a (very parttime) "pro" instructor since last December!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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pollittcl, congrats to you, too! Will you be taking your Level I this spring? Let me know if I can help with any of it! I'd suggest spending a fair amount of time over at EpicSki to learn a lot of the PSIA stuff (and ask questions of some great instructors, including examiners).
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ssh, congratulations. What did you have to do for the exam?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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ssh, & pollittcl, well done, both of you.
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Most excellent, Well done!
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ssh & pollittcl - congrats to both of you!
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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.
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Ian Hopkinson, that's being talked about!
Well done pollittcl!
ssh, I don't want to discuss my part in you getting your exams, but just remember, you ARE a good skier! 
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ssh, Hopefully I'll take Level I in early April - it's going to be a bit of a rush!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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ssh, pollittcl, Great stuff - well done.
While you're all talking about instructor exams I wondered if any of you have any advice about getting your 70hrs BASI teaching experience!! I did my 'Foundation Course' in Tigne in November for Telemark and now need to get 70 hours 'shadowing' before doing the Tech & Teching courses to get the 'Instructor Ticket' (I guess equive of Grade III Alpine). Anyone any advise, or know of any BASI instructors who would take someone for shadowing around the Chamonix / Megeve area?
I know that some people have had some hastle with the French Authoraties doing just this (In Megeve in fact!) as the rules in France are rather, shall we say restrictive 
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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.
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Well done, both of you!
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You know it makes sense.
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ssh,
Well done a real achievement considering what(who) you had to work with.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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ssh, pollittcl, I'll join in the chorus of congratulations!
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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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?
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telemarkZero, BASI are going to Zermmat for the spring course. Stated reason is it's cheaper.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ssh,
Congratulations
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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telemarkZero, I think there's also an element of Tignes being the armpit of the world, although good ski-ing - what a disgusting place! The French are still very behind about having separate exams for the different disciplines. I can see that there could be an argument for being an Alpine National for the Telemark, but the snowboard stuff is ridiculous. I have a friend who's a trainer for ENSA (snowboard) and his sister (who's in the French World Cup snowboard team) cannot become an instructor because she can't ski well enough, and doesn't actually want to! He's spitting, she's spitting, everyone is furious, but ENSA won't budge at the moment. they'll have to change eventually, but they'll be late and behind the rest of the world. I have another friend who ceremoniously threw his skis in the poubelle the day he passed his Examen Finale, as he's only interested in teaching snowboarding!
However, having said that; I've always found the French (including the ESF) to be very helpful if they think you're serious and willing to play the game. If BASI will accept hours with the ESF, I'm sure the ESF would be only too willing to have you - after all they may then get an native English speaking telemark instructor who they would only pay as a stagiare ..............
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Wear The Fox Hat wrote: |
| ssh, I don't want to discuss my part in you getting your exams, but just remember, you ARE a good skier! |
So everyone here can follow this rather obtuse statement, our own Mr. Fox Hat was my "student" for the adult part of the exam. Now, apart from the questionable placement of him as an adult, it was pretty interesting doing movement analysis and creating a lesson plan for someone that I actually know and with whom I had spent a week skiing! Of course, this was a WTFH circa 2003, so he really was a different skier.
I have to admit that when I saw, "Skier 2, Stewart" come up on the video screen I thought, "Oh, no way!" But, there he was, chatting away in that lovely brogue of his...
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| Quote: |
| But, there he was, chatting away in that lovely brogue of his... |
ssh, I hope you told the fox man to get more suitable footware.
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| alan empty wrote: |
| ssh, congratulations. What did you have to do for the exam? |
The level II PSIA-Rocky Mountain division exam comprises four parts for 2004/05:
- Skiing (subdivided into demonstration maneuvers and application)
- Written (150 or so questions on skiing, ranging from technical to practical)
- Racing (demonstrate a basic level of competence in the course: I raced NASTAR)
- Teaching
I had passed the written and skiing last year. I needed to pass the teaching and racing this year (didn't know I had to do the racing until after I had passed the teaching; a bit of an anticlimax at the exam as a result!).
The teaching exam for PSIA-RM comprises viewing video of two "students" per candidate (one adult, one child). The video includes both an interview with the student and video of them skiing. By listening and watching, each candidate builds a lesson plan to identify and then address the students' motivation, understanding, and movement needs. Then, we went on-snow, individually described our observations to the examiner, and then described/demonstrated/explained our "lesson" to our fellow candidates.
Besides WTFH, I had a 6 1/2 year old girl who was a dancer and played many sports (jazz, tap, ballet, Irish step, taught tap to younger kids, played basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports I can't remember!). All I could think was, "How does she have time to do all that??!"
I had a ton of fun with my lesson for little Erika! We did pliés in our boots, on our skis, and while we turned. She liked hockey stops, so we did those a lot just for fun. I hit a home run with that lesson!
I didn't so as well with Fox, but still did OK. Given that I saw the video at 9am and didn't "teach" him until 3, I felt pretty good about what I remembered. The examiner asked about the flex in his other joints (besides his ankles, which I had described), and I couldn't remember them very well at all. I skipped a couple of drills, too. But, overall, the examiners liked what I did and awarded me with quite high scores. I was very pleased.
On Wednesday, I ran NASTAR. Required medal: Silver. For me, that's a handicap of 32 or better. I skied to a 15 and got a gold.
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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.
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| pollittcl wrote: |
| ssh, Hopefully I'll take Level I in early April - it's going to be a bit of a rush! |
Get thee to EpicSki. And, get the books. PM me if you need/want details!
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ssh, What's NASTAR & how does the handicap system work?
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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spyderjon, good question for a non-US skier!
Fortunately, it's easily answered on the web: http://www.nastar.com/. And especially here: http://www.nastar.com/index.jsp?pagename=rules#work.
The short version is that it's the NAtional STAndard Race that uses a handicap system to allow skiers to race anywhere and compare themselves to skiers who have skied elsewhere. Also, since the handicap system is nationwide, NASTAR can hold a national championship based on the results accomplished by skiers across the country. The handicap is the percentage slower than the national pacesetter that each skier would be. Each resort's pacesetter races against all of the others. The fastest is the national pacesetter. Then, they go back to their own resorts and their time minus their handicap determines par. This year's national pacesetter is a relatively unknown racer named Daron Rahlves. So, given my handicap of 15, I am theoretically 15% slower than Daron would have been on that course.
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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.
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ssh, only 15% slower - not too shabby, especially as I presume that Daron wouldn't be on RX8's or B5's?. I look forward to seeing some of that form at ESA next year.
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spyderjon, ha! Good point! Yes, I was on the RX8s in the course. It was fun, but the soft snow at the edge of the ruts made it a bit weird. I caught the soft snow outside the rut in the final cross-fall-line gate before the end on both runs. I think the ruts were formed mostly by lower-level skiers (there had been a corporate race earlier in the day), and the better line for those gates was still mostly fluff! I lost a few tenths as a result, I think...
I can't wait to meet you and your's at the ESA. What fun!
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You know it makes sense.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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pollittcl, I think that it's possible to get both Level I and Level II in a season if you are teaching and/or clinicing during the season. I took my level I in December '03 and my first shot at level II in late Feb '04. I passed the written and skiing parts of level II then. I could have taken the teaching again later in the season (and probably passed it), but by that point I was no longer employed at a ski resort so I didn't bother.
Honestly, if your skiing is up to level II standards, I'd encourage you to go for it. Level II is a challenge, but not the huge hurdle that level III is for most of us mortals..
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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pollittcl, 8 out of 18 is a high pass rate. Last year here in PSIA-RM, 10% was the pass rate, IIRC! I'm starting to think about whether or not I should start training for level III. I think I will do for the skiing, since it can't help but improve my skiing skills. But, I'll wait to see if the clinicians think I'm ready for the exams before I go.
We had 3 from Copper pass level III this past weekend. I think that the Ski School clinics are going to be your key.
BTW, I think you should get your level I this spring! 
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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?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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ssh, maybe in a few days I'll find the time to make a few turns with you again. If you've improved a lot since January, then you may be ready... 
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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ssh,
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BTW, I think you should get your level I this spring!
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This seems to be the prevailing thought amongst everyone I know - so I should just bow to the inevitable and get working on it! 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| pollittcl wrote: |
ssh,
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BTW, I think you should get your level I this spring!
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This seems to be the prevailing thought amongst everyone I know - so I should just bow to the inevitable and get working on it! |
Yep. Frankly, if you can carve a clean uphill arc, I think you'll pass the skiing part. Just study the teaching part (and know the Skier's Responsibility Code!).
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pollittcl, The pass rate for BASI Grade 1 (the highest) is about 25% on a good day. I'm not sure about Grade 2 and Grade 3 though. Keep on, and never say never.
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FAQ
it looks like BASI are starting to pull out of France a bit with their instructor training - particularly for snowboard and Telemark, and moving to switzerland (Zermat) as France doesn't recognise those as seperate disciplines (Is that right?).
