 Poster: A snowHead
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Has anyone done it? I have heard it is hard, but do you know how hard? Would you need any previous experience in working with skiers with disabilities?
It appeals more to me than telemarking, but given that I'm flat land bound most of the year it needs to be achivable.
Thanks
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Sorry, can't answer the question, but was wondering if BASI run specific "second discipline" courses, or is this the regular Level 1 course in adaptive skiing?
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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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beanie1, our previous race-club chief instructor/coach did it last year. Said it was the hardest couple of weeks he ever did, and he's quite committed to working with disabled skiers (actually more so than racing). We also have another couple of instructors heading that way at our slope too. Don't really know much more than that, but if you PM me your email I can probably get him to contact you.
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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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rob@rar, on the BASI website they have two courses - 2nd discipline course which is 5 days, and full instructor course which is 10 days. It does say it's physically demanding and you need to be fit!
As far as i know all the other disciplines for your second discipline you just do the L1 course.
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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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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Is anyone thinking of dabbling in, whisper it, snowboarding, to see how they get on with that as their second discipline?
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beanie1, one of the guys you will meet at the APC did his snowboard L1 at a snowdome and thought it was really easy, you could chat with him about it.
rob@rar, easy option, not enough *&$ing about involved
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| skimottaret wrote: |
beanie1, one of the guys you will meet at the APC did his snowboard L1 at a snowdome and thought it was really easy, you could chat with him about it.
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I'm thinking that might be the easiest option to pass something that I'm never going to use other than ticking the box.
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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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rob@rar,
| Quote: |
| I'm thinking that might be the easiest option to pass something that I'm never going to use other than ticking the box. |
but you might get to like it... I saw a gaggle of ESF guys out on boards in the last powder dump last week - or was the week before? Suffice it to say that they were having a blast, and I doubt they were snowboard qualified. They are just so good they pick it up in a trice.
I've also watched, with admiration, the instructors out with skiers with disabilities. It looks like hard work, especially on the chairlifts. I've noticed they tend to use the very short 120cm skis - Wedzes, for example, or the Atomic 120s. I suppose they're just easier to manoevre. It would be a tough call for slight females, no matter how good skiers they were. One of the instructors we had for cross-country, who is a mountain guide in summer and does quite a bit of adaptive skiing said it was the most rewarding of the things he did (spiritually at any rate; he said they effectively made no money out of it).
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pam w, Not all adaptive skiers are in sit skis though...
Does the course not allow slight females to specialise in other areas? Eg Sight impaired, learning difficulties, 3 track(eg.single leg, and cerebal palsy), etc etc? At my home resort there is far more call for these other areas than for sitski instructors(they generally give new sitskis that will need much help to the larger stronger males for lessons)... I would see many skiers with blindskier bibs, and few(none) sitskis in most weeks...
I would be most disappointed if smaller instructors were being discouraged due to sheer muscle power issues.
My original instructor specialised in disabled skiers with sight impairment... I'd have worried a little about him with a sitski as he had one damaged foot himself(hence the interest in disabled skiing) that had nerve damage and responded less than well and was often an issue just skiing... yet he had a disabled cert I believe... 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| pam w wrote: |
rob@rar,
| Quote: |
| I'm thinking that might be the easiest option to pass something that I'm never going to use other than ticking the box. |
but you might get to like it... |
I might, in fact I'm sure I will. But I can't afford the time to spend on developing snowboard skills (or any second discipline) higher than I need to as my skiing needs as much attention as it can get.
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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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little tiger, I'd be surprised if BASI did allow specialisation within the adaptive curriculum as the view they tend to take is that if you are qualified to teach something, in this case adaptive skiing, you should have experience of teaching all aspects of it. This ensures that you can provide some service to the client regardless of their needs.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| Is anyone thinking of dabbling in, whisper it, snowboarding, to see how they get on with that as their second discipline? |
I have it from the horses mouth that a current snowhead professional ski instructor has snowboarding as their second discipline. Can't say who it is though...
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You know it makes sense.
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nbt, oh go on, do tell 
I think most ski instructors that need a second discipline have snowboarding, if only because there's a larger market of clients who might want instruction in that area.
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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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you do not have to be an able bodied skier to do the course therefore I assume there will be no huge disadvantage to slight female skiers.
snowboarding also appeals but i'm a beginner and as Rob says all slope time I have needs to be devoted to skiing!
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Poster: A snowHead
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rob@rar, AIUI they work on learning to usesitski and coach a sitski skier... but do not have to show ability to manhandle a person larger than them single handed... I may be wrong there... Just my impression (I remember getting email from an instructor trying to learn to use a sitski and wondering if I could help)....
Hmmmm... I thought some of the sitskiers were also qualified coaches.... so that would not be possible if they have to be able to manhandle another...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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little tiger, possibly, I don't know the adaptive course at all. Whatever the course covers I don't think there would normally be exceptions or specialisation.
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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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beanie1, snap.... I was thinking I knew disabled skiers who were qualified.... but that is at home...
FWIW most of my guys were also race coaches or examiners.... they said that getting disabled training expands viewpoint and knowledge base... makes you more flexible as a teacher as after all we all have our own personal adaptations that need to be made
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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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| skimottaret wrote: |
| ...Freeing the heel and freeing the mind... |
If one more joker (usually a well-intentioned instructor) shouts that at me as I career past to my almost certain doom, then I really am going to t%^t someone...
| rob@rar wrote: |
| I'm thinking that might be the easiest option to pass something that I'm never going to use other than ticking the box. |
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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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skimottaret - have you done your APC now?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| rob@rar wrote: |
| little tiger, I'd be surprised if BASI did allow specialisation within the adaptive curriculum as the view they tend to take is that if you are qualified to teach something, in this case adaptive skiing, you should have experience of teaching all aspects of it. This ensures that you can provide some service to the client regardless of their needs. |
If you read the blurb it says that
| BASI website wrote: |
| The above course can be divided into the following five modules; Bi Ski, Mono Ski, 3 Track, 4 Track and Sensory Impairment together with Learning Difficulties. |
| BASI website wrote: |
| On successful completion of this course, your existing license will be endorsed with the adaptive modules that you have passed. (This is not a stand alone qualification) |
(My emphasis added.) So it looks like, at the first level, you don't have to have done everything. But at the full adaptive instructor level then you need to have passed all six (!) of the modules. (Yep, I know it says five above...  )
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skimottaret - it's got a reasonable pass rate - so don't be too pessimistic!
BTW - what did you do for a rucksac for the MSM and (i.e.) would you be prepared to lend me yours for my course in April? (I finding it difficult buying a rucksac that I'll only use once.) 
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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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Ah, you obviously took the "40 litre rucksac" thing to heart then!!!!! I've got something helipro sized thanks.
7 pounds over two weeks? Where do I sign up???? (MrsPhillipStanton will have me doing it 3-4 times a season!)
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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BTW, skimottaret, by "crampons" do you mean ski crampons or boot crampons?
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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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Thanks skimottaret. I bought some ski crampons last season in the sales. Although actually trying to put them on the bindings is rather good idea!
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You know it makes sense.
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just noticed this new section of the forum!
for anyone who's posted here before i've started another thread in BZK asking if anyone wants to do the course 2nd -6th March - i want to but currently no one booked on, wanna get some people signed up so i can book flights!!
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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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I have just completed the BASI 2 Adaptive course. I can say it is one of the hardest 10 day courses I've attended for a while because there is so much to cram in to a short space of time. Within the 10 days you have 6 assessments, 1 exam and you have to learn to ride bi-ski, mono-ski, 3-track and 4-track and be a VI guide. They you have to learn to teach all these disciplines - which is variations of the central theme. And you have a long list of disabilities to learn!
Having experience of disabled people will definitely help but isn't essential. Of the 12 of us who did the course, only 1 had experience - the rest were just good old fashioned BASI 2 instructors who knew nothing of disabilities!
It is hugely rewarding, and riding the kit is great - but there's a lot to do!
I have also been told that there will be an Adaptive Snowboarding module starting sometime soon, they are just trying to train up some trainers. It will be based on the American PSIA / AASI snowboard module which is well established. Bring it on, I can't wait!
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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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SSG_Vice, welcome to snowheads.... course sounds very tempting and i am more than thinking about having a go at it. are you involved in any UK based snowdome courses?
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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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skimottaret, over here you can do guide training with Disabled WinterSports Australia... IIRC they run them once or twice a season ... this sort of thing would decrease the steep learning curve encountered by SSG...
DWA run the courses for free to train folks as guides for its members... (a guide can be a blind skier guide, or a helper to load lifts, help sitskiers etc)
Have a look around - I'm sure that the disabled groups there must run courses for guides also
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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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anyone know if these 1 and 2 day courses count as refreshers for your BASI license, i would very much prefer to do the short modules every so often rather than some rubbish generic refresher course...
plus it would be very useful to me as we have several adaptive skiers in our club and i always feel like nobody is really (knowledgably) helping them
i seem to remember SKI or somebodyh say at ISIA level you need a refresher each year
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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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skimottaret, i would imagine it does as the rule is you just have to do a BASI course to refersh, call and check. I've also found out you need to do 2 modules (2 s day courses) to count as your second discipline.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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beanie1, so 4 days in total for 2nd discipline? sounds tempting, you doing any soon?
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| beanie1 wrote: |
| skimottaret, i would imagine it does as the rule is you just have to do a BASI course to refersh, call and check. I've also found out you need to do 2 modules (2 s day courses) to count as your second discipline. |
Are these modules offered in the UK?
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Yes in UK indoor slopes - but they've not got dates up for this summer last time I checled.
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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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beanie1, If your Adaptive L1 course in Germany doesn't get confirmed will you opt for a couple of modules in the UK this summer? I think that sounds like a good option for me, as it will pick up my second discipline and I'll be able to see what adaptive instructing is about without booking on to a full week's course in the Alps.
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Yes that's the plan, as long as the dates work ok for me. I'm not doing the Germany course now - I think they still hope to run it but they were unable to confirm 6 wks before - I couldn't afford to book last minute flights.
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FAQ
Mountain safety was brilliant, you will enjoy 
but did stay off beer for 2 weeks (hit the wine hard instead 