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OK, BASI, what's the deal?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
little tiger, I heard that the new ISIA top cert will definately have a speed test similar to the Eurotest and will be run to FIS guidelines. What hasnt been decided is the pass threshold. ISIA has been to several Eurotests to set their own minimum standards that member bodies would have to conform to.
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skimottaret,
Quote:

Not sure that 54 people passing Eurotest since '02 is correct, that is just the number that trained with podium.


Yes that is right, out of the Eurotest passes since 2002, 54 of those passes trained with Podium (and presumably other companies as well, they might not have trained exclusively with them of course)

Quote:

Cheating does still exist. a friend took the eurotest this year and the organisers run order (which is supposed to be random) for the two runs put all the foreigners last on both runs. He had no chance on a chopped up course running it in 80th position, BASI has launched a formal complaint about this particular race.


Yes I can imagine that sort of thing does goes on. Confused

Quote:

Attitude and fearlessness does come into it. Another guy i know (who is pretty nutty) who did no training last year rocked up with a borrowed cat suit and skis and missed it by 0.5. The chief of race told him he was going to have a helo ready after watching his practice runs


I think that even if someone has got the strength and technique needed, they need a lot of bottle as well to go for it.

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Luck of the draw comes into it. Going 1st or going last is about 5 seconds difference on chopped up courses.

However all is not lost if you are >40 i am told the Test Technique might be a realist goal...


Yes, I've heard that too about if you're lucky enough to go first. If someone passes the Test Technique then how does that change their work opportunities? i.e what can they do once they've passed TT that they couldn't do before? I'm a bit vague on the Test Technique stuff.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
VolklAttivaS5, a thread on the Test Technique is here http://snowheads.com/ski-forum/viewtopic.php?p=694219#694219 .

The TT is a French test and only relates to working in France. In a nutshell the rules for working in France are:-

BASI Grade 3's that have passed the Test Technique can then enter the ENSA system, do a two week training course and then become Stagiaires at a ski school with Centre de Formation status and continue their training through the French system.

ISIA's that have passed the TT can work for three years at a ski school with Centre de Formation status while training for the Eurotest. This time limit can be extended for injury, pregnancy, etc.

ISIA's that have passed the Eurotest can work indefinitely at any French ski school.

Only ISTD's can work independently and take out private clients.
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little tiger, don't know much about the CSIA system, but level 4 certain wouldn't get ISIA black (I don't think this system will happen anyway so its a moot point), unless they have an accepted equivalent to the speedtest or implemented one. Without that the alpine cartel just wouldn't accept the canadian qual as equivalent.

Basically if you want to teach in france for the rest of your working life its the speedtest! You can work as a stagiare at ISIA with test technique (there was actually an exemption for 2 or 3 years for ISIA - just BASI I think - from test technique, but you had to pass the speedtest within 3 or 4 years or something to continue working).

At least in BASI you don't get kicked out of the system if you don't complete it all within 4 years (I believe that is what the French have to contend with).

VolklAttivaS5, The last I heard about working as a stagiare for a british ski school was that in France your ski school must be registered with the jeunesse des sports (or possibly ENSA) as able to train trainees, however one of the criteria is that there must be X number french nationals working for the school Laughing ...more protectionism if you ask me.

I heard a rumour that one of the brit ski schools was going to legally challenge this situation (not sure which one), haven't heard anything since though.
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
skir67 wrote:
I

As regards the speedtest this is extremely difficult having sat it once myself I speak from experience. I guy I trained with in 2000 carried on trying to get it and finally passed! 6 years later! This is no reflection on his skiing ability he is a highly talented individual, with a very high fitness level and he will have dedicated that time entirely to getting through the test.

At the test I went to approx 95 people attended mainly french with a smattering of other nationalities mainly brits. ONE man passed 4 women out of about 15 passed. The french I trained with in the previous week complained that the level was too high Shocked . One guy I chatted to who was a very good racer and missed the mark by about 3 seconds (with training reckon to improve by a second per season) was from a french resort he was born there, he had raced since age 6, his dad was an instructor and so was his grandfather said that he thought he may have to give up on it soon as since they changed the test from slalom to GS he figured he couldn't get through no matter how good he got as he was just not physically big enough!

However if you go at the Speedtest for long enough you may be lucky enough to come up against the odd one that gets mucked up! Then a load of people get through (this doesn't happen very often and strangely you don't get to hear of them Twisted Evil )


That sounds quite a difficult test and I've been to a handful of tests. From the ones I've seen at the main venue in Alpe d' Huez the pass rate is higher than that. The least number of passes I've seen there is 11 and the most about 25. Anything from 90 to 110 racers per day.

Someone said the course hacking up would cost you 5 sec.s - I personally don't see that. Probably 1.5 or 2 at the most. I actually think snow that's cutting up gives you a better chance with an early bib then the openers can't close the course as quick. On bullet proof course I've seen the openers' closing times faster than their opening times - thats when it gets seriously difficult.

As to the age thing. There's no doubt that early mid 20s is the time to do it. Some sporty, strong grade twos come out with no racing experience, do their 6 wks training and pass. For a committed, fit, strong isia under 35 two to three seasons probably isn't out of the question. I know of three lads in their 40s who've passed recently and plenty in their 30s. None of which was at the well talked about test which was on the easier side...

Brits I think can have up to 7 attempts per season. The French are limited to 2 and a total if 6. I believe the Frenchies on their final season at it start to sweat.

Someone said the eurotest training camps are expensive - definitely not. The fees are very reasonable for good coaching. It's the other stuff like lift passes, travel that adds up...
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Jonnie, you make some great points. Good to hear about the Eurotest from someone who has been there!

Great point about French nationals being limited to two a year. We Brits sometimes think the French are being "unfair" but the French think we have it easy in that we can have as many goes as we like. (i didnt know it was a limit of 7 per season, is that just the total number of tests?) French stagieres are out if they dont get it in three years so i think it is way tougher on them.

i have heard 14% is the average pass rate which ties up with what you have seen firsthand.

It was me that said 5 seconds and i stand corrected, my friend who took it this year missed by around 5 seconds. i shouldnt have implied that that was solely down to bib number. a second or two makes more sense.

In terms of age, great to hear that some plus 40's have made it, did they have a racing background?
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Jonnie, thanks for an informative post. Your assessment sounds more like what I've been led to believe - not too much of a problem if you're young and train hard, hard but doable if you're a little older and very committed, nigh on impossible if you're middle-aged. A young fella with significant on-snow racing experience shouldn't then find it too challenging.
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Jonnie, Hi yeah I think it was a low pass rate it was done in Morzine on the piste underneath the main gondala heading up towards Les Gets, the course had two ninety degree direction changes within the first 250mtrs or so (you may be au fait with it) Not sure if its still used for speedtests do you know if it is? The example of my own experience was to illustrate that it is difficult to pass as elsewhere people had intimated that it was no great deal to get through.

I believe the pass rate is quite probably better amongst brits than it was in my era because people have a much clearer idea of the level required and avail themselves of the now widely available organisations that will train you for it (whatever way you look at it it is expensive, because when your training your not working, so there is a double cost in effect -unless you have a standard job of course).

BTW do you have any links to stats on passes per year overall and passes of brits, it would be interesting to see what the official figures are like and if there is a steady rise per year of passes or not as the case might be. It would be also interesting to see how many got through at each test. I have not found anywhere that BASI for instance publish these figures. Perhaps they should it may help people who are going to take it.

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None of which was at the well talked about test which was on the easier side...


Are you talking about Garmisch '06 by any chance? Do you now anything about exactly what happened? I have asked a couple of trainers in the past (I no longer do exams so I've no personal interest to protect), but they're answers were on a par with any politician that you ask a question Twisted Evil
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