 Poster: A snowHead
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ski, Not since then.
D G Orf, I can't remember what I had to do to get my gold Wengen ski school badge (sadly), but I wouldn't be surprised if I had to do the same. I got it when I was 12 which was in 64! My favourite ski instructor was Heinz Von Allmen who'd been Swiss champion in 52 and used to own that funny hold on lift on the nursery slopes by the ice rink. 
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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easiski, I remember Heinz very well, a really nice chap as well as a good instructor. Did you know Fritz Gertsch ? I'm guessing you knew Marc Graff (sp?)
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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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D G Orf, Yes to all., and of course Oscar Gertsch who gave me my first job in ski teaching.
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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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easiski, Yep Oscar offered my father a job there arround '66 give or take a couple of years, Marc ended up doing some serious damage to the tendons in one leg with a ski edge so finished his career working on the trains, Fritz was still teaching privately a couple of years ago but I'm not sure if he did this year, he and his wife Charlotte look after my skis for me
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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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D G Orf,
Fritz Gertsch (if it's the same one) was one of my first instructors. In about 84/ 85. I also remember Ruth (who I think was my very first) and Matilda.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Yesterday I completed the 5 day ASSI course run at Xscape Castleford by Snowsport Scotland.
And passed I'm pleased to say    Just got to do my first aid course so that I can get the piece of paper.
Many thanks to beanie1, Alan Craggs & Rusty Guy for their tips during the week.
Also managed to gain the exemption from the BASI Trainee Instructor course to go straight to the BASI Instructor couse (the old level 3) if I want to. I wasn't aware of this prior to the course but apparently it's because BASI modelled their Trainee Instructor course on the 5 day Snowsport Scotland ASSI course & it's 'central theme/fundementals' content.
The course was run by Shona Tate, a BASI 1 Instructor & BASI Examiner & who runs the British Alpine Ski School in Chamonix with her husband Derek. I think that she also holds some kind of office in BASI, Secretary maybe(?). She was a great tutor - tough, fair & encouraging, exactly how it should be. Derek actually took me for my second week in ski school in March last year when they both worked for New Gen in C1650 - pretty handy as I could blame all my ingrained faults on him 
This was the final course of four run by Snowsport Scotland at Xscape Castleford this year & all were fully booked with eight students. Four passed on my course & only six passed from the other three courses, that's only ten out of thirty-two! Only two students failed the teaching element with the remaining not able to achieve the personal skiing performance criteria.
The course was Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm with a 15/20 min break morning & afternoon plus about 45 mins for lunch. We were based in one of Xscape's conference rooms for the week. About 5 hours a day were spent on the slope & the balance in the classroom analysing video footage & theory etc. A small amount of homework was also required on a couple of the evenings. The slope time was split between personal skiing performance which included 'demonstration exercises' & actual teaching. Many of the students did an extra hours practice at the end of each day. Xscape gave all students a 25% discount on all food & drink during week.
The assessment process was continual & the pressure was on from the start. The course content was broken down in to a number of skiing & teaching elements & students had to pass every one as low scores in one area couldn't be offset by higher scores achieved elsewhere.
The BASI Trainee Instructor Course exemption is awarded by the discretion of the ASSI course instructor.
The week was great fun although I certainly haven't done anything so mentally & physically demanding for many years. Having ones skiing technique broken down in to it's many elements, critiqued, altered & then rebuilt is not for the fainthearted. However all of the students achieved a noticeable improvement in their skiing during the week. The course cost was £350 (including slope time) & all the students felt the course to be really worthwhile & good value for money. The unsuccessful students can retake specific elements as opposed to having to retake the whole course.
Overall, highly recommended.
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Congratulations spyderjon! Well done on such an achievement, sounds tough 
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Well done jon - I feel that my contribution was minimal but thanks for the thanks
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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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Very well done, Jon! I hope you've learned some good tips to pass on. (Other than, "If you spent more time practising and less time in the bar, blah, blah....." because I've already heard that one before  ).
Seriously, congratulations. I know you must have worked hard.
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spyderjon, great news and splendid achievement. Sounds pretty exacting and a worthwhile accolade. I'm surprised so many failed on the personal skiing. Did you feel watching them at the beginning of the course that this might be the case? Were they ready or just hopeful? Do you know if they were club instructors already?
Also sounds very good value for money. I think they run a similar thing broken up over a couple or three weekends as well? I'd be interested in doing it but not if it meant a week's annual leave!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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spyderjon,
Well done.
If you're looking for first aid courses try www.basp.org.uk. I'm doing the one in Keswick on 12th/13th November. Apart from BASP I found it hard to find a courses offered that match the BASI criteria - 2 full days. Most are either 1 day emergency, 4 day first aid at work, or 2 days FAAW referesher, for which you have to have done the 4 day course previously...
Last edited by snowHeads are a friendly bunch. on Sun 2-10-05 8:54; edited 1 time in total
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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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spyderjon, Well done, great achievement. BASI next then ?
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You know it makes sense.
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kuwait_ian,
Thanks!
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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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slikedges, Prior to the course weeks Xscape ran a series of orientation days were students or potential students were run through the skiing requirements by one of the Xscape instructors. I wasn't actually thinking of doing the course at all but ealier this year I saw a poster at Xscape advertising the two orientation days they were running in May, prior to the two June courses. The deal was 3.5 hours of tuition & video feedback for only £26, which was an excellent deal considering I was paying £24 for 2 hours slope time after my SCGB discount.
Having an eye for a bargain I did two orientation days & was told my skiing was good enough to pass the course. Over the following months my work schedule meant I could use my last weeks holiday to go on the course last week. My company ran a two day 'fun event' earlier in the year that I was unable to attend due to work committments & I managed to obtain a contribution to the course fee from them. Hey, does that mean I'm a sponsored skier? 
To be honest after the first morning I was barely at the standard required. It's not just a case of being able to do say a plough or parallel turn etc. It's being able to execute correctly, precisely & with control - & then be able to demonstrate that. This is were all the students struggled & at the end of the first day none of us would have passed the skiing element, including two Club Intructors who were on the course. Without meaning to sound glib, at the end of the first day it was obvious to me that the four who failed had 'too much to improve' during the week, however they got pretty close & with some further practice they'll each be able to retake the problem areas soon.
Thankfully four of us, including the two Club Instructors, did polish up our act throughout the week. Their main advantage was actually in the teaching element as although their skiing was initially to a higher standard than mine, any faults they had were ingrained by hours of tuition etc & therefore proved very difficult for them to correct or eradicate.
Snowsport Scotland only run the 5 day course type that I did. Snowsport England don't offer the 5 day option but instead do two weekends & then an examination day. There are benefits of both options although I liked the continuity of the 5 day course. One of the main benfits of doing the course at Xscape was that carving was included in the skiing training which can't always be done on a dryslope course.
BTW, Snowsport Scotland don't offer the lower Club Instructor level course offered by Snowsport England. I asked why & was told that Snowsport Scotland felt that the ASSI level should be the minimum requirement for teaching beginners up to parallel level. This conversation then led in to the reasoning for having the various 'country' associations. Apparently this is now becoming a problem with the Government as they want to put funding through one national Snowsport body not Snowsport England, Scotland, Wales etc. Shona therefore thought that it's likely that one national body will be created & that BASI will take responsibility for all instructor training for that body. She wouldn't say too much about this but I reckon with her admin role at BASI she's a lot closer to the political scene than most.
Incidentally, a number of the Xscape instructors took the earlier ASSI courses as they were only Club Instructor qualified. Not all of them passed first time, again due to the 'preciseness' of their skiing, although each have since been reassessed & passed. Xscape are currently recruiting for ASSI instructors at £6.60 per hour.
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Poster: A snowHead
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spyderjon,
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Hey, does that mean I'm a sponsored skier?
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Think that classes you as a 'professional sportsman', being paid for the pleasure !
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| beanie1 wrote: |
| If you're looking for first aid courses try www.basp.org.uk. I'm doing the one in Keswick on 12th/13th November...... |
Thanks for that. I was given the BASP leaflet by Shona but haven't had a chance to look at it yet. Apparently BASP run courses at the Sheffield Ski Village on a 'as needs require' basis so I'm going to contact them but I might also see if I can get on your November course.
Have to get a pass out from Deb though as using my last weeks holiday to do the ASSI course was already pushing it
If you don't mind me asking, how much is the BASP course?
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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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£95.
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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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Not too bad. Thanks. I'll let you know if I can make it.
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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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spyderjon, thanks for that, interesting stuff, i don't think i've seen a similar thing at MK though it's possible i haven't paid enough attention. I'll make some enquiries though. Are you intending on doing any instructing, for fun?
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| slikedges wrote: |
| Are you intending on doing any instructing, for fun? |
Yes, already agreed with the Lions Club officials for a couple of hours on a Sunday morning. Just got to finalise the details.
Once I get my first aid certificate I might have a word with Xscape at Castleford & see if I can do a few hours following the Lions sessions to make a day of it.
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As someone who qualified as an English ASSI the hard way, like Alan Craggs, spending years on plastic, I am a little confused as to how you can qualify as an Artificial Slope Ski Instructor on snow. I know its artificial snow but it certainly is not the same as teaching on dendix.
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John Scott, Surely the clue is that the qualification is Assi, not Pssi ?
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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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John Scott, According to our intructor/examiner the 'snowdome' venues come under ASSI as they are an enclosed area, ie not open/natural terrain - as well as of course being artificial snow.
I'm not getting in to the benefit's or not of learning on plastic or at a snowdome.
With regard to you gaining your ASSI qualification the "hard way", as ejoy said previously, a current ASSI student can only take the course that is available now & as such I find the tone of your post somewhat patronising.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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Alan Craggs,
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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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kevinrhead, Thanks. That's certainly an interesting link as I didn't realise that they were already in the planning stage for a merger.
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