 Poster: A snowHead
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Hi Guys...be interested in your view/experience on a dilemma I'm facing. After 2 years slog (but brilliant fun) I'm a kick in the pants away from getting my ISIA (on skis). This season I'm doing a part I've left till last (as don't get as much snow-time as I'd like) - the 2nd discipline. I'm considering snowboarding or telemark - I've done neithor before. I need to get to a junior instructor level from scratch - teach the fundamentals - ski a red run in control, that type of thing.
Appreciate any insights on learning a new discipline and wanting to get to a competent standard quickly - which one would you choose? Many 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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dg3, I can just about mastering walking. Sorry as this is absolultley no help whatsoever.
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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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dg3, Whichever one you choose - you'll have to spend quite some time doing it - so pick the one that appeals to you most. Mine was telemark, but I had been doing that for several years (even to the point of giving up Alpine). Not sure what level you need to get too, 'junior instructor' sounds a bit high.
I guess with Tele, a lot of the fundamentals (i.e. two skis instead of 1 tray) stay the same, and if you have some old skis, you can nail on some tele bindings and save yourself some dosh. The other side of tele is that it's quite counterintuitive if you have an Alpine background (well it was for me anyway), but mostly it's best to choose the one you'll enjoy most.
Hope that helps...
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Don't know about telemarking but I'm sure you'll find boarding easy enough and great fun too. My boarding instructor said that amongst the many advantages is it has made easy slopes fun again. I suspect that telemarking at the junior instructor level is more technical than boarding. I also suspect that telemarking students would generally be fairly experienced alpine skiers already and be likely to examine their instructor with the more critical eye. 
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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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Telemarking is the most demanding physically so if your legs can take it I would go tele'
It is a much better way to get around the hill. Most boarders I know have come round to this way of thinking when they want to get out there and have reverted back to skiing or tele. But as I say, learning tele is a young mans game. Just think lunges, the whole turning thing is a lunge..!!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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But as I say, learning tele is a young mans game
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Dammn - that's me out then ! 
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great stuff, thanks guys....think I'd love to be able to tele - but I'm veering towards boarding, as I think I'll get the most fun out of it, for the amount of input I'll be able to put into it. Think the cut is being able to ski a red in control and be able to talk through the fundamentals of teaching - how hard can that be
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I went with boarding but I think one thing worth considering is if you want to teach your 2nd disc. If you want to have something that makes you more appealing to a ski school you want to work for go for boarding - more and more people are learning it and certainly in my experience there are not enough instructors who are willing to teach skiing and boarding. Is likely to get you more work in quiet weeks.
I also think it is good to do something totally different to your first disc. - I found it very humbling standing at the top of a green run with a tray strapped to my feet thinking it looked a bit steep! Good to know how the people you are teaching (boarding or skiing) are feeling when you think they are just being a bit pathetic sliding down a flat looking slope.
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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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waitingforwinter, Good points... don't go thinking that tele won't humiliate you the way a snowboard can. It will.................. 
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dg3, Why is there a requirement for a second discipline for the ISIA qualification? Seems mighty tough to me after all the effort, cost & time put in to pass the skiing section. Perhaps this is one of those 'barriers to entry' often dreamt up by many professions.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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waitingforwinter, thanks top tips - how long did the boarding take you to develop???
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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, honestly, I agree with you spyderjon - at this stage ie. near the end of getting ISIA it's a tough one to justify. But with my pragmatic head on and once achieved, I'll probably wax lyrical about a rounded view of snowsports required at a high level of instruction. But yes, I'd rather be spending the time race training just now, preparing GS technique/fitness for grade 1 tests....
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dg3, That would be exactly my view point as well - moan about it like mad before hand & then spout the virtues afterwards.
Once qualified you could start lobbying that all future ISIA's in skiing need to have both the board & tele qualifications. Existing ISIA's would of course be exempt from this requirement
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You know it makes sense.
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spyderjon, like it and maybe add in luge, figure skating and pylon padding ...
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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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boarded on and off during last season - probably did 3-4 weeks in total over the season.
spyderjon, it does have its virtues. I said - good for employment prospects and very humbling - but I do agree it is a mighty fine hassle to add to all the other things you have to do!
dg3, If you are thinking of working in France have you got the news about the test technique? Apparently from season 06/07 grade 3s will be able to teach in France but they will hvae to pass the TT first. As will all ISIA'a wanting to work as stagieres. Worth knowing cause this is the last season you have to apply for you card to work in France as an ISIA without taking the TT.
Every year they will find something else for us to have to do - it is just the way it is. I wonder what will be next. Presumably something nice and obscure - perhaps figure skating is not so far from the truth
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Poster: A snowHead
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waitingforwinter, interesting cheers - sorry for being dumb - but is the TT the speed test or is it some other French evaluation - maybe the test of not dropping one's fondue dipper, whilst smoking a galuoise, sipping at a pastii, all while nonchantly whipping along at mach II down a black...
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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The test technique is like the speed test - only different! I think, but don't quote me on this, it is a timed slalom run rather than a gs that the frenchy trainees have to take before they can work as stagieres and start training for the speed test.
just another discipline to master! Worth getting in with working this season if you can though! I don't know how hard it is to pass compared to the speed test but I am sure it would involve a certain amount of slalom training.
(I think sipping a pastie is the one you need for the Cornish Ski Instructor's Association )
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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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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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dg3, I may have missed something, but how about adaptive? Probably have missed someting, blame the beer. 
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You'll need to Register first of course.
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And tele is a growth industry. I read somewhere that it had the biggest % of market growth than any other area of the ski industry.
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I am always a bit sceptical of stats like that - sounds great but what are the actual figures. I know it is not as extreme as this but if you have one person doing something and one other takes it up that is a 100% growth - of course figures like that are going to be good for a minority sport. I am not against tele's butif you are thinking about getting work it is worth seeing what are the figures behind a %age stat
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And tele is a growth industry. I read somewhere that it had the biggest % of market growth than any other area of the ski industry.
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I am always a bit sceptical of stats like that - sounds great but what are the actual figures. I know it is not as extreme as this but if you have one person doing something and one other takes it up that is a 100% growth - of course figures like that are going to be good for a minority sport. I am not against tele's butif you are thinking about getting work it is worth seeing what are the figures behind a %age stat
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easiski, yip I agree snowboard does seem to be the logical 'commercial' discipline to do - 1st ever boarder teacher in Cairngorm eh - v. cool. Dave J, want to do tele as well - maybe when I get more time in the hills to play in a few years. Dunk, yip adaptive is a good option too- it's one my wife is planning to do. Thanks again guys. D
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