Never have, but would definately like to try it for a year, after I'm graduated, maybe. I wouldn't want to teach little kids though, I just I might lose my patience, you just never know
And we put him to work!
I really enjoyed working as an instructor and fine tuning my own abilities while skiing free and getting paid for what can be much harder work than it appears, especially with beginners. It was extremely cool to be wearing an instructor jacket in high school and college.
That said, since I'm pretty satisfied with my skiing and don't really want to earn livelyhood teaching. I'd rather try patrolling if I ever lived near a resort again. There are many more beginners needing attention than there are casualties in need of transport. I could be wrong, but I think patrolling would be more fun on average... at least for me.
Patrol is a different type of on hill job, Lots of the guys I worked with sat in the shack and waited on the radio, I always volunteered to do the hourly sweeps of the trails. What eventually got to me though were the results of the accidents, I know I was helping out, but it tooks its toll on my psychological state to contstantly have to work with injured kids in pain.
So hug a Patroller every time you see them... they do great work!
I am a Ski Instructor in the EAST. Best part time job out there. I love working with my customers and most of all new brothers and sisters you will have ( instructors) I work in an area that everyone has your support. Its like a very large family. Our Ski Director makes it all work and we all have respect for each other and the sport. I have been on snow for 46 years,teaching for 13 and its been a blast. Oh yea and there are benefits other than Pro deals, Free pizza, snacks, lodge discounts - and a few cold ones -
Wow, seeing your post brought back memories, I learned to ski at Roundtop back in the 70's. I will have to go back someday.
There must be something wrong with me. My brief stint as an instructor was the exact opposite of the glowing, life changing, people helping comments that I see here. To me it was a stifling experience. It was like being put in a cage and observed like a lab rat. I had to ski slower. I had to stand around and take part in boooooring clinics and make little ski schooly turns and was chastised when I dared to question the logic behind each maneuver. I never did get the ski school uniform right (something about how things were always untucked and how I didn't fold the turtleneck down and how it was always dirty and why were my ski pants ripped and beer and pizza stained). Plus (this was the early '70's) my hair was much too long for the uberstrict ski school director. And they didn't like it when I jumped out of the chairlift when it broke down leaving the rest of the ski school sitting for over an hour in sub-zero windchills whilst I adjourned to the bar. Did I mention that I had an attitude back then? Anyway, they managed to suck all the fun out of my skiing and I have never for an instant wished that I had continued down the ski school path to skiing enlightenment.
The flip side of this experience was being on the ski patrol. I enjoyed every minute of patrolling and got great satisfaction out of helping people when they had problems on the hill. I was a first aid instructor and patrol leader. I help to organize and train the first local volunteer ambulance service in town. My very best friends to this day are the people that I patrolled with 30+ years ago. It was an important experience in my life teaching me leadership, practical skis, mountain survival/avalanche and search & rescue skills, and a greater understanding of and respect for the winter mountain environment.
I thought about it one morning, went to a "try-out," left at lunch.
I had the opportunity last year (laid off) to be a full time instructor at a small Mt in MA.
As with anything - there is good and bad. The good days involve ripping around with level 5+s or giving a private lesson to a pair of chubby giggly milfs. The bad days involve picking up Indian guys 50 times during a 1 hr lesson on the bunny hill. (No offense to our friends on the subcontinent, but they sure do not have a natural knack for sliding on stuff).
Other bad stuff is that you will need some super comfy boots. Your old race boots will not cut it! Lots of standing around and super slow speed demos. SUPER SLOW. Sloooowwwwwww.
I was fortunate to have had a SICK snow year. This year is brutal. The weather has no consideration for your ski bum crisis.
That aisde. I would not trade last season for a million bucks (yes I would!!), but it was hard. Physically demanding. Cold. Slow skiing. Lots of bending down and picking up. The bunny hill is nightmare of spores, googans (and their toddlers), kooks, and 200# 30 year old men who - in a flash of alchohol induced motivation - have decided to try snowboarding. Its ^#%^%#^$ dangerous! Mentally demanding (you are frequently in charge of a gaggle of someone's little angels. This is a big responsibility so treat it as such.) You have to be UP even if it is raining sideways.
Great colleagues. Great parties. Most of your pay gets recycled at the lodge bar. Budget for this. Rent is for suckers.
Finally, the difference between a large pizza and a ski instructor is that a pizza can feed a family of four. It is hard to make money. If you are not a good SALESPERSON who can promote yoursefl shamelessly, it is hard to get the privates which are what ultimately pay.
There must be something wrong with me. My brief stint as an instructor was the exact opposite of the glowing, life changing, people helping comments that I see here. To me it was a stifling experience. It was like being put in a cage and observed like a lab rat. I had to ski slower. I had to stand around and take part in boooooring clinics and make little ski schooly turns and was chastised when I dared to question the logic behind each maneuver. I never did get the ski school uniform right (something about how things were always untucked and how I didn't fold the turtleneck down and how it was always dirty and why were my ski pants ripped and beer and pizza stained). Plus (this was the early '70's) my hair was much too long for the uberstrict ski school director. And they didn't like it when I jumped out of the chairlift when it broke down leaving the rest of the ski school sitting for over an hour in sub-zero windchills whilst I adjourned to the bar. Did I mention that I had an attitude back then? Anyway, they managed to suck all the fun out of my skiing and I have never for an instant wished that I had continued down the ski school path to skiing enlightenment.
Thanks....that story is a hoot!
There must be something wrong with me. .........
I don't think there is anything wrong with you. Sounds about right. Instructorship is not for everyone.
That said I do respect ski instructors for what they do. Its not an easy job and its very important for the sport. Like choucas, ski and snowboard instructor job seems more like work than fun to me.
I am puzzled why Glen Plake is going through the whole PSIA thing. ![th_dunno-1[1].gif](/img/vbsmilies/smilies/th_dunno-1%5B1%5D.gif)
I hear Glen is up to level 2 already.
I had the opportunity last year (laid off) to be a full time instructor at a small Mt in MA.
As with anything - there is good and bad. The good days involve ripping around with level 5+s or giving a private lesson to a pair of chubby giggly milfs. The bad days involve picking up Indian guys 50 times during a 1 hr lesson on the bunny hill. (No offense to our friends on the subcontinent, but they sure do not have a natural knack for sliding on stuff).
Other bad stuff is that you will need some super comfy boots. Your old race boots will not cut it! Lots of standing around and super slow speed demos. SUPER SLOW. Sloooowwwwwww.
I was fortunate to have had a SICK snow year. This year is brutal. The weather has no consideration for your ski bum crisis.
That aisde. I would not trade last season for a million bucks (yes I would!!), but it was hard. Physically demanding. Cold. Slow skiing. Lots of bending down and picking up. The bunny hill is nightmare of spores, googans (and their toddlers), kooks, and 200# 30 year old men who - in a flash of alchohol induced motivation - have decided to try snowboarding. Its ^#%^%#^$ dangerous! Mentally demanding (you are frequently in charge of a gaggle of someone's little angels. This is a big responsibility so treat it as such.) You have to be UP even if it is raining sideways.
Great colleagues. Great parties. Most of your pay gets recycled at the lodge bar. Budget for this. Rent is for suckers.
Finally, the difference between a large pizza and a ski instructor is that a pizza can feed a family of four. It is hard to make money. If you are not a good SALESPERSON who can promote yoursefl shamelessly, it is hard to get the privates which are what ultimately pay.
remember it is very hard to sale a piece of shit! What I mean unless the product your are giving them is superior its going to be very hard to keep people from coming back and if they go else where and feel they like someone else better youll lose them.
IF someone had a great time, and learned something its a real easy sale.
promoting myself shamelessly :)
The bunny hill is nightmare of spores, googans (and their toddlers), kooks, and 200# 30 year old men who - in a flash of alchohol induced motivation - have decided to try snowboarding. Its ^#%^%#^$ dangerous! Mentally demanding (you are frequently in charge of a gaggle of someone's little angels. This is a big responsibility so treat it as such.) You have to be UP even if it is raining sideways.
"Spores" ha ha my favorite ski word/jargon ever!
I'll leave it to you to translate for the newbies!!
"Spores" ha ha my favorite ski word/jargon ever!
I'll leave it to you to translate for the newbies!!
Stupid People On Rental Equipment
Ha ha, you get those at the fancy mountains too?
Thought you would have more SCUDs ("skiers capable of ultimate damage") who ski like scud missiles....you know take off at breakneck speeds with no idea where they are going?
SPORE love it!
remember it is very hard to sale a piece of shit! What I mean unless the product your are giving them is superior its going to be very hard to keep people from coming back and if they go else where and feel they like someone else better youll lose them.
IF someone had a great time, and learned something its a real easy sale.
promoting myself shamelessly :)
Haha, that is pretty shameless! Could you get 'Level 3' written on there any bigger!?
I had the opportunity last year (laid off) to be a full time instructor at a small Mt in MA.
As with anything - there is good and bad. The good days involve ripping around with level 5+s or giving a private lesson to a pair of chubby giggly milfs. The bad days involve picking up Indian guys 50 times during a 1 hr lesson on the bunny hill. (No offense to our friends on the subcontinent, but they sure do not have a natural knack for sliding on stuff).
Other bad stuff is that you will need some super comfy boots. Your old race boots will not cut it! Lots of standing around and super slow speed demos. SUPER SLOW. Sloooowwwwwww.
I was fortunate to have had a SICK snow year. This year is brutal. The weather has no consideration for your ski bum crisis.
That aisde. I would not trade last season for a million bucks (yes I would!!), but it was hard. Physically demanding. Cold. Slow skiing. Lots of bending down and picking up. The bunny hill is nightmare of spores, googans (and their toddlers), kooks, and 200# 30 year old men who - in a flash of alchohol induced motivation - have decided to try snowboarding. Its ^#%^%#^$ dangerous! Mentally demanding (you are frequently in charge of a gaggle of someone's little angels. This is a big responsibility so treat it as such.) You have to be UP even if it is raining sideways.
Great colleagues. Great parties. Most of your pay gets recycled at the lodge bar. Budget for this. Rent is for suckers.
Finally, the difference between a large pizza and a ski instructor is that a pizza can feed a family of four. It is hard to make money. If you are not a good SALESPERSON who can promote yoursefl shamelessly, it is hard to get the privates which are what ultimately pay.
Sounds like Nashoba? My 1st year teaching there I learned never to do Friday nights. A lap of skiing/ riding for most people consisted of run down Wardance, trip to the bar, lift line, Wardance/bar. Closest bar to a ski slope I've ever seen. Started to get real scary by about 6pm. Straight run to a stop was usually accomplished by using the front end of a Buick parked at the bottom of the rope tow bunny hill. Didn't have many Indian people skiing when I was there but all the other demographics you listed were.
I thought about it many times. I took many clinics (including bump clinics) at my local hill which are conducted by the ski school director. I was the only non-instructor in the clinics, but I had a chance to compare myself with all the level II and III instructors there. I was told that I could breeze through level 1 and 2, so I know where I stand technique wise. Besides, video does not lie. But you have to teach to move up, and I hate teaching.
Who knows, I might still go for it.
I thought about it many times. I took many clinics (including bump clinics) at my local hill which are conducted by the ski school director. I was the only non-instructor in the clinics, but I had a chance to compare myself with all the level II and III instructors there. I was told that I could breeze through level 1 and 2, so I know where I stand technique wise. Besides, video does not lie. But you have to teach to move up, and I hate teaching.
Who knows, I might still go for it.
hard part of L2 and L3 is teaching. IMO the skiing is easy since it require much less understanding.
I am puzzled why Glen Plake is going through the whole PSIA thing. I hear Glen is up to level 2 already.
Undoubtably a promo type of thing. Not to take anything away from Glen, he could ski in his sleep on some old 2x4s better than me on my best day. But he is not going through the same cert routine as the rest of us normal PSIA members. I think thay also have Darron Rahlves in this program. There is likely some financial compensation for them. That being said, I think it is good promotional material for the sport and the organization.
hard part of L2 and L3 is teaching. IMO the skiing is easy since it require much less understanding.
For people who have been skiing since they were 2, maybe. Some of us actually have to work at these things. 
[re: Plake in PSIA] Undoubtably a promo type of thing. Not to take anything away from Glen, he could ski in his sleep on some old 2x4s better than me on my best day. But he is not going through the same cert routine as the rest of us normal PSIA members. I think thay also have Darron Rahlves in this program. There is likely some financial compensation for them. That being said, I think it is good promotional material for the sport and the organization.
Plake actually has been taking the same exams as 'normal' people, and doing each one in a different region as sort of a promotional tour. He's supposed to be taking his L3 somewhere in the Eastern division this season. Not sure if they made him do all the normal prereq stuff between exams, though. They definitely waived the minimum time requirement for getting L3. (This isn't a one-time thing; they've done this before for other very experienced skiers who want to join PSIA.)
Unless he spent some time teaching skiing in the past, he'd probably have to get up to speed on a lot of the teaching side of things to actually pass those exams.
Originally Posted by choucas
There must be something wrong with me... To me [teaching skiing] was a stifling experience. It was like being put in a cage and observed like a lab rat. I had to ski slower. I had to stand around and take part in boooooring clinics and make little ski schooly turns and was chastised when I dared to question the logic behind each maneuver. ...they managed to suck all the fun out of my skiing and I have never for an instant wished that I had continued down the ski school path to skiing enlightenment.
To teach something like skiing, you have to be able to break down each step and movement into tiny little pieces, and master each one of them. Sometimes painfully slowly. (You don't teach things this way, but this is how you figure out how all the different movements you can make on your skis work together, and how to look at a student and figure out what they are doing.) It doesn't matter how ripping a skier you are at full speed -- if you can't clearly demonstrate every little piece of it for a student, and you don't understand how and why everything works, you won't be an effective teacher.
Nothing wrong with you at all. This kind of stuff is not for everyone. If you don't like analyzing the technical side of things, you may be bored to death.
The story about jumping off the chairlift is hilarious, though. But if I'd been stuck on the chair I would have been pretty pissed at you too! 
Undoubtably a promo type of thing. Not to take anything away from Glen, he could ski in his sleep on some old 2x4s better than me on my best day. But he is not going through the same cert routine as the rest of us normal PSIA members. I think thay also have Darron Rahlves in this program. There is likely some financial compensation for them. That being said, I think it is good promotional material for the sport and the organization.
Glen tested with a normal group doing all the tasks they did to get his level 2 cert. He obviously skis well enough but had to work on the teaching part some . He taught an interesting way to feel outside dominance to wedgers. It was a bit complicated and it wasn't part of his teaching module but it was interesting just the same.
Sounds like Nashoba? My 1st year teaching there I learned never to do Friday nights. A lap of skiing/ riding for most people consisted of run down Wardance, trip to the bar, lift line, Wardance/bar. Closest bar to a ski slope I've ever seen. Started to get real scary by about 6pm. Straight run to a stop was usually accomplished by using the front end of a Buick parked at the bottom of the rope tow bunny hill. Didn't have many Indian people skiing when I was there but all the other demographics you listed were.
Not Nashoba. Waaaaaaa-whah ah whaaah - chusette. Wachusett. Wach ski school and instructors are top notch. GREAT kids programs and GREAT adaptive ski staff. Very fun friendly and well run place to "work." Very intensive and thorough ITC course. Got my PSIA level one badge. (Now I am pretty but slow.)
They just installed a new high speed quad for the beginner area. Much better than the old lift though I persoanlly try to avoid that area because beginners are dangerous.
Tons of snow there right now. Good conditions. Vibrant evening adult race leage M-T-W-Th.
Bar is also quite close. :)
This year coaching racing for the Wach Race team. Pretty fun. Like Ski School but turbo. 
Glen tested with a normal group doing all the tasks they did to get his level 2 cert. He obviously skis well enough but had to work on the teaching part some . He taught an interesting way to feel outside dominance to wedgers. It was a bit complicated and it wasn't part of his teaching module but it was interesting just the same.
Yes, that I know, I saw his exam sheets as posted on the PSIA websheet, but because he is an accomplished skier, certain criteria like time between exams has been waived. I am all for it. Just wish I had his ability and didn't have to work so hard to get there!
If he were giving lessons , I would sign right up!
Undoubtably a promo type of thing. Not to take anything away from Glen, he could ski in his sleep on some old 2x4s better than me on my best day. But he is not going through the same cert routine as the rest of us normal PSIA members. I think thay also have Darron Rahlves in this program. There is likely some financial compensation for them. That being said, I think it is good promotional material for the sport and the organization.
If there's a 'time between exams' as alluded to above between L1 and L2, it must not be enforced. I did both 1 and 2 in one season, as have a couple of friends. Interesting. Have to look it up. The only one I was aware of was the wait between L3 and clinician.
I don't believe there is a required 'time between exams', but there is a 'minimum amount of experience to take an exam' requirement, at least in some divisions.
In PSIA-E, I think you have to be in your third year of membership to take the L2, and the fourth to take the L3. And you have to take a certain number of prerequisite training courses as well. These can be waived for people with a lot of outside experience who didn't come up through the PSIA system (e.g. race coaches, instructors from other countries, former professional skiers, etc.)
For people who have been skiing since they were 2, maybe. Some of us actually have to work at these things.
I started skiing in december 2003 at age 19. I pass a L1 exam in less than a month of skiing/teaching. Which is why I always tell people never to fear a L1. I
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EST-Alpine Level I Exam 01/07/2004
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I also petioned to get into L2 early and passed my L2 skiing after skiing for 2 years. I passed without a signal mark against me. i was perfect
EST-Alpine Level II Exam Part 1 12/19/2005
I then went to my teaching and BARELY passed. I got my L2 pin but in my mind i never deserved it. The teaching was tough. The ability to be that creative on the spot, while breaking everything you saw down is impressively hard IMO. The L2 teaching IMO is so much harder than the L3 skiing but in alot of ways its not even capable.
EST-Alpine Level II Exam Part 2 02/11/2006
I then moved to the bird. Where we had inhouse certification(done by the current Demo team head coach) from middle of my first season I was considered a L3 in there mind.
April 2008 failed my first L3 attempt. Got tons of shit for it. Was mad because in sense one of the best coaches in the county Rob Sogard thought I was going to pass no question.
Janurary 2009 and March 2009 I passed both parts of the L3 with near top scores. After skiing/teaching for 6 years total.
the thing is I am nothing special. I started off a chubby(240lb) ex crappy snowboarder and just devoted tons of time to it. Read up on skiing and made sure I did everything right form the start. Anyone can do it if they let themselves do it and get rid of all their crappy bad habits and go into everything with an open mind. I am rarely ever jealous of anyone who started skiing prior to me just because most of them stink and have been stinking for alot longer than I have been skiing. The only people I am jealous of are my friends who grew up in legit race programs. Given that chance I think I could have really accelled.
I am in the middle and I am huge.
anyone can do anything. Just people want to come up with every excuse in the book instead of just doing it.
I started skiing in december 2003 at age 19. I pass a L1 exam in less than a month of skiing/teaching. Which is why I always tell people never to fear a L1. I
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EST-Alpine Level I Exam 01/07/2004
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I also petioned to get into L2 early and passed my L2 skiing after skiing for 2 years. I passed without a signal mark against me. i was perfect
EST-Alpine Level II Exam Part 1 12/19/2005
I then went to my teaching and BARELY passed. I got my L2 pin but in my mind i never deserved it. The teaching was tough. The ability to be that creative on the spot, while breaking everything you saw down is impressively hard IMO. The L2 teaching IMO is so much harder than the L3 skiing but in alot of ways its not even capable.
EST-Alpine Level II Exam Part 2 02/11/2006
I then moved to the bird. Where we had inhouse certification(done by the current Demo team head coach) from middle of my first season I was considered a L3 in there mind.
April 2008 failed my first L3 attempt. Got tons of shit for it. Was mad because in sense one of the best coaches in the county Rob Sogard thought I was going to pass no question.
Janurary 2009 and March 2009 I passed both parts of the L3 with near top scores. After skiing/teaching for 6 years total.
the thing is I am nothing special. I started off a chubby(240lb) ex crappy snowboarder and just devoted tons of time to it. Read up on skiing and made sure I did everything right form the start. Anyone can do it if they let themselves do it and get rid of all their crappy bad habits and go into everything with an open mind. I am rarely ever jealous of anyone who started skiing prior to me just because most of them stink and have been stinking for alot longer than I have been skiing. The only people I am jealous of are my friends who grew up in legit race programs. Given that chance I think I could have really accelled.
I am in the middle and I am huge.
anyone can do anything. Just people want to come up with every excuse in the book instead of just doing it.
wow Josh I can barely recognize you. no hair, no colorful clothes, you went thru an "extreme makeover", but you always do seem to find the powder.
ps might see your old jacket on a snowboarder this (1/23) Monday up there, Jon and I will probably be going to Stowe assuming he gets up in the morning.
I started skiing in december 2003 at age 19. I pass a L1 exam in less than a month of skiing/teaching. Which is why I always tell people never to fear a L1.
I also petioned to get into L2 early and passed my L2 skiing after skiing for 2 years. I passed without a signal mark against me. i was perfect...
Janurary 2009 and March 2009 I passed both parts of the L3 with near top scores. After skiing/teaching for 6 years total.
the thing is I am nothing special.
Not sure how many years you spent on the SB, but that helps. I know you're a MTBer as well, so you probably came into this with better balance skills than the average person. And I have no doubt you worked hard. It shows.
If you were skiing/teaching full time, in those two years you may have had more days on snow than I've had in my lifetime. Certainly more than I've had since I got back into skiing and started teaching part time in 2008. (Yeah, yeah, I know, stop bitching, quit my job, and move to the mountains... )
I believe that too -- I really do. I'm not trying to make excuses. But the technical skiing part isn't "easy", at least for me. I worked my ass off with the time I had and wasn't good enough last season to make the L2 cut.
You're right, there is a huge difference and advantages of a "legit race program" vs ski instruction.
The only people I am jealous of are my friends who grew up in legit race programs. Given that chance I think I could have really accelled.
anyone can do anything. Just people want to come up with every excuse in the book instead of just doing it.
You're right, there is a huge difference and advantages of a "legit race program" vs ski instruction.
Yep, coaching is a lot more like the weekly instructor clinics than regular folk ski lessons. Then add the training and conditioning. And do it several hours a night and several nights a week (or Saturday/Sundays but weeknight programs are a lot better if you live right near the ski hill)
Oh, and rope tows>chair lifts for ski team training and conditioning.
need 15 posts
need 15 posts
