Flexion or Extension or Both

I participated in a task during a Precision Skiing clinic last year at Vail. I believe the clinician was Jennifer Simpson. Anyway the task was to initiate one set of turns, like all the right hand turns, using extension and all the left turns using flexion. Then switch sets. Aside from feeling the differences, it’s…

Read More

Topic Ideas

Here I am again trying to write. It would help if I had a focus on what I want to write about.  They say, and I agree, writing can help to iron out feelings, clarity, or expertise on a given topic. In my morning haze between sleep and awakeness I had this thought, why not…

Read More

Two Fundamental Models to Teaching Well

Two models found in PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors Association) Rocky Mountain Division, are the Teaching Model and the Guest Centered Teaching (GCT) Concept. These should be ingrained in every instructor in all they do. They should be second nature to how they conduct snowsports instruction. Overlayed on the graphic example of the GCT model below is…

Read More

Monarch Ski & Ride School’s Guest Survey

Here is another way to rate an instructor. This document is handed to all guests that sign up for a ski/ride booking at Monarch Mountain. It asks the guests to rate their satisfaction with our school and their instructor on a scale of 1 to 5 (5 meaning strongly agree)to statements. Here are the statements:…

Read More

Fulcrum Mechanism

There were not very many lessons today, so there was plenty of time to ski and work on our own technique. Early in the day we worked on fore and aft balance, the need to adjust your balance from the front to the back in order to stay “on top” of your skis. In the…

Read More