Aspen academy News

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Every issue, we focus on folks who are crushing it with their training ethic. These teams get together on their own, and help each other improve. They are dedicated to their professional development on and off snow.

Smashing Your Level 2By Emilie Lantelme New England Native Emma Gildesgame is one tough cookie. She reminds us of the importance of “the pure joy of skiing” and why controlling your nerves and having fun can go a long way as you go through certification.

EL: What was the hardest part about training for your level 2?EG: I did a pretty absurd amount of training. There came a point where it felt like despite all my hard work I was still so far from the standard, and I was just ready to be done. The hardest part was getting back out and training even on those days. I got really hard on myself at times. Eventually I let myself play and remember the joy of skiing. I also had a lot of problems with my boots that made the whole process that much harder. EL: What was the easiest part about training?EG: The people I trained with, trainers and exam candidates alike made this process so much easier and more fun. Our trainers were so invested and committed to helping us pass and teaching us as much as they could. There were a bunch of us who were all training for exams together; we all supported each other and worked together to make sure we all enjoyed the process as much as possible and had the best shot at passing once we got to exam day. EL: What did you do to make your training successful?

EG: I did a LOT of training. I set aside at least a day a week for the in-house cert training, and whenever I didn't get work I'd jump in on a training. PSIA certs are about checking in on what you already know, so if you incorporate your training into your everyday teaching, it'll sink in better and help you improve across the board! I took certification exams as both of my pre-req’s for level 2—Child Specialist and Freestyle Specialist 1. Taking those exams got me into exam mode and made me more comfortable being in an exam. Reading about skiing never works as well for me as actually skiing, watching skiing, or talking about skiing. Basically, I kept the exam in the back of my mind all the time and tried to incorporate training into as many parts of my life as I could. EL: What kind of advice do you give to those attempting to train or take their level 2 exam ?EG: Get a good team of people who are going for it with you. Having other people to train with makes the process so much easier. Turn your drills into games. Find trainers who work well for you and your learning style and take training from them. Be proactive. Ask questions. Ask for help. Decide that you're going to do it and then show up for as many trainings as you can. Know what's on the exam and incorporate those standards into your everyday teaching, you can teach and train at the same time! Don't make drastic equipment changes the week before the exam, unless you really need to.

EL: How did you prepare mentally ?EG: I made sure that I knew exactly what I was getting into. The Cert 2 camp at Highlands helped me get into the mindset of the test. Taking two other exams this season also helped. I ended up doing most of my freaking out before the exam, so by the time the exam actually happened, I didn't have anymore freaking out left in my system. EL: How did the exam differ from what you expected it to be? EG: It was less stressful! Our examiners really were there for us and wanted us to achieve the standard we needed to pass. EL: What's next for you? Level 3? EG: I don't know. For now, I want to focus on teaching and playing—when I'm not teaching, I want to be skiing for fun, going on adventures, and having conversations that don't revolve around exam prep. I'm thinking about going to graduate school in a couple of years; if I'm applying to grad school next year, I won't also train for my 3 as intensely as I prepped for my 2. I think if I go for my three, I'll do it in a couple of chunks, not all at once. EL: How did you celebrate your success of passing? EG: I slept. A lot. And after that, I went free skiing! I skied places I love but I haven't gotten to ski all season 'cause I've been training and teaching so much. It felt amazing to not be constantly correcting myself or drilling and just skiing. The stress and perfectionism was gone and the pure joy of skiing for the sake of skiing was an amazing feeling. 

ASPEN December 21, 2012 Volume 2, Issue 1

Training NewsTraining Manager: Jonathan Ballou

Editor: Kate Howe Asst. Ed.: Emilie Lantelme Submissions, letters and inquiries with subject: EDITOR to

ON SNOW PERFORMANCE

Volume 2, Issue 5March 24, 2013

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Skiing in the trees is an absolute joy. Teaching our clients that they have the skills to negotiate this terrain can turn them from someone who goes skiing in to a die hard lifelong skier.

One of the most important gifts we can give our adventurous guests, at any age and skill level, is the knowledge of how to keep themselves safe in the trees. Teaching them that the best tree skiers are also the skiers that pay attention to safety in the mountains ensures that we are developing the whole skier, not just how they move their feet. Read on for must know skills for your guest, and yourself!

Look at the white space between the trees, not at the trees. Our bodies tend to follow our eyes. Look where you want to go, not at the thing you hope you don’t hit.

Take a seat. If you think you are going to hit something, anything, the first thing you should do is take the fall. Its better to crash into the snow than into an unforgiving tree.

Don’t be a tree hugger. If you know you are going to hit the tree and you don’t have time to fall, fight the instinct to put your hands up and hug the tree. Instead, get your feet up in front of you and take the obstacle with the base of your skis. Better to hit the obstacle with your skis and legs than to hit a hard object with your soft belly, face, or head.

Be Co-Dependent. If you venture into the off piste, take a friend. Teach your clients to pay attention to each other, pair them up. Play Marco-Polo in the trees. It’s hard to hear your partner, the trees muffle sound, so do an experiment run where you call out to each other and stay within range.

Course Inspection. Use the Pre-ride, Re-ride, Free-ride concept from the terrain park in your off piste skiing. If you haven’t been in there in a while, or you are unsure of how the snow might have changed, ski it twenty

turns at a time on longer pitches. Take the time to stop and examine the terrain. Then go ski it again with peace of mind.

Teach your clients about the dangers of tree wells. Understanding that the snow right around the base of the tree is less densely packed and very deep is helpful. Knowing that its easy to suffocate in snow like that will

help keep your clients motivated to steer clear of tree wells. Teach and practice Self Arrest techniques. Even a slow speed

fall on a short but steep pitch can be dangerous if there are obstacles. Teaching your clients how to get their feet below their head and get their ski poles, hands or elbows into the snow to stop their slide will keep them happy and safe. Practice in open terrain. Before you head into the tight trees,

practice in areas of lower consequence. The open lines of Sheer Bliss at Snowmass are excellent intro to tree skiing, and

this year, we have excellent practice terrain at Highlands called the Bamboo Glades, a “forest” of bamboo set up at the bottom of Red Onion.

Know the Snow. If the tree trails are slick, wait for new snow. If you haven’t been in it for a while, ask someone what the snow is like. Icy bumpy bobsled runs in trees are more dangerous than chalky skied out powder. Has warming occurred in Mushroom? Are there exposed rocks? Ask around in your locker room, and wait for the sun to soften the hard stuff.

Be the voice of reason. Your clients are stoked to come out and ski terrain, but the mountain is telling you “No.” Listen to the mountain, and to your gut. You are the expert here. If it’s been 60 degrees for the last five days and it froze last night, off piste, no matter how much your clients want it, is not the safest choice. Find a way to convince them that working on their skiing on the groomer will make their off piste skiing better when warming occurs or we get more snow.

Your clients will thank you by coming back year after year to ski more and more advanced trees and terrain!

Teach your clients Self ArrestSelf arrest sometimes seems like a skill we’d only need in super steep terrain or in the back country. But teaching your students, even kids, to have this skill will go a long way toward reducing their risk when they are skiing in the trees. Make it a game and keep it safe and fun out there!

Keep it sharp in there, people.

KEEPING IT SAFE IN THE TREES

SAFETY

Whether you are an advanced skier getting after it in Temerity or a kid skiing Lou Avenue for the first time, safety in the trees is #1.

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Megan Harvey reveals what it’s like to compete in the USA Powder 8 ChampionshipImagine skiing a perfect turn: round, fast, dynamic and fun. Now, Imagine skiing that same turn in complete synchronicity with the skier ripping down the mountain just in front of you. Just to make it even more fun, imagine trying to ski that same turn, still in complete synch, first on the hard-pack, then over moguls in one of the steepest runs of the highlands bowl, and finally, if you make the cut, out in the powder off the cat on the back side of Aspen Mountain. The Powder 8 Championships is a time honored tradition which used to end with the world champions competing in Europe, the eventual winner walking away with a trip to Mike Wiegele Heli Skiing. The Powder 8’s wained in popularity in the early 2000s, but is coming back strong as an incredibly fun, and incredibly difficult competition. This year’s comp drew teams from all over the country, some of whom have been training to ski in synch with each other over all kinds of gnarly terrain for years. Competitors are judged on the shape of the track that is left in the snow, as well as the synch, rhythm, timing and excellence of the skiing. Two skiers skiing in perfect synch will leave a beautiful round 8 shape on the slope. Get out of synch just a bit, and the proof is written right there in the snow. Cindy Leuchtenburg and Megan Harvey have competed in the US Powder 8's 3 of the past 4 seasons. This year they took 2nd in the women's division and in both the 2009/2010 and 2010/2011, they took 1st place in the women's division.Megan’s love for the comp stems from its requirement for dedication, focus and discipline. Once she commits to her partner, they have an obligation to each other to work and train to be their best. Learning someone else’s turn is hard work. If you are the skier in the front, you have to ski a predictable turn that is dynamic, round, and easy to follow. A turn that doesn’t vary all the way down. If you are the skier in the back, you have to do everything you can to move in exact time, making the exact turn, of the skier in front. Both positions take an incredible amount of discipline, attention, and dedication. On the first day of the comp, all the teams of two start on the groomed runs of Heatherbedlam at Highlands. Skiers run through two seeding runs on the groomed terrain. The turns are round mediums, dynamic and fast. The skiing needs to look exciting, fun, and solid in technique. One mistake and the skier off the back is playing catch up. In this incredibly talented field, all it takes is a bobble to lose your spot on the top.After lunch, teams hike up the Highlands bowl, where they ski G8. This portion of the trip can be full of nerves, as the skiers need to conserve energy on the hike, all the while wondering what

the conditions will be like in the bowl that day. In years past snow conditions have ranged from fresh powder to hard-pack moguls. The G8 run can be a full on rodeo ride, and staying in synch with your partner means turning when they turn, keeping your turn shape consistent no matter how gnarly the terrain is. This is one of the reasons that the competition can be so good for your skiing. Aside from needing to ski someone else’s turn, training to make your ski turn when you want it to no matter what the snow is doing under your feet requires you to be in exactly the right place with your body and feet. Not only do you get to get out and play with your friends in the snow, the training and competition are incredible assets to you as a ski instructor! The best part? On the second day of the competition, you head out in the cat on the back of Aspen Mountain and do your final runs in the untracked powder. The last day of the comp is intense, but incredibly fun. After the final runs of the comp are over, everyone gets to freeski off of the snowmobiles in whatever pow is left. Megan and Cindy are both intense competitors, so this is an an avenue for them to be competitive. But, because the Powder 8's brings people from all parts of the industry and country together, it is a really fun social event as well. Megan says they are always meeting new people, making brand new connections and friends for life. Look for Megan and Cindy to jump back into the competition next year, and are hoping to have more women's teams to ski against! Cindy and Megan have also considered moving to the Open division, since they have placed top 3 in those two years as well. Make your plans, grab your partner, and start training for one of the most fun events in skiing. As Dexter Reuteki famously said in Aspen Extreme: You open em, I’ll close em.

2013 ResultsOpen Division

1.Willi Glanznig, Stephen Cieciuch, 121, (Finals Run)

2. Kevin Jordan, Josh Fogg, 120, (Finals Run)

3. Jim Schanzenbaker, Angus Graham, 111, (Consolation Run)

4. Tomas Hernandez, Pablo Hernandez, DNF, (Consolation Run)

5. Nels Hinderlie, Kerry Smith, 92, (Round of 8)

6. Georgina Chapman, Shayne Marion, 89.5, (Round of 8)

7. Brodie Seyferth, Palmer Hoyt, 87, (Round of 8)

8. Tommy Pyatt, Esteban Horecky, 79, (Round of 8)

9. Peter Steiner, Nev Leel, 99

10. Frankie Zampini, Cristina Candido, 88

11. Eric Mogensen, Greg Schmidt, DNF

Women’s Division

1. Barbara Glanznig, Samantha Walls, 115.5, (Finals Run)

2.Megan Harvey, Cindy Leuchtenburg, 111, (Finals Run)

3. Annabel Ottowa, Caitlin Feasey, DNF

ON SNOW PERFORMANCE

GIRL POW (8)

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Invite them Back by Guy DeCarlo

You are just about to end a super lesson with a new guest. You are thinking about how to invite them back. You want the invite to be sincere and not appear to be a sales pitch. What to do? Rewind!

Lets go back to the beginning of the lesson, where the invite can create itself. Did you put forth a warm and cordial greeting? Did you repeat the guests’s name, making them feel welcomed? (And helping you to remember it?)

Establish the building blocks for the relationship from the start and carry these thru the entire day. This is the beginning of your relationship with this guest and is a most important step.

As the lesson unfolds, you go through the process of assessing their needs, establishing their goals, gaining mutual buy in on the direction of today’s lesson, and so on.

As you go through the lesson plan, check for understanding and also check that they can understand where the thing you are teaching them can fit in with the goals and objectives you’ve established for the day.

By incorporating this approach in your lesson you are establishing the basis for the guest to want to return. As a matter of fact don’t be surprised if the guests ask you about the next lesson!

How do you stay in touch?

Consider making a 1/4 page form for them to fill out at lunch. You can write down tips from the lesson in bullet points on the piece they keep, and you can get their email information (which isn’t always easy to find) on the other half.

Then, send your guest an e- mail thanking them for their efforts and highlighting their achievements. Let them know you are looking forward to continuing the ski adventure. This not only communicates your interest in the guests it also provides them with your e-mail address on their computer.

Many pros include a photo of the guest skiing as a reminder of their memorable day. Keep it short and simple as your client is a busy person.

Consider contacting your guests again when the company announces special early season pricing in the fall, around the end of September. Send out a personalized e-mail

to all your clients once there is snow on the high mountains. I usually include a photo of a snowy peak and a brief article or comment on skiing and conditioning.

The key to the communication and relationship building is to be yourself—sincere and caring. Remember, if you did your job it will be evident to your guest that you are the key to their achieving their skiing goals.

MAKE ‘EM RETURN!

Guess who wants to

ski again tomorrow?

Aspen Academy Training News is a publication of your training department by and for the pros of Aspen Snowmass.

Our content is only as good as its contributors, please write and tell us what you want to read!

We did this last season, too! To read Volume 1, Issues 1-6, email [email protected] and we’ll send you the links!

Submissions, photos, inquiries and letters to the editor with Subject: EDITOR to: [email protected]

Jonathan Ballou Kate Howe Emilie Lantelme Training Manager Editor Asst Ed.

Exam Tactics: Ask for What You NeedIts exam time. You are sitting on the chair lift and your teach is coming up. Feel free to look at the other candidates on the chair and tell them, “Hey, guys, I’m going to put my tunes in and kind of zone out over here, hope it doesn’t bother you.” In this way, you are asking for the space you need to set yourself up for success, and taking care of your friends in the exam at the same time. After the pressure is off you, return the favor. When you load the chair, ask if anyone wants to run through anything out loud. Your job is not to change what they are doing, just to listen politely and let them work through it. Hold the space for others as respectfully as you’d like it held for you.