February 2015 Training Update

Thank you for your hard work and exceptional commitment to guest service in the first half of the season! As we ramp up for the World Championships and Presidents’ Day, I’d like to encourage you to take some down time, some time to free ski/ride, and some time to develop your skills with elective training. 

Rocky Mountain Selections for the PSIA Alpine National Team

Last week PSIA-AASI Rocky Mountain began the process of selecting an Alpine Regional Team to represent our division at the 2016 National Team tryouts. Please join us in congratulating Vail and Beaver Creek instructors Adam Beaulieu, AJ Jones, Alex Darbut (Darby), Boomer Devlin, Chris Caruso, David Oliver, Francis Do, Kolby Knox, and Simon Marsh for making it through the first round of the selection process.

We’d also like to thank the training team, specifically Mike Porter, Joe Webster, Todd Metz, Jenn Metz, and Gates Lloyd, who were instrumental in preparing the candidates here at Vail for this process.  Without their depth of knowledge, experience and mentorship, this school would not be nearly as capable of putting our instructors in a position to perform at the highest levels of our industry.

While these nine instructors turn their focus to the second round of tryouts in April, we invite you to look forward another 4 years, and for those of you who have the passion, desire, and drive: training for the 2020 National Team tryouts starts now, and we have lots of training available to help you get there!

Elective Training

Check out the new elective training options loaded into the schedule, including Bump Camp (Feb 8-9), Women’s Ski Camp (Feb 10-11), High Heels Challenge @ BC (Feb 22), Hidden Frontside, Alpine to Snowboard Crossover, Orange Park Pass clinics, freestyle training, and morning milk runs almost every day!

Park Pass Update

I know there has been a lack of clarity around the park passes this season. We’re working with our sister resorts to make the park pass program consistent and easier to understand. Here’s how things look for this season:

The Orange Park Safety Pass is a “coaching-only” park pass. Instructors with Orange Park Passes are allowed to take students into small parks or designated small features and provide coaching and instruction without demonstration. Instructors with Orange Park Passes are not permitted to ski or ride over terrain park features during the lesson, with the exception of the mini-pipe and “family fun cross” features. You can obtain an Orange Park Safety Pass by attending an Orange Park Safety Verification Clinic.

The Green Park Pass is a small park and half-pipe instruction pass. Instructors with Green Park Passes are allowed to take students into small parks, designated small features, and half-pipes and provide coaching and instruction with demonstration. Instructors with Green Park Passes are not permitted to ski or ride over medium or larger terrain park features during the lesson, with the exception of half-pipe.

Alpine instructors may obtain a Green Park Pass by achieving PSIA Alpine Freestyle Specialist 1 or attending a Green Park Pass Verification Clinic. Snowboard instructors may obtain a Green Park Pass by achieving AASI Snowboard Level 1 Certification or above and completing the Vail Orange Park Safety Verification Clinic.

The Blue Park Pass is a medium park instruction pass. Instructors with Blue Park Passes are allowed to take students into medium parks, designated medium features, and half-pipes and provide coaching and instruction with demonstration. Instructors with Blue Park Passes are not permitted to ski or ride over large terrain park features during the lesson with the exception of half-pipe.

The blue park pass may be obtained by achieving PSIA Alpine Freestyle Specialist 2 or above, AASI Snowboard Freestyle Specialist 2 or above, being an active PSIA or AASI Examiner or PSIA-AASI National Team member, or by extensive competitive background at a USSA or FIS level approved by the Manager of Training or a General Manager.

Training Feedback

Don’t forget to fill out training feedback for the clinics you attend! Your responses are a critical factor in our planning for next season.  http://www.vailsnowpros.com/training/training-feedback/