Alpine – Alpine Level 1 Exam
What: The Level 1 exam is designed as the first step in the certification process. The weekend gives instructors an opportunity to have their skiing, teaching and technical skills evaluated against PSIA National Standards for Level 1 certification. The candidate will receive a written evaluation at the end of the weekend.
Why: The Level I exam gives the candidate an opportunity to learn collaboratively with the PSIA C education staff as well as other candidates. The Level I exam is the beginning step in the exam process for instructors who wish to expand their teaching careers. The candidate has the opportunity to enhance their teaching, skiing, and technical skills.
How: The exam consists of two days. Day 1 consists of a clinic lead by an education staff member to demonstrate teaching skills for beginning skiers using the Y-Model and skiing skills from first turns to basic parallel. Day 2 is an exam based on the format learned in day one. In Day 2 an education staff member will evaluate the candidates skiing skills, teaching skills and technical skills against PSIA National Standards for Level 1.
*All Written Exams & E-learning Courses must be taken online prior to registering for the on-snow portion of the exam. To take your written exam please click here.
Alpine – Alpine Level 2 SKI Exam Module
What: The Level 2 Ski exam is designed as the second step in the certification process. The 1-day event gives instructors an opportunity to demonstrate their grasp of the 5-fundamentals and utilization of skill blending relative to the PSIA National Standards for Level 2 Certified Instructors. Candidates will perform tasks intended to highlight individual fundamentals, along with those that test the ability to adjust ski and body performance to suit a variety of situations. Candidates will perform demonstration tasks representing various stepping stones within the Intermediate Zone. The candidate will receive a written evaluation at the end of the day.
Why: The Level 2 Ski exam gives the candidate an opportunity to see, show, and share movements with the PSIA C education staff as well as other candidates. The Level 2 Ski exam is the next step after Level 1 in the exam process for instructors who wish to expand their teaching careers. The candidate has the opportunity to enhance their teaching, skiing and technical skills at a higher level.
How: The Ski exam consists of a single day with a pair of examiners and a group of participants. The candidates Skiing, Demonstration, and Decision Making is evaluated relative to PSIA national standards for Level 2. The skiing portion will be an evaluation of contemporary skiing ability and the application of skiing skills throughout different movement pools. Candidates who are successful at their Skiing Exam Module retain the modular pass so long as they remain current in dues and education. The Ski and Teach Modules may be taken in any order, however, All Alpine Written Exams & E-learning Courses must be taken online prior to registering for the on-snow portion of the exam. To take your written exam please click here.
Alpine – Alpine Level 2 TEACH Exam Module
What: The Level 2 Teach exam is designed as the second step in the certification process. The 1-day event gives instructors an opportunity to demonstrate their teaching, technical, and demonstration abilities relative to the PSIA National Standards for Level 2 Certification. Candidates will evaluate a student with a given profile, developing and presenting a lesson plan suitable for that student.
Criteria for evaluation includes the suitability of the exercises, task explanation and application, accuracy of demonstrations, participant feedback, and a post-teach review. The candidate will receive a written evaluation at the end of the day.
Why: The Level 2 Ski exam gives the candidate an opportunity to see, show, and share movements with the PSIA C education staff as well as other candidates. The Level 2 Teach exam module is the next step after Level 1 in the exam process for instructors who wish to expand their teaching careers. The candidate has the opportunity to enhance their teaching, skiing and technical skills at a higher level.
How: The Teach exam consists of a single day with a pair of examiners and a group of participants. The candidates ability to assess the student, develop a lesson plan that integrates the students profile, present via the teaching model, and discuss their teaching decisions relative to the PSIA national standards for Level 2. Candidates who are successful at their Teaching Exam Module retain the modular pass so long as they remain current in dues and education. Ski and Tech Modules may be taken in any order, however, All Alpine Written Exams & E-learning Courses must be taken online prior to registering for the on-snow portion of the exam. To take your written exam please click here.
Alpine – Alpine Level 3 SKI Exam Module
What: The Level 3 Ski exam is designed as the third step in the certification process. The 1-day event gives instructors an opportunity to demonstrate their grasp of the 5-fundamentals and utilization of skill blending relative to the PSIA National Standards for Level 3 Certified Instructors. Candidates will perform tasks intended to highlight individual fundamentals, along with those that test the ability to adjust ski and body performance to suit a variety of situations. Candidates will perform demonstration tasks representing various stepping stones within the Advanced Zone. The candidate will receive a written evaluation at the end of the day.
Why: The Level 3 Ski exam gives the candidate an opportunity to see, show, and share movements with the PSIA C education staff as well as other candidates. The Level 3 Ski exam is the next step after Level 2 in the exam process for instructors who wish to expand their teaching careers. The candidate has the opportunity to enhance their teaching, skiing and technical skills at a higher level.
How: The Ski exam consists of a single day with a pair of examiners and a group of participants. The candidates Skiing, Demonstration, and Decision Making is evaluated relative to PSIA national standards for Level 3. The skiing portion will be an evaluation of contemporary skiing ability and the application of skiing skills throughout different movement pools. Candidates who are successful at their Skiing Exam Module retain the modular pass so long as they remain current in dues and education. The Ski and Teach Modules may be taken in any order; however, All Alpine Written Exams & E-learning Courses must be taken online prior to registering for the on-snow portion of the exam. To take your written exam please click here.
Alpine – Alpine Level 3 TEACH Exam Module
What: The Level 3 Teach exam is designed as the second step in the certification process. The 1-day event gives instructors an opportunity to demonstrate their teaching, technical, and demonstration abilities relative to the PSIA National Standards for Level 3 Certification. Candidates will evaluate their peers, developing and presenting a clinic plan suitable for that group, or related to a specific task, drill or exercise.
Criteria for evaluation include the suitability of the exercises, task explanation and application, accuracy of demonstrations, participant feedback, and a post-teach review. The candidate will receive a written evaluation at the end of the day.
Why: The Level 3 Ski exam gives the candidate an opportunity to see, show, and share movements with the PSIA C education staff as well as other candidates. The Level 3 Teach exam module is the next step after Level 2 in the exam process for instructors who wish to expand their teaching careers. The candidate has the opportunity to enhance their teaching, skiing and technical skills at a higher level.
How: The Teach exam consists of a single day with a pair of examiners and a group of participants. The candidates’ ability to assess the student, develop a lesson plan that integrates the students profile, present via the teaching model, and discuss their teaching decisions relative to the PSIA national standards for Level 3. Candidates who are successful at their Teaching Exam Module retain the modular pass so long as they remain current in dues and education. Ski and Tech Modules may be taken in any order, however, All Alpine Written Exams & E-learning Courses must be taken online prior to registering for the on-snow portion of the exam. To take your written exam please click here.
Education Update Courses
Alpine – Skate-to-Ski
Dust off those Rollerblades, ‘cause we’re giving them a comeback. In our Skate-to-Ski Clinic, we’re going to revisit the powerful lessons 8 wheels have to offer. You’ll sense the relationship between “grip” and “rotary force”, explore the whole range of “counter” vs. “rotation”, and leave with a clear understanding of how “Rotational Separation” can improve your skiing. You’ll have fun, and will remember why Rollerblades were such a hit in the 80’s!
Alpine – Teaching Great Teaching
The “Teaching Great Teaching” event will offer the latest information and techniques regarding teaching, coming out of PSIA National. Whether you are preparing for an exam or want to deepen your teaching skill to become a more current, higher quality instructor, this clinic will help any Central Division level I, II, or III certified instructors.
WHO: Any Central Division certified level I, II, or III instructors looking to strengthen their knowledge and techniques in teaching. This event can be a great clinic for on-hill teaching exam preparation.
WHAT: The “Teaching Great Teaching” clinic is a two-day event that starts with movement analysis (based on the MODDS model) and moves into building an appropriate and exciting lesson plan based on the Five Fundamentals, the Teaching Model, the Learning Connection, and producing effective progressions.
WHY: We can all become better teachers, whether it is in the “real” environment of our everyday lessons, or in the pressure cooker of the exam environment. This clinic will provide the most up to date tools to improve your teaching.
Alpine – Skiing Fundamentals
Participants will isolate and explore the skiing fundamentals. This offering will help you to understand skills, movements, biomechanics, and how they apply to skiers through the Intermediate Zone. Some exercises may include: skiing a variety of turn shapes, carving on groomed terrain, and short dynamic turns on steeper terrain. Participants will discover ways to lead, manage and inspire students to become better skiers. Group leaders will demonstrate varied approaches for the establishment of an optimal learning environment, and achieving student goals.
What: At the conclusion of this course, the participant will be able to reference elements of the 5 fundamentals relative to the skills concept, as applied to skiers in the intermediate zone.
Why: The Alpine Skills Concept has long served as a reference tool for movements in skiing. The 5 Fundamentals serve as a rubric for application of skills. Instructors who understand the interaction of both concepts has the framework for successful outcomes.
How: Discussions regarding the fundamentals and skills will be interspersed throughout the two days. All “Skier Update” courses are activity based, employing the P.D.A.S. (play-drill-adventure-summary) model.
Alpine – Experienced Instructor Experience
The Experienced Instructor Group is designed for more senior instructors who wish to ski at a slower pace. Challenging terrain and conditions will be approached more cautiously and explored with deference to age and ability. Topics for discussion will be decided by group consensus at the outset of the event.
What: At the conclusion of this course, participants will have been introduced to contemporary concepts and dialogues in ski instruction.
Why: Experienced instructors often have well-entrenched tools and bring a wealth of tacit knowledge to discussions. This course is designed to remind and inform even the most senior of instructors.
How: Exploration, discussion, debate.
Alpine- Performance Skiing
This offering is a great opportunity for experienced instructors to work collaboratively with each other, exploring the skiing fundamentals in applied situations. During this course, the group will learn to make situational changes to edging, rotary, balance and pressure movements. Participants will leave with a further understanding of the skiing fundamentals in respect to tactics and terrain, body movements and ski performance.
What: In this course, participants will explore dynamic skiing. They will factor for outside forces and variations in terrain, applying appropriate skill blends and maintaining the 5 fundamentals in order to ensure optimal ski and body performance.
Why: High-level skiing is both fun and exciting- the creation and execution of which is both an art and a science, with a foundation in technique and understanding.
How: Situational skiing- clinic leaders will seek out opportunities to change-up the skill blend to challenge participant’s abilities and concepts.
Alpine – Movement Analysis and Progression Building
This module is for all instructors, at all levels, wishing to explore skiing movements and how to use those observations to build lesson plans. We strongly suggest taking this module prior to any on hill exam module.
Why: Being able to observe movements in skiing, understand their cause and effect, and build effective learning outcomes, is critical to skiing development and continuing to foster and excitement for ski learning and growth.
What: This module will work to develop a simple movement analysis tool to help participants learn how to look at turns, what they should be looking for at different phases of the turn, and how to effectively communicate what they see. Participants will work in small groups to practice observing each other’s skiing, give and receive
feedback, and utilize that feedback to build progressions based on the Five Fundamentals of Skiing.
How: This course will blend indoor video segments with on hill work including observing fellow participants movements, exploring their own movements, and developing real life, real time, progressions to foster performance growth. The participants will experience a variety of turn shapes and skiing tasks to best develop their skill sets and accurately create change with skiers.
Alpine – Task Masters
This event is open to current Level 1 or Level 2 with aspirations for higher certification. Current Level 3 are welcome too especially if they are working as a trainer in their home area or if they are looking for a way to keep up with their skills.
(When numbers permit groups can be split between current levels of cert or into more advanced/ less advanced abilities.)
What: Participants will have an opportunity to learn about, practice and perform tasks (benchmarks) in a controlled environment under the guidance of current examiners. The course is designed as a type of exam prep but not the only method for doing so. In this event, the focus will be on tasks, the necessary movements to perform tasks and the understanding of how those movements apply to everyday skiing.
Why: Although not scored directly, task skiing is a part of all Central Division exams. Understanding how to perform them, how the movements of a given task fit into contemporary skiing, where tasks should be practiced and performed and how to develop skills in one’s personal skiing will lend itself to better performances in exams and more effective skiing in general
How: Starting with basic movements for each benchmark and increasing in difficulty in a "task-chain" format, participants will develop an understanding of the mechanics required to accurately ski each task and understand how/why such activities are building blocks for efficient skiing
Alpine – Race Clinics
What: This course is for coaches at the High School and ski school race team level (fundamentals of course setting, drills and movement analysis in a race course); for instructors who wish to work on their skiing skills in a race course (skills and tactics for lowering those FIS points, or improving those Masters or Nastar results); and for instructors looking to develop and refine their skills in working with children (movement analysis skills, working the ATS model, and more). The Staff leading this course will take the time to establish goals and meet the needs of each participant, regardless of which option they are interested in.
Why: Whether you are wanting to learn about coaching or are an experienced race coach at the High School/ Ski school race program level, these clinics provide a great opportunity to work with a PSIA education staff members and other coaches to work on the fundamentals of ski race coaching.
How: Course setting appropriate for the clients; drills, video and movement analysis. A typical weekend will consist of one day of Slalom and one day of Giant Slalom. Coaches should bring shin guards, pole guards and a helmet/goggles to run gates. Course difficulty will depend on the ability of the skiers in the group.
Alpine – Women`s Camp/D-Team
What: Two days of ski improvement lead with other female instructors. This group is led by current or past female members of the PSIA Alpine Team.
Why: A chance to train in a unique all-female clinic environment with group leaders considered to be among the best in the nation.
How: Sign up, join a diverse group of other women, and collaborate to have a great two days of training together.
Alpine – Mini Academy (Alpine)
What: An amazing event put on by PSIA National Team Members.
Why: Many participants consider the Mini Academy the best event in PSIA-C. A great bang for your buck, if you are looking to improve your ski technique.
How: Alpine Team Members are the best of the best in PSIA. They go through rigorous training to get to be a PSIA Team Member. Because of their training, the feedback you will get is spot on.
Alpine – Spring Rally (Alpine)
What: Spring Rally – Skiing or Boarding with other PSIA-AASI Central members conducted by Central Division Ed Staff.
Why: To end a really great season with fellow Central Division members.
How: Just sign-up and come.
Alpine – Video Analysis Workshop
What: The Two-Day Video Analysis Workshop is a course designed to help the participants learn to do movement analysis thru the use of video.
Why: Using standard video capture AND specialized slow motion video capture, participants will be able to SEE what they FEEL to develop a clear understanding of how their movements produce specific outcomes in the snow. You will be able to compare your own performance with others in the group to gain a deeper understanding of fundamental movements.
How: During indoor breaks, you will analyze video of your and others’ skiing to establish accurate cause and effect relationships in skier movements. Participants will receive a private link to their video files on the PSIA-C video website or a flash drive, following the conclusion of the event, and a personalized plan for improvement.
