Big Clinic Today

I led a clinic today with about a dozen other instructors. The focus was on the PSIA milestone called basic parallel turn. Just in case you don't know the milestones, they are wedge, wedge cristi, basic parallel turn, and dynamic paralell turn. It was very obvious to me that we can focus on a specific manuver and do movement analysis for that particular manuver to determine specific needs of individual skiers. This would be true for any of the four basic milestone manuvers. Reinforced to me was the fact that how someone is able to perform any of these manuvers will show movement patterns that help or hinder their overall skiing. These four manuvers display the appropriate combination of skills necessary to perform the maunver which display and show a mastery of the necessary skills for great skiing at any level.

At first is was a little intimidating to have a dozen other instructors, and my supervisor, as well as a couple of other upper level instructors watching my performance. I think I was able to keep the clinic on task and I hope everyone got at least one thing that could understand to improve their skiiing over all. 

I think the single most important movement, as a group, was to improve/enhance ankle flexion, both flexed and extended (some were levered on the front of their boots, others didn't flex at all). The other most important element was to get them to slow down. The Basic Parallel turn needs to be demonstrated to students like you want them to do it. Once we slowed everyone down we were more able to see the movement patterns and turning mechanisms they were using and thus give them constructive feedback on how to improve their overall skiing.

Lots of Lessons

Mostly I've been getting private lessons this year. I'm almost up to 25 hours worth of request privates. After 25 hours I'll get a significant pay increase. Most of my request privates are coming from relationships that I've developed in past years. People from Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and lots of locals are requesting me. They're actually remembering me and asking for me. I'm like the second most requested instructor at Monarch. The person with the most requests is trolling the lobby and pretensiously helping people decide what kind of lesson to take. He also works in the Children's Center which helps a lot in getting requests. So I feel like I'm not doing too bad considering I don't teach CC nor do I troll the lobbys.

The people who are taking request lessons from me are people that I'vd developed a relationship with, in lessons, in the past. I think they feel like they know me and want me back. I work hard at developing relationships with people. The best lessons are when I really understand their motivations and then work hard to help them reach their goals.

Tiger Sharks

Sorry I've been so busy teaching and skiing that it is hard to find time to sit and blog. Monarch has been great this year. The snow is awesome, from powder to beautiful packed powder bumps. It's all good.

 

I got some new skis that I really couldn't afford. But hey, the ski shop, Mountain Sports Haus, let me have a payment plan. At first I didn't like these Volkl Tiger Shark Power Swtich skis. But after skiing on them for a little while, I am so turned on by them. They do what ever I want them to do when ever I want them to do it. If I want to hold an edge, they are like so totally holding, if I want to skid around they're okay with that too. The reviews say that are not so great in the powder, but I've been having a great time with 'em there. That's probably because there are skis out there now (like the Volkl Mantras that I want bad) that are specifically for powder. I'm still gonna try to get a pair of Mantras to use on the Snow Cat, but these Tiger Sharks are like so awesome. As an all mountain ski for an instructor, I don't think you can do any better.