Dave ESPI Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 After 15 years of riding snowboards, and taught thousands of people in the past 10 years, I decided I needed to see what this AASI PSIA stuff is all about. I find it rather annoying that “Skier Association” are telling snowboarders how to teach, but perhaps someday Professional “Ski” Instructors of America will change to “Snowsports” in their name, but I’ll hold my breath on that one. I signed up to do the AASI level 1 exam back in November and wanted to take it at my home mountain (Jiminy peak, but due to lack of people, they canceled it in January. Being that I presently don’t drive a car, Logistics to get to farther away locations would become a hassle for a weekend of training. I opted to do Bousquet Mountain as I’d like to do things at places I’m familiar with the topography and don’t have to worry so much about looking out for the unknown turns, drops, rocks, ledges and anything other than just the normal trail riding encounters. The snow was nice and firm with a boilerplate core under it for the morning as it got cold Friday Night. It was a tad marbles and death cookies in a few places, so I just rode very neutral (this came back to haunt me a bit in review). It softened up and really turned out to be a beautiful 58 degree bluebird day. There was 9 of us for the snowboard Level 1 exam. Having ridden many years in soft boots, I felt the level 1 exam would be far too easy for me to ace, so I decided I needed to challenge myself a bit. I brought my 152 Rozzi with RS HC4000 bindings and Airwalk ADVANTAGE softboots that I’ve always ridden since day one, and my newest addition to my quiver this season the Airwalk Force 167 BX carver with my Head Stratos Pros and Bomber bails. I was the only hardbooter, and it kinda shocked a few people when I walked up in hardboots. The Examiner (Josh) mentioned how back in the day when all this aasi began, everyone was doing it in hardboots as the scene was drastically different, and he had never had anyone come to a level 1 in hardboots, so wanted to see how it would correspond to it being a challenge to the group to teach each other and still see how it is the techniques, concepts and “core values” that are universal despite equipment in snowboarding. We rode around, did some exercises on the snow, worked on movements, and different turns and stops, then progressed into body position and tilting on edge and C.O.G. and mass and speed and all sorts of stuff. I was dying to just cut loose and rip some massive turns on the plush snow on the trail called “GRAND” as it is one of my fave trails with a steady pitch and nice wide and flat. I think he could see it in my eyes at one moment as a bunch of the other kids were talking and throwing down 360s and stuff off of some hits for fun, and While I got a bit of air, I really just wanted to go lay massive trenches, and see if they could keep up with something that I figure 7 of them (minus the examiner and myself) have never really ever done or tried. I got my chance the next run, and it was glorious. At one point there was an entire chairlift full of PSIA skiers watching us (as the 9 of us were the ONLY snowboarders on the hill) and we were coming down in a big snake with me in the lead. I caught a glimpse at a few of them clapping and giving big thumbs up as I was ripping a full tuck at about 40 mph down and dropping a huge toe side to a perfect heelside and back to toeside and heelside again, then did some triple turns with cross-undercross then extension/ retraction all while being about 8 inches high off the snow…. With everyone else in tow following suit. Up till that point I had not really shown off or amped up any “skill” or prowess other than doing the same maneuvers and basic lesson plan items to satisfaction. I definitely know I opened the eyes of a few people with that moment of riding, and later when I rode switch for half a trail too and was doing nose presses and butters with them in a “Boned-out 180” as the one instructor was calling it and riding switch (which someone actually impressed ME by noting it “true fakie”) as I was backwards and facing uphill. The second day we ran a mock lesson with all of us taking a segment of it, and the rest of us were “typical 12 year olds” as students. It was fun to mess with each other and try to trip them up and replicate the same things students say and beginners and how they just don’t do what you want them to do, and need to actually instruct and get concepts across to them. He split us all up into partners and after assessing our skill and knowledge from the first day, he had us arranged to teach a basic beginner progressive lesson. Myself and this guy James were last as we clearly had the most experience and diversity in skills. We discussed the Dynamic turns and how the “SHUSSHHH” sound that disappears in a carved turn that used all the body motions and amped up the angles of attack and traversing to the extreme. I explained it, and while a bit too “wordy” and demonstrating the body movements and why we do it, they caught it, and there definitely is a few riders now who really want to try it and one kid after it was all done on Sunday even changed his soft boot stance to full aggressive and said it was vastly different but felt “cool as hell”. After we did that, the Examiner went off to tally up our ratings and such, and we all went off to ride and talk about it. We had a blast in soft snow and OMG fresh Flurries falling from the sky with the sun out too! I rode thru the park and missed every single feature (hahah) but there was some really nice deep turns rouning around them; except the spine at the end where I pulled a really sweet lookin’ slash with big heelside snow spray as an homage to Craig Kelly, and rolled down and out with a flat-spin 360 into a fakie 180 to the exit of the park and then went to the base lodge to grab some grub and wait for results and certificates. I got a lot of good feedback from everyone and gave a lot as well. I helped improve other peoples teaching techniques and trouble shot a few issues with ride style as well so it was good. I got some feedback also, and while everyone has their weaknesses, and due to the Examiners lack of experience with a carve board, or really seeing the body movements, he could really only comment on the fact I was “Bowing the board with decaimber and not using enough forward / backward to the tips motion” with my body. I said yeah I could totally see how he would not see that as while riding in chop and slush and heavy snow I tend to ride “safe” with N.B.P. (thankyou No-Fall-Snowboarding -book) and really do not want to stuff n’ bury the nose and throw a commando roll with fears of a tib-fib break. I then explained how it worked a bit differently on a carver and he fully understood how the body and feet motions are not as obviously independent due to the fact that they are long and gradual as opposed to quick like they were in the snap turns and triple turns and short radius turns in the flats and transition zones. He was however very impressed with my control and lack of fear up on edge over ice. We had debated what was faster, a board riding flat on the base or one up on edge. I wanted to put it to the test, and didn’t get the opportunity due to snow conditions being super slow and loaded with cat-grease and exhaust dirt. We decided to exchange #s and he was definitely interested in riding in hardboots in the future (told him about Starting gate and Bomberonline of course) and there was an examiner he is friends with who does hardboots, and said we all could go ride sometime soon. Level 1 accomplished- with high marks. Stoked! *more pix later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Woot! Congratulations Dave! Thanks for taking the time to write out the blow-by-blow. It's great that the examiner gave you tips on improving skiddability. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loc Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Good job man! I like the story telling, can't wait to see the pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Dan, I chuckled at that comment also ! Skidding is hard on a board that really wants to bite a turn, plus it goes against every fiber of muscle memory I have in my legs while on the carver, but the beautiful thing about the Airwalk board is it really does allow for the back edge to be broken loose from an engaged turn, and let it slide out. Unfortunately, that can work against me also through chop and where the slush slides off the hard undercrust with my weight offset from the board (ends up in a wet ass slide, or mouthfull of unflavored snocone). Was still very fun :) sooooo apparently I got some water in my camera lense and some the pics didnt turn out, but her eis some of what I have.... Some snow shots, "Find the carver" in the "Wheres waldo" sort of the way.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 a few more snow shots.. There was a lot of grease mixed in with it. I heard "Skin so soft" works well ant removing it from the board surfaces, anyone have other remedies becides Base cleaner? thanks. I redialed my angles a bit and am at 60 front 62 rear. It felt a lot more comfortable on the heelside this way as I was having problems a few weeks ago with trying to ride the carver like it was a softboot board, and was shofing my hips forward rather than tucking them under me on the left turns. I even pulled a nice 360 at the bottom but had to finish it with buttering on the tail a bit but was still cool to make it all the way around :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alpinegirl Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 so i take it that no one ever mentioned that you should absolutely exaggerate moving your C.O.M. tip to tail while doing short radius dynamic skidded turned (aka the skill blend standard through level 2) to such a degree that even the examiners whose heads are shoved far up their own rear ends will see it? Kudos! when i started AASI stuff I was fortunate enough to have Tom Vickery as an examiner. I find that in the east, half the examiners/clinicianers are okay and really have a good understanding/command of the info they're working with such that they listen well and consider what's going on before they respond, hence they are a treat to work with, while the other half are all close-minded twerps (i used to ride hardboots, 20 years ago....). it sounds like your examiner expressed his observations and LISTENED to your feedback and considered it as opposed to dismissing it. so very cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 Alpinegirl, yeah, I was actualy imressed with him. He was laidback, obviously a park/pipe guy, but he was structured in what he was teaching us and talking about different aspects of the AASI learning methods. WHile I had never read any the AASI manuals, I picked up a copy of the "Instructors Handbook" and flipped thru it for an hour the night before. I was familliar with a lot of the things it was showing me, and most of it I actualy already knew somehow just thru years of riding and talking wth people and teaching, but was nice to see them with actual diagrams and phrases and acronyms that I could drop into my lessons or when he was talking about such in the "Pro knowledge" areas of the discussionns when we would stop on the trails. The cool part is he understood everyopne teaches slightly different, and just told us all to run with it, and do what was natural as we were teaching people from any given sunday. Josh was definatley a good rider, and passed along good tips while riding..... he wiped out HARD once and we all saw it and thought for sure he was busted as he caught an edge dilly-dallying in the mashed potatoes, but he got up and was ok. We all laughed about it as all of us were "wearing" the snow thruout the day at somepoint. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tex1230 Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 There was a lot of grease mixed in with it. I heard "Skin so soft" works well ant removing it from the board surfaces, anyone have other remedies becides Base cleaner? stay away from base cleaner. Just do a couple of hot scrapes with softer wax. it should pull all the crap out of the base. Nice write-up. I'm so glad I never had to deal with the PSIA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 here is the pic I was hoping I had...... it was still in my cell phone. I think I used the "park feature" the wrong way..... :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted March 23, 2009 Report Share Posted March 23, 2009 ... It sure is cool when you get an evaluator with some common sense. I don't think we've had anyone sit a level 1 CASI in HB's since BlueB. What a legend! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomoto Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Cool story! I bet if you had actually read that stupid manual you would have scored higher on your teaching! :) (Just messing with you. lol) I had a similar experience when I did the PSIA thing on skis about 10 years ago. I had to learn how to dial back my skiing. They wanted me to skid!! I was like "I just spent the last 10 years trying to figure out how to carve these things and now you want me to skid!?!" lol Really, it did make me a better skier and expanded my skill set. By time I did my level 2 I was really making huge strides with all of my skills. Some of the low level movements required such fine motor skills that it was much more difficult than just ripping down the hill. I swear, doing a perfect PISA level III wedge Christie is every bit as difficult as laying out a perfect double carved turn. Honestly, the Wedge Christie would be harder for me to do these days. The biggest thing that I gained was learning how to teach. Mainly being able to adjust my teaching methods to different leaning styles. I got out of the racket before I took any board exams, but the teaching methods worked equally well on the boards or skis. Heck, even my basic lesson plan for beginners and intermediates were very similar for both skiing and snowboarding. Even though I wasn't totally into the whole PSIA thing I really did learn a lot more that I though I could and it was a positive experience. I just hung it up because I found it to be too expensive and a little too political at Level III and above. My ego didn't need to stroked like a lot of these guys. Once the egos got bigger, I just didn't enjoy that environment. I guess I'm just not that competitive. Level I and especially Level II were a blast though. Sometimes I wish I would have pushed harder because it would have been fun working with people at a higher level. Teaching beginner and intermediates got old and I just quite. To this day I want to grab some of the better skiers at my area and share some stuff I've recently learned just to see if it works for them. But now I'm mostly just teaching my kids now. Back to the beginner/intermediate routines. lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ohiomoto Posted March 24, 2009 Report Share Posted March 24, 2009 Whao!! Sorry about the book I just wrote. I guess I still have some instructor in me and you brought back some good memories. Thanks! :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Dahl Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Glad to see the little Airwalk come through for you! I liked the one I started out on, have fond memories of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlueB Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 You rock! I don't think we've had anyone sit a level 1 CASI in HB's since BlueB. What a legend! Just getting ready to do the L2 on HBs, if I can get into upcoming Cypress session. I've kinda screwed up the registration :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Next stop;Freestyle Accred;plates on a freestyle board of course:) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 Next stop;Freestyle Accred;plates on a freestyle board of course:) Why not just rock the race board? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b0ardski Posted March 25, 2009 Report Share Posted March 25, 2009 freestyle requires switch, I think Steve, who does ride race boards in the park, was wishing his new G-force had some tail while pulling 3's off the cornice into mashed potato bumps on the face of Schwietzer sun.:eek:square tails give a different meaning to "stickin the 5" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Congrats man! Way to go! It's not easy....sometimes....to get thru if you're "unconventional" and have skills, looks like you played things well and got the job done. Excellent. I have to say, I've had some AASA leanings myself. I'm a PSIA III but "retired" a few years ago and picked up alpine carving 3 years ago. My last day of the year on Saturday it was like "I sure would like to share this with other people". Plus my race camp CE with no timer is really starting to piss me off! I mean, it's a race camp, we have a d-team guy here, let's fire up the timer FFS! And we need to take our event every 2 years anyway so why not just go for level I AASA? You're writeup has only encouraged me! But I don't really want to teach on a "regular basis", my question is...can I study the manuals and....without teaching a lesson....get thru level I? What do you think? I can get the ski school endorsement no problemo. Long term I have visions of an alpine leg of AASA. It might be a hallucination. But alpine riding is so unbelievably cool I have to think that people would be interested in learning how to do it. And you can't do it from the outside, it kinda has to come from within. Congrats again, I hope this is just the beginning for you :) Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 Skiguy, You need a ski-school or snowsports director to sign off on you to take the course. You don't have to teach much. Be a part timer and do a minimum of hours at your local mountian, and sign up early for the PSIA membership and AASI event. You do need at least 20 hours teaching, but with a strong history in ski PSIA in sure you can pull strings and make that happen. It indeed as a good challenge to do in HB and alpine set up, but It is far more rewarding to know I didnt take the "easy route", and actualy made level one a lot tougher than it needed to be. If you are a good skier and have taught others, chances are you really do not need any AASI handbooks to make you any better, but they will however provide the proper structure and phrases and terms you need to be sucessfull with what they are looking for. You already know how the snowboard works (anyone on hardboots damn well better!) and how to ride at a "beginner and basic level ( hopefully more !) so It would not be difficult. You can also purchase or borrow AASI books from your local PSIA or other members. Its a good manual, but again, from years of being around and actualy paying atention to other people, I knew 98% of the stuff already. It actualy amazed and shocked me how much I already knew. Contact your local branch of PSIA/AASI or some of your local mountain instructors, Im sure someone has a book they would let you read :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fastskiguy Posted March 26, 2009 Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 You do need at least 20 hours teaching, but with a strong history in ski PSIA in sure you can pull strings and make that happen. OK, 20 hours of teaching and a sign off, got it. We need CE and my theory is that it's more fun and almost as easy to get level I snowboard as it is to do any other CE event. I was really thinking I'd blend in as much as possible. But maybe the alpine setup would be more funner, have to think about it. Thanks for the info :) and it's FASTskiguy. Don't forget the FAST part LOL! Joe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave ESPI Posted March 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2009 and it's FASTskiguy. Don't forget the FAST part LOL! Joe FAST is a reletive term..... since you ski, I'll asume its how you go DOWN the hill..... now try going across it ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.