Atom Ant Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 (edited) Hey all, I thought I would leverage this forums collective experience and wisdom by asking for recommendations on how to train for GS racing next year. A little background: I am 28 years old and am a lightly competitive racer with three years of experience but 16 years of snowboarding (including BX racing) experience. I am a quick learner and am easily coach able, and am a very good snowboarder generally. I now have no place to train--not even Nastar, as it is no longer present at any of the resorts on my season pass (the New England pass: Loon Mtn, Sunday River and Sugarloaf pass). I am seeking advice on how to continue to train for GS snowboarding, which I wish to do because I enjoy hitting gates. Not looking to start FIS or World Cup. I am looking to have fun. My two current ideas: 1) Get the Okemo, Stratton Sunapee pass next year, as Okemo has NASTAR and, from what I understand occasionally sets snowboard gates. Also I think multiple racers practice on NASTAR here, but I could be wrong. Possible to meet up with other riders at either Stratton or Okemo. 2) Coach/instruct: I am definitely not qualified to coach experienced or novice racers, however I am a good coach when it comes to form-fundamentals, advanced riding techniques, and basic race course approach/strategy--so a "carving" coach. This probably is of use to 98% of those looking for snowboard lessons, who are mostly non-carving soft booters. If a mountain was to take me on as the "carving coach", we could set stubby courses which of course I could hit--this would be for fun for both me and the instructed. This would also be the least expensive option, although the most limiting one (no more free weekends, etc...). I have been an instructor in the past, non-certified. I would greatly appreciate comments, suggestions and new ideas should anyone have any. Thanks everyone. Edited February 12, 2013 by Atom Ant clarity issues in initial post Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingCrimson Posted February 11, 2013 Report Share Posted February 11, 2013 (edited) Definitely get into coaching. I couldnt take the time to enter races this year or travel around racing, but im very passionate about the sport and wanted to stay involved and take advantage of the chance to give back. I helped coach Mammoth High School 3 hours a day 3 days a week. I loved it, and I learned so much from it. It was very stimulating and fun to work with the same handful of riders each session. You really develop a sense of what works with every individual kid. My personal thoughts too.. I dont mean do paid instructing or coaching. I like to be personally invested in it for what it is, not for money. As everyone can relate to I already trade 50 hours a week for money, may as well do something for fun when im free. Its way more fun than the paid instructor route IMO. And really the best way to start is to find a riding buddy who wants to race with you and do chalk Gs courses until the resort tells you not to. Always easier to ask for forgiveness. Also, you mentioned you did NorAm freestyle in another thread right? do you have connections through fellow athletes to coaches and programs you could help out on the alpine/bx side? I know a lot of usasa centered teams often only really have freestyle coaches. Edited February 11, 2013 by KingCrimson Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Collins27 Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I just have a couple of questions, Do you have any experience setting gates? and where do you race out of? I tried searching online for some results however i could not find any. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atom Ant Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) I have no experience setting gates; I imagine myself being more of a "carving instructor" than anything else. Someone could teach me how to set course, or I could look it up I suppose. I obviously not be a world cup level coach, and as I mentioned I wouldn't be an appropriate coach for an advanced or even perhaps intermediate racer. However any boarder looking to learn how to carve well and fast I could help out. BX maybe? KingCrimson, thanks for the advice. Unfortunately the riders from my freestyle days are all retired, for the most part. I don't have many connection in the BX/Alpine world. Have you found coaching to be a way to not only give back, but to improve yourself? Thanks all for the responses, any more advice? Edited February 12, 2013 by Atom Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polaris Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) Dear Dr. Carvewellenfast: Do you have any teaching credentials? PSIA or AASI. Or would you be an amateur instructor as well? Coaching credentials? Insurance? FIS results? etc. Typically a coach would have a resume and credentials. Why not race in corporate ski race league. You would be lucky to get to 4-5 races a year here in the northeast as a recreational racer. You can learn alot running ski gates on an FIS pitch at night. No need to oversell yourself. We are all a bunch a sh1#bums and dish sh1# on an equal opportunity basis. Harden up. Edited February 12, 2013 by polaris PIAPD - HTFUAR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Has PSIA/AASI resumed certifying people in hardboots for teaching alpine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
polaris Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 Good point Jack. My point was really about qualifications and not whether a hardboot certification currently exists. If one were certified/qualified to teach snowboarding, either now or in the past, it would be a basic first step in becoming a "carving instructor". Being a "very good snowboarder" is subjective and, when it is the opinion of the individual who possesses said skills, doesn't translate to being qualified. An example would be if someone had a single USASA start to their name and thought they would make an acceptable coach to a novice racer. It would be like the blind leading the blind. JMHO YMMV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack M Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I agree about coaching racing. I certainly wouldn't be able to coach racing, and I would discourage anyone from doing so without qualifications. But as for carving, I haven't seen AA ride or talked with him much, but it seems he is being straightforward about his ability to help someone get into carving. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atom Ant Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) Absolutely would be the blind leading the blind. No doubt about it. I don't have nearly enough experience in racing to coach anything other than a beginner, I apologize if my initial post came off as anything other than that. I used coaching in the same sense as instructing, in that I called my high school basketball coach "coach" even though he never played in the NBA or college. Past experience instructing is amateur only, non certified (Blue Hills, while I was in high school). I modified my initial post to reflect all this, to avoid further confusions. Apparently i am not going to get any good information out of this thread, just personal attacks that miss the point that all I am trying to do is find a place to hit gates and improve as a racer/snowboarder (maybe give back a little), and am not looking for a plan to dominate the snowboarding world. Pretty modest goals: I want to have fun and a little competition, nothing more. There are other leagues / avenues of competition outside of USASA- pending ones goals and weekend obligations, USASA may or may not be a fit. Just as "a very good snowboarder" is subjective, so too is "competition". It doesn't automatically mean, "high level competition". I just want to have fun hitting gates and am seeking advice on how to best accomplish that next season. If the best avenue is instruction, I don't feel I am overstating my qualifications (or lack of) here. If I was to instruct it would be because I love carving and want to see this segment of the sport grow. Instructing wasn't the only option I have to-date thought of, it just seems to be the one getting the attention here. Edited February 12, 2013 by Atom Ant Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
French Fries Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 (edited) If you are a competitive snowboard racer, than Steamboat would make the most sense, the coaching at SSWSC should be up to par with your riding ability. Another place that has a really good program is at Park City and Chris Carol, he would probably give you more of the individual attention that you are seeking, he has a much smaller program than SSWSC, but is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to alpine racing, he was the 1st ever alpine coach. Jerry Masterpool ran Cross M team, and has coached what some might call a large group of highly aggressive riders with the perfect technique for going really fast and not falling. You could also do what Vic Wild did, and go abroad. He moved to Russia, became a citizen of Russia and even joined the Red Army, thats seems to be working for him. If thats out of the question, and you dont want to "pay to play" you can always use pine cones on a less travelled trail on your local hill, it will have a more natural look than covering a trail with red chalk powder, that in about an hrs time will look like an elk got smoked by a logging truck, as it skipped down your training coarse. Good luck Sochi is less than a year away !!! Edited February 12, 2013 by French Fries Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KingCrimson Posted February 12, 2013 Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 I gave you good advice. Coach a high school team. Yes, you will get lots out of it. You're analyzing technique all day. Don't be so quick to blow up. This forum has a ton of blind leading the blind, and they just want to avoid that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atom Ant Posted February 12, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 12, 2013 king, You did, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckmann AG Posted February 13, 2013 Report Share Posted February 13, 2013 (edited) Apparently i am not going to get any good information out of this thread... Sometimes it helps if you include information truly relevant to your quest. Such as: Are you currently employed? Do you have the luxury of working a low paying job in exchange for training opportunities? Where are you living at present, and can you afford to move elsewhere for the duration of, say, this season? If you are employed, how much time have you to offer a potential second employer? Your resume, professional or otherwise? Coach/instruct: I am definitely not qualified to coach experienced or novice racers, however I am a good coach when it comes to form-fundamentals, advanced riding techniques, and basic race course approach/strategy--so a "carving" coach. This probably is of use to 98% of those looking for snowboard lessons, who are mostly non-carving soft booters. If a mountain was to take me on as the "carving coach", we could set stubby courses which of course I could hit--this would be for fun for both me and the instructed. This would also be the least expensive option, although the most limiting one (no more free weekends, etc...). I have been an instructor in the past, non-certified. The last sentence; care to elaborate? Be it coaching or instructing, your value is based more on your abilities to communicate effectively, and less on your ability to bend a board. (That's a hint, btw...) Edited February 13, 2013 by Beckmann AG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patmoore Posted February 18, 2013 Report Share Posted February 18, 2013 (edited) 1) Get the Okemo, Stratton Sunapee pass next year, as Okemo has NASTAR and, from what I understand occasionally sets snowboard gates. Also I think multiple racers practice on NASTAR here, but I could be wrong. Possible to meet up with other riders at either Stratton or Okemo. We had three snowboard racers at Okemo yesterday. I'll be setting stubbies this coming Sunday from 10 - 2 if you're free. There should be one or two other snowboard racers running the course. Normally I'd be able to shoot some video but I'll be running the operation alone this weekend. Edited February 18, 2013 by patmoore Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darko714 Posted February 22, 2013 Report Share Posted February 22, 2013 Atom, your NASTAR idea is really good. For five bucks, they give you "three runs", but if the course isn't busy they're happy to give you a lot more. This can be a fantastic deal as these are electronically timed runs and NASTAR keeps a record of them on their website. I practice on the NASTAR course at Holiday Valley, in Western New York, and have mostly good things to say about it. The gate sets are interesting and variable. One day they will set a turny, technical course, and the next a straight, fast course. The pacesetter is fast and consistent. You don't see a lot of platinum medals there, but on the other hand, you don't see everyone getting skunked, either. The run itself is gentle enough for beginners, but presents some challenges in that there are a couple of steep 'drops' where you can catch air or pick up excess speed. Like the rest of us, I'm not thrilled with the ski gates and the skiers' double ruts, but the opportunity to get 10-12 timed gate runs under my belt in a day makes it worth it. Also fun is being able to compare yourself with the other riders in your age group. While their handicap system has been a subject of some debate, it's useful for tracking your own progress day to day and season to season as you try different equipment, setups and techniques. I'd take patmoore up on his offer to go out and do NASTAR at Okemo if I lived anywhere near there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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