Phil Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 There was a thread like this a while ago. I want to know what the current stats are. How many of you are AASI certs? Since when? What level? Did you show them how it is done in hardboots? Any good cert stories? (particularly in hardboots) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest motopilot Posted January 30, 2005 Report Share Posted January 30, 2005 AASI Leve III Started in 1992 (tussey mtn.) Did Level I, II in hard boots, back in the Lowell Hart days (FP 5.7) Got smart and which to softies during my Level III and Ed Staff. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
philfell Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 Level 3, haven't paid dues in a while. Got my level 3 before I could buy myself a beer. The last "refresher" clinic I took to maintain my cert. sucked. I didn't like the direction they were going so to them I give the middle finger. Took Level 1 in softies. Level 2 all in hardboots. Level 3 half in hard/ half in soft. It was fun to watch the examiners try to come up with task specifically for me to try to point out the limits of a hardboot set-up, they failed. They had us do a top to bottom bump run at Snowbird switch, but went to a green to do the "dynamic carving" portion of the exam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinpa Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I got my level II in 1995 on hard boots. So, that was back before AASI even exsisted. Lowell Hart and Tom Vickery were the examiners I remember. Maybe there were others. If I had to take my level II exam again, I couldn't pass it! So much has changed since then. For one thing, I can't do the freestyle stuff and another thing, I live in Montana now which has a lot more terrain than when I did the exam in the eastern division! Even back then I barely passed the riding part of my exam. I too, got my level II when I was at Tussey Mountain! Just because a mountain is small, don't think that it doesn't have potential to be good. I know of several people to come out from Tussey that went on to excel in AASI. Back then I was impressed by all the things those examiners could do in hard boots and on alpine/race boards. Are there many people out there who will jump, spin, and ride switch on a hard boot set up?? I can't, but I sure do like to watch those who can! I went to High Cascade Snowboard Camp back in '93 (or maybe it was '94, I can't remember!). It was the first time there was ever an adult session. The group I was in were all racers/carvers. The one guy who was the assistant coach (can't remember his name) even jumped in the half-pipe on his Agression board! He lauched pretty big air while carrying the video camera! That impressed me! Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strider Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 AAsi level 2, ans PSIA level 2. Took level 1 in softies, but on an old PJ. Was told if I didn't learn to ride hardboots I'd never get anywhere. Took level 2 about 7 years later in softies on a freeride board and passed with flying colors and was told to take level 3 immediately. Took level 3 and had both set-ups along. Started on softies and soon realized that the hardboard would not be coming out as I was chastised for having "too aggressive of a stance." I ride my freeride board at 27 front, 18 back. Passed the first day and failed the second. The examiner the second day was about 24 years old, new to ed staff and knew very little about dynamic carving. In fact, that was my teaching assignment which he failed me on. He said that the concepts I was teaching(taught the group a cross-through turn after reviewing cross over-and under as no one in the group was doing anything other than a cross-over) weren't applicable to freeriding. The older examiner that was supervising actually corrected the examiner at that point and the new guys response was " I've never ridden an alpine board and don't see the relevance of that type of riding." Right then and there I decided that it probably wasn't going to be worth my while anymore and am now looking forward to the new snowboard coaching programs that USSA is developing. The best part was that at the beginning they talked about how you need to adapt to the client and teach to thagt person'r stance/ability, and the first thing they tried to do was change my stance to duck. Anyway, I hope that in other areas that aren't in the central division there is a little more acceptance of carving instead of being focused on freestyle only. Until then, I don't see much use in AASI anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Kirk Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I've been riding in hard boots for about 17 years and got my level III on hard boots on a Tanker 187 Wide. The examiners often don't know how to deal with it that's for sure. I was constantly being told " this might be different for you with that extreme race set up". It's funny that many considered it a "race board" even though I was on a wide powder board running 20° in front and 8° in the rear. You'd think that an examiner would be able to look at the set up and realize that we had more in common than we did different. The best part of my level III was when we went into the park and pipe. My whole group was actually worried for me with my set up. A few good airs out of the pipe and some rock and roll board slides on the lip made them feel better. "I can't believe you can do that on a race board!"......." HELLO, it's not a race board just because it's got plates!" I'm the head trainer at my school and slowly but surely more folks from my school are trying hard boots and longer boards. We have many folks riding 182's , 187's, and 200's and teaching on them every day with great success. Our mountian doesn't have a park or pipe but it does have butt puckering steeps and chutes and powder where the little 163 "pro model" freestyle deck leaves you wanteing to pull out your cell phone and call mommy. Thanks for asking. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 FWIW, AASI III, PSIA III and did a CASI (Canadian) II Snowboard Race cert as well. Thought the training with the Canadian folks was by far the best alpine specific event ever attended (week long super series at Sunshine- did lots of drills, athlete development topics, course setting and free riding). Did attend TD training with the national demo team guys this fall. Naturally I was the only guy to show up on plates, but at least they were accepting of the fact. Always thought the real way to get the AASI folks interested in jumping back into the alpine tent would be to do some demos at one of the season's end symposiums. Lots of work though... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fleaman Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 I used to have my CASI level 1 back in the 90's. I got it the year after I started riding. I passed it on plates. Back then plates were more common and for Level 1 all you need to know is how to do dynamic carves. I never pursued it more, I heard you needed a freestyle module and other stuff that I wasn't interested in. At our local area, we had a level 3 rider on plates (Smooth rider) and we had quite a crew of carvers in Northeastern ontario/northwestern quebec. It was kinda like a mini ses everyday. It was great riding with these people, it really pushed me to improve my riding. BTW I also had my CSIA 1 and Freestyle ski coach level 1 also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted December 29, 2007 Report Share Posted December 29, 2007 Just got a kick out of this thread. Ripping on hard boots in the pipe, tankers, got all the makings of a classic. Pre-Race Thread classification. Cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnisiWaya Posted December 29, 2007 Report Share Posted December 29, 2007 In the late 90's I dropped out of PSIA as they were not really supporting snowboard very well and I was teaaching 80% snowboard lessons. Then with AASI being born, decided to get my cert in 2001. Well the Exam was at Loon Mt. NH. DAy one the 2 examiners both went on to demo team I heard, were very good. They made a 2hr clinic in getting to ride swittch out of my beginner excersize of doing flat spins on the snow to get centered and have fun. (In actuality the students who love that one the most are the adults over 40) Then they noticed I was laying over way over on my Arbor and had me teach a carving clinic. I was having so much fun! Day 2 disaster!!!!! it rained all night and was still raining when we got to the Mt. Loon decided to close for the day. So........we drove up to Cannon MT. Just as we got there they decided to close too. So we went back to Loon. four of us came up with a wacky idea to finish the clinic indoors!!!! We went down to the big employee lunch room. We took the long 8ft. fold up tables and dropped one end then stacked another droped one on another table. WOW 16 ft of formica slope! WE taught all our day 2 stuff in stocking feet. For our final teaching exam they paired us up with some level 3 guys to teach so called private lessons. Well my guy, from Stratton I think, had seen me do an almost full loop back up a side trail, yes laid over real far. He said I want YOU to teach a level 6 carving clinic. He and I had talked about hard booting the day before even though I had not brought my race board to the exam. It was really kooky on the tables and do do it it took three people to hold each one that was on the tables to get proper body position and joint alignment for carving. You would have laughed your eyeballs out. End result they gave me 6++ in every catagory of riding. Now AASI east seems to have forgotten carving even on soft boots. So I don't know if it's worth it to regain my certification after it ran out in 2003. I could spend a lot of money or spend half and just go to a new level one exam. It bothers me that last two years I watched clinicians from AASI who could not carve a line in the snow at the level we expect our newby instructors to master before we let them teach thier own beginner lessons. CHase:biggthump PS thanks for resurecting this thread it is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted December 29, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 29, 2007 I was at a L III prep at Loon. I think that it was the same time you were there. We did the indoor thing as well. I knew that another group was there doing something, but I did not know what. If I remember correctly, you guys were on one side of the room using the tables as slopes and we were on the other side using them as slopes. We ended up doing teaching clinics that had nothing to do with riding. They were really good - I got a lot out of them. Was this the same time or am I crazy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnisiWaya Posted December 29, 2007 Report Share Posted December 29, 2007 Yep that was it. It was a real blast wasn't it?!!!!!!!!!!!!! Chase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Prokopiw Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 In hardboots.Cert 3 ,former examiner,Associate cert in 89.Every bit of it in hardboots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnisiWaya Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 your making me jealous, it just would not happen here in the northeast, at least not anymore. I had planned on being in McCall and teaching at Brundage but the house sale fell through. The wife and I were going to just park our 40ft Prevost LeMirage conversion in the city RV park for the winter. Thier winter rates for full timers are not bad at all. On the other hand we had a snowboard supervisor for two seasons that was Rocky MT level 3 and in two years she never showed a carved turn on our mt. to anyone I know. All she did was go straight down the fall line at mach 3. Chase3 aka Grandfather Wolf:cool: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Posted December 30, 2007 Author Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 it just would not happen here in the northeast, at least not anymore. I am curious as to why you believe this? I don't think that this is true at all. If I were you, I would bring it up to some examiners and see what they think. There are a lot of assumptions made about AASI. Some hold water, others do not. My experience has been that no matter what you ride, if you exhibit solid movement patterns and sound teaching principles, you will do well. I still think it was funny that you were there at that washout at Loon. I haven't thought about that for a long time. For the little bit of time we were on snow, I was on my F2 GS board. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinpa Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 Thanks for bringing this thread back... I looked at my post from 2005 and think about how things have changed for me since then, let alone from 1995 when I got my Level II. At that time of my last post in this thread I was teaching at a mountain where the ski school director was an AASI examiner. I was so thrilled when I first started teaching there and found that out! I thought I'd finally have the chance to get my riding where it needed to be! Boy was I in for a big surprise... In the 4 seasons that I worked there, I only saw the boss on the hill less than a handful of times and that wasn't doing any kind of clinic. The only time I rode with him was at an AASI update clinic. Since 2005 I let my PSIA/AASI membership lapse. It just didn't seem to matter much for where I was teaching. Now, I'm working someplace where it does matter, but I can't do the freestyle stuff so I know I'll never get my Level II again. In fact, I'll have to see what's required for the Level I as far as the freestyle stuff, but I'm seriously considering just doing the PSIA level I since I still do teach some skiing. Maybe that's just a cop out, but I'm 36 years old, have two children, I'm VERY whimpy, and I have no health insurance. I really can't afford to get hurt. Maybe that's why I'm so cautious. But then again, I've always been quite happy with my feet firmly on the ground! Well, I guess in a nutshell, there is no way to see what the future will hold for me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EnisiWaya Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 In fact, I'll have to see what's required for the Level I as far as the freestyle stuff, but I'm seriously considering just doing the PSIA level I since I still do teach some skiing. Maybe that's just a cop out, but I'm 36 years old, have two children, I'm VERY whimpy, and I have no health insurance. I really can't afford to get hurt. Maybe that's why I'm so cautious. But then again, I've always been quite happy with my feet firmly on the ground! Well, I guess in a nutshell, there is no way to see what the future will hold for me! I know how you feel man. I'm 56 have a hip that was dislocated and the ball broken, a really bad right foot (same side) sub talar joint problem from when they used 11 screws and a metal plate to rebuild my shattered heel 41/2 years ago, plus degenerative spondylosis in my thoracic spinal area form a 1972 Navy injury. Needless to say days lilke today with the cold rain here in NH are not real good mobility days. I just run em into the ground when I am at the MT. Soft booters I take into the crud on the edge of the trail past the grooming, caravers I take them into trial wide super Christmas Ribbon Candy loopy turns, Skiers Ido both of the above to. Keep the faith. CHase;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted December 30, 2007 Report Share Posted December 30, 2007 Cert I. Haven't paid my dues in two years. Sorta too uh... "elitism" with softboots. Even had the ski school asking me to cut my hair, and they got a middle finger from me. Too non-conformist/Furyan, I am. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Silver Bullet Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 This is all new to me... PSIA/AASI. Do any of you remember the SWSSA? It stands for Southwest Surf Ski Association. It was a race and ride certification in the 80's. I remember needing a certification before I could take my Burton Performer on the lift at handful of mountains in Utah. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carvedog Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 Level 3, DCL, Examiner. Havn't paid dues in four years maybe five. About the time they started to add mandatory 360 etc to the requirements. Did my level 1 and 2 in Whitefish, Big Tuna Mtn Resort. Some soft boots some hard. Did my level 3 in Sun Valley in hard boots. Rode switch bumps on upper River Run on my Mistral 167 Asym. Yes I fell once. Both examiners fell twice so, nyahhhh. My division wanted to stay all inbred and not bring in examiners from other divisions which is the only way I could see to keep it interesting. I think I am a really good clinician. But how many times do you want to sit in clinic with the same guy. I wanted to hear different views and I am sure most of the guys and gals going for different certs did too. So I had a pretty big head on with the "certification" guy (in all disciplines) for our div. After that a bunch people started whining cause I didn't pass them at a Level 2-3 exam and complaining to other folks in AASI/PSIA about my interpretation of the standards. I didn't really give a rats ass about the freestyle side ( or alpine for that matter ) if you could show it, teach and understand all the movements that made it - which hardly anyone did. So I said **** it. I am not making enough money for this **** and for all the time away from home. Besides the fact that I couldn't really take a clinic from anyone in the div that I could learn anything new. I did sit in some ski clinics that weren't bad, but..........they are freaking ski clinics. I am still thankful to AASI and my early clinicians and examiners for helping me to learn how to look at body movement with a non-judemental eye and for the bits about body mechanics and learning styles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 you know, i really wonder what's the bloody hell going on with PSIA/AASI. Check this out about Clif Taylor: Taylor blamed the counter-revolution on the Professional Ski Instructors Association. Taylor wrote in a 1999 edition of Skiing Heritage magazine that the association did not approve of lessons on skis shorter than 5 feet, nor of the direct-parallel system of teaching. For those who do not know Clif Taylor, he was a 10th mtn WW2 veteran, as well as inventor of the short ski way http://www.summitdaily.com/article/20050307/NEWS/103070022back in 1950s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
www.oldsnowboards.com Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 How much are the typical dues? Are we talking about much $$$ Would it have prevented you from having to take the test again? Thanks, Bryan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeeW Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 last time i checked (few years ago), 85 bucks a year. 95 if late payment. if not paid, like 2 years, i have to pay 2 years worth in order to renew my membership. kinda f-ed up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
northcoast Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 How much are the typical dues? Are we talking about much $$$ Would it have prevented you from having to take the test again? Thanks, Bryan Two years ago when I broke my femur the dues were $70 a year. That doesn't include the $15 for the written plus $90 PER riding test module or any of the other misc. junk. The pay increase and the lack of benefits along with the politics were definitely not worth it. I would rather pay for my pass and give free lessons to random people than deal with AASI ever again. ________ TOYOTA FINANCIAL SERVICES HISTORY Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Stevens Posted December 31, 2007 Report Share Posted December 31, 2007 In CASI, if we can find your record in the database, or if you have your past "papers", you're in by paying the current seasons dues. Our "Amnesty" program got rid of the back dues for re-registration. The main reason we seem to keep people around who aren't teaching anymore are the pro deals. For active members, or even less spendy "Associate" ones, you have access to one of the best programs around. Any riding programs you take are just a (paid) bonus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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