A country as big as the USA, surrounded by ocean and filled with desert, yet the snowsports industry in Australia is thriving. From humble beginnings, the success of snowsports in Australia is continuing to grow.
The APSI on-snow skiing workshop for Interski 2019 will provide the opportunity for countries to understand how our instructors and guests can adapt to a variety of snow conditions all over the world through the use of our skiing performances.
The APSI on-snow teaching workshop at Interski 2019 aims to share how we train snowsports instructors to be versatile in teaching our Australian guests.
The BASI alpine team presented on a topic which by first impressions is something which is very simple and maybe something that all instructors do; Review or reflect on the lessons which we teach.
Ski instructors often specialize in teaching specific age groups of students, whether it be toddlers, teenagers or seniors. So, what in fact makes those instructors great at their job?
A person that wants to develop beyond what they can currently do needs an optimal balance between security and challenge. It is the instructor’s job to understand this and facilitate it during each lesson.
The Irish Association of Snowsports Instructors (IASI) Demonstration Team was the first full team that IASI has sent to ski and present at an Interski Conference, and in Pamporovo they were completely self-funded.
Japan was a must-see country at Interski, with large numbers showing up to their on-snow presentations. My biggest motivation was wanting to ski with Takao Maruyama, a phenomenal skier who is somewhat of a rockstar in Japan due to his success in the Japanese technical championships.
One of the more different and thought provoking on-snow clinics I attended at this Interski was the teaching workshop by the Japanese Team. The premise was that they are having to teach many first time guests at the resorts who do not speak Japanese.
Being so geographically isolated from other skiing nations makes Interski such a significant event for the APSI. However with little knowledge of the NZSIA, and working with so many that hold a NZSIA certification, I thought this Interski would be a great opportunity to learn from this innovative and forward thinking organisation despite them being our closest neighbour.
Swiss Ski Schools provides lesson programs taught by experienced, high quality instructors, with 8,000 instructors currently active and 154 affiliated schools throughout Switzerland. Despite this, participation in lessons has been declining over recent years and participation by adults who are already experienced skiers is especially low.
The US focused on three specific skills being technical, teaching and people