Catching up with Nic Fiore Award Winner Steve Evenson

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Last Fall, PSIA-AASI West presented the Nic Fiore Award to Steve Evenson. The Fiore Award honors a hard working member who has served the Division and the membership at a grassroots level. The award is named in honor of Nic Fiore, who passed away in 2009, and for over five decades dedicated himself to help Western Division become the organization it is today.

 

To learn more about Steve and the Nic Fiore Award, see this post


We caught up with Steve again to find out what it takes to become worthy of this award. Here are the tips he gave us, and we hope you can all take something away.

 

Steve started teaching in 76 at Kirkwood in a drought year. He almost almost didn’t start, as he did not get his pass until January 13 of 1977. He said he is very glad he hung in there through the lack of snow.

 

Steve’s father was the person who  instilled his passion to ski. He would take Steve out of school on Pow days so he would have a ski partner. Steve’s father also put him on the Blue Angel Race Team as a young man.

 

The biggest influences in Steve’s passion to teach were Leroy Hill, Stu Cambell, and Jimmy Ackerson. He says those guys believed in him and were pivotal Mentors in his development. 40 years later, he says he is still developing as an educator and skier. Steve believes that, “Old dogs CAN learn new tricks if you’re open to feedback and coaching.” He feels he is skiing better at 63 than at 25, except for the endurance aspect.  

 

Steve decided to get certified and try out for the Ed staff because he was determined to make ski instructing a lifelong commitment. He decided to run for the board to,  “make some changes and be proactive instead of complaining under his breath.” After 9 years he is still amazed by the Board’s commitment to members’ needs.

 

Here are his 5 tips for new instructors:

“1.Train and get certified (it’s hard to be a teacher if you’re not a student of the sport)

2. Find a mentor and hold on to them. Be open to feedback and change

3. Don’t give up. I failed my first Ed Staff Tryout and 4 National team tryouts but it just motivated me more.

4. Build a clientele from every lesson. Take personal ownership of your own success

5. Most importantly ski every spare moment you have, get out there, and git er done! As most of you know my personal love of skiing is my main motivator.”

“Ski ya later”

–Weavin Steven

Any member is free to nominate an “unsung hero” for the Award. Submit a nomination letter to the PSIA/AASI West office, kjereb@psia-w.org. (1,000 words or less please). The Heritage/Senior committee will review all submissions and announce the recipient of the Nic Fiore Award in the spring, in time for Convention.

Kirkwood Avalanche Course Deal for YOU!

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Expedition Kirkwood Avalanche Adventure Center wants to give to our member a great Deal!

  1. As a PSIA/AASI member you will receive $75 off for the 3 day course bring the cost to $275!  What a deal!
  2. You will need to call Expedition Kirkwood to sign up (not sign up through the web) 209-258-7360
  3. Let the folks at Expedition know over the phone when you call that you are a PSIA/AASI member and provide them with your membership #

PSIA Certification Benefits for Homewood Mountain Resort

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Homewood is giving you another great reason to get certified this season! Check it out:

  • Level I Instructors will receive one complimentary lift ticket during the 2017-18 winter season and 50 percent off lift tickets for the balance of the season for their own personal use, with no blackout restrictions.
  • Level II and III Instructors will receive unlimited complimentary lift tickets for their own personal use during the 2017-18 winter season, with no blackout restrictions.
  • PSIA-AASI Education Staff will receive a complimentary 2017-18 unrestricted season pass for their own personal use. The season pass includes unlimited skiing or snowboarding at Homewood Mountain Resort only, and will only include on-mountain perks listed below
    • 5 Discounted tickets for Friends and Family (30% off)
    • 10% off food and beverage
    • 10% off Rentals Demos and Retail

PSIA / AASI complimentary tickets can be redeemed day of, in person, at Homewood Mountain Resort’s Guest Services office located in at the North Lodge – 5145 Lake Tahoe Blvd. Homewood, CA 96141. Instructors must present a valid certification card defining their certification level, photo ID and provide an email address to receive their complementary ticket. Limit is one ticket per day per person. Education staff members can redeem their season pass by either contacting the Guest Services office prior to arrival, and have their pass mailed to them OR by stopping by the Guest Services office on their first visit.

West Goes East (Far East!)

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by Doug Fagel

Our newest member school, Noyuki Academy

Hakuba Goryu Ski & Snowboard Resort, Japan.

The 2016-2017 season will be remembered as a win- ter full of ‘firsts’ for our resorts, schools and member- ship. One big first for the Western Division was bring- ing on our first international member school, Noyuki Academy at Hakuba Goryu Ski & Snowboard Resort in Japan. In December 2016 we operated our first interna- tional AASI Level 1 certification course, followed up with another course in April 2017. This brings the Western Division into the fold with a number of other Divisions of PSIA-AASI that are introducing PSIA-AASI standards to resorts and schools around the globe.

While there are other options for ski and snow- board instructor certification in Japan, the PSIA AASI teaching model and student centered approach is popular in the growing Asian Markets. Noyuki Acad- emy focuses on teaching Mandarin speaking students, and their instructors come from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and mainland China to teach for the winter season. The director of Noyuki Academy, Perry Moon, made the trip to our Spring Convention at Mammoth where he successfully completed his AASI Level 2 Ride and his PSIA AASI Freestyle Specialist Level 2. He looks forward to sitting his Level 2 Teach this season and has his sights on the Level 3 Certification for the following season.

We are locking down plans for another set of courses in Japan in December and March of this com- ing season with both Alpine and Snowboard Level 1 Certifications to be offered. We will be looking towards offering education events overseas for in the future. We are honored to work with Noyuki Academy and helping this talented group of instructors advance profession- ally. This opportunity also gives us in Western Division a chance to ramp up our own game, and explore new and fun ways to promote snow sports.

This article appeared in print in our Fall Edge Newsletter in September 2017.

Education Events 2017-18

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Earn your Credits;
Get ready for that Exam

Fall Rally, Dec. 10-11th at Mt. Rose
NorCal Rally, Jan. 21-22nd at Squaw
SoCal Rally, Jan. 28-29th, Snow Summit & Bear

Education Rally, March 18-19th at Mammoth

Here’s what to expect:

These events will help you improve your personal skiing, riding, teaching. Come prepared to have fun, hone your skills and receive updates on divisional and national material. Help yourself with a strong training program for the season to reach your goals.

Certification Prep Clinics:

  • Overview of the skills and knowledge required for all level exams, including materials and process updates.
  • On-hill teaching presentations, teaching methodol- ogy and movement analysis with personal feedback
  • Ins and outs of demos and tasks. What they are and

    how to perform them.

  • Personal and specific feedback on your performance in relation to the National Standards.

Education Improvement Clinics:

Education clinics will focus on Ski/Ride and Teach Improvement. You are guaranteed an amazing educa- tion experience and all mountain adventure no matter the snow conditions. All topics will include personalized coaching and feedback. Topics may include some of the following (weather and snow conditions permitting).

Snowboarders and Skier share the same patch.

Skiing/Riding Improvement:

• Skill development and tactics for steep and ad- vanced skiing/riding.

• Off-piste and bump skills.
• Tactics for the conditions of the day. • Maximizing efficiency and fun.

Teaching Improvement:

• New teaching ideas and tools, when and how to use them.

• Efficient teaching progressions.
• Improving your movement analysis.
• Understanding cause and effect and then devel-

oping a progression from those observations.

Children

  • New ideas and tools to teaching children.
  • In depth discussions of child behavior and how to

    work with all ages, stages and attitudes.

  • How to work with parents’ behaviors effectively
  • Special needs children in groups.

    More details on each of these events can be found at the links at the top of this article for each one. Also find all our events on the calendar.

    This article appeared in print in our Fall Edge Newsletter in September 2017.

Big Bear Mountain Resorts is Hiring Snowsport Instructors

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Are you an enthusiastic, outgoing, people person who loves the mountains?  If so, Big Bear Mountain Resorts is looking for you to join our team of ski and snowboard instructors for the 2017-2018 winter season.  Enjoy the crisp, clean, sunny mountain air of Big Bear Lake.  Above 6,700’ in elevation, Big Bear is the place to ski and ride in Southern California.  Work alongside other outdoor enthusiasts.  Experience the joy and love of teaching others how to ski and snowboard.  Make some friends.  Have a lot of fun.  Earn some money and get multiple employee benefits, including free skiing and riding this season along with other discounts.

We teach all levels and all ages of skiers and riders, from beginners to experts.  You need to have a love for people, for the mountains, and working outside.  If you can ski and ride on blue, groomed runs, we will take care of the rest.  There are multiple levels of involvement, starting with Holiday only employees, to Part-time, all the way up to Full-time.  Our busy times are weekends and holidays, which works great around school and other work schedules.  

All applications are through our link below.  As of now, positions are open, and we are actively hiring.  Our typical season is from Thanksgiving through the first two weeks of April.  Expect as a first-year instructor to work from the beginning of December through the second weekend of April. 

Apply online at https://www.mammothresorts.com/jobs/bear-mountain-and-snow-summit-jobs

Joshua L Spoelstra
Director
Ski and Snowboard School
Big Bear Mountain Resorts
Tel. 909 866-5766, Ext. 193
jspoelstra@mammothresorts.com

4 ways to keep your mind and body ready for next ski/snowboard season

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 1. Mountain bike
Applying to both skiing and snowboarding, controlling your downhill momentum is an important skill
to practice in and off season. Cue mountain biking.

Even if you’re not into going fast downhill, or you just like the idea of having all your bones unbroken, cross country mountain biking or road biking are also great ways to keep up your fitness and feed your love of being outdoors.

Check out our mountain bike skills clinic in September here!

2. Surf

Surfing is pretty cool. Here at Western Division, we have access to some great surfing right in our state (or maybe the state next door).

Ready do learn to surf or improve your already-awesome surf skill? Check out our Surf camp at San Onfore Beach.

 

3. Study up!

Not only do you need to be physically prepared for your next exam or season of teaching, you also need to know the technical knowledge necessary to move up the PSIA ranks.

Whether you’re looking to spend money or not, read books or watch videos, we have options for you to learn all the skills and teaching techniques you need to know to be a successful instructor.

Get your manuals and books here

View videos for every discipline and skill on our new matrix feature

Or plan on going to our Professional Development Day in October

4. Make sure all your gear is up-to-date and ready to go!

Who wants to start next ski reason running around, trying to get all the gear you need at the last minute, paying full price? I sure don’t.

PSIA-AASI works with outdoorprolink.com and our national site thesnowpros.org to get you the best deals on all outdoor gear. Check out all out benefits and discounts here.

Here are some of the brands we work with that will get you the hookup on some sweet discounts through National:

 

Be a Kid Again – go to camp!

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Lets face it – kids these days have so many options when it comes to snowboarding camps. From Woodward camps to High Cascade to developmental
groms teams, there is definitely no shortage of opportunities for kids to go to a camp and get quality coaching on the hill and fun times at camp. Don’t you wish you had the opportunity as a kid – or even better, now as an adult who can appreciate the experience?

 

Cue Snowboard camp 2017.

AASI West and Mammoth Mountain are hosting one of the premier snowboarding events of the 2016/2017 season. Connect with like-minded, driven riders from around the country on Mammoth’s legendary freeride and freesytle terrain for a three day, camp style experience. Up your game in the park, push your freeriding to new levels, and shred with your fellow riders!

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Coach Lea Logal flies over a jump

We are keeping it simple and have a package that includes; off hill events, parties, expert coaching, personal feedback, swag and awards for doing what we love. With on hill and off hill events lead by members of the AASI Team, our featured coaches include SethJohns, Chris Hargrave and Lea Logal. You will get top level coaching and training from some of the best snowboarding has to offer. Space is limited for this one of a kind experience! For additional information please contact Lea Logal by phone or email (530)318-8733, leakathleen2017@gmail.com.
Lodging-Book early to guarantee a spot at one of the Mammoth lodging options. Call 1(800) Mammoth (800) 626-6684. Use Booking ID # 22280, PSIA-AASI Spring Convention. Great deals on rooms at the Mammoth Mountain Inn and Lodge.
Meet the coaches:

Seth Johns

I have been on the Western Tech Team, AASI National Demo Team and competed on various Freeride tours. I am working as the Overall Snowboard Lead Trainer in Aspen/Snowmass and examining in the Western Division.  My active sponsors are Burton Snowboards, Anon Optics, Hestra Gloves, Wend Wax, Species Nutrition, Snow Just Because.  Follow me on Instagram @sethsnowboards or Seth Johns on Facebook

 

 

 

Lea Logal

Lea Logal

AASI-W Education Staff,
Snowboard Coach Northstar Teams Program
Snowboard Level 3 Certified, Alpine Level 1 Certified
USASA 200 Coach
Children’s Specialist
Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice

 

Chris Hargrave

President, Windell’s Academy, Mt. Bachelor, OR

AASI National Team member