Western History Archives

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The Western Region of PSIA-AASI is proud to be celebrating its 75th Anniversary.  As we take stock of our accomplishments over the decades, it’s clear that we have amassed mountains of important and relevant artifacts that tell a story unique to the West.  While we focus on how we create another successful 75 years, we see the need, and the opportunity, to mark this milestone with the creation of a regional archive to hold our history in perpetuity.

In Fall 2022, the California Ski Library (www.skilibrary.com) marked its 18th anniversary. The collection is a culmination of more than 50 years of collecting ski books, magazines, ephemera and other memorabilia by Founder and Director Ingrid P. Wicken. In addition to items personally collected by Wicken, the Ski Library has received a number of historically rare and valuable archives from ski journalists, photographers, and pioneer skiers throughout California.

Receiving the Far West Ski Association Snowsports Builder Award in 2018 for their indelible impact on the sport, The California Ski Library is noted in the International Skiing History Association’s 2020 “Ski Museums of the World” guidebook as “One of the finest ski libraries in the USA.” According to Thor Gotaas, Norway’s national ski historian, the nonprofit California Ski Library is the largest private ski library and archive in the world.

In conjunction with both entities celebrating important historical milestones, the California Ski Library and the Western Region of the Professional Ski Instructors of America are proud to announce the launch of an official western repository of PSIA-AASI historical memorabilia and archives. This partnership provides an avenue for what promises to be the most important historical artifacts telling the story of ski instruction in the state of California, assuring that PSIA-AASI W and its members have a permanent home for their archives, helping to preserve the history of 75 years of snowsports instruction in the West.

Stay tuned for announcements about upcoming museum exhibitions featuring PSIA-AASI archives and scholarly publications on the history of ski instruction in California.

WHAT TO DONATE:

Books, magazines, publications, photographs, film, manuals, training materials, exam forms, assessment forms, gear, equipment, lift tickets, journals, notebooks, stickers, pins, patches, uniforms, clothing, flags, signs, banners, ephemera, memorabilia, and any other items that relate to snowsports and snowsports instruction.

HOW TO DONATE:

  1. Bring your items to SPRING CONVENTION! Ingrid Wicken will be on hand for the entire event, sharing unique archival materials from the library and accepting donations in person for the PSIA-AASI W Archive.
  2. Download and fill out the attached DONATION FORM. Donations can be made directly to Ingrid at the Library or through the Western Region office.

For more information about the PSIA-AASI W Archives, or the California Ski Library, contact Ingrid at ingrid@skilibrary.com or 951-207-9218.

PSIA-AASI W Archive Donation Form

California Ski Library Flyer

We Want You To Run for the Board

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Hello from your Western Board of Directors!

At PSIA-AASI’s Western Region, we are entering a very exciting time with our new CEO, Marisa Cooper and her band of merry helpers developing some great and fun ideas to support our members and their growth.  Expect to see some cool things in the coming months!  This work is because of the strategic objectives your Board of Directors has set in support of our membership.

It’s Election Season!

It is that time of year again when your Board of Directors kicks off the election season for the FY24 Season. As a result, we are starting the search for candidates to run for election to our next Western Board of Directors.

We are looking for candidates who have the following qualities:

  • Have ideas on how PSIA-AASI can better serve its members.
  • Have the skills and experience to implement those ideas.
  • Preferable have experience serving as a leader in organizations, particularly in the Non-Profit or Government Space
  • Either are familiar with Policy Governance® or are willing to learn and abide by the Board’s Policy Governance policies.

If this sounds interesting to you, and you have talent to offer in this space, please consider running for the Board!  Please note that you must be a Level 1 certified snowsports instructor and be an Active or Alumni Member in good standing to serve as a Director.

Time Commitment Required:

The Board meets in-person twice a year and conducts monthly Board Calls on the third Tuesday of each month. Our annual Spring Board meeting is adjacent to the Spring Convention, which will be held at Palisades at Tahoe this April. Our two-day Summer Board meeting is typically in Truckee generally in late summer / early fall.

The time commitment is 4-6 hours per month (unless you are lucky enough to be in a Officer position, in which case that time commitment goes up a bit).  There is also an expectation that the successful candidates will take up to 8 hours of training in advance of starting their service as a Director to ensure a cohesive next term for our Board of Directors.

Further information on the director position and its responsibilities can be found here:

  1. The Director responsibilities are highlighted here in Article IX of our Bylaws.
  2. Expectations on how a director serves our membership are here in our BOD Cheatsheet
  3. Our Director Onboarding Training is highlighted here to provide you further information.

If you have other questions please email info@psia-w.org and the Western Board Recruiting Committee will contact you.

 Our deadline for Candidate applications is February 15, 2023. Our application is below:

 

PSIA-AASI Western Region Board Position Application

 

Avalanche Courses

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PSIAAASI NASTC.docx

Western Annual Report

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Division Annual Report-3

Free Alpine MA Material

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WESTERN ADAPTIVE TASK FORCE WEBINAR SERIES

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WESTERN ADAPTIVE TASK FORCE WEBINAR SERIES

Well, we’re baaaaacccckkkk with The Adaptive Webinar series.

Last year we had a great series with awesome participation by the PSIS/AASI membership.  People from all over the country participated.  We are kicking off this year’s program with a Webinar on “Teaching Skills” with “Tips from the Masters”  Every other Thursday for the rest of the season we will be holding these truly outstanding webinars aimed at making us all better, more up to date, and more knowledgeable instructors.

On Thursday, Oct 14th at 6:30 pm Pacific the Western Adaptive Taskforce, the Mt, High Adaptive Program and Rim Special Athletes will present “Teaching Skills” with “Teaching Tips from the Masters” by Zoom.

The presenters will be Jake Breidenbach and Dan Stormer. Jake is an Adaptive L3,  as well as an Adaptive and Alpine Trainer at Northstar.  Dan is an Adaptive L3, as well as an Adaptive and Alpine Trainer at Mt High. Both have been Examiners for a number of years.  The Masters Panel will include Kim Meares (Western Division Task Force Chair, Adaptive and Alpine Trainer, and Examiner), Daniel Horner( Program Coordinator for USARC and Task Force member), Brent Kuemmerle (The Godfather of Adaptive Snowboard, L3 Adaptive, and present Winter Sports School Supervisor at Sierra at Tahoe),James Moore (L3 Adaptive SB and L3 SB, formerly Exam staff for Eastern Division and present Examiner for Western Division.

It is the first in our series of Webinars for this year.  The series continues every two weeks on Thursdays  Below is our tentative Fall Agenda:

  • Oct 14  @ 6:30 pm-Teaching Skills/Tips From the Masters
  • Oct 28  @ 6:30 pm – People Skills-Becoming a more effective Instructor
  • Nov 11 @ 6:30 pm –Adaptive Snowboard-Techniques and Skill development
  • Dec 2    @ 6:30 pm –Teaching Mono/Bi-L1/L2 standards and approaches
  • Dec 16 @ 6:30 pm – Working with Adaptive students in non- adaptive Alpine and Snowboard lessons

This Webinar series is open to everyone, not just PSIA-AASI members.  It is free.  Please feel free to forward to your volunteers or other staff if you find it potentially informative. During these still crazy times we are working to stay connected to one another.

Adapting to our current situation means we are moving in a direction of virtual learning – lots of Zoom!  In partnership with Mt High Adaptive, Rim Special Athletes, and the Adaptive Task Force of PSIA-AASI-W have developed an exciting Adaptive webinar series featuring interactive online clinics at no charge. We encourage you to attend and invite your staff, volunteers, friends, and colleagues too.

 

See Zoom invitation below.

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85073920294?pwd=MUVPYzJDTnNkZXZENTVVcDlrQnBhUT09
Meeting ID: 850 7392 0294
Passcode: 03069
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Meeting ID: 850 7392 0294
Passcode: 030690
Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/keuO63wzLa

July Edge Newsletter

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We Want You To Run for the Board

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We are looking for candidates to run for election for our next Board of Directors.

Do you have qualities and experience that would make you a valuable member of the PSIA-AASI Western Division Board of Directors? We are looking for candidates who have the following qualities:

  • Have ideas on how PSIA-AASI can better serve its members.
  • Have the skills needed to implement those ideas.

Other qualities that are desirable:

  • Experience serving as a leader in larger organizations, particularly in the Non-Profit or Government Space
  • Familiar with Policy Governance® or are willing to learn and abide by the Policy Governance® guidelines

If you think the answer to most of these questions is “yes,” please consider running for the Board!

In the past, our Board has consisted of our best experts in the various snowsports disciplines helping us to operate our division. With the change in the Bylaws in December 2019, our Board has shifted its focus from an Operational Focus to a Policy Governance Focus.

The Board physically meets twice a year (when COVID restrictions are not in place) and conducts monthly Board Calls on the third Tuesday of each month. Our annual Spring Board meeting is the Thursday before the Spring Convention. Our two-day Summer Board meeting is typically in Truckee the first weekend of August.

Further information on the director position and its responsibilities can be found here in Article IX of the Bylaws.  If you have other questions please email info@psia-w.org and the Western Board Recruiting Committee will contact you.

Our deadline for Candidate applications is February 15, 2022. Our application is below:

The information you provide in the application will be published on our Website, EDGE Newsletters and the Election Platform

PSIA-AASI Western Region Board Position Application

 

June Edge Newsletter

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