Faces of PSIA-AASI W
During this year’s Season of Giving campaign, we featured some of our most dedicated members. If you’re interested in supporting the educational pursuits of professionals in the snowsports industry, support the PSIA-AASI W Education Foundation by donating today!
Are you a proud member who wants to share what being a member of PSIA-AASI means to you? Scroll to the bottom of this post to submit your message.
“I’m a member of PSIA-AASI-W because of the unique opportunities and training PSIA-AASI-W has to offer, as well as the connections and friendships created through the organization. Whatever skills are being taught need to be in the pursuit of fun. If it’s not fun, what’s the point?”
-Jacob Breidenbach, Professional Adaptive Snowsports Educator
“PSIA-AASI-W has given me the support and framework for expanding my career as a ski instructor. It has helped me blossom from an instructor, to a trainer, clinician, and examiner, and now as a member of different committees for “behind-the-scenes” work in our division. In this organization, I’ve been surrounded by colleagues and mentors that have become lifelong friends.”
– Julie Matises, Professional Alpine & Children’s Snowsports Educator
“I have always enjoyed the contact with people as passionate about the sport as I. Sharing ideas about skiing has led to greater skills as an instructor and helped make improvement to my personal skiing. My goal is to impart my enthusiasm about skiing to my students, and try to help them learn the skills that will lead them to becoming lifelong skiers.”
– Val Licon, Professional Cross Country Snowsports Educator
“I became a member of PSIA-AASI after my first week of teaching. I could learn how to ride better, learn how to do the job better and be more successful with my students, get certified, get pro-deals, make more money, and also get to ride with people who wanted to do all of that too, Sure! It really was me finding my snow tribe for the first time ever.”
-Nikki Klein, Professional Level 2 Snowboard Instructor
“What’s most inspiring about our role in snowsports is the opportunity to promote life in forward motion. We take this approach while teaching progressions to our students, training our staff, and coaching our certification candidates. Whether you’re 25 or 65, positive growth and change only exist in front of you, even if you’re riding switch.”
– Asa Fountain, Professional Snowboard & Freestyle Snowsports Educator
“After 50+ years with PSIA -AASI- W, the wisdom I want to share is that PSIA-AASI Education is your key to prosperity. Clinic and ski often to perfect your skills, and NEVER MISS A PARTY.”
– Chris Brown, Lifelong Member of PSIA-AASI W
“Teaching allows me the ability to share my passion for snow sports. The opportunity to give others a positive, lifelong connection to the snow is a gift for any snow sports educator.”
– Lea Logal, Professional Snowboard Snowsports Educator
“I am and remain a faithful PSIA-AASI-Western Division member because of the relationships it has helped me build, AND it is the cradle from which I was nurtured and challenged.”
– Forrest King-Shaw, Professional Alpine & Children’s Snowsports Educator
“I am part of PSIA-AASI Western Division so that I can have access to the information and training in order to be the best XC ski instructor I can be. I give 110% to everything I do and I want to learn from the experts. I feel it’s important to create consistency in teaching between instructors- excellence for all! It’s important that learners get consistent info from instructor to instructor so that they are not confused and can build on what they’ve already learned, and to recognize instructors who take their jobs seriously and strive for excellence. That is what PSIA represents to me.”
– Andrea Brideau-Miller, Professional Cross Country Snowsports Educator
“Snowsports allows me to get out and recharge my soul. Being active outdoors is what drives me, and snowsports are among my favorite ways of getting that fix.”
– Blair McCleod, Education Director, Professional Alpine, Snowboard, Telemark, and Children’s Snowsports Educator
“I firmly believe the sentiment ‘when you teach what you learn you become better.’ Teaching is a fantastic way to keep learning. A key component of the PSIA-AASI teaching/learning matrix is movement. I feel that ‘less talk, more doing’ is appropriate when teaching. It helps keep students warm, engaged, and interested.”
– Ben Grasseschi, Professional Cross Country Snowsports Educator
“Very early in my instructing career the PSIA-AASI Western Division became a reliable education compass—an enticing path full of new information and challenges that were attainable. Over the years teaching as I blended my fitness and ski education careers together, “teaching” became more than just a job. What keeps me in it happens every day after work when I get in my car and the spectacular progression of my day flies by in my mind. It’s a feeling of exuberance and satisfaction. The wonderful people whose paths I crossed that day, their successes, and the energy of skiing is so exciting. I am so grateful that snowsports picked me in 1980.”
– Suzanne Nottingham, Professional Alpine, Senior, and Snowboard Snowsports Educator
“I joined AASI to become a better instructor. However, I continue to be part of PSIA-AASI Western Division for the community I have developed over the years with the examiners, instructors, and riders from all over the Western Division and beyond.”
– Biju Nair, Level 2 Snowbaord Instructor, Freestyle Specialist
“Becoming an Educator transformed my career by pushing the limits of what I once thought was possible. It started with a passion to engage more families in outdoor recreation and along the way led to opportunities where fear of failure was replaced with the courage to make it happen.”
– Heidi Ettlinger, Professional Alpine, Children’s, and Adaptive Snowsports Educator, National Team Member
“I became a member of PSIA-AASI W because the more I’ve learned and continue to learn through the organization, the more I’ve gained an ease and confidence in my knowledge of the sport that I can then pass onto my students and create more and more success all around. Plus, you can’t beat the memories you make with your friends, old and new, through this organization!”
– Cici Crombie, Level 3 Snowboard Instructor, Children’s Specialist, Office Staff Member, Mom of two future PSIA-AASI Members
Thank you to ALL our members for your dedication to education to and professionalism in the snowsports industry!
