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Instructor Training Handbook PDF
Instructor Training Handbook PDF
Instructor Training Handbook PDF
HANDBOOK
SUMMIT LEARNING CENTER MISSION
The Summit Learning Center mission is to create life long skiers and riders by providing high
quality instruction and to have fun while doing it.
We teach alpine skiing, telemark skiing and snowboarding. We give instruction for people of all
abilities and all ages starting with 4 years old (younger skiers may have private lessons). More
than 60% of our lessons are ages 13 and under.
This handbook is meant to serve as a basic guide for teaching these sports on the terrain of the
Summit at Snoqualmie. It includes teaching ideas, as well as specific terrain considerations for
the different areas. This handbook also includes children specific topics.
We specialize in creating memorable moments by connecting with each and every guest through
a convenient, fun, outdoor escape.
Summit Contacts:
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SKIING and SNOWBOARDING LEVELS
Students come to us with a wide range of abilities. Often, our students have a general idea of
their skiing and/or snowboarding abilities. Our brochure and registration forms provide simple
guidelines for the students to evaluate themselves and tell us about their abilities. We use these
estimates for first round class assignments. Once on the hill, we can reshuffle. Students
progress quicker, and have more fun, if they are in groups of like ability. Ideally, homogeneous
lesson groups consist of people who have fun riding or skiing on the same terrain, at the same
speed. Many factors enter into grouping students – age, skill, athletics, background, athletic
attitude, physical fitness, equipment and personal goals are some of these factors.
Teach Tip! Know ski and snowboard ability levels so you can better categorize your
students. This helps when dealing with class ability level splits and communicating with
your fellow instructors.
PSIA and AASI have well defined skiing and snowboarding skill levels. Knowing these levels is
essential to understanding the skills the students need to work on in order to improve. Skill levels
also help organize teaching ideas for class.
Skiing Levels
At this
level: The student is: Some learning objectives are: Terrain:
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Able to ski dynamic Long dynamic parallel turns
Level 8 parallel on blue and Carving Blue and black
easy Fine tune turn shape
black terrain Application to steeper terrain
Able to perform
dynamic
parallel turns on all
blue
Level 9 and most black Steeps, moguls, crud, powder, gates, All terrain and
terrain high performance carving conditions
Snowboarding Levels
At this
level: The student is: Some learning objectives are: Terrain:
At this
Level The student is: Some learning objectives are: Terrain:
Wedge turns
Level 2 Able to wedge to a stop Beginner lift(s) Easiest green
Parallel and telemark side slipping circle
Able to link wedge turns on Wedge -Christy
Level 3 green terrain Telemark traversing Green circle
Able to link beginning wedge- Wedge-Christies with earlier Green and
Level 4 Christies on green terrain match easiest blue
Able to link wedge-Christy Pole use Green and
Level 5 turns on blue terrain Introduce open telemark turns blue
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Open telemark on all blue terrain
Level 6 Able to ski open telemark turns and some easy black diamond Blue and easy
on green terrain terrain black diamond
These skiing and snowboarding levels are defined by PSIA and AASI. When our guests come to
us for a lesson, they usually classify themselves as beginning, intermediate or advanced
skiers/riders. Most of them identify with the lifts and type of terrain they ski/ride MORE than the
type of turn that they make.
Teach Tip! Develop a bag of tricks to help you deal with lessons that have varying ability
levels.
Below are the skiing/riding level descriptions, as they appear for our guests:
As an instructor it is important that you are knowledgeable about skiing and snowboarding levels
as presented by PSIA and AASI. Your understanding of not only the terrain, but the type of turn
and specific skills present at each level helps you to be a better instructor. We do not want this
guest version to be perceived as a departure from PSIA and AASI, but rather as a softer, more
common language version.
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3. Stop In A Place That Is Safe For You And Others
4. When Starting Downhill Or Merging, Look Uphill And Yield
5. Use Devices To Prevent Runaway Equipment
6. Observe Signs And Warnings, And Keep Off Closed Trails
7. Know How To Use The Lifts Safely
TEACHING BASICS:
General Lesson Plan
A good lesson plan is one that is sufficiently structured to provide you with the “big-picture” for
each lesson that you teach, and yet flexible enough to bend and shape to the particular students
needs. To help remember this, just think “IGAPS” – Introduce, Goals, Action, Practice and
Summarize.
Introduce yourself and get to know the names of your students – establish rapport by asking
questions – this is not a lecture. Keep it fun! Keep it moving!
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y What did they learn? What skills did you focus on?
y How does what they learned tie into their longer term goals?
y What comes next?
y Provide guidance for individual practice.
y Invite them to come back and take another lesson.
y Give them your business card.
Teach Tip! Familiarize yourself with the PSIA/AASI children’s teaching cycle for
lesson planning: PLAY, DRILL, ADVENTURE, and SUMMARY. It’s fun, engaging,
and easy to remember.
Describe the movements they are making, and where in the turn….
-fore/aft and lateral balancing
-timing, intensity, duration and
direction of movements
-describe the movements they are making
2. WHAT do you want to do and WHY? (This needs to address the cause.)
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1. Show the skill statically and in isolation
2. Isolate the movement in one turn or less
3. Blend this movement with other skills
4. Take this skill and apply it to real skiing/riding
EQUIPMENT
y Buckles not done on top – which might be a good thing if the boots are really stiff.
y Boots – are they on the correct feet?
y Buckles too tight – which could cause the feet to get cold.
y Pole straps – usually put on incorrectly. Demonstrate the correct way.
y Demonstrate how to clean off boots and get into bindings.
y Do they have gloves, hat, goggles/sunglasses, sunscreen, etc?
Have them do small hops off the snow – use ankles mainly – land on whole foot.
y Students should feel their shins against the front of their boots and they should feel that
their ankles are BENT.
y Ask them if they are balanced over the whole foot?
y Try rotary movements in ski boots.
y Turn both feet.
y Turn feet into wedge.
y Make sure this is done with legs rather than upper body.
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y Have them move side to side – lean and step, fore (forward) and aft (back) – lean and
flex, find center
y Have them do the above with eyes closed
y Students should feel their shins against the front of their boots and they should feel that
their ankles are BENT.
y Ask them if they are balanced over the whole foot?
STRAIGHT RUN
Demonstrate how to get in position.
y How to start
y How to stay in a BALANCED position – with legs slightly flexed, hands and arms in front
of the body
y How to transfer weight from one ski to the other
y How to make a Paddle Turn to one side or the other at the end of their straight run.
y Have them try simple movements when they can glide comfortably
y Flex/extend ankles
Small Hop
Lift one ski very slightly
Step from foot to foot – no lateral movement
Utilize a traverse to introduce movement across the hill.
They must be balanced and comfortable here before you think wedge. Don’t skip through
this step!
THE WEDGE
1. Have them try a small wedge on the flat – from a straight run position – turn the skis/feet into
a wedge
2. Do a straight run turning feet/skis into a small wedge
3. Make sure stance is good, upper body is quiet, legs turn the skis.
4. Vary the size of the wedge
5. Do wedge Change-ups – Wedge – Straight run – Wedge
WEDGE TURNS
1. Do a wedge down the hill.
2. Show them a small direction change by turning your feet/skis (actively guide both skis in the
direction they want to go using leg rotation)
3. Have them try each direction – little, slow turns – have patience, this takes lots of practice.
4. Link basic wedge turns – slow pace and very close to the fall line to start
Teach Tip! Focus on rotary movements first. The wedge has them on edge, and if they are
balanced both fore/aft and side to side – the leg turning of both skis will create a turn.
When they become comfortable with the small turns, add a slight flex of the outside ankle
to add to the turn.
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1. If the student makes a turn with proper skill application, they can guide the skis with equal
weight on each ski back to the fall line.
2. Do not talk weight transfer or edging to start the turn. Again, the wedge provides the edging,
and equal weight will make the turn easier to begin.
3. First linked turns stay close to the fall line – small direction change. Then add more direction
change and flex outside leg to pressure the outside ski from the fall line to finish.
Learning skills on terrain that is too steep will create poor skill usage and bad habits,
making it difficult for the student to progress.
Control speed through turn shape and size.
1. Use lots of practice to lock in new skills. Vary turn shape and size, speed, etc. Focus on the
basic skill application.
2. As students get comfortable, start using flexion/extension (long and short legs) to create
pressure control and weight transfer.
CHAIRLIFT
Explain chair lift safety and riding procedures
Take the time to show your students how to enter the lift line, load the chair and how to unload
before riding the chairlift. Be sure to answer any questions and concerns that your students may
have before loading the chair. Refer to SLC guidelines for more detailed information regarding
chair riding practices.
• Bottom to bottom. Back to back
• Packs in laps
• Single riders load to the inside.
• Students must know how to stop before riding the chairlift.
Almost every problem with matching skis comes from poor skill application/stance and/or
inappropriate terrain, illustrating the importance of a good wedge turn foundation before moving
on to other skills. If your students are making good wedge turns with proper movement proper
movements on the proper terrain, matching is almost automatic.
While the weight transfer in the last half of the turn is important, don’t teach total weight transfer
to initiate yet. Students will initiate the turn easily with equal weighted skis. Look for good
guiding of both skis to initiate. As the proficiency improves, the weight transfer can move toward
the start of the turn. It should not happen before the active guiding into the turn/ wedge happens.
Teach Tip! Focus on Rotary (steering) skills first when introducing turning. It’s the easiest
skill to learn.
As they improve, increase speed and/or terrain to build these skills. As the student gets more
proficient, the matching occurs earlier in the turn, moving until the skis are almost always parallel.
Lots of productive mileage, make sure the proper movements and sequencing occur. Use terrain
variation and turn shape to help this process.
PARALLEL TURNS
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If you build a solid foundation of skill up to this point, parallel is not a big challenge. With use of
terrain and speed, the student’s skills continue to mature, leading to a parallel turn. At this stage,
they will parallel when the terrain is easier and where they are comfortable. They will revert to a
wedge entry on more challenging terrain.
If they have problems, focus on the active guiding of the inside ski to match the guiding of the
outside ski. You have taught the skills needed for parallel in the wedge and wedge Christy.
Almost 100% of the student’s problems here are from improper skill movements and improper
terrain/speed – too much apprehension, fear, too high a skill level needed to function on that
terrain or at that speed.
You will also be refining the basic skill package to include more active pressure control/weight
transfer. Weight transfer is still blended with active guiding, it does not occur first.
Skiing is a sport of balancing while in motion. This requires continuous adjustments and
movements of the body. By breaking down skiing into its basic skills and accompanying
movements, these skills can be developed and recombined into effective and efficient movement
patterns. Or in other words, the ability to stay balanced, turn, stop, and have fun on skis all day
long.
The Skills Concept provides a framework for identifying and understanding skiing movements.
Skiing has a simple formula:
• Stay in Balance while moving.
• Tip certain body parts to Edge the skis.
• Rotate the feet, legs, hips, and / or back to help turn the skis.
• Control Pressure along the skis to shape the turn and handle changes in terrain and
snow conditions.
This formula is many times referred to as the four fundamental skills of skiing or, BERP.
Balance
Balance is dynamic in that it involves continuous movements from the whole body. Maintaining
balance in motion (1. fore / aft balance, 2. lateral [side-to-side]) is vital to being able to develop
and use the other fundamental skills. Typically, in a balanced position, the hips are centered over
the feet and the “nose is over the toes.”
Edging
Edging movements adjust the edge angle of the skis in relation to the snow which causes the skis
to slip, skid or carve. This involves inclination (a.k.a. tipping) of body parts (feet/ankles,
shins/knees, thighs/hips, and/or spine) along with angulation (forming angles between body
segments through folding or bending) to maintain balance.
Rotary
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Rotary (a.k.a. steering) movements involve turning some part of the body relative to the other
parts of the body. This is the most effective way of turning the skis in all terrain and conditions.
In the Wedge Based Progression, this skill is second only to Balance and is essential for a
beginner to learn in order to change direction, and control speed by changing the size and shape
of a turn. In general, rotary movements should originate in the feet and legs, while the upper
body is stable and quiet (minimal rotary).
Pressure Control
This skill provides the element of touch that promotes a smooth ride at any level of skiing. At the
beginner to intermediate level, this skill is very closely tied to Balance. In general, flex at the end
of the turn to manage the turning and gravitational forces. At the start of the turn, extend to and
balance on the new outside ski to weight (pressure) and bend the ski.
Actions:
• Without skis, walk in circles. Focus on where toes / feet point to make turn.
• Without skis, steer toes to wedge; then, while in wedge position, steer toes of both boots
to one side, then the other. Make sure to keep balance towards front of boot (at ball of
foot).
• With skis on, walk in circles or around cones / poles. Take time to focus on steering feet
with skis on into new direction. Play “Follow the Leader” or make “Figure 8’s” around
poles.
• With skis in wedge position, ask students which toe / knee points to the right and which to
the left?
• From Straight Run, sink to wedge position and then steer skis & feet (toe / knee) in
desired direction.
• Pretend headlights are on knees. Steer both feet and knees to shine light where you
want to go. Identify items on hill (tree, lift tower, ski pole) to “light up with headlight.”
• Play Zipper as a group. From Straight Run, each student sinks to wedge and alternates
turning to the right and left.
Teach Tip! Become a snow sports professional, learn to teach skiing AND
snowboarding.
SNOWBOARDING
SLC Snowboard Progression Levels 1 - 4
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A Level 1 rider is new to snowboarding
Goals: Be Safe, Have FUN!!!, Understand the equipment, and the snowboarding experience,
Develop a solid base of fundamental skill, Control Speed, Control Direction, Ride the lift, Ride the
“Bunny Hill”.
CHAIRLIFT
Explain chair lift safety and riding procedures
Take the time to show your students how to enter the lift line, load the chair and how to unload
before riding the chairlift. Be sure to answer any questions and concerns that your students may
have before loading the chair. Refer to SLC guidelines for more detailed information regarding
chair riding practices.
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• Bottom to bottom. Back to back
• Packs in laps
• Single riders load to the inside.
• Students must know how to stop before riding the chairlift.
At the top:
Move class to an appropriate starting area
STRAP IN BOTH FEET
Explain and demonstrate how to twist the board with their feet (torsional steering)
Emphasize their ability to control the board using small movements of their ankles
Demonstrate how to stand up
Teach Tip! Twist’ is a building block of many of the skills students will learn at
higher levels
Teach Tip! Side-Slipping is used as a crutch by many lower level riders, try to
encourage riders to traverse
CONTROLLING DIRECTION on the Hill
Teach Tip! A garland is an exercise that can be used to teach many different
skills; here we use it to teach ‘Twist’
A Level 2 rider is comfortable using the lift and riding the Bunny Hill
y Linking Basic Turns- (on green terrain)
Shorten the length of the traverse between turns
Review the basic athletic stance
Review fore/aft pressure
Review and reinforce twisting the board to control direction/speed (torsional
steering)
Experiment with garlands/traverses/and basic turns in various sizes and shapes
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A Level 3 rider is comfortable linking turns on Green terrain
y Linked Dynamic Turns - (on green terrain)
Review TWIST (torsional steering)
Review Fore/Aft Pressure
Emphasize timing – forward to start, middle to finish
Push the limits
Review vertical pressure
Practice timing up/ down movements with turns
Experiment with timing
up to start turn/down to finish (up unweighting)
down to start/up to finish (down unweighting)
Teach Tip! Down unweighting is historically a fairly advanced riding tactic, the
AASI National Body is presenting it much earlier in a student's progression these
days.
• Basic Freestyle
Introduce basic freestyle
Note:
Instructors interested in Teaching Freestyle in Lessons need to go through SLC FS
Training.
Seek more information about SLC FS Training from trainers/supervisors as the
season progresses
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A Level 6 rider is able to handle anything the mountain throws at them.
Based on AASI National Standards and Professional Experience
MOVEMENT CONCEPTS
Rotation Moving a body part, or the entire body, around an axis.
Flexion/Extension Flexion is the closing of a joint. Extension is the opening of a joint.
PERFORMANCE CONCEPTS
Tilt The amount that the board is tilted on its edge relative to the snow.
Twist The difference in edge angle between the tip and tail of the snowboard.
Pivot The amount the long axis of the snowboard is offset relative to its direction of movement.
Pressure How the riders weight and any additional pressure are applied along the length of the
snowboard.
The following tables are meant to serve as a guideline for terrain selection for the level of class
you are teaching and at the area you are teaching. Take note of the weather, snow and slope
conditions of each day – as well as the traffic patterns. Conditions can make a significant
difference in the appropriateness of terrain. When possible, ski/ride the terrain before you take
your class there!
360 Chair on
Little Thunderbird
crossover, down
3 - linking St. Bernard’s Julie's
Alpine Bowl, then
turns Sessel Between Little T and
crossover back to
Dodge
360 chair
4 - linking
Armstrong express - cat
turns on all
track to Gun Mount Julie's Chair
blue terrain Quad
Look for flat spots on Dodge Ridge
and Silver Nugget
Debbie’s and above Gun Pacific Crest
beginning Outback on
Mount on Lower Rider's left on
to ride Silver Fir
International Thunderbird
black terrain
Sessel
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Specialty Alpental West Central
Gun Mount to break above
Depends on
lodge;
Usually very few - 360 grooming - most
Top of Sessel skiers right;
bowl; Wild Side; faces off Triple-60;
Moguls Face below - Airplane
Thunderbird - skiers Bonanza Face;
Turn;
right Parachute; Upper
Armstrong Express - Far
part of runs off
left side of Debbie's Gold
Silver Fir
Steep Terrain
Top Dom Parachute
Wild Side
Far side of Edelweiss Bowl 360-Face
Thunderbird
International Upper runs under
Head to Alpental
Adrenaline Silver Fir chair
YEAH KIDS!
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Children have a specific place at the Summit Learning Center. They are also the future of skiing
and snowboarding. We want to make their experiences on the snow fun, safe experiences that
grow into a love of these sports.
Children have special needs – they aren’t simply little adults. They can become expert skiers and
snowboarders while still children. Their needs require considerations not necessary with adults.
You’ll need to spend even less time talking and more time doing with kids. Simple, game-like
exercises are the building blocks of great kids’ lessons.
Children also present the wonderful opportunity for the adults in their lives to see the world from a
forgotten perspective. So, get eye-to-eye with the child in your lesson, greet them, and look at
the world from their perspective. Remember what snow tastes like? Remember cold versus
warm and the smell of hot cocoa?
AGE CHARACTERISTICS
The following table is based on Piaget’s theory of the Four Stages of Development. They present
an orientation to the major stages in child development.
Age Development Phase Description
Touch/feel, seeing, senses the world. Explores
0–3 Sensory – Motor self and
environment
Begins using language, interacts with the world
around them.
3-7 Loves make believe. Thought and action are
Pre - Operational the same.
Egocentrism - opinions based on self.
Begins to be concerned with images and
appearance. Cannot
7 – 12 Concrete Operational process abstract ideas. Reality is what is in
front of them.
12+ Formal Operational Begins to develop personal concepts and
abstractions. Creative
mind begins to explore possibilities.
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• Like games, races and relays
• Fun to teach and ski with (like to play)
• Coordination is getting much better
• Stronger, greater muscle mass
Keep control of your class – keep the kids close to you. Keep in mind that your skis/board will be
longer than theirs – you’ll pick up speed faster than they will (which can lead to leaving them
behind and loosing them!). Here are some recommendations for keeping your kids with you:
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y Do not administer medication to a child without specific written permission from the parent
or guardian.
Chairlift
• Children must load the chairlift on the same side as the lift operator.
• Make sure children are seated as far back in the chair as possible. Bottom to
bottom, back to back.
• Packs in laps.
• Instructors with ski poles can hold them across the laps of young children during the ride.
• Refer to SLC guidelines for more detailed information regarding chair riding practices.
LOST STUDENTS
If A Student Is Lost:
Teach Tip! Be sure to maintain your professionalism if dealing with a lost student
situation. As the snow sports pro, keep cool and reassure the other members of
the party.
Restroom Protocol
y Do not let any child go off to the restroom alone. General rule of thumb – if one has to go,
then all will go, even if you have another instructor, supervisor or staff nearby that can help.
y Most kids know how to use the toilet alone.
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If the child needs assistance using the toilet, it is recommended that at least two staff
members are present.
Teach Tip! You are only limited by your imagination when teaching. Be creative
with props and games on the hill. It not only makes it fun for your students but for
you, too!
INCIDENT PROCEDURES
Before the Patrol Arrives:
Remain with the victim. If the victim is one of your students, remain with him or her until the
ski patrol arrives. If victim is someone who was skiing alone, or if the victim’s buddy isn’t
handling the situation well, you should remain with him or her until the patrol arrives.
Make the victim safe. Place a pair of skis in the snow in an “X” about 20-30 feet above the
victim. If the snow is hard, cross your poles over your head (this a good job for a shaken
buddy). If you are riding, place a snowboard or pair of snowboards in the snow about 20-30
feet above the victim, or post a student to reroute traffic.
Make the victim comfortable. Try to keep the victim warm.
Do not move the victim.
Do not remove the victim’s skis/snowboard unless you are sure that you are not going to
cause further injury and feel that it is more dangerous to keep them on.
Summon the Patrol. Send a competent adult passerby. If this is not possible, send the two
strongest adult students to the bottom of the closest chair lift. Make sure your messenger
knows the exact message they should convey and where to go. Children, no matter what
their ability level, should not be sent- they must remain with your class. Accidents should
be reported to a lift operator who will notify the patrol by phone. Your report must
contain the exact location (i.e. the lift name and tower number), and if possible the nature of
the injury. If more than one person is sent to notify the lift operator, the second person
should indicate that they are giving the “second report”.
Do not administer food, drink or even aspirin or ibuprofen.
Talk to the injured person in a calm, supportive manner. Assure the victim that the patrol has
been notified and are on their way.
Do not make any statements to the injured or anyone else regarding the nature of the
accident or how it possibly occurred. If anyone else makes a comment or a statement, be
sure to include it on the incident report.
Keep the rest of your class assembled well below the accident site. Give these students an
exercise to do to keep them warm, or, if possible, have another instructor or supervisor take
your class to the bottom of the lift or to the meeting area.
IF IN DOUBT, DON’T!
y Write down the names, addresses and phone numbers of any witnesses – this includes
adult bystanders who may have seen the accident.
y Rejoin your class.
INSTRUCTOR INJURIES
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y If you are injured while teaching, your first priority is to get the injury treated at Ski Patrol if
necessary. A supervisor or alternate instructor will take your class for the remainder of the
lesson if you are unable to continue teaching.
y You will ALWAYS notify your supervisor within 24 hours of your injury (at the latest) in order
to preserve your rights to benefits. An incident report form must be completed and filed for
all accidents, minor or major. Failure to report any incident that occurs while working may
result in denial of claims at a later date.
y Injury benefits may include:
1. Appropriate medical care.
2. Assistance with wage loss during temporary absence from work.
3. Compensation for permanent disability that may result from an injury.
4. A return to suitable, gainful employment as conditions allow.
Employees are required to submit to a drug and alcohol test after a work related injury, and will
be escorted to a clinical lab once any necessary treatment is provided. If the test results in a
positive finding of drugs and/or alcohol, the employee’s right to Worker’s Compensation may be
jeopardized. Employees subject to post-incident drug and alcohol testing must sign a consent
form prior to under going collection and testing.
If an employee is unable to return to his/her assigned job because of a work-related injury, every
attempt will be made to provide modified duty. If modified duty is offered to the employee and it is
refused, the employee could forfeit his or her right to Worker’s Compensation Benefits.
Your supervisor will contact the Risk Manager or Human Resources Office whenever a Worker’s
Compensation injury is reported. An investigation may be conducted following the incident in
order to determine the facts and circumstances surrounding the injury. The investigation may be
useful in determining the cause of the incident and used to prevent future incidents from
occurring.
FORMS: If an injury involves: (1) time loss or (2) off-site medical attention, the proper paperwork
needs to be filled out immediately. Your supervisor will contact HR or Risk Management for
forms.
Minor injuries not involving time loss or off-site medical attention, need only fill out the minor injury
report. These forms are located in the Learning Center Office at your work location. These forms
are to be turned into the risk Management office within 24-hours of the injury.
Teach Tip! In the best interest of all involved always be sure to document any
injury, no matter how small, with your supervisor. Always create a safe
environment for both your guests and yourself.
Some students will arrive in your class with equipment from the rental shop that doesn’t fit, is
broken, or is not working properly. Here are some recommendations for dealing with the
situation.
• If you can fix it, fix it. “If” means IF you have the knowledge, ability and legal authority. If
ski bindings need adjustment, they must be adjusted by a certified technician (i.e. they go
back to the rental shop unless you are currently certified). Snowboard bindings, on the
other hand, do not have a certifying agency and are often quite simple to fix (goofy vs.
regular, one goofy foot one regular, etc.)
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• Carry a spare safety retention strap for snowboards with you – you can lend this to a
student and prevent them from needing to go back into the rental shop (and stand in line
and get frustrated, etc.)
• If you have a large class and someone must return to the rental shop, do your best to
send them with a supervisor so that they can get immediate attention and be returned to
your class as fast as possible.
• DO NOT go into the rental shop and demand special attention of the rental shop
employees. They serve a huge number of people as efficiently and effectively as they
can-they don’t send out equipment with problems on purpose! That same employee may
be the one you turn to for help on another day and being helpful and nice to them will
make it go better for all of us.
Teach Tip! There are times when your students may not be sliding very well. Carry
a bar of all temperature wax with you. You can keep your lesson moving and your
students will appreciate it.
Wedge
w/o skis - brush boots into slight hop from parallel to
wedge small wedge (on flats) wedge change-ups
statically steer skis into straight run, brush skis out wedge stop
wedge to small wedge (gliding)
tips touching - walk around narrow wedge big wedge (braking)
circle stepping tails out
Wedge turn
point feet where you
want to
slight direction change on point arrow (wedge tip) go
shallow slope follow me point knees
stand, look, point "hi" turns vary turn shapes, wedge
sizes
Wedge Christie
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at end of wedge turn,
wedge turns - increase sneak
speed uphill ski ahead of
and decrease wedge size downhill
on ski
shallow terrain side slip to traverse wedge turn on small
wedge-wiggles in traverse paddle turns from straight bump
small wedge turns across run tap inside ski once in
hill step uphill at end of turn
side slipping exercises traverse smear butter on the hill
traversing in parallel between them garlands
Teach Tip! Don’t do exercises for the exercise, be sure the drill that you are doing
always ties back into your students skiing or riding. Always have a skill focus.
Leap Frog
This is a follow-me movement. The students move down the hill in a line. The first student is the
lead frog. When the instructor or the end frog yells “leap frog” the lead frog stops and lets the line
pass – becoming the new end frog. Eventually all the students will get to be lead and end frogs.
Shuffle Race
This is a great warm up! Skiers can do this with one or two skis on, and snowboarders do it with
one foot out. The instructor chooses a “go to” spot and marks it (with a cone, flag, pole, etc). The
instructor chooses a color and says it, anyone wearing that color shuffles around the spot and
rejoins the group. This is played until everyone has had a few chances to shuffle.
Popcorn
This is fun for the flats at the bottom of Little Thunder, St. Bernard or the flat in the middle of
Holiday. When you say “popcorn”, the students jump and say “pop”. If you say “popcorn” three
times, the students jump three times. When snowboarding, this game is better for intermediate
(or above) students.
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Animal Parade
Have the students choose their favorite animals and make movements to represent each one.
For example, a bear would hold its hands up and growl or a rabbit may hop. When you call out
an animal, the students do the movements.
Ski Games
Pie Tag
One person is “it”. “It” tries to tag the other students. A skier is safe if he/she makes a “pie shape”
wedge and calls out the pie flavor.
Snowboard games
Basketball
Students dribble through the fall line. On toe side turns, students shoot for a basket. On heel
side turns, they pass the ball.
Starship
Each student is a starship. The tips of the skis or snowboard are the laser. Skiers can use both
hands as a steering wheel and snowboarders can use one like a joystick. The students then try
to shoot at various cones/objects that have been placed on the hill.
Car Driver
This game can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. Many of the body parts can be
part of a car. For example, the ankles and knees are the shocks, the eyes or hips can be
headlights, and the hands can be the steering wheel or gear shifter. To move the class you can
use red, yellow, or green lights. Start your engines and go for it!
Soccer
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Soccer is fun if you have a bit of space to work with. It can be played with one ski on or one foot
on the snowboard. The rules are: the ball can only be hit by the ski or the board; if the ball goes
out of the perimeter the game stops; no hitting, kicking, etc. of one another-it’s not a contact
sport.
Flag Fun
Each student gets a colored flag. When the “IT” holds up a color flag, everyone with that color
gets to move down the hill.
All publications from the PSIA and AASI, as well as many others, are available through the
Northwest Regional Office:
PSIA/AASI-NW
11206 Des Moines Memorial Dr. Suite 106
Seattle, WA 98168
206.244.8541
www.psia-nw.org
Telemark
Free-heel Skiing: Telemark and Parallel Techniques for All Conditions. Parker, Paul, 1995,
Second Edition, the Mountaineers, Seattle.
PSIA. American Teaching System: Nordic Skiing, 1995, Professional Ski Instructors of America.
Children Specific
Teaching Children to Ski - Flemmen, Asborjora and Olav Grosvold. 1983 Leisure Press, New
York.
Capt. Zembo’s Guide for Teaching Skiing and Snowboarding. - Available from PSIA/AASI-NW.
Notes:
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