INTERSKI 2015 IN ARGENTINA: By Peter Kray
PSIA-AASI SHARES AMERICAN KNOW-HOW ON HOW TO TEACH, EXPANDS WORLD VIEW
#INTERSKI2015
Hundreds of delegates from around the world gathered September 5-12 in Ushuaia, Argentina, for the International Ski Instructors Congress (Interski), showcasing the latest and greatest
T teaching techniques from
the top instructors in each attending country. Held in a different nation every four years, Interski is all about sharing the instructional innovation that helps drive the future of skiing and snowboarding. Since 1968, when Aspen hosted
the only Interski to be held in North America, U.S. snow pros have thrived at the event, consistently introducing new ways to teach snowsports while staying on the carving edge of all the different ways everyone can enjoy – and benefit from –sliding on snow. Tis year
will be no different.
With Interski 2015 taking place at Cerro Castor resort on the southern tip of Argentina – the first time the event has been held in South America – PSIA-AASI Team members have been working year-round preparing for the event (which was unfolding as this issue of 32 Degrees went to press). Focusing on how PSIA-AASI members teach, the culture of snowsports, and the new technical breakthroughs outlined in PSIA-AASI’s recent alpine, snowboard, and telemark technical manuals, the teams report they are excited to share their concepts with other countries, and also to bring back plenty of new ideas to benefit members at home. “Te best thing about Interski is the way it forces everything to come together with clarity of vision,” said PSIA Alpine Team Coach Rob Sogard. “From new ideas, to how the teams work together, to techniques and best practices, it really does help us to clarify our message and drill down to the most effective ways to teach.” AASI Snowboard Team member Scott Anfang, who attended
44 | 32 DEGREES • FALL 2015
he knowledge base upon which you build your lessons is about to get a new layer of wisdom thanks to an event that happened this fall off the shores of Antarctica.
Interski 2011 in St. Anton, Austria, said that event “is still paying dividends. It informs my clinics even today.” While Interski 2011 celebrated the overall culture of
snowsports, and how PSIA-AASI members teach to all the different styles of riding and varying types of equipment,
the team
presentations and clinics will have a different focus this fall. “We’re looking at the balance
of three critical elements of the learning partnership between student and instructor,” Sogard said. “Tese elements – technical skills, people skills, and teaching skills – are all present in our student-centered approach to teaching. Each skill is vital for the development of learning, but if you don’t balance them, you aren’t as effective as you could be.” Sogard noted that people with
PSIA-AASI delegates – including Alpine Team Coach Rob Sogard (left) – gained hundreds of new colleagues thanks to Interski 2015.
great people skills may not provide students with enough of a technical understanding to progress, while “If all you do is talk technical skills, people might not want to go skiing with you.” In the lead-up to Interski 2015, PSIA-AASI submitted a series of four lectures based on this Learning Connection Model, with equal emphasis on people skills (focusing on the “culture” of snowsports), technical skills (which are at the “core” of good technique), and teaching skills (which strengthen the
students “connection” to snowsports). Here’s an overview of the four lectures PSIA-AASI presented at Interski.
1.THE LEARNING CONNECTION Te Learning
Connection represents PSIA-AASI’s student-
centered teaching philosophy, integrating the following elements to provide the complete guest experience.
Q People Skills: An empathetic approach to building relationships based on trust and respect, which reinforces the culture of snowsports.
SCOTT MARKEWITZ
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