Add Instruction as Needed Te Italians have a very scientific approach to their manual – in which the teaching outcomes are specific – but how the student gets there varies. Tey tell the student to, “Do it,” then instruct if necessary. Tere is no right or wrong; they have a centerline but encourage the instructor to divert from it if necessary. Teir fundamental movements derive from the human development of body mechanics, beginning from when we are a baby until we are adults, i.e., from grabbing and crawling, to walking, jumping, and multi-movements.
Silver Level
Objective: Improving technique for planting, body weight transfer, and coordination Te skier is able to move with confidence on most medium- difficult slopes and can easily manage variability of snow terrains. Te movements are more confident and accurate.
Gold Level
Objective: Full control over energy waste management and skiing on any type of slope Te skier is able to perform accurate technical movements, to choose the required technique according to the speed, and to be fully aware of the connection between width and duration of movements.
Top Takeaway: Instructors must be able to accurately demonstrate each technique at every level. Meaning, if you can’t ski a V1 at a Bronze Level, effectively demonstrating your center of mass between your feet, you cannot pass your instructor certification. – David Lawrence, PSIA Nordic Team
Four Types of Lead Change Te Italian telemark presentation was unique in that
it identified four specific types of lead change: step forward, step back, simultaneous, and back first then forward. Te focus is on pressure to the cuff and ankle, and not on the lead change. Te stance is generally low. Te hips are held generally
square to the skis. Identifying specifics with lead change helps to define specific movement patterns to develop.
The Italian snowboard clinic emphasized letting students explore, then adding instruction.
Top Takeaway: Tey are asking, “Can we make teaching beginners more fun for guests if we just let them try it and instruct them as needed? Do we need to tell them everything in excess?”
– Eric Rolls, AASI Snowboard Team
Cross Country Skiing Classification System My biggest takeaway from the Italian indoor session
was the Cross Country Skiing Classification System, with its three major techniques: classical, downhill, and skating. Each technique is organized by three ability categories: bronze, silver, and gold. At each level, points are scored by a student and they’re given a card with their score filled out. It goes like this:
Bronze Level
Objective: Learning elementary concepts Te skier is able to move with enough confidence on easy slopes with some difference in levels of the pistes. Te skier will try experiences such as gliding, pushing, and coordinated movement.
50 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2016
Top Takeaway: Tis can be of great help and at times is far better than the “it depends” response we may offer to a student’s question about technique. – Jim Shaw, PSIA Nordic Team, Telemark Specialist
JAPAN
Clarity of Outcome One of the more unique aspects of the Japanese system is that it focuses on set lessons that result in singular final forms. Tis could be viewed as the opposite of our philosophy of diversity. Lessons presented were rigid and either resulted in a
steered short turn or a carved medium turn. Tere was little to no overlap with the technical content between the two. Both progressions were highly logical and well thought out, but focused solely on the outcome, to the extreme of negating any other outcome.
Top Takeaway: Clarity of outcome keeps people on track to success. While the outcomes presented are not necessarily
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