SCHOOL SPOTLIGHT THE BENEFITS OF BEING A PSIA-AASI MEMBER
SCHOOL When ski schools hitch their wagon to the PSIA-AASI star, their LQVWUXFWRUV EHQHfiW IURP FXWWLQJ HGJH HGXFDWLRQ PDWHULDOV top-notch division events, and connections that enhance their personal and professional lives and snowsports teaching in JHQHUDO *XHVWV EHQHfiW IURP PRUH VWXGHQW FHQWHUHG OHVVRQV EDVHG RQ FXUUHQW QDWLRQDO VWDQGDUGV DQG UHVRUWV EHQHfiW IURP happier guests (who are more likely to return again and again). 'LYLVLRQV RffHU D ZHDOWK RI EHQHfiWV WKDW DUH ZRUWK FKHFNLQJ
out, and, at the national level, member schools can: Q ΖQVWDQWO\ YHULI\ HPSOR\HH PHPEHUVKLS DQG FHUWLfiFDWLRQ VWDWXV Q Receive bulk discounts on education materials Q 8VH WKH 36Ζ$ $$6Ζ &DUHHU &HQWHU WR fiOO RSHQ SRVLWLRQV Q Get regular updates on industry news Q Access a marketing toolkit to promote school status Q Build business with Learn to Ski and Snowboard Month Toolkit Q Display Member School Plaque and Digital Badge Q Take advantage of recruitment resources, among other tools
Zero missed work days means uninterrupted opportunities to share the snowsports stoke with students.
To contact your division for more information, go to the “Division” page at
TheSnowPros.org.
RANDY BOVERMAN MONTANA ROAD TRIP:
A QUEST TO VISIT EVERY AREA AND RECONNECT WITH HEART AND SOUL OF SNOWSPORTS %\ 5LFK 1RRQDQ ZLWK 0LNH (ZLQJ
e started planning a quest in the fall of 2015: Ski all 16 ski areas in Montana… and, since Mike is the president of the Northern Rocky Mountain Division, visit all the PSIA-AASI member ski schools there, too. We knew
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we had our work cut out for us; what we hadn’t necessarily counted on was just how amazing and affirming this road trip would turn out to be. On Friday January 8, 2016, we started
out at Bridger Bowl. What a pleasant surprise we were in for. Bridger’s recent improvements include a new lift that terminates at the north end of North Bowl and gives direct access to Powder Park, which used to require a long traverse. It also leads to a new warming hut – a beautiful building with restrooms, snack bar, and panoramic views. Bridger is truly is a great local hill, and it provides phenomenal skiing and boarding for the people of Bozeman, just 17 minutes away. Next up was Showdown, in the Big Belts
Mountains near White Sulphur Springs and as close as you can get to skiing the center of Montana. It is one of the most welcoming areas we visited. We were greeted with, “Good morning! Welcome to Showdown, we hope you have a great day!” from a posse of instructors helping in the parking lot.
90 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2017
Showdown is family friendly and produces an inordinate amount of really good skiers – some local instructors move on to teaching at major resorts. We were pleasantly surprised at the quality and quantity of black-diamond runs. However, the highlight of our day was witnessing the gifting of 200-plus helmets by the Benefis Healthcare System of Great Falls. Every kid who did not have a helmet was fitted into a brand-new one and taught how to tighten and use it safely. Most of Montana’s ski areas are closed some days of the week, and the average distance between them is more than 180 miles. We drove for six hours after skiing at Whitefish Mountain, only to learn that Bear Paw Ski Bowl was not open that weekend. We decided we were going to ski Bear Paw no matter what, so the next morning we drove the last hour and a half on a one- track road, pushing unplowed snow with the front bumper of Mike’s trusty Subaru Outback. When we got there, it was just us and 17 inches of new, untouched snow. We
Mike Ewing (left) and Rich Noonan discovered a bounty of snow at Teton Pass... as well as instructors with a gift for inspiring students.
hiked up and cut tracks, then got in the car for a four-hour drive to Teton Pass, giggling like pre-teens the whole way.
PSIA-AASI – REAL-LIFE BONDS FOR ALL SKIERS Tis quest, we discovered early on, was all about the shared experiences that unite instructors everywhere. Between the two of us, we easily rack up a century of teaching skiing, along with some snowboarding. Mike grew up in a small town in Colorado; his local ski area, Monarch, was 18 miles from his front door. He started teaching skiing when he was 14 and involved with Boy Scouts. Now in his 60th winter of teaching skiing, he’s having more fun than ever. I grew up back east; Bousquet Mountain, in Massachusetts, was my local ski hill. I started teaching there professionally in 1970 under Court McDermott and never looked back. With his dedication to PSIA-AASI as
well as his ancillary skills and experiences, Mike is the perfect ambassador. He has made an amazing life attached to the ski industry, working for K2 Skis for many years. For my part, I’ve sat on the boards of two PSIA divisions, been a member of others, and have a passion to teach skiing like few others. Our many connections
COURTESY OF RICH NOONAN
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