Skiing Standards ~ Teaching Standards
Accreditation Levels
PMTS accreditation has four instructor levels and four trainer levels.
Instructors, whether green, blue or black accredited, have the opportunity
to become trainers at that level by meeting the black teaching standards
and the trainer standards. A trainer at these levels is able to train
instructors for accreditation, teaching, and skiing at their own PMTS
level. Instructors who are motivated to continue their education and improve
their abilities as instructors may pursue the trainer standard, despite
potential limitations that prevent them from moving to the next level
in skiing. In addition, there is a Master Trainer/Examiner level. An instructor
at this level is capable of training all levels of instructors, in all
facets of skiing and teaching. The Master Trainer can also conduct and
score all candidates for all accreditation levels.
Yellow Level
The Yellow instructor
has the ability to teach PMTS Direct Parallel from beginners to parallel
skiers on green terrain, and to teach parallel skiing to wedge and wedge
christie skiers. The yellow-level instructor understands Student Directed
Ski Instruction, the PMTS teaching model, and is learning to apply the
SDSI model in teaching.
The Yellow instructor
can demonstrate efficient Direct Parallel movements in their lessons,
and they can ski uninterrupted parallel turns using the proper order of
release, transfer, and engagement on groomed green terrain. They can demonstrate
such parallel skiing on groomed blue terrain, but they may not yet be
consistent enough to meet the Green-level standards.
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Green Level
The Green instructor has the ability to teach PMTS Direct Parallel from
beginners to parallel skiers on green terrain. Achieving the green level
is a noteworthy teaching level and requires more substantial capabilities
than the PSIA level II certification. Achieving the Green level demonstrates
the ability to teach not only Direct Parallel, but also to teach parallel
skiing to wedge and wedge christie skiers. The ability to bring skiers
to parallel in a few short lessons differentiates PMTS instructors from
traditional instructors.
Green level instructors teach using, and understand, Student Directed Ski Instruction. The skiing ability of a PMTS green-level instructor is clear: he/she is able to ski uninterrupted parallel turns using the proper order of release, transfer, and engagement on groomed, blue terrain. No fudging of movements is acceptable even at this accreditation level. A parallel turn is a parallel turn, not a pushed, well-disguised, small, quick, wedge christie. A system that purports to train an understanding and technique of skiing geared toward parallel, but that certifies instructors who can’t make a parallel turn, obviously isn’t creating the desired performance in the instructor. How can it possibly do so for the student? As a PMTS accredited instructor at any level, you are guaranteed that you can make an efficient parallel turn. The Green Level doesn’t require candidates to ski bumps.
It is misleading to
try to draw equivalencies between the three levels of PMTS accreditation
and of PSIA certification because the systems, exams, and skiing and teaching
standards are so different. The PMTS green level is well beyond PSIA level
I capabilities, and it cannot be deemed equivalent to the PSIA Associate
or level II certification. The PMTS green-level instructor is qualified
to perform and teach accurate parallel turns and knows how to help motivate
students; his/her traditional instructor counterpart is not required to
do any of these.
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Green Trainer
PMTS accredited instructors may understand PMTS Direct Parallel and biomechanics
and teach at a higher level than they are able to ski. A green-level instructor
who fits this description, is motivated to help other instructors, and
is a strong demonstrator of green level movements may tryout to become
a green level trainer. He/she will need to meet the black-level teaching
and written exam standards, and the trainer standards, while working with
green-level topics. Pmts.org welcomes and encourages all green-level instructors
to pursue their trainer credentials.
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Blue Level
The blue-level instructor has the capability to ski and teach skiers the
fundamentals that produce competent parallel skiing on all blue terrain.
Achieving the blue level demonstrates a competency level rarely achieved
in ski instruction. It means you have the capability to distinguish between
traditional skiing movements and PMTS’ biomechanically efficient movements.
You are also capable of determining and fulfilling student motivation
on an ongoing basis. This is the instructor I would want teaching in the
ideal ski school. It is not appropriate to generate an equivalency to
PSIA certification levels as the Blue Level has significantly different
educational and performance requirements than those required to achieve
PSIA Full or level III certification.
Blue Level accredited
skiing demonstrates parallel skiing with strong release, transfer, and
engagement capabilities on blue bumps, groomed black slopes and blue off-piste
terrain. If the moguls are inadequate for the accreditation, then a slalom
course will be set on blue terrain instead. The slalom course requires
proper application of release, transfer, and engagement, just as do moguls,
in a prescribed rhythm and turn placement. This yields an evaluation of
blue-level skiing skills equivalent to those necessary to ski blue bumps
properly. The blue level represents realistic, attainable, and measurable
goals. The PSIA level III certification can range from wedge-entry, push-off
turns in blue bumps to a skier who can ski aggressive parallel in black
bump terrain. The range is so wide that the qualification has lost its
meaning.
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Blue Trainer
Although many reasons such as physical limitations, injuries, conditioning
or lack of access to black terrain may keep some aspiring blue-level instructors
from reaching the black accreditation level, they are still the best trained
and most knowledgeable instructors teaching ski lessons. A blue-level
instructor’s movement analysis capability can become as expert as any
trainer or instructor in PMTS.
Just as at the green
level, a blue-level instructor who is motivated to help other instructors
and is a strong demonstrator of blue level skiing may tryout to become
a blue level trainer. He/she will need to meet the black-level teaching
and written exam standards, and the trainer standards, while working with
blue-level topics. Pmts.org welcomes and encourages all blue-level instructors
to pursue their trainer credentials. A blue-level trainer can train instructors
up through those aspiring for the black level.
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Black Level
The black-level instructor has the teaching and skiing credentials to
train, coach, and advise any level of skier. The black-level instructor
has skied for a number of seasons in the big mountains. He/she knows the
snow and the conditions for any time of year and can ski anything the
mountain can dish out with solid release, transfer, and engagement. The
black-level instructor personalizes learning for each student.
Black Trainer
To become a black-level trainer, the black-level instructor must meet
the trainer standards.
PMTS Master Trainer
The PMTS Master Trainer has complete and thorough knowledge of skiing,
teaching and training. A Master Trainer can organize accreditations, evaluate
candidates, and evolve the PMTS system.
©1999-2003 The
Association of PMTS Direct Parallel™ Instructors, a nonprofit corporation.
"Direct Parallel" is a registered trademark of, and "PMTS",
"Primary Movements", "Primary Movements Teaching System",
and the Skier Logo are trademarks of, Harb Ski Systems, Inc., used with
permission by PMTS.org.
