Volume 2, Number 2
June 28, 2001

Contacting pmts.org

Need to contact the pmts.org office? We don't yet have a telephone, but we're here and ready to help! Diana Rogers is processing all member applications and questions, event registration, orders, etc., so we have changed the mailing address to get things to her more quickly.

The best contact method is via e-mail, at
info@pmts.org

The next best way is to call Harb Ski Systems at (303)567-4663. They will relay your inquiry to the correct individual.

The slowest way, but still functional, is to send us traditional mail. The address is...
pmts.org
c/o Diana Rogers
PO Box 111
Dumont, CO 80436

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New Publication Coming

Harb Ski Systems is working on a handbook to accompany the PMTS Instructor Manual. It will help you learn to apply PMTS technique in your lessons, from movement analysis, to determining what to work on first, to having alternate approaches for similar movement patterns. It should be ready by early winter.

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Congratulations to Late Season, 2000-2001 Accredited Instructors

We’d like to congratulate our newly accredited instructors from two, late-season accreditations. Tyrol Basin, WI, hosted a Green-level event in March, while Loveland, CO, hosted a three-level event in April. The turnout and participation at both events was great. The Loveland event continues to draw instructors from across the country.

Tyrol Basin, March 2001...
Rob Arend (Trollhaugen), Billy Harris (Cascade Mtn), Pernell "PJ" Jahnke (Cascade), Suzanne Poniatowski (Cascade), Jennifer Simpson (Hyland), John Thorpe (Cascade), and Bruce Wencel (Madison Ski Club) all achieved the Green level.

Loveland, April 2001...
Annie Douden (Eskimo Ski Club), John Hamaker (Cascade, WI), and Don Sawyer (Eskimos) all reached their Blue level of accreditation
Damir Brusar (Solvista), Marian Coletti (Eldora Mtn), Maria Fermoile (Unaffiliated, CA), Richard Kremsdorf (Unaffiliated, CA), Don Lemos (Aspen), Paula Marlatt (Eldora), John Mitchell (Mohawk, CT), Susan Osborn (Eldora), Dave Parks (Sugar Mtn, NC), and Dave Weis (Breckenridge) all reached their Green level.

Good job, and have fun teaching!

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pmts.org T-shirts

We have two great T-shirts available, the NO PLOW graphic in red and black on a white shirt, and the blue and red pmts.org skier logo on gray. We received them just at the end of the Loveland accreditation, and they proved popular with the participants. Both are heavy 100% cotton (the white, no-plow shirt is slightly lighter weight, and it shrinks a little more in the wash), available in L, XL, and 2XL (limited quantities). They cost $15, plus $3.95 postage. You can order them from the web site, or call (303)567-4663.

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Report from International Instructor College, by Diana Rogers

Once again, participants at the European Instructor College agreed that it was a great experience. Held at Hintertux, Austria, the first week of May, the College provided good snow and some challenging weather conditions. There was a lot more snow this year than last - one could actually ski down the second gondola stage, though not all campers took advantage of this. The snow conditions on the upper mountain were perfect for practice - frozen groomed granular in the mornings, softening to corn by midday, with large slush bumps forming on the lower face by the end of the afternoon.
The first two days of camp we had variable fog and cloud. At times, visibility was just a few feet, and it was like skiing in a glass of milk. Our dependence on vision for balance was quickly revealed, but the fog proved to be a real learning opportunity. How do I sense balance? Am I able to use my feet and skis to sense and maintain balance? What movements help me balance as I ski, by maintaining snow contact and feedback? Also, what tactics should I use in adverse conditions? What technique should I use that will create success despite the marginal visibility? As a coach, it was rewarding to see the participants pushing their limits, first overcoming the hesitancy due to vision difficulties, starting to develop confidence in their ability to negotiate the fog, and then actually changing their technique and becoming better skiers despite the fog.
Another high point for many campers was to ski the Headwall. This off-piste, ungroomed slope is convex, bulging outward and becoming progressively steeper all the way down. It’s a significant pitch that provides an opportunity to challenge one’s self , and to feel the satisfaction of successfully skiing it. Whether the challenge was to ski the slope with confidence, without stopping, or to ski it with new technique, there were beaming faces at the bottom of the slope.
Being in Europe brings many pleasures and experiences off the hill as well. The "Strudel Brothers", who shall remain nameless, discovered Austria’s best-known dessert early on. After some typical autobahn driving, it was commented that plans to bring Winston Cup car racing to Europe are unneeded - "They drive it everyday - why would they want to watch it??" The scenery was spectacular, and we enjoyed walking in the town, shopping, and hiking to the alm (summer farm location) above the town to watch the sun set over the mountains.
We hope we’ll see many of you at the European College next season!

Diana Rogers is a pmts.org trainer

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2001-2002 Schedule of Events

Pull out your calendars! Next season there are two major PMTS Instructor camps at Copper Mtn, CO.

The Fall Camp takes place from Thursday, Nov. 15 through Sunday, Nov. 18, 2001 (the weekend prior to Thanksgiving). Our newest event, the PMTS North America College, takes place from Thursday, April 4 through Sunday, April 7, 2002 (the weekend after Easter). Right now, you can sign up for either camp event with the camp enrollment form from the web site.

Fall Camp - kick off your ski season with four days of great skiing and coaching. We’ll have video every day (weather permitting) and you’ll have the opportunity to run gates on two of the days. Coaches are scheduled to be Mel Brown, Harald Harb, Roger Kane, Kris Kruse-Elliott, Rich Messer, and Diana Rogers.

North America College - À la carte training - select your course every day. The snow at Copper Mountain in early April is fabulous, and we’ll be able to ski all of their expert terrain, including the peaks and bowls. We’ll have sessions on teaching; skiing improvement; off-piste skiing; racing; alignment (indoor and on-snow combined); biomechanics (indoor evening session); and, we’re working on having Dean Nicholas, the mentor of US Ski Team member Erik Schlopy, provide indoor sessions on how to achieve your best performance.

We are arranging group lodging and group-rate tickets at both camps. We will be sending a flyer (or online flyer) to all previous attendees and members once we have all the details. That will be the lodging enrollment.

Full Schedule - The tentative schedule for the rest of next season’s events is posted on the web site, at www.pmts.org/schedule.htm

Some events (particularly Midwest accreditations) will be added later, but you can start to plan your winter’s training now.

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School within a School Program Available

Harb Ski Systems has a new, multi-tier licensing program available to ski schools for the PMTS Direct Parallel system, marketing, and trademarks. The "School within a School" licenses help a ski school participate in Harb Ski System’s marketing for PMTS Direct Parallel with prices and participation requirements that are achievable and a good value. The School within a School licenses do not require training of the entire ski school staff, so they offer a way for a ski school to use PMTS Direct Parallel, to advertise the availability of PMTS Direct Parallel lessons, and to receive nationwide and local marketing from Harb Ski Systems without committing their entire staff - a potential training challenge. It allows a ski school to move quickly to become a licensed PMTS ski school, with the benefits of being able to advertise the program, while having more time and flexibility in training the non-accredited staff.

If you would like more information about the School within a School licensing program, please contact Harb Ski Systems by e-mail (info@harbskisystems.com) or phone [(303)567-4663]. If you’re an instructor, not a trainer or ski school manager, we can help you put together a packet to present to your ski school directors.

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Teaching Workshop, by Diana Rogers

The Accuracy of What You Say

word n. A speech sound, or series of sounds, serving to communicate meaning

In your ski lessons, the majority of what you present to students is what you say - your words. Yes, you’ll demonstrate skiing and movements to your students - but you may use words to guide what they watch. Yes, you’ll have the students practice - but you’re likely to use words to tell them what to practice. You’ll give the students feedback on their performance - in words. Imagine giving a lesson in complete silence - wouldn’t that be a challenge? How you speak and the words you use create your lesson presentation. Thus, it’s critical to your lesson’s success to be accurate in what you say.
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PMTS Direct Parallel emphasizes teaching movements. Right now, let’s explore the difference in movements of your body that result from different words. First, take off your shoes and socks and stand up. Lighten or slightly lift one foot so that it just brushes the floor - use that foot and leg for the tasks. For each phrase, try to perform exactly what is written, and watch what happens with your body. Watch the body parts that move, and note which muscles are activated by your effort.

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I can make some observations as I perform each task.
1. My little toe twitches and moves slightly outward. The muscles I feel are on the outside of my foot.
2. My entire foot rolls onto its outside edge, lifting the arch edge away from the ground. My foot continues to point in its original direction as I tip the foot. My leg rotates externally, aiming my knee slightly to the outside. The muscles I feel performing the task run down the inside of my shin, into my foot.
3. My thigh rotates externally, aiming my knee to the outside. The shin rotates as well. My foot rolls slightly onto its outside edge. It changes "direction", pointing in the direction of my knee, no longer forward. The muscles I feel performing the task are on the outside of my thigh and hip.
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These phrases produce significantly different outcomes. Yet instructors use all these phrases - in teaching, training, and accreditation - when they desire a certain outcome: that the student tip one ski onto its outside edge. If that’s the goal, how effective would each of the above phrases be in helping your students to perform the task?
1. Moving my little toe by itself would not be sufficient to roll my ski on edge.
2. Tipping my foot toward its little toe would roll my ski onto its outside edge.
3. Aiming my knee to the outside would make my ski point in a new direction, but probably wouldn’t roll it on edge.

You can see how your students’ performance of the task you have in mind is strongly affected by your words in prompting them.
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Let’s now try a different movement task, again with different phrases. This time, see if you can find a willing volunteer - preferably a non-skier, or a skier who is not familiar with PMTS Direct Parallel. Without demonstrating at all, simply read each phrase to your volunteer, and have him or her perform what is being asked. Watch again and write your observations of the results of each phrase...
1. Put all your weight on your left foot
2. Lean on your left leg
3. Pick up your right foot
4. Balance on your left foot
5. Pull your right foot up toward your body
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As an exercise, write down some tasks that you may have students perform in your lessons, such as tapping the tail of the ski, pulling the skis tails closer together, transferring balance from one foot to the other, or relaxing and flexing the downhill leg. See if you can write several phrases to describe each task - perhaps phrases that you use, or that you have heard other instructors use. If your volunteer is still willing, read the phrases and watch the performance. Note which phrase produces the best performance, and use these phrases the next time you teach. The more accurate the words you use with your students, the faster the students will learn and progress.

Diana Rogers is a pmts.org trainer

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Summer Footbed & Alignment Training Course

Harb Ski Systems is planning to hold a footbed and alignment training course this summer, and you are invited! If you know other folks (skiers, instructors, shop technicians) who would like to attend, please feel free to invite them. The course will include
• how the foot and ankle work in skiing
• influence of equipment - footbed, boots, skis, bindings - on skiing performance
• fore/aft balance
• performing the indoor footbed and alignment assessment - understanding and practical
• making footbeds - theory and practical (lots of practice)
• determining alignment from on-snow maneuvers and skiing (from video footage)
• installing alignment shims & working with bindings
• information on obtaining the supplies and tools necessary for footbeds and alignment
• an additional day to obtain binding certification for Salomon, Marker, and Tyrolia is planned - we'll confirm this

The course will cost $500, which includes training materials, all supplies for footbed and alignment practice, and lunch each day. It will be held at Harb Ski Systems, in Dumont. The dates are July 16-20 (M-F), with the optional binding day on Saturday, July 21. Please RSVP as soon as you can. Send an e-mail (info@harbskisystems.com) or call if you have questions -(303)567-4663. We hope you'll be able to attend!

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Administrative Corner

This past season was a test of pmts.org’s flexibility in its ability to meet the needs of its membership. We did better in some areas than in others, but the midwinter administrative changes that we made have increased our efficiency. We did receive a lot of positive feedback from accreditation participants about their experiences - congratulations to pmts.org trainers! This summer’s goal is to scale up our operations to be able to deal with the significant increase in memberships and events that we foresee for next season, and into the future. Once we have a vision of how we can take this organization to a larger scale, we’ll put it out for your feedback.

We have received several offers for assistance from members. We are pleased to see the excitement and support for the organization from its members. The organization will benefit from the active participation of its members. Our organizational plans will have many different opportunities for member involvement.

We have recently sent out membership renewal letters, and Maintenance Accreditation letters will be coming soon as well, to early accreditees. All members who have provided photos have their membership cards, and new members are being processed in a timely manner. If you don’t have a membership card, send a photo! The office has a stack of crisp, fresh cards, eagerly awaiting their member’s photo!

Member sales of products (T-shirts, pins, patches, publications, etc.) are being handled by Harb Ski Systems in order to eliminate the need for processing sales tax in a different state, to a different agency. For the amount of sales that we’re doing, having the additional sales tax license and reporting requirements was not cost or time effective.

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Midwest Footbed and Alignment Tour

Harb Ski Systems will be in the Midwest this fall for a footbed and alignment tour. Take advantage of this service to ensure that you ski at your best for the whole season. It’s especially valuable if you are considering accreditation or certification. Your appointment includes a complete indoor foot and leg assessment; making a custom footbed and integrating it with your boots; an equipment evaluation; a static alignment assessment; and installation of alignment shims on your skis.

If you are coming to Fall Camp, we recommend that you sign up for one of the on-snow alignment days (Tues & Weds preceding camp) to optimize your alignment on snow. If you can’t come to camp, we can get very close to your ideal alignment through the indoor assessment.

The scheduled cities and days are as follows: (Note - we need to reach a certain number of appointments in each city to have the session there - invite your non-pmts.org-member instructor friends to attend as well.)
Minneapolis: Sept. 28-30 (Fri - Sun)
Milwaukee/Madison: Oct. 2-3 (Tues - Weds)
Chicago: Oct. 5-7 (Fri - Sun)
There will be daytime and a limited number of nighttime appointments available in each city.

The costs are as follows:
Footbed - $150 ($195 for non-members; $175 for pmts.org members who are not active instructors)
Alignment installation, per pair of skis - $50 ($60 for non-members)
Assessment only - $50 (This charge is only applicable if you do not get a footbed or alignment installation)

The locations for the sessions have not yet been determined. Harb Ski Systems is looking for assistance in each city to organize a facility and in scheduling individual appointments (earn a footbed and alignment!!). Let them know if you can help them, or if you would like to schedule your appointment.
[info@harbskisystems.com, or (303)567-4663]

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Leading Change, by Harald Harb

There is much to say about the progress we have made with pmts.org and the PMTS Direct Parallel program in just two seasons. There is much to be happy about on many fronts, from the increase in member ski schools, to the increase in instructor members, and to the reaction of instructors to PMTS. I am most encouraged and rewarded by the reaction of ski instructors to PMTS Direct Parallel, specifically, instructors who have gone through PMTS training and accreditation. There is a single common response, one of excitement to teach skiing. Most can’t wait to try the new teaching techniques they have learned during accreditation. Also, the genuine realization that there are effective tools, which can help students achieve their goals.

You have probably heard it from me before, but here it is again: PMTS Direct Parallel is changing the way skiing and ski teaching is understood. Five years ago there was no mention of tipping or tilting the skis. This was not heard and rarely used in teaching circles or in the discussion of skiing and training. Today, I hear from PMTS instructors and trainers that "tilting and tipping" have crept into the general understanding of how one should ski. I understand that "tipping the new inside ski" is also becoming a staple for ski instruction around the country. If this is the case, and I have no reason to doubt that, then the next logical step will be for all instructors to understand the importance of another PMTS concept - that every turn has three parts: Releasing, Transferring and Engaging. When all instructors can produce an individual lesson for each skier based on developing balance and maintaining balance in an effective release, ski instruction and PMTS Direct Parallel will have reached a common pinnacle of success.
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Last season in this newsletter, I wrote that instructors told me they had to be careful in their home ski schools when teaching PMTS technique. It seems that after one short year, you need no longer be so hesitant to use PMTS in regular ski lessons, as many of the top and most innovative trainers around the country are presenting PMTS approaches. While you were once the outsiders, now you are the leaders, and with a PMTS Accreditation you have the right and knowledge to use this information properly. We will continue to lead the way, as PMTS Direct Parallel grows.

Stay tuned as ever-developing ideas are being added to and combined with the already established skeleton of primary movements developed for PMTS. We intend to give you more tools that are again surely to be eventually incorporated into everyday ski teaching. Guess what? It is happening faster than any of us thought, so keep on the track you are on and you will surely lead the change with us in ski teaching, not only in the US, but worldwide.

Harald Harb is the chief trainer for pmts.org

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