I heard it yesterday. A comparison of PSIA and PMTS students

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I heard it yesterday. A comparison of PSIA and PMTS students

Postby Mr. T » Fri Jan 02, 2004 8:31 am

Yesterday I went skiing to my local resort (sorry hill) and instead of my helmet I was sporting the cap Harald gave us after the Kicking Horse Camp last year. The white one with the HarbSkiSystems logo.
After a few runs I happened to ride the lift with a few PSIA (level 3 instructors) who noticed my cap and began asking me a few questions about the camp, about the teaching, etc..

1. They were not unfriendly at all.
2. One says that he read Harald's books, but did not know there was
an instructor manual as well. And wanted to know how he could get
a copy.
3. They told me that there is probably a bias between the kind of clients
they see and those Harald gets to work with:
a) Their clients are not so motivated about skiing as the people who
go looking for Harald's services;
b) Their clients often rent skis and so often are not properly aligned
and there is nothing one can do about it with rental skis and boots
c) They work with kids and adults who come to ski just to try it once
in a lifetime. Harald's students go looking for him
d) Most of their clients can barely afford to pay for ski pass and rentals
and a lesson. Harald's clients can afford to take camps and all the
other expenses.

So, at least we found some PSIA people who are not the "enemy". And perhaps there is some truth to some of the things they told me. While nobody can deny that Harald is responsible for his own success, I wonder
if even Harald could really do something for some of the people ski schools at no so prestigious resorts get to work with.

My experience at Kicking Horse told me a few things that seem to confirm at least partially what this friendly PSIA instructor told me while we were on the lift:

- At age 37 I was probably the kid of the group (except for Harald's son, Harrison) or one of the youngest people there;
- All of us had their own skis and boots and not exactly the bottom of the lines at that. Most of us already had the Harbskisytems custom made insoles. The others got them during camp, I believe;
- Most of us were professionals, articulated, willing to work hard and try
new things;

My experience with PSIA lesson (full-day lesson with a group of 5):
- more or less all age groups were represented;
- some had skis and boots, others were skiing on the wrong equipment
(probably borrowed from family or friends), one had rentals!;
- one guy was so misaligned that even I could tell there was a serious alignement issue there;
- at the first relatively serious black run we had to face, people were scattered all other the run. One taking timid turns, one following the instructor, one showing off ahead of the instructor and completing his run
with a majestic face plant. One had to be continuously reassured that she
could do that.
- most of the people were bashful, almost afraid to be out of their league
which made almost impossible to have any serious conversation among us, the student.

I cannot think that teaching PSIA sometimes must feel like Hell is loose while PMTS teaching in these camps, even with some bad student like myself should not be that kind of evil.
Mr. T
 
Posts: 104
Joined: Wed Oct 22, 2003 7:57 am
Location: California

Postby -- SCSA » Fri Jan 02, 2004 9:51 pm

T,

There's no doubt about it, we're all in the "motivated skier" group. Your observations are great and I'm starting to see the same thing here in Eagle County (Vail and Beaver Creek). Most instructors seem to be curious about it. I'm starting to meet more who are really into it!

That's great!
-- SCSA
 


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