by DougD » Mon Oct 31, 2016 1:27 pm
I've not taken this course, but one visit to HSS in Dumont showed me that their knowledge far exceeds even the best on-mountain shops, including shops recommended by local racers, instructors, patrollers, etc.
Before finding HSS, I'd told a dozen shops and instructors about an old knee injury and how it affected my skiing. None could see anything amiss. The best of them recommended on on-snow evaluation by a L3 instructor they work with. Good plan. Unfortunately, despite knowing about the injury in advance, the instructor had no idea what to look for. His "evaluation" consisted of, "Your alignment looks okay, I guess... how does it feel to you?" Ummm... I already told you about my knee pain... remember? He simply had no knowledge base, no evaluation tools, yet charged me $250... for nothing.
Then I visited HSS in Dumont while helping a friend buy boots and enroll in a PMTS clinic. Diana greeted us and we chatted as we walked toward the fitting stand. "Say Doug," she asked, "when did you injure your right knee? Does it affect your skiing?"
HOLY MOTHER OF #$@&^^!!!! I'd never said a word to her about my old injury, yet she spotted it an instant. It never bothers me walking on a level floor. I'm not aware of a limp or any visible clue. What she saw remains a mystery.
What she did seems like a miracle. My right foot is fairly stable and doesn't need special support. My right leg does need canting, so she inserted a wedge beneath the boot sole. Presto! My once weaker ski leg, subject to pain in grabby snow, is now pain-free and as reliable as the other leg. I skied for 20 years with intermittent pain and without being able to trust one leg, all because the ski industry is ignorant... yet pretends to have special knowledge (and charges a premium for it).
The knowledge at HSS is real. From my perspective it's so advanced that it exemplifies Arthur C. Clarke's Third Law, "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic."
Anyone who's serious about being a ski instructor, fitter or coach must take this course. I will never trust my gear or legs to anyone who hasn't.