They came from all corners of Europe to find out about the Professional Ski Instructors of Europe (PSIE) and the Professional Ski Instructors of Canada (PSIC) and to participate in the Licensed Professional Trainer Course - the first ever PSIE course in Europe!
The course took place in Saas-Fee, Switzerland from 27-29 October and was attended by 25 participants who travelled from Andorra, Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, UK, France, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Sweden, and Switzerland. Curiosity, an openness to learning, and a passion for ski teaching and instructor training were among the reasons so many made the effort to come.
The course was delivered by the PSIE Leadership Team of Josh, Stefi, Jamie, and Derek.
So, what do we mean by 'purpose provides perspective'? The whole ethos of the PSIE/C is that it starts with a clear purpose. The overall purpose is that our end users - our guests - have an amazing adventure every time they venture onto the ski slopes and that their instructors will help to guide that adventure so that they have fun, safe, learning. The instructor's purpose is to ensure their guests are safe while having an enjoyable time, harnessing the joy that comes from learning the fundamentals of force and balance and how to make skiing efficient and effective.
The PSIC's educational material includes, The Adventure (and the Adventure Builder), The Method (which guides the adventure by considering the three important sides of the human condition: Intellectual, Emotional, and Physical), and the Technical Blueprint (which ensures that we assess and develop performance by clearly defining how we want the skis to interact with the snow - purpose - and then basing our development decisions - movements and skills - around refining that interaction). Function over form is at the heart of this process.
Therefore by having a clear purpose at macro and micro levels both instructor's and their guests gain perspective - clarity in seeing and understanding things based around the science of learning and the science of skiing.
One of the exciting aspects of this course was that it generated interest from so many different nationalities and backgrounds (15 different national snowsports instructor training organisations). Since launching the PSIE earlier this year there have been some who have felt threatened by our emergence. However, healthy competition, or '‘competere' (the Latin origin of the word), means aiming to collaborate and strive together so that collectively we can elevate our industry for the better. Those attending this course demonstrated how a growth mindset can make this a reality.
Stan Aunan, Co-Director at Apex Verbier said, "PSIE is more than a fresh approach to the ski teaching industry. PSIE is developing much needed programs that respect the worldwide history of ski teaching and build upon the well-founded traditions of professionalism and excellence. At the same time, PSIE is moving forward to the future with critically modern and timely curricula. While participating in the first Licensed Professional Trainer Course on European slopes, I was impressed with the alignment of the education and certification processes in preparing instructors for the real challenges of providing clients with truly great adventures. Fun is finally a professional responsibility!"
While Justin Fogarty, of Pivotas AG said, "The course was a fantastic opportunity to learn new perspectives on how to help people solve problems in their skiing. Not only were the course conductors top notch but the mix of very experienced instructor participants from all over Europe made it like a mini Interski with a great vibe and a super exchange of ideas".
So, the PSIE's first season in Europe is well and truly underway and we are super excited about the winter ahead. If you would like to learn more about the PSIE, membership benefits, and the courses that we are offering then please visit our website.
We wish all snowsports instructors and snowsports training and certification organisations a very successful season. Let's strive together and help our guests experience the best adventures possible so that skiing is the vehicle to greater wellbeing in their lives.
Below are a few photos from Josh's group from the very talented Bunzac Media
And a few more photos from the 3-day course:
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