Women's Summit Stowe: Feb 27-March 1, 2022

[Jilly]

Thanks. CSIA sent Kathy Prophet who is a L4, instructor, examiner and former Interski member. She really into our Women in Skiing and heads the committee at National.

Her report was interesting as she was also noting the differences in technique and teaching.

 

[liquidfeet]

Thanks. CSIA sent Kathy Prophet who is a L4, instructor, examiner and former Interski member. She really into our Women in Skiing and heads the committee at National.

Her report was interesting as she was also noting the differences in technique and teaching.

Link????
I'd really like to read her thoughts.

 

[Jilly]

I was going to contact her and ask if I could post it here.

 

[liquidfeet]

I was going to contact her and ask if I could post it here.

Great. Looking forward to hearing what she says.

 

[SmuggsSkier]

I attended the Women's Summit and would add a few things. For anyone who has gone to PSIA's National Academy, the format was similar: you skied with a group in the morning and had "electives" (on snow or indoors) in the afternoon. The only difference, as liquidfeet said, was the survey and the way groups were assigned. At National Academy, you get in a big room where the coaches are located by ski levels. You talk with them and members who are forming in the groups until you figure out which group will work for you.

I agree that switching groups would have been "socially awkward," especially for those of us who are ski instructors and may run into the coach at an exam or other event. But, the coaches were a very talented group and you can always learn something, even in a group that isn't quite the right fit.

 

[newboots]

I went to the Summit, as well. My experiences weren't quite as positive as those of @liquidfeet - partly because of my physical condition and perhaps due to my lower skill level in general.

I was in a group with some really nice peers, all instructors - a bunch from Pennsylvania, and some from elsewhere. Most were intermediate skiers, with similar skill issues as mine. One, though, was a superb skier who is actively working on Level 2, who was dealing with issues of fear. I can relate! We connected and I made a new friend.

I was disappointed in the instruction for two reasons. My instructor was entirely new to Stowe and had not arrived early enough to scope out the terrain. As a result, my group often found itself on steeper terrain than was ideal for focusing on a specific skill. (Can you say, "Revert to survival skiing?") We spent some time traveling over the mountain, in search of shallower terrain. On the second day, a local skier was added to our group, at least in part to offer ideas about what trails to take. This didn't go very well, in that the local skier and the instructor seemed to develop a power struggle about the choice of trails.

Also, our instructor frequently stopped, often for several minutes, on the side of the trail (even steep trails) to offer verbal instruction and invite comments and questions. Due to a bad hip, I found this quite painful on the steep hillsides. I eventually dropped out of the second day's lesson near the end, and skipped the third day. (Even now, typing this, I am reminded of the defeated feeling of failure I had about doing this - Not. My. Style. I guess I'm still pretty unhappy about it.) I skied 5 days the month before at Diva East, so I do attribute this to the standing on such uneven ground - I can't think of any other reason I would have been in such pain.

I also attended an afternoon session that had no instruction at all, just zooming around on the long, beautiful groomers. It was fun, but I couldn't continue with that, either, due to pain in my hip.

Positives: After all the snow on Tuesday night, virtually every trail was covered in soft bumps. I was skiing alone that day, and practiced these bumps on gentle blue trails. It was delightful! Stowe is a beautiful mountain; I wished I had more time to just ski it without pain.

I also enjoyed meeting some really great skiers, including my new friend. That was fun. @liquidfeet introduced me to a couple of women as well.

 

[santacruz skier]

Sounds to me, and I could be wrong, that most attendees were experienced, skilled skiers (mostly instructors, correct) and maybe there weren't enough intermediate skiers to form a group with similar goals and skills. And maybe the instructors weren't expecting that as wasn't it deemed for PSIA instructors ? But open to the public ? And the fact that your instructor didn't know the mountain very well and wasn't aware of the skill level of the group could have made your experience less than what it should have been. (If an instructor knew the area and the skill level of the group, it may have been a more positive experience.)....

Maybe some feedback would help for future years? Who are they (womens summit) targeting? Instructors? Advanced/Expert skiers? Intermediates/beginners? All levels?

 

[Pequenita]

Mixing non-teaching members of the public with instructors doesn’t make a ton of sense to me, but maybe I’m missing something. Instructors often have a different vocabulary than lay people, and I can see it taking a bit of time to get someone up to speed on that.

 

[liquidfeet]

Sounds to me, and I could be wrong, that most attendees were experienced, skilled skiers (mostly instructors, correct) and maybe there weren't enough intermediate skiers to form a group with similar goals and skills. And maybe the instructors weren't expecting that as wasn't it deemed for PSIA instructors ? But open to the public ? And the fact that your instructor didn't know the mountain very well and wasn't aware of the skill level of the group could have made your experience less than what it should have been. (If an instructor knew the area and the skill level of the group, it may have been a more positive experience.)....

Maybe some feedback would help for future years? Who are they (womens summit) targeting? Instructors? Advanced/Expert skiers? Intermediates/beginners? All levels?

I asked before the summit started. They intended to target all levels of skiers, instructors and "civilians" alike.

 

[Jilly]

For a few years, our Fall Members Convention had a separate session called "bring a friend". Mostly it was to get the spouses to come. I took my husband one year, and a under 30 friend one year. DH was a L1 instructor at one time. Just decided that he didn't want to continue. The young pup, a strong skier, but needed some instruction. Boy did he get it. Much better skier after 3 days. They got to partake in the off snow stuff and a dinner, not pizza, but it's Quebec and we DINE.

So that could be something to put into a survey if they do one after the event. Separate that group to just instruction and off snow events.

As for a course conductor not knowing their way around, I've had that happen way too many times with our Fall event. (it's the first week of December, so still Fall). We get a lot of the Ontario instructors and they only know so many runs.

At a women's camp, we had an instructor that didn't know where there was a small bump run. SkiBam's friend and I directed her to an area. But those bumps and anywhere else were firm. But it kind of pissed me off.

 

[santacruz skier]

I was in a group with some really nice peers, all instructors - a bunch from Pennsylvania, and some from elsewhere. Most were intermediate skiers

This baffles me as well. Instructors were intermediate skiers?

 

[newboots]

This baffles me as well. Instructors were intermediate skiers?

I was in a group of instructors (this was a PSIA event) who were taught by an advanced coach.

 

[santacruz skier]

I was in a group of instructors (this was a PSIA event) who were taught by an advanced coach.

Right but they were intermediate skiers ? PSIA instructors?
That's what baffles me.

 

[marzNC]

This baffles me as well. Instructors were intermediate skiers?

At small mountains in the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and southeast, any intermediate skier who is interested in becoming an instructor is welcome to do the in-house Instructor Training Course during the early season. When a mountain has less than 200 acres and very little off-piste terrain, really don't need to be that good a skier to teach beginners of any age. Assuming someone has the patience and aptitude to be a teacher.

To pass the PSIA Level 1 exams, an intermediate who can demo beginner skills and pass the written teaching exam doesn't have much trouble passing even during their first season as an instructor. Passing the Level 2 exams is different. Level 2 also requires passing the Child Specialist 1 exam.

 

[santacruz skier]

At small mountains in the northeast, mid-Atlantic, and southeast, any intermediate skier who is interested in becoming an instructor is welcome to do the in-house Instructor Training Course during the early season. When a mountain has less than 200 acres and very little off-piste terrain, really don't need to be that good a skier to teach beginners of any age. Assuming someone has the patience and aptitude to be a teacher.

To pass the PSIA Level 1 exams, an intermediate who can demo beginner skills and pass the written teaching exam doesn't have much trouble passing even during their first season as an instructor. Passing the Level 2 exams is different. Level 2 also requires passing the Child Specialist 1 exam.

Ah think it's different out here...

 

[newboots]

Right but they were intermediate skiers ? PSIA instructors?
That's what baffles me.

Is this a continuation of our conversation about resorts in the East hiring people as instructors who have not yet achieved PSIA Level 1?

Yes, intermediate skiers.

 

[marzNC]

When Deb Armstrong did a PSIA clinic at Taos in late February, she was teaching Level 1 and Level 2 instructors who were actively working towards the next level exam. From what @Susan L saw, most of the instructors were probably Level 1 and intermediate skiers. The Wolf Creek instructor that I know was the only advanced skier apparently. She's been preparing for the Level 3 exams for a few years. She's working as an instructor full-time. That's not that common for Level 1 instructors.

 

[santacruz skier]

Is this a continuation of our conversation about resorts in the East hiring people as instructors who have not yet achieved PSIA Level 1?

Yes, intermediate skiers.

Sorry no offense intended at you. Just surprised I guess.

 

[newboots]

Sorry no offense intended at you. Just surprised I guess.

Forgive me. I'm grumpy after a week of Covid/forced isolation/exhaustion.

 

[marzNC]

Ah think it's different out here...

Maybe, maybe not. You ski Epic resorts around Tahoe. Not the smaller independent mountains in California or Nevada that cater to local families. I would guess those ski areas have some Level 1 and Level 2 instructors who aren't advanced skiers/boarders yet.