Interski 2023: Emily Lovett Ready to Cross Country Ski Levi

Held every four years, Interski is an international event that brings together top snowsports instructors from more than 40 countries. The PSIA-AASI National Team attends to present their latest teaching techniques and get insight into new ideas to bring back home to members. The discussions that take place at the event help PSIA-AASI refine its approach to training instructors and improving the guest experience.

Here, PSIA Cross Country Team Coach Emily Lovett provides a preview of what the team will present at Interski 2023 in Levi, Finland, March 26 through March 31.

What are you most excited about in anticipation of Interski 2023?

  • I’m excited to see the cross country friends I met in Bulgaria, and all the cross country team members from the other countries. We’ve stayed in touch and it’s been fun to have connections across the globe. These connections make learning and sharing with each other even richer.
  • I’m excited to be at a ski resort that is a cross country skiing mecca. Levi has 230km of cross country ski trails.
  • It’s refreshing to open my mind and learn from others. I’m really looking forward to having a “take it all in” mindset while I’m there, enjoying and celebrating learning snowsports and Finland!

What are you presenting and how does it complement the team presentation?

  • I’m heading up an on-snow workshop on People Skills Fundamentals. One of our goals for our on-snow workshops is to create clarity around the three fundamental skill sets of the Learning Connection Model (LCM) and people skills, teaching skills and technical skills. I’ll be assisting PSIA Cross Country Team members Zeke Fashingbauer and Tulie Budiselich in the teaching skills on-snow and the technical skills on-snow presentations.
  • For our indoor presentation, the cross country team is presenting “Strategies and Tools to Guide Learning and Create Consistency.” We’ll start with why PSIA-AASI started the Strategic Alignment Initiative, cover what it is and how the cross country discipline has created tools for learning and consistency. I’m taking on the “what” piece to create clarity around the LCM, the fundamentals skills and how they are the backbone to the national standards.

Has preparing for Interski affected how you approach your clinics, lessons, and coaching?

  • I’ve shifted my instructing and coaching over the last few years to using fundamentals as a platform for members/students/athletes to discover and empower their own learning. I no longer dive so deep in the details, instead, I focus on the outcomes we are looking for and guide students in the learning/discovery process by tuning into what engages them.

What are you most interested in learning from the other countries and their presentations?

  • I’m interested to hear how other countries’ presentation content lines up with the PSIA-AASI fundamentals. Where are we similar, where are we different. Why?
  • I’m also interested in how other countries create the experiential learning piece. It’s easy to tell someone how to ski correctly, but getting people to learn for themselves and create lasting changes in movements and tactics is more of an art. I’m interested in that creative process.

What does the Interski 2023 theme, “The Guest Experience is Everything,” mean to you and PSIA-AASI’s approach to snowsports instruction?

  • If people have a good experience on skis, they will return to the sport. If they don’t have a good experience, they probably won’t stick with the sport. Let’s collectively focus on creating great experiences for our guests!