Interski 2023: The Learning Connection & Decision Making
Interski 2023 wraps up in Levi, Finland today, with a full slate of outdoor and indoor educational workshops followed by a closing ceremony and show runs which will include a specific Adaptive Show Run, a Telemark Show Run, and an International Women’s Show Run led by PSIA Alpine Team member Brenna Kelleher.
A day after PSIA Alpine Team member Ann Schorling received a standing ovation for her keynote presentation “Gender Equity in Snowsports Instruction,” the PSIA-AASI National Team is back delivering workshops on the Learning Connection Model and instructor decision making, including clinics on people skills, teaching skills, and technical skills.
Instructor Decision Making
“At every Interski PSIA-AASI delivers a key innovation to help advance snowsports instruction,” said PSIA Alpine Team member Brian Smith. “This Interski, that innovation is our work on decision making and how we can use decision making throughout a lesson to tailor what we’re presenting to each student and how they are learning.”
Brian said whether it’s in the adaptive, alpine, cross country, snowboard, or telemark workshops – and whether members are focusing on technical or teaching skills – team members mix people skills and decision making into every presentation.
“We are practicing what we preach in real time,” said Brian, “continuing to provide relevant decision-making information.”
Collaboration and Adaptability for Student Retention
Even as the event winds to a close, the PSIA-AASI National Team will present six workshops today – after presenting more than 30 throughout the week – concluding with an all-discipline afternoon lecture on “Collaboration and Adaptability for Student Retention,” led by PSIA-AASI Adaptive Team Coach Geoff Krill and AASI Snowboard Team Coach Eric Rolls.
“We have such a diverse membership and such great resources to help us increase participation in snowsports and help students have more fun,” said Eric. “We also have room for growth.”
A Consistent Message
Geoff said that for him – and the adaptive team in particular – the consistency of the national team’s message resonates because it represents every discipline.
“The overall focus of what we say and the materials we share represents the amount of people contributing to our message,” said Geoff. “It’s very special. The unification across the team is strong.”
PSIA Telemark Team Coach Gregory Dixon said the consistency of the team’s message also has a positive impact on the association’s members, “Because it’s the same message we are modeling, training, and assessing to in our clinics and assessments across the country.”
The Event Wraps Up
“My one-word takeaway is ‘harmony,’” said PSIA-AASI Director of Education Dave Schuiling. “We have a strong message that connected beautifully with the theme, ‘The Guest Experience is Everything.’ Although it’s cliché to say we were working off the same sheet of music, our team was in total harmony as our full repertoire was delivered with passion and precision.”
PSIA-AASI National Team Coach Jeb Boyd said the team’s on-snow and indoor workshops were the result of hard work at home with the added help of the association’s educational taskforces, and said he is especially grateful, “for all the contributions they provide, and for their trust and support of the association.”
“I’m so happy for our team members here in Levi. They’ve worked their tails off getting us to this point, and I can confidently say that this has been a successful event for our association. Each team member nailed their workshops, lectures, and performance runs,” said Jeb. “The event was well organized, the snow was perfect, and the results will speak for themselves.”
