In mid February, I went to Aspen for a few days to attend the Rocky Mountain Examiner Selection.
A little background history: Ski instructors in the US are certified by the Professional Ski Instructors of America(
PSIA). You start as a Level1 instructor and can eventually become a Level 3 (fully certified instructor). Beyond that you can become a trainer of instructors to help them pass their exams.
Examiners are trainers, hired by PSIA, to administer exams and provide educational clinics to instructors. I was delighted to be one of two people hired by PSIA this year to join their education staff.
Val & Andy studying on the chair
The selection was over two days and broken down into four sections:
1. Skiing - Two runs, 9 tasks and many eyes on you as you perform
2. Presenting - Two outdoor presentations watched by five examiners, and one indoor presentation watched by three examiners
3. Movement Analysis - Two sessions, you watch a video of a skier and describe everything you see happening, why is it happening and what you would change to make it better.
4. Interview - Five minutes in a room with four interviewers
There were 17 candidates this year and they were all excellent skiers, teachers and people. I met some great people and am really excited to see some of them become examiners in the future.
I still have some steps before I become a fully fledged examiner. I have to shadow two more level one exams and attend a clinic next fall. I'm guessing by next January they will put me out to work.
