My New Position

I have some good news and some bad news, but it is all the same news.

The Winter Park Ski and Ride School has hired me to be an On-Snow Supervisor for the children's school. In this role I will developing and managing the 140 or so full time instructors who teach children. I look forward to expanding my own experience and helping the other instructors develop their skills, so that they can increase the value of your lessons.

However this means that I am not as available for lessons as I have been in the future. That doesn't mean that I won't be able to teach throughout the season. If you have already booked a lesson with me, I will honor that agreement. If you are a returning guest, you will be able to book a session with me, but you will have to let me know far enough in advance so that I can have another supervisor cover my position at Ski School.

I would love to ski with all of my guests who I have skied with in the past, and I will endeavor to continue skiing with you. However, if you are a new guest or a returning guest and we cannot make the timing work, I am always ready to recommend another instructor to suit your needs.

I hope to see you all on the slopes soon!

Book in October Deals

Save on your private lessons if you book in October.

The Winter Park Ski and Ride School is offering a discount on Private lessons if you book in October. You can save $35 on full day private lessons if you book in October. Please check the Calendar Page to check my availability before booking.

Winter Park voted #1 by holiday makers

TUI is one of the largest travel groups in the World and encompasses over 3500 travel agencies, and their holiday makers have voted Winter Park as the 'best liked resort'. The list goes

1. Winter Park
2. Galtur
3. Breckenridge, Whistler, Arnisal
4. Obergurgl, St Johann, Zermatt
5. Alpbach, Montgenevre, Zell am See

Congratulations Winter Park and everyone who endeavors to keep it number 1. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Get your Season Pass and Save!

Have you decided that you are coming to Winter Park this season? If you have you can save big on your vacation!

Buying a season pass can save you big bucks. Daily lift tickets purchased at the window cost upwards of $90. If you plan on skiing 5 days you could save up to $80 if you buy a season pass instead. However you get more deals than that. Pass holder benefits include:

• 10 friends and family tickets that can be purchased for $69 to be used throughout the season.
• Discounts at Winter Park Resort Rental and Retail Outlets
• Discounts at Ski School
• Discounts at Winter Park Resort Food and Beverage Outlets.
• Discounted lodging at Intrawest Resorts
• Additional specials through the 'Pass Perks' email.

You have to act fast though as the price of Winter Park Season Passes goes up on October 16th. Grab a steal for $369 if you know you are coming to Winter Park!

Click here to get your pass now.

First Snow in the Rockies and you'll never guess which resort in North America opened first!

On October 6th the first significant snowfall came into the Rockies. In the valleys we saw around 6 inches of accumulation and more on the mountain tops. Temperatures, however, are expected to rise over the coming week and we will likely see snow in the valleys melt away. Hopefully the snow on the mountain tops will stay as snowmaking operations in Winter Park are expected to begin in mid-October.

Julie and I went for a walk around Winter Park as we were very excited for the first snow. We should have brought cross country skis! I was very surprised with the amount of accumulation.

 

The big news for this weekend though was that the North America Winter Ski Season has begun. On October 8th at least two ski areas opened for the winter. Wolf Creek in Colorado started their season with full resort services, 3 lifts and 3 feet of powder! 

The big news is that the first ski area in the US to open was in the least expected place. Ski and Snowboard Resort Las Vegas Nevada beat Wolf Creek by an hour to win the title. They opened with a 12 inch base and very limited services. It is unknown if these resorts will open next weekends but we can hope. Last year the title went to Loveland Ski Area, Colorado who opened on October 24th. 

Congratulations if you guessed right, and keep hoping for snow!

My Review of Smith Vantage Snow Helmet - Men's

Originally submitted at REI

The Smith Vantage snow helmet with Boa® fit system uses top-of-the-line technology to maximize protection for aggressive, big-mountain descents.

Smith Vantage Snow Helmet - Men's

Wear it whenever I am on the mountain

By ski pro wp from Winter Park, CO on 10/8/2011

 

4out of 5

Sizing: Feels half size too small

Pros: Protective, Well Ventilated, Headphone Compatible, Lightweight, Comfortable, Easily Adjustable

Cons: Expensive, Breezy

Best Uses: Downhill, Snowboarding, Skiing

Describe Yourself: Professional

Was this a gift?: No

I use the product every day in the winter. It has been through temperatures ranging from -40 to 50 and it's multiple, adjustable ventilation has always kept me comfortable. It is light weight an comfortable.

I do not like the fact that it has one ventilation system that you cannot shut down. When it is windy it blows cold air around your head even with all of the vents closed.

The helmet is also quite expensive.

(legalese)

My Review of Salomon Enduro XT850 Skis with Bindings - Men's - 2011/2012

Originally submitted at REI

The high-performance, all-terrain Salomon Enduro XT850 skis with bindings fly down the mountain atop powder, crud or corduroy.

Salomon Enduro XT850 Skis with Bindings - Men's - 2011/2012

By from on 9/23/2011

 

out of 5

(legalese)

What do ski instructors do in the summer?

Have you ever wondered what ski instructors do when there is no snow on the mountains?

Some are summer camp counselors. Some work at golf courses. Some go sailing. Some can't live with out the snow and travel to the southern hemisphere to get their endless winter.

I work for the US Forest Service cutting down dead trees to keep the trails around Winter Park open.

P.S. Ski Instructors are ineligible for unemployment benefits

Ride of the Week -July 31st 2011

This weeks ride is a road ride. The Tour de France just ended and I am now anxiously awaiting the Colorado Pro Tour to pass through. This road ride is pretty simple, turn right out of Winter Park Resort and just keep pedaling. The ride is 10 miles exactly from the last stop light in Winter Park to the top of the pass and climbs consistently for over 2000ft making it a category 1 climb according to the UCI.





The false flats at the start act as a great warm up and once you hit the first hairpin you know you are in for a ride. It kicks up to a mile long climb averaging about a 8% grade. It then flattens out the rest of the climb until you make it to the last mile of the climb where the hill returns to an average grade of about 8% again. You will be rewarded with some great vistas on either side of the divide.

I recommend that you do this ride in the morning because the winds are more calm. A head wind can be brutal. The traffic is not bad and the lanes are plenty wide.

The best part about working your way to the top - the descent. Make sure you don't get a speeding ticket on the way down.

Ride of the Week

The name of this blog is ride-winter-park. Half of the riding takes place in winter, but the other half is in the summer. The mountain bike riding is fantastic and that is why Winter Park is named Mountain Bike Capital USA.

The Mary Jane Hill Climb on the 11th marked the first race of the Epic Single Track Series. The summer biking season has kicked off.

This weeks ride - Wolf Park - Givelo - Northwest Passage - Unnamed Trail and back.
Difficulty: Easy






Take the Wolf Park trail towards the Rec Center. Turn left on the dirt road that runs parallel US 40. Join the Fraser River Trail and turn left at the Alco Center. Go under the railway bridge and turn right and then left onto CO 73. Givelo trail runs next to CO 73. Follow Givelo and when the trail splits take the right fork. Take the right fork again. This is Northwest Passage. Turn right onto CO 50. In around 100yds turn left onto an unnamed trail. Keep your eyes open! This trail has some intimidating jumps but you don't have to go over them, there are small trails that go around the jumps. This trail drops back off on CO 50. Follow CO 50 and turn right onto CO 5. Then go right on US 40 and head back to Wolf Park.

BASI level 4 ISTD - Teaching around the world

My life continues on in the States, but what few people know about me is that I continue to pursue my European ski qualifications. The US is one of the few countries where you do not have to be qualified to teach skiing. Most countries have minimum certification criteria, and some countries standards are higher. France is the country that has set the bar the highest, and there are only a few other national bodies that have a standard that France will accept. They are France (of course), Austria, Italy, Germany, Britain, and Switzerland.

For two years I have been completing my British Association of Snowsports Instructors (BASI) level 4. There are 8 components

• Technical (Skiing) Module - 5days
• Teaching Module - 5 days
• European Mountain Safety training - 4 days
• European Mountain Safety assessment - 3 days
• 6 logged back country tours
• European Speed Test (timed GS race)
• Written Project
• Interview

That is a total of fourteen assessed days and many more spent training to the standard. To put this into context to be fully certified through the American system it takes nine days, three of which are assessed.

I traveled to Hintertux, Austria to take part in the level 4 technical skiing exam. It was a hard week of skiing. There were 30 candidates spread over four groups. Everyone in the exam fell at least once, including the examiners. I had some mighty bruises on my legs and one of the girls on the course had a chance of making the standard until she hurt herself at the end of the first day. We skied so hard that we had a GS ski break in half!

I was successful and am very glad to have finished my BASI level 4. It allows me to establish a ski school anywhere in the world, which means I can now take my guests skiing around the world. I look forward to taking you on a world tour soon!

Best Powder of the Season

The lifts at Winter Park may have stopped turning, but that is no excuse to stop skiing.

Chris Hoffbauer is the J5 Development Coach for Aspen Valley Ski Club and we went powder skiing after a big dump on Berthoud Pass near Winter Park. Can you believe that at the end of April it would be possible to ski waist deep snow? If not watch the video.

We took precautions on our small trip. This season there have been two avalanche related fatalities on Berthoud Pass. Both could have been avoided if those involved had respect for the mountain environment and taken steps to protect themselves.

Chris and I were both wearing avalanche transceivers,  carrying probes, shovels, a small shelter and the knowledge of how to use the equipment. We had read the Colorado Avalanche Information Center website to get the snow forecast. We talked to the CDOT representative on the pass and asked about the avalanche mitigation that they were conducting on the other side of the pass. I am a certified mountain guide, and although Chris is new to skiing in the backcountry, he is an experienced mountaineer who has climbed almost all of the 14,000ft peaks in Colorado.

Spring Skiing

While Europe is winding down their season with muddy slopes ad big piles of slush, Colorado is ending its season in style. Most Colorado ski areas shut their doors on April 24th, with a base of 2.8m, 20cm of fresh snow overnight and and a total of 10m+ snow throughout the season.

The video below is of my father and my friends skiing at Aspen Highlands three days before their season ended. We were greeted with no lift lines, first tracks and 7 inches of powder.

UK School Groups

The English schools have arrived! Every year at this time we have schools from the UK descend upon Winter Park for their Easter vacation. This spring Winter Park is hosting over 800 school children.

This year I am skiing and snowboarding with three schools. I spent a week riding with Stanbridge Earls. We had quite a wide range of abilities but we all rode around as a crew and had a good time.

I spent a week skiing with a group from Roundwood Park. All of the kids were great skiers on groomed runs and we ripped around for a week.

This week I am skiing with some first time skiers from a school called Polesworth. We started from scratch and were skiing blue runs comfortably by the end of our time together.

First Tracks

First Tracks are now only $125!



March and April are the snowiest months of the season. First Tracks allows you and up to two others to eat up all the powder before everyone else. First Tracks start at 8 and lifts open to the general public at 9 on weekdays.

First Tracks are also a great way to get yourself warmed up the right way, and give you a focus that will make the rest of your day enjoyable.

Call 970-531-1554 to book or email me at tomgulden@gmail.com

Winter Park Masters take medals at NASTAR Nationals

March 25-27 - Winter Park Resort, CO

 

NASTAR National Championships are the national recreational skiing championships. Winter Park was fortunate to host them this year and I hope that Winter Park can host them again.  At the end of the day I coached 6 people to the podium.

John Rice - 1st - Gold Division - Male 45-49
Bob Sommars - 3rd - Bronze Division - Male 55-59
Polly Crowninshield - 2nd - Platinum Division - Female 60-64
Sharron Sherman - 1st - Platinum Division - Female 65-69
Honor Ulveling -3rd - Platinum Division - Female 65-69
Nancy Abens - 3rd - Gold Division -  Female 65-69

Below is a video of our NASTAR clinics that we did before nationals

Goodys Athletes #1

Sean Horner and Nick Stenicka took home medals at the Rocky Mountain Junior Championships.

Sean Horner - GS 1st, SL 2nd, Overall 1st
Nick Stenicka - GS 7th, SL1st, Overall 2nd

Both Sean and Nick have been long time Winter Park Athletes and they have been funding their race training by working at Goodys.

Goodys is proud to support the comp center, not only by providing top athletes the opportunity to fund their dreams, but by being the title sponsor for the Goodys Ragin' Age Class race series as well.

6" Powder Rule

Race training with the Winter Park Masters Alpine Team does not mean chasing gates every day. We go with the standard 6" Powder Rule. More leniant coaches go with 5" and the more strict coaches go with 7".

3 reasons why we freeski on powder days:

1. Its POWDER! Why wouldnt you want to ski it?
2. Working on fundamental all mountain skiing will make you faster in the gates, especialy when the course get rough.
3. Courses set in soft snow take about 3 hours to prepare and can still be dangerous.

Ski Instructors have Free Time

The life of a ski instructor is probably not what you think it is.

The schedule allows for 5 hours of work a day, so almost all of have other jobs as well. Some weeks you may not work at all and during the month of March you may go 20+ days without a day off.

When we do get time off, especially in March, we like to play as we know it may be the only chance that we get.

Variable Conditions

Stay in balance when skiing chopped up powder. Going from deep snow, to tracked out snow, and back to deep snow causes our skis to rapidly accelerate and decelerate, throwing us out of balance. By flexing our ankles, knees and hips proportionately we keep our center of mass over our feet. This helps us stay in balance.

Have a buddy check to see if the lean in your back is the same in your shins. This will be a clue to see if you are proportionately flexed.

Train for NASTAR

NASTAR race training groups are forming right now. NASTAR Nationals are being held at Winter Park 3/24-3/27.

Train on the hill where you will be competing, receive individual coaching and use video feedback to improve your times on race day.

I will use my experience as a race coach and international ski racer to help you get on the podium.

Train with the Winter Park Competition Center on:
Friday 3/18 ($50/$92 with lift ticket)
Saturday 3/19 ($50/$92 with lift ticket)
Sunday 3/20 ($50/$92 with lift ticket)

I then change jackets and do the same training with Ski School on:
Tuesday 3/22 ($99, lift ticket not included)
Wednesday 3/23 ($99, lift ticket not included)
Thursday 3/24 ($99, lift ticket not included)

To train with the Winter Park Competition Center call 970-726-1590.
To train with the Winter Park Ski and Ride School call 800-729-7788

Private Lesson Deals

Private Lessons at Winter Park are on sale!

            - Online rate for private lessons are $499 click here to book

            - $25 discount for all lessons booked 7 days in advance over the phone

            - 3 consecutive half day lessons booked 48 hours in advance online or 7 days in advance over the phone for $1035 ($345 per lesson)

Don't forget that all people in you party can receive discounted lift tickets if you book through the Private Lesson Center.

Sale ends late March.

Examiner

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.