Four local ski, snowboard instructors among 37 Americans headed to Interski in Finland

Vail Resorts recently shared the following press release on Interski in Finland on March 31. One local instructor (Mike Hafer, Vail) is on the PSIA Alpine Team, and three instructors — Chuck Hewitt (Vail & Beaver Creek, CO), Chris Rogers (Vail, CO) and Lyndsey Stevens (Vail, CO) — are on the AASI Snowboard Team:

Thirty-seven instructors from the Professional Ski Instructors of America and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI) are traveling to Levi, Finland Sunday, March 26 through Friday, March 31 for Interski. Held every four years, this international event brings together 1,500 attendees, including top instructors from more than 30 countries, to share teaching techniques to help make learning to ski or snowboard easier and more fun for anyone in the world who takes a lesson.

PSIA-AASI is a membership association that has more than 33,000 members. The 37 instructors traveling to represent United States ski and snowboard instructors are members of the PSIA- AASI National Team, and are chosen from those 33,000 members through a rigorous selection process that measures their skiing or riding skills, as well as their teaching skills. They also represent ski and ride areas from across the country, from Maine to California.

“The PSIA-AASI National Team – made up of the top ski and snowboard instructors in the United States – will attend Interski to present PSIA-AASI’s well developed guidelines of top teaching practices and how to create the best experience for the guest,” said PSIA-AASI CEO Peggy Hiller. “These leaders set the standard for how we teach skiing and snowboarding in the United States.”

“Our team will present on the learning connection between a student and their teacher and how the fundamentals of people, teaching, and technical skills – meaning how someone skis or snowboards – enhances how a student learns,” said PSIA-AASI Director of Education Dave Schuiling. “This adaptive approach places the student at the center of learning for a truly customized experience that is super fun.”

The event consists of on-snow and indoor education presentations, networking opportunities, and synchronized skiing and riding demonstrations.

“Synchronized skiing and riding demonstrations showcase different ski and snowboard techniques,” said Schuiling. “It takes precision, coordination, and trust to make rhythmic and accurate turns while moving at a fast pace down the hill. It’s exciting and fun to watch!”

This video from Interski 2019 in Pamporovo, Bulgaria shows synchronized skiing and riding demonstrations, and the planning and practice that goes into these types of ski runs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wm6QAK35OeA.

Meet the 37 PSIA-AASI National Team Members Traveling to Finland

Team members come from across the country. They are based in California, Colorado, Montana, New Hampshire, Oregon, Utah, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. You can see all the team members here: https://www.thesnowpros.org/2021/09/30/meet-the-2021-24-psia- aasi-national-team/

  

Team Coaches

• Jeb Boyd, Head Coach (Loon Mountain, NH)
• Geoff Krill, Adaptive Team Coach (Loon Mountain, NH)
• Michael Rogan, Alpine Team Coach (Heavenly, CA & Portillo, Chile)
• Matt Boyd, Alpine Team Assistant and Development Coach (Loon Mountain, NH)
• Emily Lovett, Cross Country Team Coach (Lake Catamount Touring Center in Steamboat,CO)
• Eric Rolls, Snowboard Team Coach (Woodward Park City, UT)
• Tony Macri Snowboard Team Assistant and Development Coach (Copper Mountain, CO)
• Gregory Dixon, Telemark Team Coach (Mt. Bachelor, OR)Adaptive Team

• Christina Bruno (Steamboat, CO)
• Mike Ma (Mount Snow, VT)Alpine Team

• Jonathan Ballou (Aspen Snowmass, CO)
• Robin Barnes (Heavenly Lake Tahoe, CA)
• Ryan Christofferson (Northstar Lake Tahoe, CA)
• Dustin Dyar (Crested Butte, CO)
• Bart Flynn (Jackson Hole, WY)
• George Flynn (Jackson Hole, WY)
• Joshua Fogg (Aspen Snowmass, CO)
• Mike Hafer (Vail, CO)
• Stephen Helfenbein (Deer Valley, UT)
• Kevin Jordan (Aspen Snowmass, CO)
• Brenna Kelleher (Big Sky, MT)
• Zoe Mavis (Big Sky, MT)
• Ben Potts (Breckenridge & Woodward Copper, CO)
• Ann Schorling (Jackson Hole, WY)
• Brian Smith (Gore Mountain, NY & Aspen Snowmass, CO)
• Troy Walsh (Sunday River, ME)Cross Country Team

• Tulie Budiselich (Methow Valley, WA)
• Zeke Fashingbauer (Minocqua Winter Park, WI)Snowboard Team

• Amy Gan Bailey (Stratton Mountain, VT)

• Brian Donovan (Stratton Mountain, VT)
• Chuck Hewitt (Vail & Beaver Creek, CO)
• Matt Larson (Big Sky, MT)
• Chris Rogers (Vail, CO)
• Lyndsey Stevens (Vail, CO)
• Stephanie Wilkerson (Mammoth Mountain, CA)Telemark Team

• Keith Rodney (Mount Snow, VT)
• Jim Shaw (Winter Park & Aspen Snowmass, CO)To get live Interski updates follow PSIA-AASI on their social media channels and #interski2023 or visit thesnowpros.org/events/interski.