The demo team would claim that there is a great deal of exchange that is gained by being at Interski with the opportunity to observe the presentations and participate in the clinics given by each of the teams. And here in Aspen, where we have a large number of demo team members, there's a fair amount of material from Interski that's made it down through the training department into our own school. Just two days ago there was a mid-season meeting of school trainers with presentations from Interski.
I also do know that material from Interski has made it into the new manuals that are developed by, yes, volunteers, but which in reality have a huge involvement of the demo team.
Is it a perk to go to Interski or part of the job of looking for the most current and successful methods to develop ski instruction? It's probably both. But when you look at the personal time and dollar investment of those who make the demo team, is it unreasonable to give them a small perk of an international educational trip?
An individual here in Aspen is going to the demo team tryouts this season. It's his 4th attempt to make the team -- last time he was very close, but unsuccessful. He has hired a World Cup coach to work on his skiing, and has been through several FIS speed skis, 4 sets of boots, many coaching days, and tons of personal time working on his skiing just this season. We are talking thousands of dollars just in equipment, let alone the cost of coaching or the lost income of the numerous training days.
Let's face it -- making the demo team is a pretty huge investment. Not that getting certified isn't, but we are talking about a major investment where the payoff is more recognition and the opportunity to interact with top ski instructors, both from the US and from other countries, rather than financial.
Do the members benefit from this? I certainly have. And I certainly did when I was in Breckenridge rather than Aspen.
Mike