My Jam Session experience in Italy

[abcd]

I was watching Check Point videos by Jam Session on youtube for several years and last month decided to join them for lessons. I feel like these guys deserve more attention than they get in the US, so I thought I would share my experience.

I emailed them asking if they can accommodate an English speaking student and ended-up booking two 3-day courses in different parts of Italy.
We had 2 groups of 5-6 people in each location. In the Alps all participants were roughly skiing as Level 1+ instructors and I was in the stronger group. In the Dolomites the skiers were much stronger and I was in the second group.
Each of the courses includes 6-7 hours per day on the snow for 3 days and two days of 60-90 minute video analysis.

All instructors looked to me like very strong skiers, especially at long carved turns. Their skiing is consistent with what is shown in Jam Session videos and the eaching is also consistent. As I moved to a different mountain ror my second 3-day session, it felt as if I'm continuing with the same instructor.
My instructors in Dolimites can be seen here - both short and long terns

Quality of teaching:
Demos were very good (for my level). Teaching at one location was world class. Teaching at the other location did not exactly match my learning style, but nevertheless was a solid PSIA level 3+ teaching.
Jam Session seem to be very well known and liked in Italy. Every day some random skiers would stop by to say how they respect them and would ask to "say hi to Malfatto brothers".

Takeways:
Emphasis on core engagement and stability. I've heard it multiple times but it's the first time it actually clicked with me. I saw the connection between core engagement and maintaining contact with the snow and could actually incorporate it into my skiing. This allowed me to minimize my up-and-down motion.
A lot of work on upper body discipline: leveled shoulders and leveled hips. Also on initiating the turn with the lower body while the upper body continues to travel in the old direction.
Emphasis on pushing outside leg forward
A LOT of work on angulation (together with core engagement) to maintain pressure on the outside ski.

Limited or no mention of: Inside foot, early outside foot engagement, early pressure
Short turns seemed to be more pivoty and less carvy than the CSIA version.

Value for money:
Couple of years ago I took 2 full-day privates in Tahoe with a PSIA educational stuff member. With tips it cost me close to $2,000 for two days and I cancelled the third day because I didn't feel like I'm getting my moneys worth.
My 6-day course in Italy cost me less than a 3-day trip to Tahoe ($500 airline tickets, $250 car rental, $90 per day for 3-star hotel with free shuttle, good breakfast and 3-course dinner with wine, 900 Euro for 6 days with Jam Session. I found video analysis in a group setting to be very useful.

Overall: the quality of instruction is on par with those few lessons I took with CSIA level 4's. More useful (for me) than what I can get if I just book a random PSIA Level 3. Lots of very strong skiers on the slopes (especially in Dolimites), which makes me think that there is something they do right with their teaching. Great scenery, Italian food and culture.
Long group lunches with good food and wine help to remind that skiing is about enjoying life and not just performing drills.

 

[geepers]

The vids look good. Wish I could get good translations as their subtitles are...ah....challenging to understand.

 

[Erik Timmerman]

Those guys are great. I love their videos. My question though is what are they? Are they a ski school? Are they like the Italian PSIA? Are they based in a particular area?

 

[LiquidFeet]

Those guys are great. I love their videos. My question though is what are they? Are they a ski school? Are they like the Italian PSIA? Are they based in a particular area?

The lead guy is Valerio Malfatto.
On Linkedin it says this about him (translated by Google):
"Federal trainer and national instructor from '84 to '92,
responsible for training masters for the Liguria region from '86 to '92.
Founder Jam Session in 1986."

 

[abcd]

This is effectively an independent ski school. My understanding of the ski teaching system in Europe is that resorts can't prohibit independent schools to operate on their mountain. I don't know it for a fact, but I could see multiple ski schools operating on the hill at the same time (some were not even Italian).

They are 3 brothers who operate hotel Jam Session (in France, I think), where they have summer (and probably winter too) skiing and teaching on the glacier. They also have 3-day courses all over Italy in Winter time, like 70 courses in 20 locations ( https://www.jam.it/programma-corsi-sci/tour-italia/ )

They are definitely not PSIA though their synchro skiing videos have a bit of interski flavor to them. Of the people I've seen in their videos, I think Oriano Rigamonti was on the demo team. Others just seem to be strong skiers, most with racing background, I think.
My instructor told me he likes working for them because he likes the way how they teach him how to teach. And also because the clients are usually more passionate about skiing than regular client on his mountain.

 

[HardDaysNight]

Awesome. What a great time too by the sounds of it! Perhaps if similar opportunities were widely available in the US there would be less disenchantment with high level lessons and less of a perception of being ripped off by resort ski schools.

 

[Mike King]

Awesome. What a great time too by the sounds of it! Perhaps if similar opportunities were widely available in the US there would be less disenchantment with high level lessons and less of a perception of being ripped off by resort ski schools.

Part of that is forming a relationship with a coach that you work well with. Coaching is an individual thing -- a particular coach may be a great coach, but just not for you.

The other part is to ensure you are getting a coach who is up to snuff on their stuff. Look for examiners and recent level 3's, for example.

Mike

 

[Bolder]

Hmmm...have to look into that. We're going back to Val Gardena in a month, but maybe in the future. Can't beat lunch in the Dolomites.

There are almost always multiple ski schools operating at ski stations here. Generally, you have the "official" school -- ESF in France,SSI in Italy; then you have an "international" school that caters to nonnative speakers and takes the overflow from the national schools. Then in many larger areas you have independents with a few instructors, often specifically for, say, English speakers or off-piste stuff. At least in France there's a very clear testing/level system for learners and all the schools follow it, though they may get from point A to point B slightly differently...

 

[abcd]

At least in France there's a very clear testing/level system for learners and all the schools follow it, though they may get from point A to point B slightly differently...

What I got from to talking to people in Italy is that an instructor must take a certification to become Maestro di Sci. There is a 90-day course requirement where they are taught how to teach. Also they have some timed race prior to course enrollment.
They complained that Maestro di Sci doesn't have any levels, so one can't progress through the certification levels and there is no easy way to differentiate a rookie instructor from an experience one. A customer can't just come to a sci school and ask for "level 2 or above" ski instructor. They will just get assigned someone, who might end-up being a beginner.. The only way for experienced instructors to get extra client flow is to retain / build lasting relationship with randomly assigned customers.
One extra level that they have is Instructor Nazionale. From what I understand they are essentially equivalent to PSIA examiners or CSIA course conductors.