PSIA Alpine LII

[EMill99]

Hey all, for those who've taken the PSIA Alpine Level II skiing exam, what is the consensus on the best East Coast mountain to take it? I'm in PA.

Thanks!!

 

[markojp]

As a generic response for all L2 and 3 exam candidates, take it at the resort you're most familiar with. If 'none', spend at least a day skiing at one where you plan to test to get to know the terrain. Even better if you can do an exam prep session there. Knowing the hill, IMHO, is very helpful (important?) for your teaching segments in particular.

 

[Dave Marshak]

Do the skiing part wherever you are familiar. I did mine at Whiteface, which is big steep and icy. Everyone who was comfortable with that passed, but the guys from small mountains who were freaked out by the size and pitch mostly failed. OTOH some of my friends went to mountains that where they expected less steep and more groomed. They spent the whole time doing instructor tricks on one ski. I never would have passed that.

OTOH I did the teaching at a mountain I rarely ski at. I started a demo in a spot that was too steep, then stopped it and skied around for a better spot. The examiner seemed to like that. If you take the teaching at the mountain where you work, share some local knowledge, like "you gotta be careful at this spot because some kid will try to escape into the trees." They like that too.

Hope this helps.

dm

 

[EMill99]

Thanks guys! My local mountain (Bear Creek PA) doesn't offer L2 exams and neither does my preferred (Elk).

Icy moguls are what I'm trying to avoid.

 

[markojp]

Thanks guys! My local mountain (Bear Creek PA) doesn't offer L2 exams and neither does my preferred (Elk).

Icy moguls are what I'm trying to avoid.

More advice? Find and ski them. The movement patterns that aren't allowing you to ski bumps effectively will be apparent to the examiners, bumps or not.

 

[Jilly]

We have to do bumps for the CSIA L3. I asked about icy bumps years ago. The comment back was "We'll try it. If it's too icy, then we'll come back to later after it warms up." I then decided if I ever do the exam it will be in spring.

 

[geepers]

We have to do bumps for the CSIA L3. I asked about icy bumps years ago. The comment back was "We'll try it. If it's too icy, then we'll come back to later after it warms up." I then decided if I ever do the exam it will be in spring.

1st attempted that exam in Sun Peaks in late March. Day before practically everything was groomed (including 5th Avenue) and it was a case of trying to find some bumps at all!

 

[Jilly]

I've heard them use the groomer edge on the side of the run if they have to.

 

[Dave Marshak]

We have to do bumps for the CSIA L3. I asked about icy bumps years ago. The comment back was "We'll try it. If it's too icy, then we'll come back to later after it warms up." I then decided if I ever do the exam it will be in spring.

I did L3 in the spring. I failed the first day when it was wet and sloppy but saved it the second day on frozen competition bumps. Apparently I was better on bulletproof than with variable spring conditions.YMMV

Go where it matches your strengths.

dm

 

[Jwrags]

A different question about the L2 exam. Anyone know the pass rate? My son tested this week for his L2 and passed the first two parts but apparently failed on day 3, the teaching test. I am not sure yet what topic he was teaching.

 

[Chris V.]

??? There are separate ski and teach exams. Two days each. You must pass the ski exam before taking the teach exam.

Historically, Level II pass rates have been about 50%. The pass rate may be going down. PSIA has been making an effort to coordinate the divisions and make standards consistent nationwide. Reportedly this has been making exams tougher.

 

[Jwrags]

??? There are separate ski and teach exams. Two days each. You must pass the ski exam before taking the teach exam.

Historically, Level II pass rates have been about 50%. The pass rate may be going down. PSIA has been making an effort to coordinate the divisions and make standards consistent nationwide. Reportedly this has been making exams tougher.

He passed the first two days, providing MA on other skiers and evaluation of his skiing. He failed part 3 which was teaching. He said his subject was “maintaining grip through a series of turns “. This was his first try at it so I’m sure he can build on it.

 

[markojp]

??? There are separate ski and teach exams. Two days each. You must pass the ski exam before taking the teach exam.

Historically, Level II pass rates have been about 50%. The pass rate may be going down. PSIA has been making an effort to coordinate the divisions and make standards consistent nationwide. Reportedly this has been making exams tougher.

It's changed, but it's (IMHO) it's not more difficult, just a bit different.

 

[James]

Hey all, for those who've taken the PSIA Alpine Level II skiing exam, what is the consensus on the best East Coast mountain to take it? I'm in PA.

Thanks!!

You’ve got to give us a choice!

 

[Joshua S]

A PSIA rant:

My Snowsports Director at Temple Mountain in 1984 was encouraging his staff to get Registered (later changed to Level 1 certification) at a PSIA Clinic.

I did. It took me 30-years to figure out that PSIA was a school – not a Professional Organization. Schools teach, give exams, provide certificates (or degrees). Professional organizations protect their members, provide guidance to employers, intervene with government (when necessary), etc. Unions can be Professional Organizations or by virtue of apprenticeships, can even be schools.

PSIA required a biennial update to maintain certification. I figured that after averaging the cost of the update plus the annual dues, PSIA was getting half of my annual income!

I asked PSIA to perhaps put out a guidance note to member schools suggesting that if instructors (or coaches, if you prefer) were required to change parkas and commit 15 minutes before lessons were assigned, they should be paid for that time. PSIA’s response: We are not a Union. After 40-years of experience teaching and 30 of them with PSIA’s certification, I was making $9.25 per hour. I figured that a professional certification whose members made $5 per hour after PSIA took their share, was valueless and I quit my membership.

Unless your ski area is willing to pick up all the costs for PSIA memberships and certification exams, it's just not cost effective unless you aspire to be a Snowsports Director who actually makes real money.

 

[markojp]

A PSIA rant:

My Snowsports Director at Temple Mountain in 1984 was encouraging his staff to get Registered (later changed to Level 1 certification) at a PSIA Clinic.

I did. It took me 30-years to figure out that PSIA was a school – not a Professional Organization. Schools teach, give exams, provide certificates (or degrees). Professional organizations protect their members, provide guidance to employers, intervene with government (when necessary), etc. Unions can be Professional Organizations or by virtue of apprenticeships, can even be schools.

PSIA required a biennial update to maintain certification. I figured that after averaging the cost of the update plus the annual dues, PSIA was getting half of my annual income!

I asked PSIA to perhaps put out a guidance note to member schools suggesting that if instructors (or coaches, if you prefer) were required to change parkas and commit 15 minutes before lessons were assigned, they should be paid for that time. PSIA’s response: We are not a Union. After 40-years of experience teaching and 30 of them with PSIA’s certification, I was making $9.25 per hour. I figured that a professional certification whose members made $5 per hour after PSIA took their share, was valueless and I quit my membership.

Unless your ski area is willing to pick up all the costs for PSIA memberships and certification exams, it's just not cost effective unless you aspire to be a Snowsports Director who actually makes real money.

Can this be another thread? Can we title it, "Lets beat the hell out of the PSIA/AASI dead horse, and complain about exams, too?"