Training like crazy and loving it.

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Hi Everyone,

I've had so much going on I've not had the chance to do a Blog last month, but never fear I'm back.

It's been snowing like crazy all season and currently we have over 1400cm's of accumilated snow, with a base sitting at 3.6m. I've never skied so much powder in all my life. The feeling of floating and getting snow sprayed all over you is something that just can't be discribed' it needs to be experienced first hand!'

I don't remember so many cold snaps in past seasons as this season's La-Nina cycle has brought us. Cold snaps I mean -15 and below. From memory the coldest it got this season while working was -26 (before windchill) and -36 at the peak one day which topped out at -50 with windchill which (I didn't ski in fortunitly)! In these cold times I did end up with a frost nipped nose and cheak a few times, but wasn't anything worse then my skin going white in expossed area which I got onto straight away and recovered within a couple of days from.

Back in March I Sat or (more specificly Skied) my level 3 course which qualified me to do exams within a 2 year window. It was five days of skiing fast, learning about how to teach Instructors how to ski and general ski improvement for myself. It was such an intense course with lots of study at night needed so I would keep up to speed the next day. To give you an idea: at this level I'm dealing with Biomechanics and how it relates to ski performance and balance on the snow (which is fasinating). I've never learnt so much about my skiing and teaching 'ever' before doing this course and loved every minute of it! I've been doing Video Analysis and reading notes for around 18 month, but after my course finished my study went into 'over drive' seeing i realised i was a chance in doing exams this season. So for 1 month straight after work i was coming home and doing Leason plans, studying video footage and working out how and what drills would work for different skiing problems and other things that I can't remember. Basically there were Exams on April 7-8th that i was pushing myself to go onto so i could get a feeling of exam conditions so i would be ready to take exams next season. I pretty much told no one of my plans for weeks until 1 week out and I starting saying what I had planned. The reasoning behind it was; I was very focused on study and wanted no distractions to creep threw!
So my exams came around and I was relaxed but had fits of nervesness that lasted for short periods luckly. The first day was the Ski off which was where 'most of my learning' came from seeing I've skied better before and my marks showed that too. But I learnt I need to put it on the line more eg (go faster) which I can sure change no prob's for next exams. The teaching the next day was; I had to teach a 1 hour leason on Short turns and had to develope my classes skiing so I could see results. So I kept saying to myself I got to go first, but ended up chickening out seeing I needed to get some skiing done to relax me, so i ended up going 3rd which i was happy with. My leason was Short turns (which funny enough is my strongest turn shape) and I had been practising this leason for the weeks leading up to the exams 'not knowing I would get assigned this leason' but was happy when I did! So half an hour into my leason after seeing improvements in my students skiing already I was sitting on the Chairlift with my examiner. I feel a pat on my Ski Pants and a voice saying "nice leason buddy, your done". I just about jumped off the Chairlift in excitment, seeing if this happens mid leason you general know you have passed straight away from what other people had told me. Threw my leason I felt I was confirdant and getting the results I was required to get and didn't really miss anything big out of my talking. So sure enough the awards ceremony that afternoon I was presented with a peice of paper saying PASS ON TEACHING and FAIL ON SKIING. Now to give you an idea; out of 26 people that sat exams there was 3 of us got teaching and 2 got skiing and 1 got both parts and everyone else got nothing. This is the normal kind of pass rates level 3 exams get seeing it's so much of a refinement level of skiing and teaching. So as you may imagine I walked away with a huge smile on my face and I just wanted to tell everyone body I came in contact with what had just happened. Especially seeing 12 months before I was in Plaster and I sometimes thought I would never ski again! So next season it's the least stressful part of the level 3 training for which is the skiing. Then once I pass that I'm a fully certified level 3 Instructor.

At the moment it's almost mid Spring but it doesn't feel like that seeing the snow just keeps on coming and temps keep staying low overnight. However my legs and mind knows it's spring seeing there both warn out and need a break over the summer time. At the moment I've got 132 days on my lift pass this season, so all i can say is "it's been a very nice winter and I look forward to bringing the Golf clubs out soon for a change of pace"
Talking about Golf I've been talking to my Boss at the course and he wants me back and on Monday or Tuesday this coming week I'm meeting to finalise when I start back at work after I come back from my USA road trip.

On the 26th I fly out New Orleans to start a 27 day Roadtrip threw Memphis, Myrtle beach, Washington and New York. Myself and two other friends are hiring a Car and are going to be stopping along the way at lots of other interesting places which will be nice.

Also we have a end of season party which started yesterday in Whistler called the; Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival which is just over 1 week of live bands, pro riders doing Big Airs and all kinds of other skiing and snow boarding events each day. This festival attracts some of the worlds biggest names and is something that I will be getting my teath into over the coming week.

I've got 1 more week at Ski School left then it's all over for another year which is sad but also exciting. This time of the year is always were lots of tears fly seeing after making friends and close bonds with people over the season everyone suddenly departs Whistler and goes back to there own countries and there old lifestyles.

Until next time (there will never be another now, so make the most of your day)!

Mark

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