The days are getting longer, providing PSIA-AASI members with a few more important minutes of extra daylight to fine-tune their teaching and skiing/riding techniques for certification clinics.
Which is why it’s the perfect time to ask National Team members what they’re focusing on toward the end of the season, and how that can help you reach your goals.
Here, PSIA Cross Country Team member Justin Arndt shares his goals.
Q: What aspect of teaching are you most excited about that the team has worked on so far?
A: The Cross Country Team has been working on standardizing our “little” movements in our skiing – like how high our hands come up before pole impact, what the precise timing of our skate push off is before weight transfer, maintaining a certain ankle angle in double pole, regulating the degree of “hand flick” at the end of a pole stroke, and others.
It’s insane how many of these little movements there are in cross country skiing, and every one of them contributes to some kind of efficiency or stylistic gain. We’ve been finding the pieces in our three skiing styles that we can observe and be aware of when we go to syncro-ski and create demo videos in the coming years for the membership. We’re starting to ski like a team!
Q: How might this benefit members?
A: A fun activity I’ve been playing with in clinics has been to find how many “micromovements” you can find in your skiing. Go play with the intensity and timing of each “micromovement” you find and see if you can figure out on what snow conditions or terrain you might want more or less of that movement. This is where advanced skiers are going to find breakthroughs in their own skiing and understanding of teaching.
Q: What are your personal goals for the rest of the winter?
A: I’ve been working on my personal stamina and speed and recently completed my first American Birkebeiner (America’s largest 50-kilometer skate race that happens annually in Wisconsin). You really notice all your efficiency shortfalls over the course of 50 kilometers, and I aim to translate our work as a team into improving my confidence and mental toughness with long-distance skis!
Q: Any advice you’d like to share for all the many talented instructors across the country currently working toward their own teaching, riding, or certification goals?
A: You are your biggest asset! Learn to trust yourself, love yourself, and have confidence that you’ve got this! When you show up to an exam, be yourself, not the person you think your assessor or your peers want to see. Do your thing, show your craft, and know that there are so many people rooting for you from the sidelines!
Q: What are the biggest opportunities you see for the team this spring and into the next couple winters?
A: The Cross Country Team spent time on the downhill slopes with our Telemark, Alpine, Adaptive, and Snowboard teammates at Team Training this year. We learned a lot about downhill skills, and we worked on strengthening our relationship with the rest of our team.
That crossover was reciprocated with about half of our downhill teammates joining us on the cross country trails last month and Matt Larson (snowboard) joining us in West Yellowstone, Montana, for Cross Country Academy last December! With this time spent with multiple disciplines, we’re working to create a stronger organization, where downhill sliders aren’t afraid to get on cross country skis to better their skills and where cross country maintains our place as an integral part of the association.
Q: Anything else you’d like to add?
A: The Cross Country Team is excited to support PSIA-AASI members however we can! Please reach out to us through the National office or DM us on Instagram @psia.xc with any ideas/feedback/opportunities to better our association!
Hear from other National Team members as they work to finish the season successfully:
PSIA Alpine Team member Katie White
AASI Snowboard Team member Josh Smith
AASI Snowboard Development Coach Tony Macri