By Christian Green
This is the penultimate story in recognition of this year’s PSIA-AASI award recipients. Members were honored last week at National Academy, in Big Sky, Montana, for their achievements as instructors, leaders, role models, and collaborators in the snowsports industry.
When conversing with PSIA-AASI Lead Writer Peter Kray, there’s one concept he comes back to again and again: community. It’s reflected in his favorite “Last Run” column, which appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of 32 Degrees. “Gift of Teaching Helps Us Celebrate the Holidays” speaks to the camaraderie that abounds in the snowsports industry, emphasizing that “the joy of being together on snow” is what often matters most to those who spend much of their winter on skis or boards.
Kray accomplishes this through compelling narratives that weave together the snowsports community. As former PSIA-AASI CEO Mark Dorsey articulated while introducing Kray at last week’s Awards & Recognition Ceremony at National Academy. “Stories . . . connect us, inspire action, and keep the soul of our work and our sport alive. And no one has told our story better than Peter Kray.”
It Started with National Team Training
For three decades, Kray has been creating content about PSIA-AASI, beginning in the mid-1990s, when he covered PSIA-AASI National Team Training and other association events for SkiPress and Snowsports Industries America Snow Show Daily.
“I would drive up from Santa Fe for Team Training, which was then at Copper Mountain [Colorado], and that was pretty cool because we had the mountain to ourselves,” Kray recalled. “And then Mark [Dorsey] invited me to cover one of the [PSIA-AASI] Team Selections, which was at Snowbird, Utah, that year.”
During this time, Dorsey said Kray was instrumental in connecting PSIA-AASI to the rest of the snowsports industry. “He came to Team Training to report on the work of PSIA-AASI and the teams to connect the association more effectively with consumers and with industry insiders,” Dorsey said. “His work raised our public profile and deepened our relationships with sponsors and area management.”
When he covered his first PSIA-AASI Team Selection, Kray noted that the candidates’ indoor individual presentations made a significant impact on him. “What blew me away was when candidates were given a surprise topic to teach,” he said. “They would go into the hall for a couple minutes to prepare and come back and present on that topic. It was fascinating how quickly they could put something together.”
When it comes to Kray’s work with PSIA-AASI, two events resonate with Dorsey: Kray’s coverage of Interski and the way he framed the association’s 50th anniversary.
“He didn’t just report, he connected the hard work of the teams and PSIA-AASI with our members and anchored the value of international collaboration,” Dorsey said of Kray’s ability to have his finger on the pulse of Interski, starting at St. Anton, Austria, in 2011. “This set us on a path to invest more in international relationships, resulting in the leadership positions PSIA-AASI enjoys today.”
Regarding Kray’s coverage of the association’s history, Dorsey pointed out that Kray did much more than reflect on what transpired over the years. Rather, he was able to reframe PSIA-AASI’s history by celebrating its innovativeness over the years.
This was captured in the pages of American Snow, which was published in 2011 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the association. “He had the vision to organize American Snow by decades and told the story of each decade through the lens of PSIA-AASI’s evolution and influence on teaching, learning, the industry, and the consumer,” Dorsey expressed.
That book, along with Kray’s The God of Skiing, “received critical acclaim for powerful stories that connected the joys of flying on snow with the human experience,” Dorsey added. All the while, Kray was helping to elevate member influence while also being “a visionary whose work enriched PSIA-AASI and the ski and outdoor industry.”
Everyone Has a Story
According to Kray, it would be difficult to identify a more story-rich environment than the snow pro community. “Every single member has a really cool story,” maintained Kray. “That’s what I love – You don’t know what you’re going to hear until you sit down and hear it.”
Having grown up in the industry, with a dad who worked part time with Vail Ski Patrol and later as an instructor at Arapahoe Basin, Kray spent nearly every winter Friday evening in the backseat of his family’s Volkswagen hatchback, heading up I-70. “I can’t remember not skiing,” he said of his formative years. “My brother and I joked that we have no recollection of ever being asked during the winter, ‘What would you like to do this weekend?’”
Those weekend trips were the genesis of Kray’s snowsports story, eventually leading him to develop a curiosity about how others were introduced to and developed an affinity for snowsports. “I love to hear about how people found their way into the industry and how they loved it so much that they didn’t want to be anywhere else,” he said. “Those stories are the coolest because they’re so unique.”
Another intriguing aspect of detailing PSIA-AASI members’ stories is that many are part-time instructors who work in the industry less than half the year. As a result, “many of our members have very different lives when they aren’t teaching,” Kray observed, adding that he’s always curious about instructors’ other passions and occupations, especially if they’re not teaching in the Southern Hemisphere.
In the end, community is what drew Kray to PSIA-AASI, and it continues to sustain him. “You can ski and snowboard all you want, but when you work with this association, it just means that much more,” he said of the deep connection he’s developed. “What I value most is the opportunity to share members’ amazing stories with the world. There’s always something to learn, especially how to listen.”
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The Distinguished Service Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to support the success of PSIA-AASI and its members, including displaying long-term commitment and dedication by providing educational programming and support, demonstrating positive leadership skills, and fostering connections with and between members, including serving as a mentor. Learn more about the awards and how you can honor members who have made an impact on our industry.
Read about this year’s other award recipients:
Educational Excellence Award: Becky Ayers
Angus Graham Rising Star Award: Tomás Zunino
3 C’s Award: Ralf Riehl
Educational Excellence Award: Dale Drennan
3 C’s Award: Grace Center do Ouro