How Michael’s Relationship with Nordica Benefits All Instructors

For more than 30 years, PSIA Alpine Team Coach Michael Rogan has been a leading voice in snowsports instruction, helping instructors and students improve how they teach and turn.

Through his long affiliation with Official Supplier Nordica, Michael – who was first selected for the Alpine Team in 1996, shortly after he partnered with Nordica – has influenced the way instructors ski by helping the brand with research and design.

“I think it’s important that people know how much Michael’s constant communication with Nordica has been a factor in our R&D,” said Andy Hare, Nordica special events and marketing coordinator. “His input and feedback has provided a benchmark for every product we develop, especially in regards to developing products that help people become better skiers.”

All Drive Project Develops Skis to Help Students Learn

For next winter, Michael was instrumental in the Nordica All Drive project, a new product that will help students learn to ski. The product is a direct result of Michael’s deep knowledge of instruction and his understanding of the challenges skiers face when progressing on the mountain. Nordica took on Michael’s challenge to build a ski that specifically addresses the needs for progressions and rental offerings so skiers can have more control and confidence on the slopes, helping them learn faster and hopefully encouraging them to become life long skiers.

“Nordica is a business, and their goal is to figure out ways to build good product and sell it,” Michael said. “The ski instructor community is a big community, so having a relationship and sales with that community is important to them. Which is something I have been able to provide through my work with the PSIA-AASI National Team.”

PSIA and Nordica Partnership Produces Popular Skis

Like any good instructor, Michael said the reason the relationship has lasted so long is that both sides keep learning and exploring, and also keep fine-tuning the products they are developing.

“I have been fortunate to have been a part of some different projects that have been rewarding to me, and to work with people like Andy Knittle, Mike Bisner, Scott Mellin, Chris Licata, Tait Wardlaw, Sam Beck, Ethan Korpi and Andy Hare,” Michael said. “Nordica was always curious about what I was doing, and I was always interested and eager to learn about the new ways our worlds could benefit each other.”

Andy said the relationship has resulted in the success of skis like the Enforcer line and Spitfire collection, and in the future will include skis for alpine aficionados as well new people coming to the spot, “Who may only have one or two chances to have fall in love with skiing for years to come.”

“Michael has been there for anything we have needed, every step of the way,” Andy said. “He’s been the number one supporter, brand ambassador, and teammate you can ever have in this industry.”

For Michael’s part, the ability for he and the Nordica team to turn “any divergence into a convergence,” is why he and the brand work so well as a team. “I know we are always in it together. If it’s going well, we’ll reap the rewards. If it’s not going well, we’ll put in the effort to turn it around, and Nordica will always be standing with me, PSIA, and ski instruction.”

You can listen to the full First Chair podcast with Michael and Andy, now available on Soundcloud.

Check out Nordica products and your members-only deals on the Nordica Pro Offer page.