Sand Hill Free Run Contest

We are training on Saturday's at the Sandhill in Trail.  Most of the training actually involves a lot of running up the hill, an amazing workout ideal for skiing.  But after the up workout the highlight is the IFSA style contest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RijYBpM998c

Unusual Training Method

Paul Egan posted the below photo on Facebook, thanks for the inspiration Paul, but this is how it really should be done.

 

Annual Red Mountain Academy Old Glory Hike

 2014 is the 5th year that I have hike Old Glory Mountain with the skiers from the Red Mountain Ski Academy, some years we have excellent weather, some like this one not so much.  But it is always a great and memorable day.  There is snow on top, skiing soon to come.

Inspired and active youth-it has to be a good thing

Fuel stop at Gibbards Junction 1 hour in

Maeva Canyer on the final summit approach

Maeva almost there

The view from the summit

happy day

Training Time

It's getting cold around Rossland!  Time for me to start training.  Yesterday I had a beautiful solo ride on the Seven Summits Trail.  I rode the trail at a slow and manageable pace, it was nice to have 5 hours in that environment to myself.  To let my thoughts wonder where they would.  As you can see the weather was incredible, warm in the sun yet quite cold in the shade and with Grey, Granite and Paradise right there my wondering thoughts naturally turned to skiing. 

I visualized myself skiing for the first time this season.  I had a couple of Paradise cruisers-felt carving skis propel me from one turn to the next in a rhythmical flow.   At one point in my imaginary day I skied Sara's Chute, constantly focused on where my next turn would start.  I also had an un-tracked line down Golden Chariot-skiers right of Doug's Run, I felt the familiar feeling of being in the snow, part of the snow rather than on the snow.  Exhilarating Peace.

My mind is there, but it is training time now to ensure my body will be able to deliver.

CSIA Level 3 training at Red Mountain

With Nonstop I am going to be running training toward the CSIA Level 3 certification in March 2015:

If anyone has the Level 2 Cert and is interested, please get in touch with me.


2015 Level 3 Nonstop program

The Nonstop CSIA Level 3 training program focuses on the development of your high performance and all mountain skiing skills plus the development of your teaching competency at the advanced level. The goal of this course is to challenge and develop your skiing and teaching skills towards the CSIA Level 3 standard. With the guidance of Nonstops top Professional Trainers work towards improved performance in long and short radius, bumps, and off piste skiing in all snow conditions. A wide range of tactics will be used to develop your skiing and teaching skills including; basic skills development, skill/drill challenges, guided self discovery, video analysis, free skiing tactics, and evening technical sessions.
New for 2015 the CSIA has adopted a modular system for delivering the Level 3 course and exam, Level 3 candidates need 40 educational credits to qualify to take the course and exam. Included in the 3 week Nonstop Level 3 training program are two CSIA advanced level modules: The two day advanced teaching module and one day advanced all terrain module (these will be conducted by the CSIA).  These two modules make up the required 40 credits which will qualify you to then take the CSIA Level 3 course (3 days) followed by the CSIA level 3 exam (2days).  The CSIA course and exam are not included in this course.
The Level 3 CSIA Nonstop training camp will be offered at Red Mountain and Fernie with a maximum group size will be 6. All coaches are active Level 3 CSIA course conductors, certified to conduct and examine the  CSIA Level 3 certification.

Week I: Advanced parallel. Nonstop Coaching Monday -Wednesday. CSIA Advanced teaching module Thursday & Friday.
Week 2: Advanced short radius. Nonstop Coaching Monday-Wednesday. CSIA Advanced all terrain module Friday?
Week 3: Advanced bumps. Nonstop Coaching Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Friday farewell dinner.
Not as part of the course:
In Red; Schedule CSIA level 3 course module week 4 (Mon,Tue, Wed). Exams Friday, Saturday.
In Fernie; Schedule CSIA level 3 course module week 4 (Sun, Mon,Tue, ). Exams Thursday,Friday.



Arrive:                                    March 7.
Orientation Day:                                March 8.
Level 3 Training by Nonstop (Advanced Parallel):        March 9,10,11.
Free Day:                                    March 12.
CSIA Advanced Teaching Module:                March 13-14.
Free Day:                                    March 15.
Level 3 Training by Nonstop (Adv Short Radius):        March 16,17.
Free Day:                                    March 18.
Level 3 Training by Nonstop (Adv Short/All Terrain):    March 19-20.
Free Day:                                    March 21.
Whitewater/Ainsworth Hot-Springs Trip:            March 22.
Level 3 Training by Nonstop (All Terrain):            March 23,24,25.
Free Day:                                    March 26.
CSIA All Terrain Module (end of training dinner):        March 27.
Completion of Nonstop training:                    March 28.

Level 3 course offered at Red:                    March 30-April 1.
Level 3 Exam offered at Red:                    April 4-5.

Costs:

Course only:  $2199.00
Includes:
Orientation day
Ten Days of CSIA Level 3 Specific Training provided by Nonstop
CSIA Advanced Teaching Module
CSIA All Terrain Module
Day trip to Whitewater ski area followed by visit to Ainsworth Hot-springs
Training Completion Dinner Party

Full Package:  $4599.00
Includes:
21 nights (March 7-27) twin share accommodation at the Canadian Ski Quest Guesthouse in Rossland (Single Room supplement is available)
30 day Red Mountain Resort lift pass
Airport transfer on March 7 from either Trail or Castlegar Airports
Orientation day
Ten Days of CSIA Level 3 Specific Training provided by Nonstop
CSIA Advanced Teaching Module
CSIA All Terrain Module
Day trip to Whitewater ski area followed by visit to Ainsworth Hot-springs
Training Completion Dinner Party
Airport transfer on March 28 to either Trail or Castlegar Airports

31 Years Later

I was in Vernon over the weekend.  I challenged myself to attend my 30 year High School reunion.  Very glad I did.  What an interesting experience to go back to another time in my life.

Besides all going to high school together me and my friends in this photo had one other thing in common.  We all worked together at Silver Star in the 1983-84 ski season.  31 years at the ski hill for me and what a great life.

A good looking group 48 year old's I must say, reuniting was a very happy occasion.

The "Slow Tourism" Concept

It is about 35C here in Vernon and I am happily in winter thoughts.  I have the Canadian Ski Quest 2015 dates set and I am coming to terms with a concept I have which I am calling "Slow Tourism".

Slow tourism is what the majority of Canadian Ski Quest skiers currently do, particularly the seasoned ones.  Most of my customers book more than one Canadian Ski Quest Camp during the ski season, and many book the entire Canadian Ski Quest calendar, for which I am very thankful.  Rather than a one week Red Mountain visit, I am promoting the longer stay.

When I started Canadian Ski Quest in 1995, I offered one 5 week tour and had 9 young skiers (18-25 with one old 35 year old) sign up.  The following season I offered again the five week tour, plus a one week camp as well as a Jackson Hole tour.  The skiers who signed up for the shorter tours mostly came back in the following years, repeat customers.  So Canadian Ski Quest went with the short camp (5-7day) schedule.  What I have noticed in the years since is that more and more skiers have been able to take more holiday time and an ever greater number of Canadian Ski Quest skiers are booking multiple camps.  I would like to recognize the value in this trend.  This trend I am calling "slow tourism".

The pace of life is fast these days.  Multitasking (lack of focusing) has become a fact in my own life and it is not a natural fit for me.  I believe this is the case for many professionals around the world.  Excuse me I just took a break from writing this blog to answer and email about a 'qr' code.  Back to focus......Multitasking has become a fact of life because it is now, more than ever before, possible.   And because it is possible it becomes expected and it then becomes necessary if you want to keep up.  I know there is a way to make the technology we have work for me and work for Canadian Ski Quest skiers.  Bear with me.

The pace of holidays has also increased dramatically.  Today a potential ski experience can be booked as instantly as an idea is conceived.  It is a regular occurrence at Red Mountain to see guests arrive from all over North America and  Europe who had little intention of being here the days before.  They book their travel, lift passes, and accommodation, and sometimes Canadian Ski Quest camp when they see that we are expecting snow.  The technology to do this is accessible to all, the costs are reasonable, and so it is booked and a ski experience is had.  I just took care of another email, my writing machine made a "ding" sound which prompted an immediate response. 

Back to my focus: I say the experience described above is intense and shallow, that the skier on that holiday does not relax or get a chance to retreat from their work life, that this "holiday" actually builds on their home life intensity, in fact they often need a rest once they get home.  A common experience for me with short stay skiers is that on day two they start asking me what the chances of their flight getting out of Castlegar are.  They have no real chance to develop a meaningful relationship with Red Mountain or the Red Mountain Community, and I would wager that 5 years hence they will retain little value from the short time they have spent here. 

Compare: The skiers who comes to Red Mountain and Canadian Ski Quest for the winter.  My excellent customers who book into all the Canadian Ski Quest Camps (thank you).  By default these skiers will definitely be around Red Mountain for the best conditions of the year (without intensely scouring the net for weather forecasts and travel deals), they develop an intimate relationship with the mountain environment, they develop meaningful relationships with others doing the same thing and with locals alike, they spend proportionally less money, they become much better skiers, but most importantly they have the opportunity to use Red Mountain to truly relax - and they take it.  This is the 'slow tourism' experience.

Ironically for many of these skiers it is precisely the technology that I abhor that allows them to experience slow tourism.  Sure some are retired, but others continue to run businesses and maintain professional roles though the technology we all have access to.  I know that not everyone has a job where access to the slow tourism concept is possible but I thought I would do what I can as a tour operator to promote the concept.

To promote slow tourism and to say thank you to the Canadian Ski Quest regulars here it is:

Skiers who usually book all of the Canadian Ski Quest Red Mountain Camps (not including Ignition, Revelstoke or Jackson Hole, but I will discount those too) will receive a $300.00 total discount PLUS will get three add on trips FREE of charge ($400.00 value), the Whitewater day trip (Feb 6) the overnight 49 North Trip (Feb 12-13) and the Ainsworth Hot-Springs trip (Feb 20).

Treat yourself to the real Red Mountain life, book the season.

Mark