Sunday, January 3, 2010

First Day of Demo Team Tryout Training!

Oh my god its happening. Today, I drove to Highlands, where I sat in a conference room with about 15 people who are all planning to try out for the 2012 PSIA National Alpine Demonstration Team. This is why I came here.

Led by the passion of Josh Fogg and Jim Schanzenberger, we have launched our Aspen Ski School Demo Team Training Team, a group of people that want to do what it takes, whatever it takes, to become the best candidates we can be for the 2012 team.

I didn't expect training to start in the ski school until next season, and when I got the email that we were going to start, I was just beside myself. Three whole seasons of dedicated training. Three seasons to get my feet there. Three seasons to hone my eye and get my technical knowledge deeeeeep deep deep.

Tonight, I had the same sensation that I had when I first walked in to the Olympic Training Center in Lake Arrowhead and they handed me my schedule for the next day. I was sort of shocked, I just got here, and wow, look there's eight hours of skating and workouts and training starting tomorrow. We aren't screwing around here. Lets get to work.

The amazing thing about the meeting tonight is that this is the first time that I've been a member, a peer, part of the group that is going for the common goal, and not an observer, coach, or a person who is going to try out next time. This is it.

Today marked the starting point of my own journey towards my own tryout. And I'm psyched. I want to be a part of this team, this mission, to put together a group of skiers that not only meet but exceed any standard. To push our knowledge and understanding deeper than everyone else does, to create a core of instructors who are so solid, flexible, mutable, who have a depth of knowledge and a love of the sport and an ability to play while getting it done at the highest level possible.

I also found out that I have to try out for the regional team next year! GULP! That means I have two seasons to get my feet there. Usually, the regional tryouts are the January before the national tryouts. Not this time. They are next April. Ready feet?

So here is my timeline: I'm applying to be a Diamond Pro this year, I'm trying to get my Trainer Passport filled out completely this year, and I'm going to try to complete my PSIA Trainer as well. This way I can go to E1 selection next year for Examiner tryouts before Regional Team Tryouts, and then I have the third year to focus solely on the Demo Team. We'll see if those things happen, the important thing is learning each step thoroughly and not passing on to the next until I own the one I'm on. I'm not interested in fast tracking, I'm interested in dedicated learning, in consuming knowledge and in voraciously applying it to my skiing and teaching, analyzing the results, and doing it again.

And here I was thinking that this year would be a mellow year between my 3 and my Trainer where I just worked on my skiing and assimilated into the Aspen Ski School. Not so. And I wouldn't have it any other way. Hitting the history books, its time to fill in the holes in my education and get my feet smart and hot.

Ready? The adventure begins TODAY! Stay tuned, our first on-snow session is tomorrow!

3 comments:

Russ said...

Live it, every breath, ache, pain, joy, sadness, laugh, giggle, and turn.
- Russ

Unknown said...

You should be thankful to Josh as he is the main person to start Ski School Demo Training and helping people like me..There are more skiing reviews which need to be published.

Anonymous said...

So many people want to fast track...to say they've gotten to the top. But what have they really achieved? Are they really who they say they are? Do they really "own it"?

I deeply respect your dedicated learning, consumption of knowledge, application and analization of your skills and teaching. Like one of my teachers told me, "you don't own it until you can give it away." And to give it away, you need to know it like you do!! ~ Scott