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Thread: I had an "Epic" weekend!

  1. #1
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    I had an "Epic" weekend!

    Some of you may remember that I failed a PSIA Level II exam earlier this winter (thread here ). I retook the exam the first weekend in May at Mammoth. I felt like I had done well, but I wasn't sure I had passed, since the previous failure had messed with my confidence. I just got the results back, and I passed!!!

    I'm now supposedly capable of teaching intermediate skiers. This also means that having spent $360 on exams, and required prep clinics, I will now get a $1/hour raise. Since I work about 100 hours per season, I should break even sometime in 2007.

  2. #2
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    Yes, but think how much more angulated you will be in the meantime.

    Congrats on passing.

  3. #3
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    Congratulations!
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  4. #4
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    congrat-u-lations. I'm sure that the $360 included an automatic two-inches farther forward hand positioning

  5. #5
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    Congratulations! Accelerate your break-even by buying new gear at this newly attained Level II discount. It'll help a lot.

    When are you starting the snowboard certification track now that you've got one?

    And a more serious question. How much time did you have to invest in training / skiing PSIA-style etc.? I am thinking of taking a Level II next year and would like to know.

    drC

  6. #6
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    nice work!! you ready to get your level I in snowboarding now with your new sweet set up?
    “Within this furnace of fear, my passion for life burns fiercely. I have consumed all evil. I have overcome my doubt. I am the fire.”

  7. #7
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    Congrats! Try not to put a dollar value on that cert. The training alone is worth far more than $350, not to mentio you get to wear a silver PSIA pin now!

    I'll never take the alpine level II. I've been told by lots of people that it's a mindfuck, intentionally set up to mess with people's minds, where the tele testing goes something like this:

    "Welcome to your Nordic exam, any questions?"

    "Is there a written test?"

    "Uh, yeah, did you sign your check? That's the written portion."

    "Okay then, if there's no more questions, let's go skiing."

  8. #8
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    Damn, one more reason to get a tele cert. Does that apply to all levels Pinner? From the amount of material available from PSIA about alpine versus tele you get an idea of which one they've invested the most into. And I know many people who had to get their alpine Level II in more than one try.

    drC
    Last edited by Dr. Crash; 05-10-2004 at 12:40 PM.

  9. #9
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    Dr Crash - I'm not really sure how to answer your question, but here goes. I spent 2 years teaching (got my Level I the first year), then I took two years off. This season, I started teaching again. The years I taught, I spent about 50 days on skis, and the other years, I only spent about 20 days. When I was teaching, I'd go up to the mountain Sat and Sun, pretty much every weekend. Our resort has clinics most mornings, and I always go out on those, so I probably spent 3-4 hours each weekend skiing with trainers. Not all of that time was instruction, but a lot of it was. We also had an indoor clinic every Saturday after the lifts closed where we discussed technical stuff (or napped). The only PSIA official clinics that I took were the Level II prep, and I spent a day in clinics just before taking the exam, because it was our annual convention. So, hopefully that answers your question.

  10. #10
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    uh, Matt;

    I just talked to the girls in the PSIA office. Apparently, your name was added to the "pass" list by accident. There will be a letter in the mail soon explaining the mistake.

    Sorry dude, better luck next time.










    Just kidding! congratulations. That's kick ass. We all knew you could do it.

    Next year, level three, eh?
    Last edited by Geoff; 05-10-2004 at 01:03 PM.

  11. #11
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    Originally posted by Geoff
    uh, Matt;

    I just talked to the girls in the PSIA office. Apparently, your name was added to the "pass" list by accident. There will be a letter in the mail soon explaining the mistake.

    Sorry dude, better luck next time.










    Just kidding! congratulations. That's kick ass. We all knew you could do it.

    Next year, level three, eh?
    Don't joke about that. It actually happened to a lady at Bear. She's so disillusioned by the whole thing that I doubt she'll ever take another exam.

    I probably won't try Level III for a while, but I may actually try for a Level I snowboard.

  12. #12
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    Thanks AntiSoCal. That gives me ans idea.
    Isn't a beauty of PSIA / the american schools that one can pass the Level 1 in snowboard after maybe trying to snowboard about 10 times? Oh and you can teach way before that too; I think having the boots and boards is qualification enough to teach the first timer

    drC

  13. #13
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    I just talked to the girls in the PSIA office. Apparently, your name was added to the "pass" list by accident. There will be a letter in the mail soon explaining the mistake.
    yeah, but TJ wrote your name in so next season you can wear the santa suit.

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