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CSIA Skiing and Teaching tracks

clewis

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Hey,

Just trying to wrap my head around different tracks. Or why they have the two options. Looks like you can progress to L3 just as a skier? Never having to instruct. Is the skiing track just for personal growth?
 

Jilly

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The Level 2 and Level 3 Programs are offered in Skiing and Teaching “Tracks”. To acquire the complete Level 2 or Level 3 Certifications, Members must pass both of the related Skiing and Teaching components, however independent development in either of the tracks is also possible.

So if you think you can pass the L3 skiing after you get your L2 skiing, you can do it. (But I doubt you can...unless your a pro at bumps). But you won't get a full L2 certification without both parts examined. There are huge jumps between the different levels.
 
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clewis

clewis

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Gotcha. Totally understand the skill level to acquire the L3. I'm not even close. Just trying to grasp the tracks and purpose of them. Thanks for the response.
 

geepers

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Far as I know, could gain L4 without teaching. Provided you are a good enough skier and knowledgable enough for the teaching. At least it was that way up to three years ago. This is unlike some other national associations where it is necessary to have obtained a certain number of hours of paid instructing experience to progress to the next level.

L1 and L2 are not that difficult to pass and can be done by a reasonably competent skier attending the appropriate CSIA L1/L2 workshops. At L1/L2 ski and teach are all assessed at the same time. (At least when I did them.)

L3 is a big step up. The skiing and the teach are separate exams. The CSIA workshops will help in understanding the level of proficiency required for both the ski and teach but, as I understand it, candidates are expected to undertake development over and above those workshops to have a good chance of meeting the standard. Ski schools may provide some of this development or there's the opportunity to pick up a mentor and/or ski with others on the same path. If not working as an instructor there are various organisations that offer multi-week (typically 6-8 week) programs for L3. There are other groups that provide shorter programs e.g. 5 days and may need to do more than one of those.

MHO don't need to be a bump pro to pass L3 ski assessment. I passed the ski-off aged 64 y/o - not yet passed the teach. There's some youtube vids around that show the standard required for each of the L3 ski tasks (IP, AP, Shorts, bumps). May have to dig around in the archive to find those. One series of vids shows skiers doing the tasks and describes where they meet or fall short of the standard. The other series shows skiers doing their runs and then shows scores. A 6 or above is needed to pass ski cert. IP and bumps must be passed and the average score must also be 6 or above. Candidates get two runs at each task and best score is selected.

More recently they have added an extra ski task to be decided on the day - either braquage or hop turns - and there are vid demos of those as well.

AFAIK there are no similar vids for the L3 teaching - probably too 'student' and situation dependent.

MHO doing instructor certs is a good way to develop as a skier and quite cost effective compared to ski school lessons. Have also done a multi-week development program. Big $$'s but it was a necessary stepping stone (for me). I still do the CSIA Adv Ski and Teach workshops once or twice a season when they are available.
 
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Yepow

Excuse me, I'm an intermediate
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@geepers I've considered taking the course to become a good skier (as you say, expensive, but at $300/hr, ski school lessons add up FAST). I think I have a pulse and so CSIA Lvl1 would be not hard but I am considerably short of the standard for CSIA L2, let alone 3. Where did you do yours? BW?
 

geepers

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That's an excellent idea. For L1 and L2 you not only need a pulse you'll need to be able to sign your own name and, most importantly, listen!! Plenty of good skiers have had issues 'cause they didn't.

Did L1/L2 in 2017 at BW.

AKAIK L1 is delivered by the resorts themselves by L3s with the appropriate extra cert. They will wear their normal ski school uniform and they'll teach CSIA stuff adjusted by the resort. L2 (and above) is delivered by CSIA L4s with the appropriate cert extras, they'll be in CSIA uniform and the syllabus is more standardised (or so I'm told).

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I'm the oldest person in both pics so easy to spot. (Different jacket though.)
 

Jilly

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The L1 is 3 days. Some resorts have a season course to become a ski instructor. I ended up on a gondola car, at Tremblant, a couple of years ago with this class. The instructor had been my examiner on my L2. (Different time, different way of doing things.) But they sort of guarantee you'll get it. Something to think about if there's somewhere doing it close to you.

Not much left this year, but next season, take a look at the list and see what's close to you.

Once you've got the L1 it opens a lot of excellent training. Pro Camp at Lake Louise is on my to do list. I do the one at Tremblant, but....
 

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