First Chair: PSIA-AASI Podcast

Ever finish a season thinking, “I really meant to work on that”?

Before winter fills your calendar, give your goals a little attention. On First Chair, PSIA-AASI National Team member Brian Donovan shares a simple place to start:

One stretch goal.

One consistency goal.

One fun goal.

That could mean improving your lesson wrap-ups, making time to practice, or getting more laps with someone you love riding with.

Brian and host George Thomas talk through how to make those goals specific, keep them visible, and adjust as you learn. Brian also shares what he’s working toward this season—including more days snowboarding with his wife.

Listen to First Chair, then find Brian’s article, “Your Best Season Yet Starts with a Plan,” and the goal-setting worksheet in the Fall 2026 issue of 32 Degrees.

What does it take to bring eight Regions together around a shared vision for snowsports education? A lot of collaboration—and a commitment to helping instructors succeed.

On this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas catches up with PSIA-AASI CEO Jeff Lifgren and Director of Education and Credentialing Dave Schuiling to explore the progress behind education alignment and what’s ahead for the association.

Jeff and Dave share how years of collaboration among regional leaders, education staff, and volunteer task forces have helped build a stronger foundation for national standards, performance guides, assessment resources, and education staff training. The goal: clearer expectations, more connected resources, and a more consistent experience for members.

The conversation goes beyond certification, too. Dave explains how the people, teaching, and technical skills outlined in the standards connect directly to the work instructors do with guests every day. Whether you’re preparing for your next assessment or building your confidence as a teacher, those connections can help make your professional development more purposeful.

You’ll also hear about:

• Bringing national consistency and regional expertise together.

• Supporting education staff through shared training and collaboration.

• Developing digital assessment tools that could inform future training and resources.

• Using quality assurance and enhancement to support continued improvement.

Get a behind-the-scenes look at the people and progress moving PSIA-AASI education forward—and the opportunities that this work is helping create for instructors across the country.

Explore education resources at https://thesnowpros.org/ and connect with your Region for event and assessment details.

What if new-hire training focused less on telling instructors what to do and more on helping them discover how to teach?

First Chair catches up with Rick Rauch, training manager at Telluride Ski Area, to explore a different approach to preparing new instructors for their first lessons. Drawing from ecological dynamics and constraints-based learning, Rick explains how Telluride shifted away from lecture-heavy training and instead challenged new hires to help create their own teaching progressions.

Rick breaks down the idea of moving instructors from “copy” to “choose” to “create,” how trainers can become facilitators rather than lecturers, and why giving new instructors permission to experiment can build confidence and adaptability. He also shares practical ideas for creating a learning environment where new instructors feel comfortable speaking up, trying something different, and learning from what works—and what doesn't.

The result? In the first year of this approach, 45 new instructors earned 58 new certifications across Alpine, Snowboard, and Children's Specialist 1, while Rick says the group also demonstrated greater confidence working with guests.

Whether you train new hires, lead a snowsports school, or are developing your own teaching skills, this episode offers a fresh way to think about how instructors learn.

Key Takeaways

- Move beyond “copy.” New instructors naturally begin by copying what they've been shown, but training can give them opportunities to choose and create much earlier in their development.

- Let new hires participate in their own learning. Rather than simply presenting a beginner progression, Telluride gives instructors constraints and asks the group to develop an approach while trainers facilitate and guide the process.

- Create an environment where experimentation is expected. Trainers intentionally establish a space where new hires are comfortable contributing ideas and being themselves.

- Don't plan, prepare. Instead of relying on predetermined lesson plans, Rick encourages instructors to understand what a guest currently has and what they need to safely and comfortably reach their goal—then “teach the gap.”

- Trainers can facilitate rather than dictate. Clear constraints still keep teaching technically, personally, and motivationally appropriate while leaving room for instructors to develop their own solutions.

Meet DNA Vibe, one of PSIA-AASI’s newest suppliers. In this introductory episode of the First Chair Podcast, host George Thomas talks with founder and CEO Perry Kamel about the company, its Jazz Band wearable, and why recovery is a relevant topic for snowsports instructors heading into a busy season.

Perry walks through the Jazz Band’s four technologies—low-level red light, near-infrared light, microvibration, and magnetic oscillation—and explains how DNA Vibe says they work together. George asks what “wearable” means in practice: where the flexible band can be placed, when someone might use it, and how it could fit around lessons, training days, travel to the mountain, or an evening at home.

They also discuss the routines Perry recommends before and after activity, the recovery and performance claims behind the product, and DNA Vibe’s work manufacturing devices in Ukraine for rehabilitation programs. Whether you’re getting ready for your first days back on snow or looking for ways to make recovery part of your winter routine, this conversation will help you get to know a new PSIA-AASI supplier and the product it offers.

Learn more about DNA Vibe: https://dnavibe.com/

Explore more First Chair episodes: https://thesnowpros.org/professional-development/first-chair-podcast/

Perry describes DNA Vibe’s research and shares health and performance claims during the episode. Those claims are his and should not be taken as medical advice.

Movement analysis is about more than identifying what needs to change — it can also be a powerful tool for building trust, confidence, and connection with your guests.

In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with PSIA-AASI National Team member Josh Smith to explore how instructors can use movement analysis to highlight strengths, create buy-in, and make feedback more meaningful. Josh shares examples from terrain park coaching and beginner lessons, along with practical strategies like reading tracks in the snow, observing body language, and getting guests more involved in their own learning.

George and Josh also discuss the importance of how feedback is delivered and how looking beyond mechanics can help instructors create more effective, student-centered lessons.

How much can you learn about a young skier before the lesson even begins?

In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with longtime instructor and trainer Paul Geoghegan to explore the ideas behind his 32 Degrees article, “Matching Students w/ Instructors Through the Rapid Assessment Protocol for Young Skiers.”

Paul introduces RAPYS, a framework designed to help supervisors and instructors make more thoughtful student-instructor matches by considering five key areas: emotional, equipment, cultural, physical, and experience. The framework grew out of observing experienced supervisors who could seemingly look at a young skier and instinctively determine which instructor might be the best fit.

George and Paul explore what those observations look like in practice—from noticing an apprehensive child holding onto a parent's leg to recognizing how experience in hockey, ice skating, dance, or gymnastics might translate to learning on snow. Paul also explains why online booking, while convenient, can't always capture the human factors that can determine whether a lesson succeeds.

Most importantly, Paul argues that RAPYS isn't necessarily about following a rigid scoring system. It's a framework for thinking more intentionally about the person standing in front of you—and creating an environment where they feel safe, supported, and ready to learn.

What does it really mean to be balanced on skis — especially when you’re constantly in motion?

In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with PSIA-AASI National Team member Peter Novom to dig deeper into the ideas behind Peter’s 32 Degrees* article, “Stacked in Your Favor.”

Peter explores why great skiing isn’t about trying to recreate a perfect position or snapshot. Instead, it’s about learning to balance in motion, anticipate what’s coming next, and use the feedback from your skis and body to continually adapt.

George and Peter break down practical exercises like statue stops and leapers, including how these drills can expose asymmetries, challenge your ability to move with your equipment, and provide immediate feedback about your skiing. Peter also explains why struggling with an exercise isn’t necessarily a bad thing — sometimes failure is exactly what creates the awareness needed for that next “aha” moment.

They also explore the “trap of retrospective skiing,” why focusing too much on what just happened can hold you back, and how anticipating your next movement can help you stay ahead of your skis.

Most importantly, Peter encourages instructors to take these ideas beyond the podcast and the page: try the exercises, experiment with the parameters, and make the learning your own.

Listen to the conversation. Then read Peter’s article in 32 Degrees.

Take the concepts on snow and see what you discover.

Learn more at thesnowpros.org.

What if the most important thing your students remember isn't what you taught—but how you made them feel?

In this episode of First Chair, George Thomas sits down with PSIA-AASI National Team member Melodie Buell to explore the ideas behind her article, "The Space Between Skills and Connection." Together, they discuss why great instruction is about more than technical skills, and how emotional awareness, trust, and authentic connection can transform the learning experience.

Melodie shares practical strategies for reading your students, avoiding false positivity, using professional vulnerability effectively, giving students voice and choice, and adapting your teaching to meet learners where they are. Whether you're teaching first-time skiers, preparing for certification, or coaching experienced riders, this conversation offers valuable insights into becoming a more impactful instructor.

Topics include:

Why students remember how you made them feel

Moving beyond constant positivity

Building trust through attunement

Professional vulnerability in teaching

Voice and choice in lesson planning

Recognizing changing student needs

Learning vs. earning credentials

Creating experiences students never forget

If you enjoyed this conversation, be sure to subscribe for more episodes of First Chair, featuring conversations with the people shaping the future of snowsports instruction.

What if the secret to better ski lessons came from science class?

In this episode of First Chair, George Thomas sits down with Joe Taylor to talk about a surprisingly powerful teaching framework: the 5E instructional model. Joe breaks down how Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate can help ski instructors create lessons that feel less like a lecture and more like an “aha!” moment on snow.

Joe shares how his background in physics, science education, and ski instruction led him to a simple idea: students learn better when they discover the feeling first, then put the pieces together. That means more student voice, more curiosity, and more learning that actually sticks. From wedge christies to steeper terrain, this conversation shows how the 5E model can make lessons more engaging, more memorable, and way more effective.

You’ll hear how the 5E model lines up with the PSIA teaching cycle, why “explore before explain” works so well, and how research backs up this student-led approach. If you’re a ski or snowboard instructor looking for fresh ideas that are practical, research-based, and easy to remember, this episode is packed with takeaways.

In this episode:

Why students should explore before they’re explained to

How the 5E model fits ski instruction

Ways to boost motivation and ownership

How to turn one skill into a transferable movement pattern

Why this method works especially well for adult learners

Simple, smart, and seriously useful for snowsports instructors who want better lessons without overcomplicating the process.

How do you turn a standard ski lesson into a compelling story? In this episode of First Chair, host George Thomas sits down with snow pro and professional writer Mark Aiken to discuss his latest 32 Degrees article, "Snowsports MFA." Mark shares his unique four-step framework—Movement Analysis, Fundamentals, Activities, and the Repeat—designed to help instructors stay student-centered and outcome-based.

Mark explains why showing up to an assessment with a "canned progression" is a recipe for failure and why authentic teaching means treating every lesson as an exploration. We dive into the "Repeat" step as a tool for re-evaluation, the importance of an "effective bag of tricks" over a large one, and how the current PSIA-AASI National Fundamentals changed his 30-year career. Whether you're a writer, a slider, or an exam candidate, this conversation offers a practical guide to the artistry of snowsports education.

In this episode, we discuss:

The "Snowsports MFA" concept: Comparing a ski trail to a short story.

Why "canned progressions" are presentations, not teaching.

The "Repeat" Step: Why watching the drill is more important than doing it.

Building an "Effective Bag of Tricks" using only the basic tools.

Tipping the J: A case study in modifying drills to fit student speed and confidence.

The Art of Style: How technical fundamentals enhance a skier's personal palette.

Read Mark Aiken's full article in the latest issue of 32 Degrees magazine.