PSIA-AASI First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with Peggy Hiller, CEO of PSIA-AASI. Peggy and Thomas discuss more details of the member survey that was conducted earlier in 2023. Peggy shares insight from member schools and what values being a member school brings. Find out why members are a part of PSIA-AASI and how the organization can add value. PSIA-AASI is constantly working to improve the member experience and provide consistency for everyone. This includes unified assessment criteria and processes. Having national consistency in our education processes is a goal of the organization in the coming years.

First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with PSIA Cross Country Team Coach Emily Lovett. George and Emily chat about their summers and the upcoming Cross Country academy which happens in November. This year's Cross Country Academy is in West Yellowstone, Montana, and will include 3 days of classic and skate skiing with current and former PSIA Cross Country Team members. Get the inside track on innovations shaping the future of instruction. Network with and learn new ways of teaching from fellow cross-country professionals who share your passion for the experience. Take your game up a notch with personalized coaching and improvement. Any member of PSIA-AASI can attend this academy regardless of their main discipline. Learn more or register for Cross Country Academy by heading to this link: https://thesnowpros.org/events/cross-country-academy/.

First Chair Podcast host George Thomas interviews PSIA-AASI member Gordo Garlock. Gordo is on a 41-year streak where he has skied at least 1 day per month! As a former high school track and ski coach, Gordo had access to Mt. Hood year-round which made skiing possible every month of the year. Gordo mentions that climate change has recently made it very hard to keep this streak going since the Palmer snowfield doesn't hold snow as long as it used to. Even in years when no snow was available locally, Gordo traveled internationally to keep this streak going. Even after bouts with surgery and cancer, Gordo was able to continue skiing with the help of his community of friends and family. Gordo and George talk about education and how to be a better instructor.

First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with Makayla Meixner on why being nutrient-conscious during recovery is important. Keeping up with your calorie intake and eating three meals a day plus a snack help your body recover quicker. Makayla is a health nutritionist and has been a guest on the First Chair pod before. Makayla details how to correctly

First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with Julie Gacnik who is the Brand Creator. Pure Mountain Fun is the newest Official Supplier for PSIA-AASI. Started by two 10-year-olds in 2020 after a day of flubbing with ski equipment, Pure Mountain Fun offers an easy way to transport your skis or snowboards for kids of any size. This has proven to help families navigate the parking lot shuffle and allows for a hands-free experience when handling gear. This backpack-esque product is durably made and there are options for skis and snowboards. The product works great for transporting skis and boards through the parking lot, to the lifts, or to high alpine hike-to terrain. Shop Pure Mountain fun now by logging into your member profile and checking out your pro offers! https://members.thesnowpros.org/products/pro-offers

PSIA-AASI First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with Ryan Latham and Kevin Jordan from the Aspen Snowmass Snowsports Schools. Kevin and Ryan will be hosting the Inclusive Snowsports Group Facilitation webinar. Scheduled for Wednesday, September 20, 2023, from 6 p.m. – 7 p.m. MT, this clinic will focus on creating functional knowledge of how to assess a student with a diagnosed or undiagnosed disability using the CAP (Cognitive, Affective, Physical) model and provide tools and strategies to help this student integrate into a group lesson.

Register here: https://thesnowpros.org/2023/08/30/register-now-inclusive-snowsport-group-facilitation-webinar/

First Chair Podcast host George Thomas catches up with the folks from Mt. Hood Meadows ski school in Oregon. George chats with Tyler Barnes, Jennifer Lockwood and Katie Foyt. Tyler is the snowsports school director. Jennifer and Katie are alpine trainers at Mt. Hood Meadows. The team from Mt. Hood Meadows talks about how they are working to build community and how they're working to get more people on the slopes. Additionally, they talk about the energy they bring into new hire training and how that sets the standard for the entire experience. End-of-day group runs and daily recaps keep the team going and motivated.

PSIA-AASI First Chair podcast host George Thomas catches up with Katie White. Katie is the Scholarship Director for Women of Winter and the Ski School Director in Portillo, Chile. Katie is currently living in Portillo during the southern hemisphere winter. Katie spends most of her year on snow and helping to grow Women of Winter. Hear from Katie on what's happening in her life and what's to come this next winter in the northern hemisphere.

Find out more about Women of Winter:

https://www.womenofwinter.net/

https://thesnowpros.org/

PSIA-AASI First Chair podcast host George Thomas catches up with Peggy Hiller, the CEO of PSIA-AASI. Earlier in 2023, PSIA-AASI sent out a member survey that included questions about how happy members are with their membership and asked several questions based on the individual's experience. It was shown that many members are happy with the organization but our net promoter school was a bit lower than previous years. Peggy discusses what that means and how PSIA-AASI is planning for the future.

First Chair Podcast Host George Thomas catches up with Dr. Leslie Desrosiers. Learn how to elevate your fitness routine with sport-specific preventative exercises that take performance and longevity to new heights. Find out how simple it can be to add game-changing neuromuscular control strategies to your workout and keep your knees stronger and healthier. Hear more about how keeping your ACL strong in the off-season will help you avoid injury while you're on the snow next season.

Learn more: bit.ly/3Pd3ZJm