EARLY WINTER
2006-2007
SO, WHAT’S ALL THIS CHATTER?
ASSEMBLED BY PHILLIP HOWELL AASI-C LEVEL 3 & ATS
CONTRIBUTORS: MARK RADEFELD, DOUG RADEFELD, RAY PESCHO
I’m a snowboarding fanatic. I will ride all
day long in sub-zero temps, soaking rain
or even sketchy snow conditions…. But,
there is something that happens from time
to time that affects me like fingernails on
the blackboard – Chatter. Nothing makes
me want to take off my board and go home
as much as that bone rattling vibration.
In this article I will try to define chatter and
its causes along with tips for how to
manage or reduce its effects.
What is chatter? Chatter is the vibration of
the snowboard or ski while moving at high
speed, making tight turns, and/or sliding
in icy conditions on uneven terrain. This
vibration comes from rapid, repeated
engagement and disengagement of the
snowboard or skis from the snow.
Chatter begins when the edge or base
loses its “grip” (for lack of a better word)
on the snow; thus disengaging, and then
either as a result of the rider or skier’s
desperate attempt to regain control of
their snowboard/ski or a change in the
snow condition that initially led to the
disengagement, the edge or base re-
engages and grips the snow, most often
with so much force that is almost
instantaneously disengages again.
What gives a snowboard or ski its “grip”?
The answer is lateral friction between the
edge or base and the snow surface.
Friction depends on two variables: (1) a
frictional constant that is dependent on the
physical characteristics of the two items
rubbing against each other (i.e., sharp or
dull edges; groomed or icy snow; edge
IN THIS ISSUE
angle; etc.) and (2) the normal force per
unit of surface area (i.e., how hard the 1 SO, WHAT’S ALL THIS
edge or base is pushing against the snow
CHATTER?
perpendicularly).
4 WILL THE REAL “CORE” PLEASE
STAND UP?
What causes chatter? As the board or ski
reacts to the bumps and valleys of uneven 6 NOMINATIONS
terrain at speed, there is a change in the
amount of normal force the edge is able to 8 PSIA AND AASI SHOW YOU THE
apply perpendicularly to the snow because MONEY (BOOTER) AMONG
the snow surface is either falling away OTHER HOT MOVES
from the board (in the case of a valley)
which reduces the force, or the snow 8 KNOWLEDGE IS POWER WITH
surface pushes up against the board (in
NEW SPECIALIZED PSIA / AASI
EDUCATION MATERIALS
the case of a bump), which momentarily
increases the force. Then, the bounce
9 YUR MOUNTAIN DEMYSTIFIES
from the bump decreases the force as the SNOWSPORTS
board or ski accelerates upwards away
from the snow (terrain un-weighting). In 9 PSIA AND AASI HIRES NEW
response to both cases, valley or bump, EDUCATION DIRECTOR
there is a net decrease in the normal force
resulting in reduced lateral friction, which 1 0 NO BOTCHED BOTOX HERE:
sometimes falls below what is required to PSIA / AASI WEBSITES GET
maintain an edge in a turn. FACELIFTS THAT DO MORE
THAN LOOK GOOD
The result? As we lose our edge and start
1 0 EVENT CHANGES
to slip and skid more across the icy hard
or uneven terrain, we usually get even 1 2 JIMMY JOHNSTON
more vibration and chatter. And then, that
“fingers on the chalkboard” feeling as the
vibration transfers from the board or ski
up through your feet and legs to your Looking for an event? Check
core. Additionally, the cycle of the rider
trying to compensate for the variations in
out the event calendar at
the terrain usually gets worse and worse psia-c.org!
until the rider or skier “blows out” or is
forced to drop speed and regain control.
You can save $20 on your
Even the best rider or skier can’t perfectly
match every imperfection in the snow. second education event!
 THE CENTRAL LINE
So, how can we reduce or manage chatter? One option is to prepare
yourself to be in the best position to avoid and counteract the causes of
THE OFFICIAL PUBLICATION OF THE PROFESSIONAL chatter before it begins - avoid icy/washboard like terrain, keep your
SKI INSTRUCTORS OF AMERICA - CENTRAL
edges ice-skate sharp, and, be prepared to react quickly to absorb
PSIA-C 2006/2007 significant bumps. Good advice, but since we are not all “Boy Scouts”,
3225 West St. Joseph BOARD OF DIRECTORS
tactics for dealing with chatter once you find yourself in it are important
Lansing, Michigan 48917
President too.
Phone (517) 327-0601 Wm. “Skip” Dickel
Fax (517) 321-0495
info@psia-c.org Executive Vice President
Brent Heiman What can you do when you are not able to avoid the dreaded chatter?
General Information Members should
contact their board representatives to Education Vice President
share concerns or opinions on policies or Kris Agnew First and foremost, react quickly using your legs and lower body to
procedures in order that they be more
effectively represented.
Financial Vice President absorb significant bumps in the surface of the snow.
Gary Kepler
Submissions: Submissions of articles,
Marketing Vice President
photos, and other items for publication are
Engelbert Gal
Second, try to increase the normal force (perpendicular to the snow) by
welcome. All documents that are
submitted will be published on the web, pulling the board or skis back
Alpine Directors
therefore they should be submitted in 1 Wm. "Skip" Dickel underneath your center of mass
Microsoft Word Format (7.0 or higher) Jeff Lewin
with the following header: article name, so that your weight is pushing
date and author. Documents can have 2 Will Nourse more perpendicularly down into
minimal graphics (GIF/BMP) small size - Brent Heiman
no photographs (for website). Photographs the snow as opposed to pushing
may be submitted to the office and will be 3 Robin K. Roberts
published in the Central Line but will not Thomas L. McIntosh the board or skis out and away
be published on the web. Please send to
4 Kris Agnew from the body. This should
the PSIA-C office at the above address.
Articles are accepted on the condition that Walter B. Sappington increase the normal force and
they are released for publication in all 5 Douglas Wren the friction, giving the rider or
PSIA and PSIA division periodicals. PSIA- Mark D. Foyteck
C reserves the right to edit all articles. skier more control (even if it
6 Engelbert Gal doesn’t completely stop the
The Central Line, copyright © 2005, Gary D. Kepler
is published four times per year by the chatter).
Professional Ski Instructors of America- Nordic Director
Central. Permission is hereby given to the Michael Stockreiter
Professional Ski Instructors of America and Third, stop trying to aggressively
other divisions to copy original material Snowboard Directors
from this newsletter providing credit is 1, 2, 3 Del Schirmer turn the board or skis, but rather
given to the Professional Ski Instructors of 4, 5, 6 Mindy Covington
America-Central and the material is not (even if momentarily) re-orient
altered. Articles that contain specific Ex-Officio PSIA-N Director
John Peppler the board or skis in the direction of travel so that the snow is passing by
copyright notices may not be reprinted
unless written permission is obtained from 2006/2007
the edge in a parallel manner. Have any of you ever had chatter, when
the author. It is requested that a copy of EDUCATION FOUNDATION the snow was moving parallel to your edge in a perfect carve? I’d bet
any publication containing reprinted BOARD OF DIRECTORS
material from this newsletter be sent to the not. This explains why most people chatter on steep or icy slopes. They
editor at the address above. President
Wm. "Skip" Dickel
get scared and throw the board sideways at speed over uneven terrain,
Subscriptions: Persons who are not bingo, instant chatter.
members of PSIA-C can purchase a one- Executive Vice President
year (four issues) subscription to The Brent Heiman
Central Line for $15. Send your name
and address, along with your check, to Financial Vice President & To recap:
PSIA-C at the above address. Secretary
Gary Kepler
Note: Materials published in The —Chatter is the vibration that sets up when a board or ski repeatedly
Central Line that have been provided by Alpine Directors
persons who are not writing as PSIA-C 1 Wm. "Skip" Dickel loses and regains its “grip” on icy hard or uneven terrain.
officials are the responsibility of the Jeff Lewin —The amount of “Grip” or lateral friction is determined by two variables:
author and are not necessarily endorsed
by PSIA-C. 2 Brent Heimann 1) the sharpness of your edges, snow conditions and edge angle. 2) the
Will Nourse
PSIA-C STAFF normal force of the edge or base pushing against the snow
3 Robin K. Roberts
Executive Director Thomas L. McIntosh
perpendicularly.
Donnelly K. Eurich —Chatter can be prevented by avoiding icy hard or uneven terrain,
4 Kris Agnew
Director of Membership & Walter B. Sappington keeping edges sharp and being prepared to absorb any imperfection in
Continuing Education 5 Douglas Wren the snow.
Kelsey Gregory Mark D. Foyteck —Chatter can be reduced and managed by:
Education Coordinator 6 Engelbert Gal
Kelsey Gregory Gary D. Kepler
•Using your legs and lower body to absorb bumpy uneven terrain
Administrative Support Adaptive Directors
Heather Frazier David Henderson (preventing terrain un-weighting from decreasing normal force)
Nordic Director
•Increasing the normal force (perpendicular to the snow) by pulling the
Editor in Chief
Engelbert Gal Mike Stockreiter board or skis back underneath your center of mass (weighting the edge
Snowboard Directors or base while underneath of you instead of while away from you)
Director of Financial Services 1, 2, 3 Del Schirmer
Donna Devereaux 4, 5, 6 Mindy Covington
•Re-orient the board or skis in the direction of travel so that the snow is
passing by the edge in a parallel manner (think carve vs. slip or skid)
Ex-Officio PSIA-N Director
John Peppler
Contact information can be found
at www.psia-c.org/whoswho

PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line 2 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition

 Take an education event
that is not an exam and
get $20 off your next
event.
Hurry! You must take the
second event before the
end of April 2007.
Continued on page 4
PSIA-C/AASI-C Center Line 3 2006/2007 Education Edition
Will the Real
“CORE” Please
Stand Up?
by Betsy Baker
DCL PSIA-NW
By now you’ve all heard about “the core”,
or “core strengthening” programs, right?
Hopefully you’ve already incorporated
core strengthening into your fitness
routine (if not, you need to be!). But, are
you really using your TRUE core? Do you
really know what the real core is?
Why is the core such a crucial part of
training? Well, imagine standing in a
canoe on a lake, and trying to step off
onto a dock. Now think of standing on the
ground, and stepping up onto a step.
Which is easier? When you move from an
unstable surface (canoe), your muscles
have to work harder, and are less efficient.
The same is true for your body. When
your core is stable, then your extremities
(arms and legs) can move from that stable
base more efficiently, regardless of the
activity or sport.
So what is the CORE? From my
perspective the true definition
of a core is like an apple core.
It is the INSIDE of the apple
(not just the midsection-the
area from the ribs to the butt);
as is true with our bodies. Our
“inner” core, the most
important part for trunk/core
stabilization exercise, is inside
your body, deep inside, closest
to the spine and pelvis.
There are three muscle groups Cross Section of the Abdominal Muscles-TA is deepest, closest to
that make up the inner core: the
Transversus Abdominis muscle, the
Multifidus muscles, and the pelvic floor
muscles. These are the most important
muscles involved in dynamic stabilization
of the lumbar spine and trunk. Not to say
that the glutes (butt muscles), psoas (hip
flexors) and more superficial abdominals
(“six pack”-rectus abdominis and
obliques) aren’t important, but read on
and you’ll discover why they can do more
damage than good if the inner core isn’t
developed first.
Let’s take the transversus abdominis (TA)
first. This is an amazing muscle that is the
PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line
deepest of all the abdominals. It wraps
around the lower abdominal wall,
attaching into the pelvis and around back
to attach directly into the bones of the
spine. Because this muscle runs
horizontally around the body, when it
contracts, it pulls your abdominal wall
inward, and provides a lateral pull on both
sides of the spine, applying a stabilizing
force on the lumbar spine segments. The
transversus abdominus helps to control
the motion at the spine that is generated
by the larger more superficial trunk
muscles. (See diagrams)
The Transversus Abdominis
internal organs
Next is the multifidi. The multifidus group
is the deepest muscle group in the lower
The Multifidus Muscles in the lumbar spine
4 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition
back, attaching from the tailbone upward,
segment by segment on each lumbar
spine vertebrae. These muscles vary in
size but usually span one to three
vertebrae. They are located deep to all the
other superficial lower back muscles
(paraspinals), and when they contract
they help to stabilize each segment of the
spine on each other, in a more vertical
fashion. (see picture) So hopefully by
now you are picturing the horizontal
stabilization of the TA and the vertical
stabilizers of the multifidus. The
interaction of the TA and the multifidus
creates a decompressive and stabilizing
force on the segments of the spine! There
Cross-section of the trunk muscles
are even more intricate details than that
for segmental stabilization, but I’ll spare
you the further biomechanical
details.
The last, but definitely not
least of the inner core muscle
groups is the pelvic floor. If
you think of our trunk like a
cylinder, like a pop can, the
pelvic floor is the bottom. If
you don’t have good control
and stabilization of the bottom
of the can, the contents will fall
out, right? You don’t want
that. Not only for the obvious
reasons, but also because low
tone in these muscles allows
the weight of your insides
(abdominal and pelvic organs) to
drop down, increasing the stress
on your lower back and destabilizing your
core.
So by now you are saying, “okay Betsy,
you tell me these are so important, but
how do I strengthen these muscles?”
“Should I be doing more crunches?”
The answer is not a simple yes or no. The
difficult part of all this is that you first
need to learn how to do a small, gentle
isometric contraction of all these inner
core muscles individually so that you can
teach your brain to actually turn these
muscles on correctly. Research has
Continued on page 5

The Pelvic Floor Muscles: (looking down into the pelvis)
shown that these muscles are supposed
to be the first muscles in the body to turn
on, before you even start to move your
arm to grab that hot latte you just got at
Starbucks. Your trunk needs to be stable
for your arm to efficiently move (or your
legs).
After you have learned to correctly recruit
these deep muscles, to stabilize from
your inner core, THEN you can start
doing all the fancy core stabilization
exercises you read about (mat exercises,
ball exercises, crunches, etc). Recent
research has shown that even that good
old standard, Wall Sits, (remember those
burnin’ quads?) is more efficient if your
deep core muscles are correctly
recruited. In fact, if you recruit even just
your pelvic floor muscles while you are
doing a wall sit, you can stay in that “sit”
position on average 20% longer. But the
crucial part is for you to learn how to
integrate your inner core muscles and
maintain their
activity/contraction
while you are doing
those other “outer core”
strengthening exercises.
Eventually, after you
practice enough with
those inner core
muscles, that
recruitment will become
a new, ingrained motor
program for your body
and your inner core will
become more stable.
If you start by just doing exercises
for the outer core muscles, you will be
using strong muscles with large leverage
that create motion and compression of
your spine, but without the deep inner
core muscles engaged, that motion will
not be controlled at the segments of your
spine, and your inner core muscles won’t
be engaged to help control the
compressive forces of those larger, outer
muscles. That can cause injury, and is
one reason why people with low back
pain have recurrent pain, when they
haven’t learned to integrate their inner
core. Plus, using those deep stabilizing
muscles of the trunk and spine will allow
the nerves that exit those segments of the
spine to work better, sending clearer
signals to the muscles they control, thus
allowing those muscles in your arms and
legs to be more active and stronger! (a
good way to fix and prevent those
“overuse injuries”).
So you can imagine how much more
efficient we can be as skiers and riders,
when we have a more well-trained inner
core, and a stronger outer core. In the
interest of professional accuracy, I will
not attempt to explain in print how to
accurately recruit these inner core
muscles. (It takes a skilled touch to give
you accurate feedback if you are doing it
correctly).
Here’s to a strong, injury-free ski and
snowboard career!
Betsy Baker, PT, CMPT is a Level 3 Certified
physical therapist by the North American
Institute of Orthopedic Manual Therapy, a
Level 3 Certified Alpine Instructor and a
Divisional Clinic Leader for PSIA-NW. She is
the owner/partner of Olympic Physical
Therapy of Everett, Washington. Olympic
Physical Therapy is proud to be an Official
Medical Provider for the US Ski Team, and
Betsy is one of the official rotating physical
therapists for the Alpine, Freestyle,
Snowboard and Adaptive teams. Betsy is
also a race coach for Team Lyon and a
Training Director for Lyon Ski School at
Stevens Pass, Wa.
Editor’s Note: Betsy Baker holds
seminars in the Fall and Spring for
PSIA-NW titled “Core Strengthening for
Better Performance” PSIA-C Thanks
Betsy for sharing her knowledge with
the division.
 P S I A- C B o ar d o f D i r e c t o r s E l e c t i o n
Nomination Instructions
Board of Directors terms are for two years. Each of the six Sections are represented by
two Alpine Directors, one with a term expiring on an even numbered year and one with
a term expiring on an odd numbered year. Western Sections (1, 2 & 3) are represented
by one Snowboard Director. Eastern Sections (4, 5 & 6) are represented by one
Snowboard Director. All sections are represented by one Nordic Director. Present
bylaws limit consecutive terms to three.

A member in good standing who is Certified Level I, II or III may nominate and vote for
director representation from that member’s geographic area for all disciplines in which
that member is certified.

Nomination Forms must be received in the PSIA-C office by December 31, 2006.
Nomination Forms that are not received by the stated deadline, or are incomplete, or are
otherwise improper will not be recognized.

Only Alpine certified or adaptive certified instructors may nominate an Alpine Director.
Only a Snowboard certified instructor may nominate a Snowboard director. Only Nordic Track or Nordic Downhill certified
instructors may nominate a Nordic Director.

A director nominee must meet the following qualifications:

1. Be a current, active, primary member of PSIA-C in good standing, at least 18 years of age, Certified Level I, II, or III in
the represented discipline, and lawful resident of the United States. (U. S. citizenship is not required.)
2. An Alpine Director nominee must reside within the same Section as the nominating member, and may be nominated only
to represent that member’s Section.
3. A Snowboard Director nominee must reside within the same Eastern or Western Sections as the nominating member,
and may be nominated only to represent that member’s Eastern of Western Sections.
4. A Nordic Director nominee must reside within Central Division.

Note: The candidate’s place of residence is considered to be where the candidate resides during the snowsports season.

A current Director who presently is classified as “Not Eligible” may not be nominated or reelected because three consecutive
two-year terms have been served on the board, or because one or more other qualification is no longer met.

SIX OPEN ALPINE BOARD OF DIRECTORS SEATS

Alpine Directors: Six alpine directors will be elected each year, one from each section.

Section Incumbent Status Section Incumbent Status

1 Skip Dickel Eligible 4 Walter B. Sappington Eligible
2 William Nourse Eligible 5 Douglas Wren Eligible
3 Thomas L. McIntosh Not Eligible 6 Engelbert Gal Eligible

ONE OPEN SNOWBOARD BOARD OF DIRECTORS SEAT

Sections Incumbent Status
4,5,6 Mindy Covington Not Eligible

ONE OPEN NORDIC BOARD OF DIRECTORS SEAT

Sections Incumbent Status
1,2,3 Mike Stockreiter Eligible

PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line 6 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition

 P S I A- C B o ar d o f D i r e c t o r s E l e c t i o n
OFFICIAL NOMINATION FORM FOR PSIA - C
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Nominate only one candidate (Exception: dual & tri- certified members see**). An Alpine member can
only nominate one Alpine candidate, Snowboard can only nominate one Snowboard member, and Nordic
can only nominate one Nordic member. Candidates must live in the section in which they are being
nominated for. Deadline for nominations is December 31, 2006.

This Ballot is for:
Alpine Director
Snowboard Director (Sections 4, 5 & 6 only)

Nordic Director

PRINT CANDIDATE’S NAME ______________________________________________ SECTION ___________________________________

YOUR ZIP CODE _______________________ YOUR MEMBERSHIP:
Alpine
Adaptive
Snowboard
Nordic

I live in section number _____________________________ , and I am a current, active, Level I, Level II, Level III,
or Lifetime Honorary member of PSIA-C.*

YOUR SIGNATURE __________________________________________________________________ DATE

____________________________

PRINT YOUR NAME __________________________________________ YOUR MEMBERSHIP # _____________________________

Late, Incomplete or Incorrect Ballots will be Invalid.

*Note: Only active Certified Level I, II, and III, and Lifetime Honorary members may
nominate members for the board of directors. Affiliate, Basic, Registered,
Inactive and Alumni members are not eligible to nominate or be nominated.

**Note: If you are dual certified and would like to make nominations in both of your
disciplines, please reproduce this form and submit one for each discipline’s
nomination.
Please mail or fax the nomination form to the PSIA-C Office

Professional Ski Instructors of America - Central

3225 West St. Joseph • Lansing, Michigan 48917
Phone: (517) 327-0601 Fax: (517) 321-0495
E-Mail: info@psia-c.org

PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line 7 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition

PSIA / AASI National Updates
PSIA AND AASI
SHOW YOU THE
MONEY (BOOTER)
AMONG OTHER HOT
MOVES
Stomping the money booter, dropping in,
nose pressing—it’s all there in living color
with spot-on commentary. The
Professional Ski Instructors of America
(PSIA) and American Association of
Snowboard Instructors (AASI) have joined
forces with Ski Press World and Egan
Entertainment to deliver skiing and
snowboarding tips and techniques direct to
you on national and regional television
programs, via www.skipresstv.com, on in-
flight airline media, and through DVDs
distributed nationwide.
“The spots feature PSIA Alpine Team, PSIA
Nordic Team, and AASI Snowboard Team
members, who are phenomenal athletes
and the best instructors in the country.
They are ideally qualified to share the stoke
of snowsports, piquing interest among
newbies, as well as impressing and
inspiring die-hard enthusiasts,” said Mark
Dorsey, executive director of PSIA and
AASI. “These media segments highlight
ways to make skiing and riding more fun,
more exciting, and more accessible for
enthusiasts of all abilities. “ Partnering with
experts in their field, Ski Press World and
Egan Entertainment, ensures our message
will be widely and effectively
communicated.”
This heavy-hitting snowsports alliance is
producing 19 two-minute segments geared
to all types of winter enthusiasts, and will
include advice on dropping into a halfpipe,
skiing moguls, perfecting telemark
technique, staying afloat in powder, and
mastering race tactics. Hosted by the top
ski and snowboard instructors in the
country, the tips will air on skipresstv.com,
Dan Egan’s Wild World of Winter, Resort
Sports Network (RSN), regionally
syndicated shows, and US Air’s in-flight
entertainment from November 2006
through April 2007.
Additionally, Olympic gold medalist skier
and PSIA Alpine Team member Deb
Armstrong hosts a half-hour program
called “Go With a Pro.” An opportunity to
PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line
introduce the public to PSIA and AASI
Team members, the program will showcase
these remarkable individuals as people, as
athletes, and as instructors—while also
including insights for how to skillfully ride
all types of terrain.
“I’m struck by the overall consistency of
these athletes in all conditions—they shred
flawlessly,” said adventure skier and film
producer Dan Egan. “I’m honored to be
working with these unsung heroes on such
an awesome project.”
In addition to receiving national airtime
expected to impact 70 million homes in 250
markets, “Go With a Pro” will be available
as a DVD for consumers to purchase in
retail stores as of August 2007. Ally
Distribution, experts in action sports DVD
distribution, will make the DVD available to
retailers for purchase at the SnowSports
Industries America trade show in January
2007.
“Ski Press is the people’s ski magazine in
print, online, and on TV, and PSIA and AASI
are among the most important contributors
to the sports of skiing and riding. Together,
we try to support every sector of the
snowsports industry,” said Jean-Marc
Blais, president and CEO of Ski Press World
media. “This DVD will definitely make you
want to take a ski or snowboard lesson.”
Both the “Go With a Pro” DVD and tips
segments are expected to motivate skiers
and riders of all ability levels.
KNOWLEDGE IS
POWER WITH NEW
SPECIALIZED
PSIA/AASI
EDUCATION
MATERIALS
Aristotle said “All men (and women) by
nature desire knowledge.” Therefore all
skiers and snowboarders—by nature—
desire knowledge. Naturally, the
Professional Ski Instructors of America
(PSIA) and the American Association of
Snowboard Instructors (AASI) are the
perfect entities to provide the knowledge
for instructors to pass onto their clients.
8 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition
This season, PSIA and AASI have released
new educational materials to keep their
members knowledgeable. These include an
updated Alpine Technical Manual, a new
Snowboard Manual and a book for
advanced skiers called Tactics for All-
Mountain Skiing.
“One of the things that these new products
represent is PSIA and AASI’s commitment
to communicate the latest information to
our membership about teaching in a wide
variety of settings just as we have in Park
and Pipe, Adaptive and Nordic,” says Mark
Dorsey, PSIA/AASI Executive Director.
“The Alpine and Snowboard manuals are
the core teaching materials and are updated
on a regular basis. These are used in
concert with more specialize materials such
as Tactics for All-Mountain Skiing and our
Park and Pipe Manual.”
Tactics for All-Mountain Skiing represents a
new direction for PSIA. Written by two-
term PSIA Alpine Team member, Chris
Fellows, this book deals with advanced
topics such as how to be a better off-piste
skier and how to overcome challenging
terrain and conditions such as steeps,
powder, chutes, ice and bumps.
“The core materials really provide a good
system and foundation of what a ski
instructor needs to have in their back
pocket,” says Fellows. “Tactics for All-
Mountain Skiing provides a resource for
instructors to gain insight about their own
skiing as well as drills, exercises and
progression to help their students improve
their all-mountain skiing.”
About Chris Fellows
Fellows is a two-term PSIA Alpine Team
member. He’s a professional member of
the American Mountain Guides Association
as well as the Director of North American
Ski Training Center in Truckee, California.
Call 517-327-0601 to order any of
these PSIA / AASI publications
A mandatory education
event is now required
prior to all snowboard
level 2/3 exams
Ed events can be almost any
event that is not a test. ie: ride
with D-team, prep, RTD,
freestyle accred, etc.
YUR MOUNTAIN
DEMYSTIFIES
SNOWSPORTS
New interactive Web site created by
PSIA, AASI, and NSP and sponsored
by Subaru targets ‘tweeners’ and
beginners, revealing all they need to
know to enjoy skiing and
snowboarding.
If knowledge is power, then
www. yürmountain. org is the new
turbo-charged engine of snowsports.
Created by the Professional Ski
Instructors of America (PSIA),
American Association of Snowboard
Instructors (AASI), and the National
Ski Patrol (NSP),
www.yürmountain.org is the go-site
for snow sports information.
Sponsored by Subaru, Yür Mountain is
a consumer-oriented, animated,
interactive Web site launching October
27 to educate and entertain viewers
about the skiing and riding experience.
Developed by North Pole Design, the
site utilizes modern animation and
interactive technologies that effectively
engage the ‘tweener’ and beginner
markets.
“The goal of PSIA, AASI, and NSP is to
inspire fun and safe skiing and riding.
Yür Mountain is a perfect example of
how we are making it easier to learn
about snowsports and create
passionate new enthusiasts,” says
Mark Dorsey, executive director of
PSIA, AASI, and NSP. “This engaging
site presents honest and useful
information in ways youth and adults
can understand, relate to, and have fun
exploring.”
Linked to the PSIA, AASI, and NSP
Web sites, (psia. org; aasi. org;
nsp.org) the virtual mountain setting
of www.yürmontain.org demystifies
the snowsports experience,
particularly for first-timers. Aimed at a
‘tweener’ audience and their parents,
the lively and relevant site dispels
uncertainty and helps motivate them to
go out and enjoy skiing and riding. Of
course, everyone arrives at Yür
Mountain in a snow-worthy, all-wheel-
PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line
drive Subaru Tribeca or Subaru
Outback. Then, the self-guided
mountain tour reveals the ins and out
of the mountain.
With a click of the mouse, kids and
their parents can glean safety and
etiquette tips while scouting the terrain
park, learn how and where to rent gear,
and even download video tips on a
broad range of topics, including race
tactics, techniques for dropping into
the half-pipe, and how to master the
moguls or a money booter. In covering
the basics of the main lodge to the
function of ski patrol, Yür Mountain
makes it easy to feel comfortable at
any ski and snowboard resort.
“Yür Mountain is yet another example
of our long-standing and effective
partnership with PSIA, AASI, and NSP,”
said Tim Mahoney, senior vice
president and chief marketing officer,
Subaru of America, Inc. “The site is
educational in tone and also allows us
to showcase the safety and exceptional
winter driving capabilities of our
Subaru Symmetrical All-Wheel-Drive
vehicles.”
PSIA, AASI, and NSP will promote Yür
Mountain to consumers this fall via
announcements in consumer media,
links with industry associations, and
through the Subaru Web site.
PSIA-AASI HIRES
NEW EDUCATION
DIRECTOR
The Professional Ski Instructors of
America (PSIA) and the American
Association of Snowboard Instructors
(AASI) have hired Kim Seevers to
serve as education director. She
replaces Linda Crockett, who chose to
pursue new interests after heading the
associations’ education department
for 13 years.
“Kim’s intimate knowledge of PSIA-
AASI educational systems, products,
and services—not to mention her
strong work ethic—make her the ideal
candidate for the position of national
9 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition
education director,” said PSIA-AASI
Executive Director Mark Dorsey. “I
couldn’t be more pleased that she
stepped up to fill the position.”
“I’m very excited about this
opportunity to make a difference in ski
and snowboard instruction on a
national scale,” said Seevers.
“Challenges motivate me. I look
forward to helping create educational
programs, materials, and certification
processes that benefit the entire
membership, and the industry.
Seevers most recently served as the
program director and head ski team
coach for the Adaptive Sports
Foundation in Windham, New York. A
veteran of PSIA-AASI, she earned her
Alpine Level III certification in 1986,
and became a division clinic leader
and examiner 10 years later. Seevers
was director of education and
programs for PSIA-AASI's Eastern
Division from 1998–2004, during
which time she developed and
implemented certification programs;
participated in multiple strategic
planning, certification, and education
committees and task forces; authored
several manuals, and served as a
reviewer for numerous publications
developed by the PSIA-AASI
Education Foundation.
Prior to working with the PSIA-AASI
Eastern Division, Seevers was the
athletic director for the Grier School
for Girls in Tyrone, Pennsylvania, from
1983–1998. She attended
Pennsylvania State University, where
she earned a master’s degree in
physical education, with an emphasis
in performance assessment.
PSIA-AASI President Ray Allard had
high praise for Seevers’ qualifications
while also expressing gratitude to her
predecessor. “Linda Crockett led the
education department with great skill
for more than a decade, and I know
Kim will continue that strong
tradition,” said Allard.
Nominate a fellow instructor for
Instructor of the Section for 2006-2007
Season by April 1, 2007.
See www.psia-c.org for details.
NO BOTCHED BOTOX
HERE: PSIA / AASI
WEBSITES GET
FACELIFTS THAT DO
MORE THAN LOOK
GOOD
In the tradition of a Hollywood movie
star, the websites for the Professional
Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), and
the American Association of
Snowboard Instructors (AASI) have
undergone a facelift. The nips and
tucks serve the purpose of enhancing
educational resources to PSIA and
AASI members as well as providing
information to the press about the
world of ski and snowboard
instruction. New content includes
comprehensive bio pages for the AASI
Snowboard team and PSIA Alpine and
Nordic teams, as well as the addition of
a new, quick-to-access mini-site called
“Yür Mountain.”
“The goal of this redesign is to help
people find out more information about
alpine, nordic, adaptive and snowboard
instruction. We want our members,
people in the ski industry and the press
to be able to get to the information
quickly,” says Mark Dorsey, Executive
Director PSIA-AASI.
The websites serve members,
snowsports enthusiasts and media by
providing a plethora of resources
related to skiing, snowboarding and
instruction. The sites are also designed
to assist specific PSIA-AASI
communities such as adaptive, alpine,
nordic, snowboard and instructors
who specialize in teaching children.
PSIA and AASI members can log in to
the member services section of the
sites in order to take advantage of
many member-only features.
Consumers will find pertinent
information about the world of ski and
snowboard instruction from the launch
of the Subaru-funded, animated site
PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line
located within the PSIA and AASI
websites. “The ‘Yür Mountain’ site—
also located at
www.yurmountain.org—will contain
consumer information from us about
how to perform in a variety of terrain
and how to introduce the mountain
experience to webanauts,” explains
Dorsey.
Upcoming Center Line Copy
Deadlines
Late Winter 2007—Dec 20th
Spring 2007—Mar 20th
Fall 2007—July 20th
Writing Guidlines
General member submissions to
the Center Line should be sent to
info@psia-c.org as a MS Word
attachment.
Members are encouraged to write
articles and share their thoughts
and ideas with the membership.
EVENT CHANGES!
—SUNBURST, WI DATES
CHANGED TO FEB. 23-25,
2007.
DEADLINE CHANGED TO FEB.
9, 2007
—NORDIC TRACK CLINICS
HAVE BEEN MOVED TO BOYNE
MOUNTAIN, MI ON DEC. 9-10,
2006. NORDIC TRACK ONLY.
— C H I L D R E N ’ S
ACCREDITATION WILL BE HELD
AT BOYNE HIGHLANDS, MI ON
DEC. 9-10, 2006
10
Your Opportunity to
ADVERTISE
in the
CENTRAL LINE
Advertise your program, product,
ski school, used equipment swap or
any other snowsport item in the
PSIA-C newsletter. We offer
classified Ads and Display Ads.
Classified Ads:
Classified Ads are line type ads
run in a specific section of the
newsletter. Classified ads may vary
in size and rates depending on the
number of words in the ad.
PSIA-C Member Ski
Schools:
Help Wanted Ads - No Charge
Other Classified Ads - $10.00
minimum for 30 words or less, plus
$.20 per word over 30.
Other Schools, Persons,
or Orginizations:
All Classified Ads - $20.00
minimum for 30 words or less,
plus $.25 per word over 30.
Note: Long numbers and similar
text (e.g. e-mail, addresses, etc.)
will be divided into words for the
purpose of calculating the ad rate.
Camera Ready
Display Ads:
Full Page 7 1/2 ” x 10” $350
Half Page 7 1/2 ” x 5” $250
Quarter 3 1/2 ” x 5” $120
Eighth 3 1/2 ” x 21/2 ” $60
Display Ads will be set off from
the surrounding text.
2006/2007 Early Winter Edition
 WHERE DO HANDGINEERS
COME FROM:
The History behind
Manzella.
With nearly 25 years as a glove maker, serving
outdoor enthusiasts, athletes, sportsmen and even
the exacting requirements of the military and law
enforcement personnel, Manzella has built a
reputation for quality, innovation, and great fitting
gloves. Through that time, Manzella has created a
special kind of engineer that is all about hands and
gloves - the Handgineer.

Handgineers design gloves. They design them as

equipment with specific technical requirements to
enhance the hands motion, comfort and protection
during a specific sport or activity and most
importantly they design gloves differently for men
and women.

Handgineers pioneered the first true fit for women in

outdoor and ski gloves and we have taken that
knowledge and placed it throughout all our women’s
line. Women have more slender, long fingers, thinner
wrists and a shorter pinky compared to a men’s
hands and maintaining proper warmth is more than
just insulation… It’s fit too – and Manzella gloves
have it!

Handgineers know the hand technically, study the

hand in motion, and think about the hand while they
are home, asleep and other inappropriate times.
They are fanatics!

We have created gloves that truly represent the best

glove in each category or Best of Class. When you
pick up a ski glove for example, you can be assured
that there is no finer ski glove available.. No glove
will be better fitting or more functional or more
comfortable.

Years of experience by the Manzella Handgineers

have resulted in the simple Warm • Warmer •
Warmest glove selection system and the Best of
Class gloves, now you can pick your perfect pair of
gloves in less than two minutes! We have done all
the homework for you. All you need to know is your
own preferences. It is really this easy…

1—Choose your activity – Skiing, boarding,

mountaineering, whatever.

2—Choose a glove group from your personal

comfort preference – Do you always have cold hands
or are you know as a heat generator. Here is our
guide:
Warm—For outdoor aerobic activities or people who
are warm blooded, you know those of you that throw
the blankets off at night in the middle of winter.
Warmer—For outdoor activities in variable
conditions (most universal).
Warmest—For extended cold weather outdoor
activities or people who are cold handed (and
probably have popsicle toes too…)

3—Choose your size and favorite style—or the one

that has all the cool stuff calling you.
Gift Certificates We call this the Manzella Glove Selection System—
Looking for that perfect gift for the perfect snowsports instructor or director catchy isn’t it? Visit us at www.manzella.com
in your life?
PSIA-C Gift certificates make wonderful gifts!

To purchase a gift certificate, please call 517-327-0601

800-784-409 0

PSIA-C/AASI-C The Central Line 11 2006/2007 Early Winter Edition

PSIA-C
3225 West S. Joseph
Lansing, Michigan 48917
JIMMY JOHNSTON
Minneapolis judge was an influential founder of
PSIA
Jimmy Johnston, one of the founders of
the Professional Ski Instructors of America,
died August 10 at his home in Naples, Fla.
He was 78, and had recently suffered a
heart attack.
Johnston was a renaissance man, and a
giant, to boot. At 6’2” and 250 pounds, he
was a presence on the ski hill, on the golf
course, and on the judicial bench. He
served as a district judge in his native
Minneapolis for 27 years.
Jimmy Johnston was born in Minneapolis,
Minnesota, on February 13, 1928. His
skiing roots go back to 1936, when at age
8 he skied on a golf course managed by his
father. By the time he was in high school,
he was the city slalom champion. Johnston
entered law school in 1950 and became a
trial judge.
While in school, he was asked by the
Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board to
head its ski school program. The program
grew from a modest beginning of 12
children and 86 adults to 1000 children and
4,000 adults taking one lesson a week for
10 weeks. Jimmy ran his program for 30
years, a job that included managing a
municipally-owned rope-tow ski area. He
helped to organize the Central Ski Lift and
Tow Operators Association.
Johnston also wrote articles about skiing
for the Minneapolis Star in 1959 and 1960.
In the 1950s, he founded and edited the
Minnesota-Wisconsin Ski News, a weekly
publication. He was also responsible for
originating the first 24 hour telephone
snow report line in the Minneapolis-St.
Paul area.
In 1961, he was one of six co-founders of
the Professional Ski Instructors of
America. He participated in writing the
certification standards for the PSIA, and
published the book Official American Ski
Techniques.
Johnston served on PSIA’s board of
directors for eleven years, as the
organization’s secretary and eventually as
its president. He helped to organize its
participation in the tri-annual International
Ski School Congress (INTERSKI), and was
a member of the organizing committee
PRESORTED
STANDARD
U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
CLEVELAND OH
PERMIT 2180
when PSIA hosted the 1968 INTERSKI at
Aspen, the first time this event was held in
the United States.
Jimmy Johnston also served as a director
of the Central Division of the United States
Ski Association from 1957-1971. During
that time, he held various offices and was a
delegate to the USSA annual meetings.
An innovator in the legal community,
Johnston pioneered the concept of
community service as an alternate
sentence for non-violent offenders. And he
was a top amateur golfer, winning a club
senior championship as recently as 1992.
He was inducted into the U.S. National Ski
Hall of Fame in 1996.
He is survived by his wife, Sandra; son Jay
and daughter Holly Brezin; his sister
Luanne Crump, and two grandchildren.
Editor’s note: Reprinted with permission
from Skiing Heritage. Visit
www.skiinghistory.org for more
information on the world’s only quarterly
journal of skiing history.