First Chair: PSIA-AASI Podcast

First Chair catches up with PSIA-AASI Adaptive Team Coach, Geoff Krill, about Ski Spectacular Instructor Academy that kicks off December 4 through 10 in Breckenridge, Colorado as part of the Hartford Ski Spectacular. Hosted by Move United, The Hartford Ski Spectacular is one of the nation’s largest winter sports festivals for people with disabilities, with more than 800 registered participants ann...

First Chair catches up with Mike Ewing, a 50-year ski instructor, entrepreneur, innovator, and former president of the PSIA-AASI Northern Rocky Mountain Region. Mike chats about My Life in Winters, a new book he wrote that shares the history of U.S. snowsports through the unique perspective of a teacher. Mike, who first earned his PSIA pin in 1965, has worked in snowsports as an athlete, ski patro...

First Chair catches up with PSIA-AASI National Team members Ryan Christofferson, Matt Larson, Tony Macri, and Ben Potts to chat about a new event called Freestyle Academy, hosted by the PSIA-AASI Rocky Mountain region. It’s 2, 3, or 5 days of park riding, development, and certification at Team USA's freestyle training ground: Copper Woodward Terrain Park and Halfpipe. This 5-day event can be split...

First Chair catches up with Travis Jackson, CEO of Health Karma, one of PSIA-AASI’s newest Official Supplier. Travis chats about his connection to the ski industry and shares how you can now access special pricing and get access to affordable care, even for your pets. If you sign up for a membership by the end of this year, you’ll automatically be entered for a drawing of Atomic goggles. Learn mor...

First Chair caught up with PSIA-AASI National Team Head Coach Jeb Boyd and PSIA-AASI Director of Education during Team Training 2022. Learn how the team paired their indoor meetings in Breckenridge and on-snow training at Arapahoe Basin with a continued focus on Interski 2023 presentations in Levi, Finland, the implementation of strategic alignment, scholarship opportunities, and a ONEteam approac...

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Alpine Team member Matt Boyd has been doing this summer. Read more about Matt’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/5650vz

First Chair catches up with Jason Badgley, CEO at Phunkshun Wear, about the launch of the “Design Your Winter” wearable art collaboration contest created just for PSIA-AASI members. The winning designs will be printed on Phunkshun Wear apparel and sold in a limited-release batch to all PSIA-AASI members. And the winners will also get paid! Read about the prizes AND learn how to submit your art: ht...

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what AASI Snowboard Team member Brian Donovan has been doing this summer. Read more about Brian’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/8muzuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Adaptive Team member Mike Ma has been doing this summer. Read more about Mike’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/qmtzuz

PSIA Adaptive Team Coach Geoff Krill, and PSIA-AASI Director of Education, Dave Schuiling, talk about the new adaptive alpine standards, approved in June 2022. These standards reveal the culmination of years of collaborative work from PSIA-AASI leaders, including members of the PSIA-AASI National Team, the Education Leadership Council, and regional leaders from across the country. On Thursday, Oct...

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Alpine Team member Brian Smith has been doing this summer. Read more about Brian's summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/1vqyuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Alpine Team member Brenna Kelleher has been doing this summer. Read more about Brenna’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/jnoyuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what AASI Snowboard Team Coach Eric Rolls has been doing this summer (hint: running the rivers.) Read more about Eric’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/mhcuuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Alpine Team member Zoe Mavis has been doing this summer (hint: river guiding.) Read more about Zoe’s summer adventures: http://tiny.cc/7icuuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Cross Country Team Coach Emily Lovett has been doing this summer (hint: cycling in Italy.) Stay active this summer with these outdoor and online education opportunities: http://tiny.cc/9owtuz

Catch up with PSIA-AASI National Team members as they share their summer adventures and how it keeps them on their game for winter. Here’s what PSIA Alpine Team member Kevin Jordan has been doing this summer (hint: mountain biking.) Learn about PSIA-AASI’s partnership with PMBIA: http://tiny.cc/PMBIA

First Chair catches up with PSIA Alpine Team Coach Michael Rogan, who is back staffing his favorite “summer job,” working as the Director of Operations in Portillo, Chile. Rogan missed traveling to South America for the past two winters in Chile due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. Here, he talks about good early snowfall at the resort, its attraction to the World Cup skiing community, and why ins...

First Chair catches up with former PSIA Alpine Team Coach Mike Porter who pays tribute to the mastery of Ron LeMaster. Ron served as an icon in the industry as an author, innovator, and consummate professional – whether on snow coaching athletes or shooting photos and videos of the best the sport of skiing produced. He was honored posthumously with PSIA-AASI’s Educational Excellence Award. Nominat...

First Chair catches up with Charlie Rockwell, who was recently honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award. This award recognizes exceptional members who developed projects affecting the association on a national level while demonstrating devotion and self-sacrifice serving in their role. Charlie designed and implemented programs, projects, and procedures affecting the association on a national le...

First Chair catches up with Katherine Hayes Rodriguez, who was recently honored with the Distinguished Service Award. This award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to support the success of PSIA-AASI and its members. Katherine’s long-term commitment and dedication to adaptive snowsports has provided educational programing and support to national initiatives. Since servi...

First Chair catches up with Horst Abraham and PSIA Alpine Team member, Josh Fogg, about OPTIMAL Leaning, (Optimizing Performance Through Intrinsic Motivation and Attention for Learning) theory of motor learning (Wulf & Lewthwaite, 2016). This is a theory that explains the well-established effects of motivational (enhanced expectancies, autonomy support) and attentional (external focus) factors on...

First Chair catches up with Stevie Lund, who in 2019 received the Angus Graham Rising Star Award, an award that recognizes standout members who show promise charting a career path within the snowsport industry. Stevie demonstrates positive leadership behavior within the industry, serves as a volunteer leader, and distinguishes herself in an exemplary fashion. Congrats, Stevie! Watch the 2022 PSIA-...

First Chair catches up with Dylan Ault, who in 2021 received the Angus Graham Rising Star Award, an award that recognizes standout members who show promise in charting a career path within the snowsport industry. Dylan demonstrates positive leadership behavior within his ski and ride school, serves as a volunteer leader, and distinguishes himself in an exemplary fashion. Congrats, Dylan!

First Chair catches up with Jani Sutherland, who was recently recognized with the Lifetime Achievement Award, which recognizes exceptional members who developed and implemented programs, projects, and procedures affecting the association on a national level while demonstrating dedication, devotion, and self-sacrifice serving in their role. Jani exhibited dedication while designing and implementing...

First Chair caught up with AASI Snowboard Team member, Chris Rogers this month about his experience in his pursuit of his Level II alpine certification this season. Listen to Chris share his story and why learning more about another discipline, other than his primary discipline, has helped his growth as an instructor.