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AASI Update End of Season Review

By Brian Donovan PSIA-AASI Snowboard National Team Member, AASI-E Examiner, AASI-E Coordinator

Greetings AASI East Community! I’m going to be honest: I hate this time of year more than any other season. It signifies snowboarding season coming to an end, rain and mud replacing fresh snow storms, and not getting to see all my winter friends for a bunch of months. And while this winter never really seemed to be able to make up its mind between warm temperatures, rain, or powder storms for many of us, winter will always remain my favorite season because of the opportunity to teach snowboarding and sliding on snow. As summer looms, I want to reflect on some highlights from this past season and give you some things to focus on as we make the seasonal transition.

• Did you hear that we have two new AASI Eastern Region Education Staff members? At the Development Team tryout at Killington in March, all candidates put themselves through a tough process that included off-snow activities, homework assignments, on-snow riding, and teaching assessments. All candidates represented themselves exceptionally well, and two candidates rose to the top of the pack. We’re excited to announce Clayton Ayers from Blue Mountain, PA and Tobin Twelves from Mount Snow, VT, new AASI-E Education Staff members as part of the Development Team! The next time you see either of these individuals, make sure to high-five and congratulate them.

• Speaking of excitement, it was one of the busiest years for certification assessments all over the Eastern Region. We hosted 50 Level 1 Certification Assessment groups, 4 Level 2 Assessments, and for the first time in 20 years we were able to host 2 separate Level 3 Assessments this winter. Many instructors earned new levels of certification this year. Be sure to celebrate this huge accomplishment, and wear your pins proudly! The best thing that can happen is for a resort guest to ask you what your pin stands for and give you the opportunity to explain all the hard work and energy you’ve put in to meet the AASI National Certification Standards and provide them with a better lesson experience.

progression, a breakthrough you had in your riding, an AASI event or training session at your home mountain that helped something click for you, or simply some other highlight that might be lost forever if you don’t write it down and revisit it heading into next winter). I do this every year, and highly recommend it! It helps me launch into each winter season without all the mental and physical rust holding me back.

• Stay active this summer! Don’t become a couch potato. Get outside, enjoy the long days and sunshine, and be active so that you’ll be in shape and healthy when next winter arrives.

• Try out new sports and hobbies. Nothing reconnects us with what a beginner feels like better than putting ourselves in situations where we learn new things. The AASI community is full of people that are experts in things other than snowboarding. Connect with a fellow pro and explore a new sport or hobby with them.

• Explore E-Learning opportunities available on thesnowpros.org (another good reason to pay your dues on time!). I challenge you to participate in a few of the free or paid E-Learning opportunities available to you through our national website. They are offered in both live sessions and recorded video sessions, so check them out!

• Make sure to pay your PSIA-AASI dues on time! If you are enrolled in the quarterly auto-pay option for your dues, nice job and feel free to ignore this reminder. But if you pay your dues annually like me, make sure to pay them before the June 30th deadline. Every year, I talk to dozens of AASI members that miss the deadline and end up paying late fees. Don’t waste your hard-earned money paying late fees. Pay your dues on time so that you’re all set for next season and beyond!

• Record your highlights from the season you just had. Whether electronically or the old-fashioned way, write down your highlights from this past season (your favorite lessons and why, a cool new

• Stay connected and engaged. We’re in the process of creating some opportunities for the AASI East community to stay engaged with each other this summer. We’re looking into some opportunities to create AASI East community gettogethers riding mountain bikes, skateboarding, golfing, surfing on a FlowRider, or possibly making some turns and doing some park laps together at Big Snow this summer. Keep your eyes peeled for posts in the AASI East Facebook group or some emails from the Eastern Region office as details and dates get finalized. We’re always seeking some new venues and locations to create summer meetups, so get a hold of me and let me know if you have a great idea or location in mind. Lastly, I simply want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for teaching snowboarding. Thank you for being part of the PSIA-AASI organization and community! Thank you for spending time sharing your passion for snowboarding with all your students! Thank you for another great year together. And thank you for continuing to push yourself to improve! You are why I love this organization. Have a great summer and I’ll see you soon! <<