DON MCINNES

People of APSI

 

Certification/s and year achieved.

  • 1978 ASIA NSW Associate Course -Thredbo
  • 1979 APSI Certified Course 1979 - Mt Buller
  • 1984/85 Staatliche Geprufter Schiliehrer - St Christoph Austria

 

What was training with the APSI like when you achieved your certification and how would you compare it to current times?

In the late 70’s and the very early 80’s the training and exams were vastly different from today.  The APSI organised the course/exams in Victoria only with John Whitehouse as President and Jorg Dutschke as course director. In NSW the ASIA Australian Ski Instructors Association with Nick Dean as President and course director was Franz Pichler ran the Associate level only.

If you wanted to become Fully Certified with the ISIA stamp, it was a trip to Victoria.

The courses/ exams were scheduled in mid to late September each year for 10 days, 7 days training, 3 days of exams. Otherwise, there was little to no structured training offered by the APSI or the schools other than an early morning “follow me” non-stop top to bottom bump run by one the (well-meaning) Austrian Instructors.

When I did my Full Cert in 1979, there was no teaching manual, not sure if any co-ordination took place but trainers were some of the best around such as Mike Porter USA, Alexi Saudan France, Paul Romagna Austria, Jorg Dutschke Germany/USA as Chief Examiner. On exams days Ski School Directors would join in. It was heavily focused on skiing ability. I was 19 at the time and thought oh well, that just must be the way it’s done at the ISIA level.

Once you got your Full Cert you were invited the following year as a Trainee/ Junior examiner, this was the beginning of what became a strong group of Aussie trainers working their way through the system.

The September course/exams were a great get together with an influx of instructors to one resort it was very social with lots of pre-exam celebrations. It was expensive in terms of course costs, travel, accommodation and meals, you really had to save up and way up if you were ready to pass or not.

 

Which Australian Snowsports School did/do you work with?

1979 to 1983 Thredbo Ski School.. I think there were 50 Instructors at the time 

1985 to 1992 I was employed by the ASAA as National Director of Instructor Training a fulltime winter role to co-ordinate the Instructor Training and Accreditation for all Australian Snowsport Schools

1993 to 2004 Director Perisher Blue Snowsport Schools

 

Did/do you also teach in the Northern Hemisphere and where?

1978/79  started teaching when I was 18 the 1st season teaching in Saalbach Austria after surviving a month long Landes Anwarter Schi-Lehrer course

1979/80  Ski Incline Lake Tahoe

1980- 83, 1985 /86 Vail on the exchange program with Thredbo/Vail

1983 /85 Worked and trained at the Bundesporteim St Christoph under Professor Hoppichler while preparing for the Staatliche exams, it was there I worked on drafting an Aussie teaching manual from all the stapled pages of various others.

 

What position/s did/do you hold in the APSI (include year's held)?

  • Trainee Examiner 1980
  • Junior Examiner 1981
  • Senior Examiner 1983
  • ASAA National Director of Instructor Training 1985 to 1992
  • Coach of APSI's first Demo Team for Interski, St Anton 1991

 

What made/makes you most proud of the APSI at that time?

We produced and a lot of highly sought after and highly skilled professional instructors.

What important events happened during your time with the APSI?

The actual chain of events is unclear, but the APSI had fallen out of favour with one particular resort owner, as a result the APSI had lost the support of the ASAA for a period.

The Ski Industry was going through a period of growth and the resort schools needed better trained Instructors to meet the increasing needs.

The NSW and VIC education systems were changing from 3 to a 4 term year and the mass exodus of Instructors in Sept for a course/exam needed to change.

I think it was in 1983 the ASAA set up the Ski Instructors Division and George Pirmoser the Falls Creek School Director ran the first courses in July and Sept and exams in both NSW and Vic.

In 1985 the ASAA funded a full-time employee (me) to coordinate a National Training Program ensuring the training was being conducted at a high standard across all Australian schools

We created a new national approach to training and accreditation system. The School’s provided fee free “in house” courses as well as mandatory training hours with their inhouse trainers prior to the exams.

The ASAA also funded the 1st Australian Teaching Method Manual. None existed at the time

The ASAA fully funded the 1st APSI Interski Team for the Congress in St Anton Austria 1990/91

Around 1990/91 the ASAA and APSI were able to improve relationships. The APSI started to employ the trainers and run courses again.

 

1st Australian Teaching Method Manual (ASAA funded)

 

With regard to your work with the APSI, what accomplishment/s are you most proud of? (share all that apply)

  • Developing  a national system of training and accreditation.
  • Producing a strong group of talented Australian trainers and examiners with less reliance on European trainers
  • Scribing the 1st Australian Teaching Manual with Paul Bow
  • Coaching the 1st APSI Demonstration Team  

 

How did the above accomplishment/s change the APSI moving forward?

Within a relative short period, the APSI with support of the ASAA was set up for success.

 

Describe how the APSI compared/s to international instructor organisations at that time?

We produced and a lot of highly sought after and skilled professional instructors which punched above their weight.


How did/do international organisations view the APSI? Was/is there much communication/sharing of information between organisations?

In the 80’s, the information sharing mostly occurred via instructor exchange programs, we would often have trainers from other organisations working here and some would become part of trainer pool. It wasn’t until an APSI delegation of observers went to 87’ Interski in Banff and followed up with a full demonstration team in 91’ St Anton did it really change.

 

During your time with the APSI, who were some influential/inspiring people within the organisation?

There are so many people that shaped the APSI during my 30 years involvement, the early days Nick Dean, John Whitehouse, Billy Foster, Bruce Hawkins, Peter Reynolds Paul Bow. Resort managers Colin Rae, Colin Hackworth.

The early Examiners George Pirmoser, Franz Pichler, George Perry, Paul Romagna, Jorg Dutschke that inspired us. Brad Spalding who saw it all from the beginning with me and a special acknowledgement to Kerry Dodd her dedicated resilience in taking the organisation to another level.

 

August 1990