MIKE SODERGREN People of APSI

 

Mike Sodergren: The American Dynamo

Written by Brad Spalding

 

A graduate of English Literature originally from Seattle, Mike first came to Australia in 1977 to be a ski instructor at Falls Creek. Along with a cohort of fellow American ski instructors, Mike arrived at a pivotal moment in the development of the Australian ski industry, which had, until that time, been relying mainly on European (and a handful of Australian instructors) to meet the needs of the burgeoning Australian skiing community.

In his first season at Falls Creek, there wasn’t much snow, the weather was miserable, and with his partner Miriam, aka “Mim,” still in the U.S., Mike was initially homesick, especially when hearing Willie Nelson songs resound through the Frying Pan Inn. However, he had the kind of personality and character that was quick to build firm, lasting friendships. In addition, a passion for chasing winter kept him and his wife Mim returning to Australia season after season. His technical excellence in skiing, coupled with his educational background, made Mike a teaching dynamo, the likes of which Australian skiers had never seen before.

Mim and Mike, Falls Creek

Falls Creek Instructors circa 1992

Mo, John and Mike (American instructors), Falls Creek

 

If the Austrians taught us how to ski, it’s safe to say the Americans taught us how to teach. Mike had a very different style of teaching from the European method, and it resonated with Australian customers. Whereas the European method focused on guided discovery, Mike’s approach was customer-centred with an emphasis on having fun and building skills. He brought an incredible sense of humour, a unique way with words, and an empathy to his lessons, that had students queueing to take part. Students aspired to be in Mike’s ‘A Class’ – the highest level in Falls Creek’s Ski School. “Drills build skills” was Mike’s main teaching ethos, a philosophy that emphasized practice and repetition to improve technique. For any individual at any level of skiing, Mike would have a drill to help them progress to the next level. His hand’s on-approach took theory and made it practical – to the point where he’d get down on his hands and knees to show students how their skis responded to weight and pressure.

Mike's warm, engaging style was a sharp contrast to the abrasiveness of some instructors—abrasiveness that often went unchallenged by students who thought they were getting top tier instruction in the Austrian Method. One cold, miserable day at Falls, while Mike and other instructors were lapping the Village T-Bar teaching private lessons, he watched a colleague scream at his student, "Outside ski! Outside ski! I've told you a thousand times!" To Mike, it was the worst lesson he’d ever seen (and heard)—the student wasn’t improving one bit. So, imagine his surprise when the student, at the end of the lesson, thanked the instructor profusely with, “That was the best lesson I’ve ever had!” Turning to the other instructors nearby, Mike joked, “Maybe we’ve got it all wrong.” But the results of his kinder approach—and the adoration of his students—proved he hadn’t got it wrong at all.

Mike’s positive attitude extended from the lesson to the locker room. Even after an 8-hour day on the slopes, tired instructors would hear Mike joke that he couldn’t stop skiing. He’d zigzag into the locker room still turning his legs, repeating “I can’t stop turning. I can’t stop turning”. He certainly knew how to lighten the mood.

Mike, Vanessa Ripler (nee Schwartz), Klaus Ripler

 

Whether on the snow, in the locker room, or out socially, he exuded professionalism. However, he never let his professionalism get in the way of a good time. There was a situation with a senior colleague once reprimanding him: “You have to understand this is a ski resort and not a fun place.” Mike retorted, as only he could: “I’m glad you pointed that out… I didn’t realise that.” Another incident even led to his dismissal from a Californian resort, after Mike finished his last run with his ski pants down around his ankles. Was it worth the laugh? Mike would say, “Absolutely”.

Wherever Mike went, he made it a “fun place” and sought to bring out the best in the instructors he trained. After many years as the head of instructor training at Falls Creek, he moved to Thredbo with his wife Mim in 1994. That year, Mike was named Instructor of the Year – the first time the award was given to a newbie in the school. At Thredbo, Mike again ran the instructor training program, while Mim, who specialized in early childhood learning, helped develop the children’s program that is still in use at Thredboland today. However, where Mim really shone was in teaching women how to ski. She pioneered recognizing women’s distinct learning styles and physiology, applying her knowledge to create a unique program that developed women’s skills.

Mike at Friday Flat, Thredbo, 1994

Thredbo Ski School

 

Together, Mike and Mim were the full package – technically brilliant skiers and exceptional teachers who created a fun and inclusive environment around them. Throughout their careers, they gained extensive experience in Australia, the U.S., and at the prestigious Bundesportheim in Austria.

Mike was a Trainer and Examiner with the APSI 80s & 90s and operated courses and exams in Victoria and NSW. In those days the level 2 (associate) & 3 (fully certified) courses and exams were held in September and all training and accreditation was held together. There was a one-week course followed by the exams with 200 plus students - it was intense and uniting!

Mike and Mim were key in developing a uniquely Australian teaching method that utilized home-grown instructors catering to all levels and types of students. The women’s skiing program at Falls Creek is still called Mim's Women's Program in her honour. There is now also a complementary men’s program named in honour of Mike. Mike and Mim are also commemorated in their homeland, with Sodergren’s Run at the small resort of NorthStar in Lake Tahoe being named after them.

Mike skiing

 

On that fateful night of 30th July 1997, the infamous Thredbo road collapse took two bright, shining stars from the international skiing community.

If Mike was looking down on instructors teaching skiing now, he’d likely be thinking, “Why is he teaching that exercise with those customers on that terrain?” Possibly, he’d have a glass of Obstler in hand, his ski pants down around his ankles, and Mim smiling by his side.

Mike and Mim Sodergren

Monika Spalding and Mike, Mike's house in Tahoma, Lake Tahoe

(from left to right) Mike Sodergren, Monika Spalding (nee Landgger), Vanessa Ripler (nee Schwartz), student / name unknown, Klaus Ripler, Brad Spalding

 

In 1997 following the landslide, APSI established the Sodergren scholarships in memory of Mike and Mim. The Sodergren scholarship recognises the rising potential of snowsport instruction within our resorts and allows the recipients to further their professional development. The Sodergren scholarship is still offered today and more information can be found HERE.