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TIM STUART People of APSI |
Certification/s and year achieved.
What was training with the APSI like when you achieved your certification and how would you compare it to current times?
Snowboarding was new and had a very small cohort. Techniques and teaching pedagogy were developing and changing each season. New technology in equipment coupled with dedicated trainers in a developing discipline generated huge advances every year. Compared to current times, the number in the cohort has grown exponentially over the years, as has the number of trainers. There is now a greater diversity of disciplines within Snowboarding that requires a versatile instructor to achieve higher levels of certification. When I started, we turned left and right. The Level 2 was introduced, and we upped the performance of turning left and right, we turned left and right riding switch. To gain Level 4 certification today, a candidate has to be proficient across more aspects of freeride, freestyle and race techniques.
Which Australian Snowsports School did/do you work with?
Thredbo 1994, 1999 to present.
Perisher 1995 - 1998.
Did/do you also teach in the Northern Hemisphere and where?
Whistler 1995
Vail 1996 - 2009
What position/s did/do you hold in the APSI (include year's held)?
2007 Interski, Korea
2007 Interski, Korea
Approximately how many members did/do the APSI have during your involvement?
When I started, I would guess around 200?
What made/makes you most proud of the APSI at that time?
As I stated previously, the Snowboard cohort was very small. We pushed each other to develop the parameters of our riding and everyone was under the microscope in regard to teaching and technique. This resulted in group of highly motivated and well trained professionals. We followed our ski brothers and sisters into the international arena and upheld the high esteem that the APSI had established through the hard work of the Skiers that had gone before us.
What important events happened during your time with the APSI?
With regard to your work with the APSI, what accomplishment/s are you most proud of? (share all that apply)
Being involved with developing a universally respected teaching progression and efficient riding technique.
How did the above accomplishment/s change the APSI moving forward?
We are constantly evolving and building on the work of those who have put in countless hours before us. I don't know if it changed the APSI but it advanced us as an organisation.
Describe how the APSI compared/s to international instructor organisations at that time?
We were small. We held each other to high standards as every member's actions on the international stage impacted our collective reputation. We were able to present a unified program where other organisations had numerous divisions with different ideas.
How did/do international organisations view the APSI? Was/is there much communication/sharing of information between organisations?
Most international organisations have a high opinion of themselves (which is key to maintaining standards), as an APSI Snowboarder, when we arrived on the international stage the general vibe was "Who are these guys?" After a few demos and some tech talk, the information exchange flowed freely.
During your time with the APSI, who were some influential/inspiring people within the organisation?
Mat Gilder, Selena Webber, Craig Mason, Trent Milton, Damian Ginonan, Brett Leask, Mandy Wood, Burto, Ben Wordsworth, Jason Clauscen, I'm still adding to the list and sorry to those I've left off.
Please share a funny or interesting APSI story from your time with the APSI.
Interski Korea 2007: Waiting for our flight, several team members names are called out over the P.A. to come to customer service. Other team members are sniggering, thinking we are getting bumped from the flight as we were informed that it was overbooked. We were upgraded to business class much to the dismay of the rest of the team down the back.
Same trip, we walk into the hotel room and there are no beds. I was thinking it was a joke in retribution for
the business upgrade. We start opening doors looking for beds only to find round pillows filled with rice and
folded blankets - two weeks of sleeping on the floor lie ahead.
Is there anything else that you think would be interesting to share about your time with the APSI?
I have been fortunate to see the APSI and in particular Snowboarding develop over 30 years. I look forward to seeing where we go in the future.