James Crompton (Thredbo, NSW)
Highest level of certification and year attained
Level 4 2010
Current Australian Resort
Thredbo
Current Overseas Resort
Morzine, France
Hometown
Jindabyne
At what age did you start skiing/snowboarding?
8
At what age did you start instructing?
23
Why did you apply for the APSI National Team?
Training, development and instructor education has always been my passion - there's always a next level, a next goal. There is no finish line! I applied to the APSI National Team to contribute to the ongoing development of the association and its international standing, and to continue my own professional development which in turn elevates the performance of the pro's I get to work and train with in Australia.
The application and selection process, and my time on the team for the previous term, pushed me to new places and really got the best from me in areas I've tended to lack in confidence - notably in public speaking and presenting to large groups. The things learned and gained from attending Interski in 2023 made differences to my course delivery with ASPI and processes within my school.
What area of the APSI are you most interested in developing?
At a high level, the ASPI has taken steps to clearly define its mission and values over the last few years. As part of the National Team, I'm most interested in developing more specifics and clarity in how our association defines its teaching and technical philosophies. The Team made some great progress in this area during its last term, but it's still unfinished business.
Once that piece of work is complete, that concept of clear definitions can extend further throughout our teaching and technical content. Some conversations around where, when and how much we move in certain ways in a turn have the potential to really add value to instructor training and resources - and that's just from the first training camp!
Following the work that the Team and others have done with the new Alpine Manual in digital form, it's exciting that changes can be make quickly in future, in response to the team's ongoing work.
What do you hope to learn during your time on the APSI National team?
During this term on the ASPI National Team, I'm excited to continue to try new things, to have frank and open conversations with team mates and members on the mountain, and to explore.
People are at the centre of what we do, and two standout pieces of work from Interski 2023 were the USA's presentations on training and assessing people skill, and the APSI's presentation on its new customer service model: CARE. I'm eager to learn more about what other associations are doing in this space.
I feel very fortunate to be able to work with so many team-mates from the crew who went to Levi in 2023, and have a full four more years with them to build on what we achieved together in short space of time prior to that event.
Anything else you'd like to share with members?
It's an honour and a privilege to be selected to this Team. I feel like we're making great gains for the association through our training camps and ongoing work, and the Team brought a huge amount of information back from the workshops and presentations attended at Interski 2023. I'm really interested to hear what our members would like more of from their Team for this next term, so let me know!
Sponsors
Rossignol
