To all DCSkiers:
Vince, JimK's son, just passed the on-snow portion of the Level 3 PSIA exam, the highest level ski instructor in the USA!!! This is an incredible accomplishment. Of the 12 candidates tested this weekend at Hunter Mt NY, Vince was the only one to pass the two day exam! Vince posted a Thank You note on EPIC Ski to all the well wishers offering congratulations.
And Congrats to JimK and wife who have carried Vince all over the US as he pursued his goal. JimK is a legend on DCSki, arranging joint DCSki - Epic Ski gatherings for a number of years and a DCSki-Epic Ski columnist of considerable note.
Jim and Vince, we all want to hear the details.
The Colonel
Congratulations Vince. That is a very significant accomplishment.
Congragulations Vince! That is great news to hear.
Thanks everyone!
The way the Level 3 (and Level 2 for that matter) work is there is a skiing and a teaching portion of the process. You have to pass the skiing first in order to take the teaching. I passed the skiing portion of the certification this past week, but I have to work hard on the teaching part of it which I will take next season. So if anyone wants a lesson let me know, because I need all the teaching time I can get!
Here are some of the details of the exam that I posted on epic:
I actually had a group of young (by PSIA demographics) and good skiers. Four of the Five in my group were in their 20's and the oldest guy was in his young 30's, while the other larger group of 7 had all the older guys. Even though I was the only one to pass all three performance areas, one other guy was super close (passing 2 of 3) and the other three guys were close as well (passing 1 of 3), so we had a group of really good skiers. To no surprise, I believe everyone in my group passed the Agility/Versatility section (which is the section they make you do hop turns and stuff that is really hard if you have replacement knees and hips). I don't think anyone in the other group passed any performance areas.
There was quite a range of conditions at Hunter for the two days of the exam. The first day (in the morning) felt like a normal day in February on the groomers, but the nastiest gnarled mogules off piste. Then in the after noon they had to shut down the high speed quad that took you to the top due to 90 mph winds, so for the segment in the afternoon we had like 400 vertical feet of skiing with a slow chairlift ride up. That afternoon was by far the hardest part the exam because the exam was done shotgun style. You get like 150 vertical feet to do something and then the next 150 vertical feet you have to do something completely different, if you made a single error there was no time or distance to get it together and do well (now I know how it feels to take a Level III exam in the Central division). Then the second day was sunny, but the snow was crusy and broken up. I actually felt most confident on the second day.
-Vince
Congrats Vince.
Some (most) of us are old, but we all don't have replacement knees and hips!
Congrats, Vince. I wish I was young again or could take 30 years off my back and knees and I'd be right with you. Work hard on the teaching exam. I understand that they have ratcheted it up a notch. I passed 3 of 3 in skiing two years ago for level II but only 2 of 3 for teaching so i will complete the level II process next season. Maybe we can hook up next season and you can do a lesson for me and a few others like Jimmy and JohnL on some level 9 terrain. Good luck with you future exam.
hey vince, can you teach a fat old slow ugly uncoordinated guy to be a hotshot like you ? just askin...
pagamony wrote:
hey vince, can you teach a fat old slow ugly uncoordinated guy to be a hotshot like you ? just askin...
If you donate a colorfull ski outfit, he may comp you some lessons. ;)
hey vince, can you teach a fat old slow ugly uncoordinated guy to be a hotshot like you ? just askin”¦
JohnL. will you quit talking about me like that!!!
Yea Vince!! Now I have no excuse not to take more lessons next year!
Congratulations to you -- and your whole family -- Vince! Do you know yet where you'll be teaching next season?
Woody
bousquet19 wrote:
Congratulations to you -- and your whole family -- Vince! Do you know yet where you'll be teaching next season?
Woody
Not set in concrete, but I think he's likely to return to Liberty. Vince put in a lot of hours there this winter and got some great training that certainly contributed to his L3 exam success.
