A good all rounder for the Australian conditions

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nordica 2011 Models

The skis and boots you need to teach skiing vary tremendously for all sorts of different reasons, individuals should consider the following factors;

1. •Age
   

2. •Sex
   

3. •Weight
   

4. •Height
   

5. •Ability
   

6. •The ski area you will work in... due to the snow conditions
   

7. •The level and age of skiers you will teach
   

8. •the level you teach and can you free ski on this
   

9. •The level at which you free ski at and can you teach on this
   

10. •The Association (APSI, BASI, CSIA) you will do your teaching exams in
    

11. •Will you be examined on this ski or is this your race or free ski
    

12. •Can you afford to buy two pairs
    

13. •Will you be traveling with all this equipment
    

LET THE PROS HELP

Selecting equipment for individuals should really be done by the pros in the shop and certainly your trainers have had a good idea of what you will need especially if they themselves have worked in the equipment side of things.

There is certainly a image thing going on,  where low end instructors feel they need to be in the same race department  top of the line, macho, stiff as, godzilla boots as their trainers. Maybe if you are doing your speed test in europe but if you are in whistler on the bunny hills it will be pretty counter productive.

Ask yourself

1. •Realistically can I flex this boot?
   

2. •Will I be able to demonstrate low speed skiing demos in it?
   

3. •Is this ski what I need for my job or is this simply a penis extension?
   

4. •Is this going to be comfortable enough to do a whole season in without getting frostbite or gangrene of the sixth toe?
   

Certainly, the right equipment will help you develop your skiing where as the wrong stuff will actually impede your progress. The good news is that if you find a good accountant you should be able to get a decent tax rebate on the stuff.

The ski boot is tough because everybody's foot is so different. The right fit can only be attained by visiting a good boot fitter, who probably skis better than you do.. so be honest and humble and shop around.

The best boot is the boot that fits, But hey, I definitely prefer to teach skiing in a boot with a good stance, low ramp angle and not to much forward lean because I don’t go around gates in a snow plough.  My favourite comes from the Nordica range. Nordica Jah love.

The bigger you are and the faster you go the stiffer the kit you will need. But if you are a thin legged light weight who poodles around don’t go over board. If you block your ankle flex with a boot that is too stiff you will not flex properly and therefore find it more difficult to stay in balance.

A guide for boots for your average Joe or Jane.

Men’s ski boot flex

Level 1    100 flex  

Level 2    100-120

Level 3    110-130

Women's ski boot flex

Level 1    65-80 flex 

Level 2    80-90

Level 3   100-120

Teaching skis are always controversial. For the Australian winter a good all mountain ski about 70mm wide with a sidecut radius around 14 metres (17m-12m) in the appropriate length will help you do everything pretty well. And for women that radius will probably be good around 12 metres. The APSI makes no restrictions on the type of equipment you are on but they do recommend that you should be able to flex it, it should in good repair and that you can teach on it.

For Australian conditions a  ski like the Nordica doberman spitfire works well on the hard snow but still performs well in the soft stuff. For somewhere like whistler or sun peaks the wider skis such as the Nordica Nitrous would work well for your everyday ski.

Certainly K2, Volkl, Atomic and the like make great gear, the dimensions are the key ‘cause nobody makes a really bad ski these days. A twin tip is not really great for the APSI level one free skiing and demos, but it certainly works well if you are teaching kids and spending your day skiing backwards.

If you are starting up in the industry you will need skis and boots that will help you develop you skiing skills; Stance, Rotary (Pivot), Edge, Pressure control, timing co-ordination, not hinder them. So be realistic about the amount of time you will be teaching v/s free skiing or drinking and then decide with the help of the Pros.

www.eliteskiinstructortraining.com