Dear CSIA Members,
Welcome to the new CSIA Communiqué, your official CSIA monthly newsletter! Follow us every month during the season to find out what is happening on the national and regional front. Also, don’t miss the Ski Tips and Wellness section, to help you stay in shape and focused this winter. Happy reading!
CSIA NATIONAL NEWS
CSIA PROGRAM REGISTRATION IS OFFICIALLY OPEN!
Members in good standing can now register for a CSIA Program for the 2023-2024 season. Please note that more sessions will be added in the next few weeks. Also, Course Conductor Training registration will open later; watch for the dedicated communication that will be sent when it will be available!
Membership renewal is always the first step! To be able to sign up for a CSIA Program, you must renew your 2023-2024 Membership. Note that you have until October 31, 2023, to participate in the early renewal promotions! Click here to renew your Membership.
GET READY FOR THE FALL EASTERN AND WESTERN PRO DAYS CAMPS!
Fall Pro Days Camps are back at Lake Louise and Tremblant this year! Kick-start your season in style with a mix of skiing, learning, and social activities!
Western Pro Days Camp
The Western Pro Days Camp is taking place at Lake Louise from November 29 to December 1st, 2023. Looking for lodging? Click here to book your discounted accommodations at Chateau Lake Louise. Please don’t delay, as this is a limited-time offer until November 3, 2023 (while supply last)!
Eastern Pro Days Camp
This year, the Eastern Pro Days Camp is a 2-day event taking place in Tremblant on December 7-8, 2023. Looking for lodging? Click here for Tremblant’s offer.
IPSOS SURVEY: UNDERSTANDING THE CSIA MEMBERS
Last spring, we conducted a survey, led by the Ipsos Marketing firm, to get to know you better as a Member and find out what keeps you engaged and active within the CSIA. The survey gathered feedback from 1,621 respondents across Canada (8.4 response rate).
Click here to see the summarized survey results!
THE 2023 INTERSKI REPORTS ARE IN!
The 2023 Interski Congress took place last March in Levi, Finland. Our CSIA Interski Team came back with loads of technical information and new ideas to share with you. Here are the reports prepared by MC Baron and Kyle Armstrong about their journey in Finland.
Click here to read Kyle Armstrong’s report.
Click here to read MC Baron’s report.
Stay tuned next month! Some more reports from the Team Members will be published.
INDUCTION INTO THE CANADIAN SKI HALL OF FAME
By the CSHFM Team
Exciting news for the Snow Pro community in Canada! Two of our Pioneers and Legends are to be inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
Everyone loves a hero, and each generation has its own. The Mackenzie Investments Canadian Ski Hall of Fame & Museum is pleased to announce two coaches, will be inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame.
Conrad Guay – Coach: Alpine (inducted posthumously)
Initially as the Ski School Director at Manoir Pinoteau in the early 1970s and then at Mont Tremblant from 1973-1989, Conrad transitioned to coaching ski racing, where he had a profound impact on the development of high-level ski racers.
Joey Lavigne – Coach: Alpine
Known as a caring, committed, and dedicated ski racing coach, Joey Lavigne made significant impacts at all levels of the sport in Ontario and Alberta, as well as within national team programs over a long career that positively impacted hundreds of ski racers.
The Mackenzie Investments Canadian Ski Hall of Fame will welcome the full Class of 2023 at an induction event which will be held in Montreal on November 17, 2023. Please join us for this memorable gala evening to celebrate all ten individuals who have reached the pinnacle of success and have greatly contributed to the advancement of snow sports in Canada.
Click here to learn more about the induction event and the CSHFM.
CSIA REGIONAL NEWS
WHAT’S NEW IN ATLANTIC?
Hello Ski Instructors of the Atlantic Region! Masters of the Gravitational Art of Skiing! Leaders of knowledge in the field of Sliding!
Another winter is coming over the mountains and our kind will meet it with open arms, waxed and sharpened skis, and a good athletic stance.
It has been said that dancing is the ultimate form of human emotion through body movement. To those people, we say “You haven’t seen Nick Pratt ski”. You can see and ski with Nick along with other Atlantic Members at our yearly Members’ Convention being held December 9 to 11, 2023.
For two decades Members have been meeting in Québec to start their season off with coaching that will help guide them into the season. Whatever your level, this is the best way to start your season off right! Get yourself ready for that next instructor level with small group training or go for general ski improvement to refresh your brain’s memory and your muscle memory about why ski boots hurt so much on the first day while remembering how to ski.
The Annual General Meeting will be held on the night of December 9th. Come and play a part in making the Atlantic the best region for Ski Instructors. Last season the Atlantic Board paid approximately $8000 in scholarships back to Members. We also began a welcoming process to all 84 new Level 1 Instructors in the Atlantic by sending out a welcome letter and a CSIA Atlantic T-shirt! Word on the slopes is the T-shirts are so hot that you can feel yourself becoming a better Instructor just by wearing one.
The Atlantic Hall of Fame was also announced last year. Click here to find out how to nominate your best and most honored candidate. Deadline is November 17, 2023. We are planning an Atlantic Ski Instructors Website that will have all this information ready for you soon.
There are openings on the Atlantic Board! More information on positions opening, nominating, and voting will be sent out soon. If you or an Instructor you know would like to help contribute to the magnificence of the Atlantic Region, now is the time. We are looking for those who can volunteer some of their time to help organize and run Atlantic Events and Programs. Board meetings are online once a month with other committee meetings and work as needed.
Some other events we are planning for you within the region, are a mid-season Skills Camp and Spring Fling! The goal will be to bring together Members to train outside of their usual Snow School training group. We are also looking for new benefits that can support you, our Membership!
WHAT’S NEW IN QUÉBEC?
The CSIA Quebec Committee is gearing up for an exciting start to the season!
We’re kicking off the season with a brand-new activity: an afternoon of skiing on a private trail at Sommet Saint-Sauveur, Versant Avila! Join Members of the CSIA Quebec Committee for an afternoon of skiing on a trail specially reserved for CSIA Members on Friday, November 17. After stretching your legs and meeting your colleagues, you’re all invited to a welcome cocktail followed by the CSIA Quebec Annual General Meeting, to be held on-site at the end of the day.
Stay tuned, as we’ll soon be announcing the 2023-2024 season activities we’ve concocted for you, dear Quebec Members: the “Playing on Snow” instructor training program offered free of charge in collaboration with your Snow School, contests and so much more!
Follow us on Facebook and keep an eye on your email!
WHAT’S NEW IN BC?
Greetings from the BC Region,
We hope everyone had an amazing summer with many great adventures biking, hiking, camping, canoeing, kayaking, SUPing, windsurfing, foiling and just chillin’ on the dock enjoying the summertime breeze. But as the north wind starts to blow and the leaves start to change, it’s time to start thinking about winter. The BC/Yukon Region is busy preparing for the upcoming season and can’t wait to be back on the slopes. Here’s a few of the things we are working on. Be sure to consult our website, for the latest information.
- Get Ready for Winter – A video series with dryland training tips to help you prepare for the upcoming season. Click here to view!
- Scholarships and Bursaries – We are continuing to support professional development and ongoing education through our Scholarships and Bursaries. More information about how to apply is on the website.
- Regional Events – Ignition Days, Northern Festival, City Lights, Spring Fling are all returning this winter and some new events are also being planned. Dates and locations are being confirmed and will be updated on the website soon!
- Follow us on social media @csiabc for more info about some great contests that are coming soon!
Looking forward to the snow falling and we’ll see you on the slopes soon!
SKI TIPS AND WELLNESS
OPTIMIZE YOUR MOBILITY FOR GREATER FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT WHEN SKIING
By Frédérik Lépine / Level 4 CSIA, Level 4 Course Conductor, Kinesiologist
Every skier could benefit from integrating ski-specific mobility exercises into their routine. These movements are accessible to all and can be incorporated into the warm-up of a training session. Mobility exercises must be performed consciously and with precision, and they will eventually improve motor control for optimum performance on snow.
What is the purpose of these exercises? Firstly, to awaken proprioception in the nervous system, and secondly, to create space to enhance the fluidity of movement in the muscles and joints. Movements are repeated slowly, and ranges of movement are gradually increased. Overall, the aim is to develop controlled movements with maximum range.
The four exercises provided focus on dissociating the upper and lower body. They all emphasize the position of the pelvis and the ability to turn the legs at the hips to perform precise turns.
Pelvis anteversion and retroversion
This is a well-known exercise. Here, the difference is that it isolates only the pelvic tilt, without involving the upper back at the thoracic level. This component brings greater awareness without compensating. (2 x 8 repetitions)
Extended leg rotations
Get on all fours and make sure your spine is neutral and aligned. Then, perform internal and external rotations of the extended leg. This is an excellent exercise to target the muscles that enable rotation, while controlling and stabilizing the pelvis without losing alignment. (2 x 10 repetitions on each side)
Bent leg rotations
This exercise is perfectly suited to downhill skiing. It is performed on a balanced leg. It has the potential to help achieve good pressure on the outside ski through better perception of the pressure points under the foot. In addition, the pelvis remains still while the bent leg is rotated at the hip. The knee is directed to the knee, and then the heel to the knee. (2 x 5 repetitions on each side)
Airplane
This challenge requires a high level of concentration to keep balance. You need to keep your gaze on a fixed point and control the pressure points under your foot. The goal is to rotate the pelvis around the extended leg, like an airplane. You’ll feel a significant engagement of the glutes. (2 x 3 repetitions on each side)
These four exercises are designed to develop versatility of movement. Some promote the rotating action of the femur in the pelvis, while others involve the pelvis rotating around the femur. Finally, integrating these movements into your training will reinforce the pressure points of the outside foot, a greater ability to turn the legs, and finally a better positioning of the of the pelvis for freedom of action when skiing on snow.
YOGA FOR SKIER’S BEST PRACTICES
By Christine Davidson / CSIA L4, L3 CC, ACA DL Trained, Yoga Alliance 500 hr. Hatha Teacher
“Exercises are like prose, whereas yoga is the poetry of movements. Once you understand the grammar of yoga; you can write your poetry of movements.”
~ Amit Ray
Yoga tailored for skiers should sync with the season, promoting physical, mental, and emotional balance while addressing individual needs. Skiers are inherently seasonal; their regimen pivots as snow comes and goes. Thus, the chosen yoga style should resonate with the skier’s physical and mental needs during that time.
Skiing demands a lot of the lower joints, notably the hips, knees, and ankles. While one might think that high-intensity yoga could enhance skiing strength, it could inadvertently sap energy and destabilize the body.
Just as there are numerous skiing disciplines, yoga too has multiple forms, each emphasizing different facets. The key for skiers lies in matching the yoga style to the needs of the season and personalizing the practice to the practitioner.
For Skiers, high-intensity yoga practices like Ashtanga, Flow, Bikram, Hot, and Power Yoga, might not be the best fit. Likewise, yoga practices that entail long duration holds where the joints are pushed to their end range, like in Yin Yoga, can create hypermobility.
In my experience, the best yoga styles for skiers in the Fall, Spring, and Summer are alignment conscious yoga styles like Hatha and Iyengar. In the winter, the best yoga style is a true Restorative or Gentle Yoga practice, where the emphasis is on deep recovery and stress reduction.
Beware, a lot of yoga classes that are called Restorative are just Yin Yoga in disguise. A true Restorative Yoga class will involve a lot of props and the intensity will be very mild. The benefits will be in promoting tissue healing and nervous system rebalancing.
Yoga applied correctly will foster structural balance and stability. A measurable outcome is impeccable posture where every joint and muscle functions optimally. Here, customization becomes pivotal. For instance, if tight quadriceps are identified, the practice should incorporate postures to elongate them while strengthening their counterparts, the hamstrings.
Seek a Yoga Teacher who takes the time to get to know the needs of his or her students individually. A small student to teacher ratio is always best. If you are practicing at home on your own, I highly recommend scheduling a couple private sessions with a Yoga Teacher to learn about proper technique and get advice on how to customize the practice to help you achieve your goals. Nowadays, it is extremely easy, convenient, and cost effective to book a remote private yoga session.
Yoga’s magic lies in bolstering a skier’s attention to sensation, balancing body structure, and teaching the right balance of effort to surrender. By intertwining breath, movement, and focus, skiers can seamlessly transition from mastery on the mat to the mountain.