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CSIA Snow Park Certification

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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
Hey, I just registered for the CSIA park course (gonna be taking it in December).
For those who've already taken it: What was it like? was it fun/easy/difficult? Just wondering what you guys have to say about the course.


Oct 19 2012 4:44PM
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saxon
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 551
where are you taking it? the head coach at my hill has taught it before, its a good course from what i hear; focus is on progressions and safety i believe.
Oct 19 2012 5:07PM
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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
I'm taking it at fortune december 27-29, not sure how much of a park they'll have set up by then
Oct 19 2012 5:16PM
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saxon
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 551
haha no way that`s where i coach. for the purpose of the course i think you`ll only need a small jump and a box­/rail. im not 100% sure tho, as i have CFSA, and our intro course is a little different than the CSIA
Oct 19 2012 5:21PM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11989 - Karma: 12,264
threads because i want to do this one day.
Oct 19 2012 5:49PM
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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
There's some information here on the CSIA website:
http://www.snowpro.com/en/programs/certifications
Oct 19 2012 6:07PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
I helped write the first version of that course.

Fucking stoked man. The goal was to create something so that people could make a few bucks teaching this stuff, and we could get a new generation of jibbers a proper base technique.

Is the 'zero g spot' still in there? Its a really good coaching point, but that was my little 'signature' that I tried to leave on the course.

Oct 19 2012 9:10PM
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TripleBlack
Posts: 87 - Karma: 73
Yeah the online workshop still mentions "zero g" for pipe riding
Oct 19 2012 10:30PM
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Age
Posts: 591 - Karma: 179
I found the CFSA course much better than the CSIA course.The CFSA course had much more logical progressions and the technique tuaght to students is a lot better.
Oct 19 2012 10:33PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
I'm so happy.

It is a really important point though, because that is the crux of people not understanding pipe. You need to get that its about that arc where you go up, vs only going down. Too many total n00bz in the pipe try to simply do turns int he bottom. NEver get up the wall.

I did name it the 'zero G spot' as a slight troll though. My goal was always to make sure that the course kept some of the rebellious nature of the way the sport was supposed to be.

When I taught that shit our classes were fun as fuck. I demanded that we party minimum one night during it. I even one time missed one of the really important classes because I went way too deep with a bunch of 50 year old level 4 instructors at a club in tremblant.
Oct 19 2012 10:34PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
Came from exactly the same course. The first pass at it (which was in like 2001) was a joint effort between both CSIA and CFSA. I'd bet anything that the CFSA has refined it a bunch, whereas the CSIA may have not.

I stopped doing that after I got my job at NS (2004) so I'm not positive where its gone since.

Oct 19 2012 10:35PM
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Age
Posts: 591 - Karma: 179

I did them both in the same season (2010) and they were pretty different. Not to say the CSIA course was shit; it still served the purpose of educating instructors on how to take students through the park and give some basic tips, however, the CFSA course had a greater depth to it that the CSIA course did not. 

Oct 19 2012 10:47PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
CFSA has probably added to it a lot. THe original course was SUPER basic, and only aimed at kids ages 6-12. Though these days there's tonnes of 9 year old rippers, back then it was a much simpler time.
Oct 19 2012 10:56PM
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Age
Posts: 591 - Karma: 179

Times have definitely changed. The kids I coached last season were 9-12 year olds and hucking their shit like noones business- 7s, a handful of 10s, some switch 5s, hitting all the rails in the park, even throwing down k-feds etc. Luckily I could grab (most) of my spins so I could still beat their pencil 7s!

Back on topic though, the CFSA set up is multiple levels now, whereas the CSIA is still just the one. I think this might be a push to get more kids in from an earlier age by having more freestyle oriented teachers out there?

Oct 19 2012 11:05PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
Well the idea back then was to give a place for people who didn't want to race, do normal lessons or classic freestyle somewhere to go. Solid base skills and on your way.

The CSIA is much more prevalent at lots of resorts. So the big advantage there, is if some parents are dropping off their 6-year old kid for ski lessons (which they consider day care) - the kid can actually go into something cool.

That was the big reason I got involved at the start. I wanted to make sure that kids (like me) weren't forced to go into racing just because their parents wanted them to take lessons. At least this way, at every resort in Canada there just might be a freestyle option to take.
Oct 19 2012 11:13PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10634 - Karma: 7,490
how good do you have to be? i can do backflips and switch 540's easily. im gonna get my psia level 1 this year btw.
Oct 19 2012 11:19PM
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Age
Posts: 591 - Karma: 179
Not sure about PSIA but the CFSA you really only need to be able to spin a 1, 3, switch 1, hit a rail, hit the pipe and also teach those tricks
Oct 19 2012 11:35PM
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saxon
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 551
yeah it's not so much how good you are, but how well you can coach someone through those tricks. More important than you being able to spin a 3, is can you watch someone do a 3, and recognize what needs to change to improve it, then work them through it.
Oct 19 2012 11:39PM
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Download-My-Apps
Posts: 5069 - Karma: 1,017
totally agree. The CSIA course was ok, but like I feel like the progress wasn't as good. It also has to do with who is conducting it, and I was impressed with mine.
Oct 20 2012 12:09PM
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Mr.Bishop
Posts: 22708 - Karma: 76,635
That was a HUGE issue in the very beginning. I wasn't even qualified to be a course conducter, becuase I only had my Level 2. However, they needed someone who actually knew something about park.

You had to be a level 3 or 4 to qualify to teach the teachers... and insanely few people had that qualification plus could ski park to save their lives.

If you get a good coach, good group it can actually be an amazing course. You really don't have to be very good as others said, the skill set of level 1 is super duper basic. You're essentially just getting trained to teach people how to slide a tiny rail, go back and forth in the pipe, and hit a small jump properly. Tricks are grabs and a 180, though 3 is optional.

Super duper intro. 'least that was how things were back then.
Oct 20 2012 1:01PM
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Backyard.Skier
Posts: 5397 - Karma: 1,497
i took it for shits and giggles and all you had to do was land a 3 and you passed.

i also have my level 3 instructors so i dont really plan on teaching park lessons cause i get paid more to teach adult classes and they tip like mother fuckers.
Oct 20 2012 1:05PM
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Legoman
Posts: 533 - Karma: 13
I did it and used it the following season, its kinda just what you need to teach the kids in a structured way who either have no skills or limited skills in the park.

Was fairly fun, if your good at park its going to bore you a bit but as a teaching tool it was allrite.
Oct 20 2012 3:54PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13106 - Karma: 18,906

Relevent thread:

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/615120/

Its the story of my park and pipe certification. I hope yours goes better.

Oct 22 2012 2:09AM
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QuazBotch
Posts: 3909 - Karma: 223
I went to the Tremblant CSIA Convention around 2003 and took a 3 hour intro-session-thing to your course. The guy conducting it mentioned being trained by someone with "rail-shaped dents in the bases of his skis from riding rails so much". He confirmed some other detail (I forget if it was blue hair or mad_trix) and I was 100% sure it was you.
Oct 22 2012 3:03AM
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saxon
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 551
Shit man that is brutal !

How did it end up ?
Oct 22 2012 9:35AM
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,184
I really did like when I tool the course and you had us sliding an aluminum rail way back in the day at Blue Mtn.

That was back when Park & Pipe was a full certification all on its own. Now it's just a "module" and I believe I am registered with CSIA as a "level 0" instructor. I did the CFSA Club Coach certification last year and it's definitely a little more refined and geared towards progression and "guided discovery"
Oct 22 2012 10:53AM
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10888 - Karma: 2,184
here's an article i did for NS way back in the day about the CSIA course:

https://newschoolers.com/readnews/575.0/CSIA-Steps-up-for-Freeskiers
Oct 22 2012 10:55AM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13106 - Karma: 18,906

Well, I did send a complaint letter, but they never answered me. I wanted to renonce my membership, but my passion for teaching and coaching never fadded. They also send me an email to say if I dont renew, they will surcharge me the next time I apply for membership.

Now I work with ski instructors (lv1 and 2) freeriding skills. I give free clinics in every aspect of skiing; everything from moguls, short radius turns, powder, park and ''bare spotted'' ungroomed terrain. This year, I got an invitation to start a freeride movement in Nova Scotia. Im so stocked! I moved to Nelson BC and I just cant wait to ride some REAL snow!

Oct 22 2012 1:52PM
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freestyler540
Posts: 13106 - Karma: 18,906

Well, I did send a complaint letter, but they never answered me. I wanted to renonce my membership, but my passion for teaching and coaching never fadded. They also send me an email to say if I dont renew, they will surcharge me the next time I apply for membership.

Now I work with ski instructors (lv1 and 2) freeriding skills. I give free clinics in every aspect of skiing; everything from moguls, short radius turns, powder, park and ''bare spotted'' ungroomed terrain. This year, I got an invitation to start a freeride movement in Nova Scotia. Im so stocked! I moved to Nelson BC and I just cant wait to ride some REAL snow!

Oct 22 2012 1:52PM
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