The Canadian Experience with Zak Lovell: Zak the Ski-Boarder

I'm going to have to change the prologue of my blog! - now that I'm becoming a ski AND a snowboard instructor.. A Ski-Boarder!

So far this week:

2 days from our 3 day course done! Yesterday after working for an hour in the morning the 4 ski-boarders hopped back onto skis to continue our course. Focused on personal ski improvement, what the perfect skier looks like so that we can assess and develop our students. These 2 points are the most challenging aspects of the course for us snowboarders. Teaching is a piece of cake thanks to our previous experience and training - it is our job after all! We just need to adapt to the new terminology, lesson structure and drills then Bob's your uncle.

To help us we received video analysis on our own riding. Going through the tape and spotting the kinks in our riding really improved my understanding of the perfect body positions and what I need to work on, thus aiding my analysis of others. We studied terrain assisted learning (using bumps and jumps to challenge balance and manoeuvrability) and tried the 'Moustache Trail.' A small series of berms, bumps and tight turns that snake through the glades and shrubbery adjacent the pommel lift. Kids LOVE it. They go fast, they love bumps and jumps so its a hit. Going through as an adult however is a little tricky! We aren't as manoeuvrable as the little ones... I sped into a tree and with a muffled cry; Ben lost a ski to a bush!But that wasn't the only hilarious shenanigans.. Nope, I can always do one better.. *facepalm*

Let me elaborate. We have a magic carpet lift to access the bunny hill called the Red Carpet, I've mentioned it before. You simply slide on and stand upright waiting to reach the top. I love a good old chinwag, so of course I needed to twist around to carry on my conversation. This movement throws off my balance and in slow motion I casually descend backwards in a crumpled heap. Helpless to gravity. Despite my best efforts, I couldn't get back up - much to the delight a raucous laughter of my fellow ski-boarders! Eventually the lift operator noticed my impersonation of a upside-down tortoise and halted the lifted so I could stand with as much dignity as I had left. My belly ached for the next 20 mins thanks to all the laughing and excursion. I'm a bit of a idiot. Oopsie.

220 school kids on the mountain;

that was the hour lesson prior to my course. I had 16 students and could only get through 2 runs in the limited time period. My job was to make sure they had amply technique so they don't break themselves during the trip, and explain mountain safety in order to ensure the same outcome. It was chaos, but I did my job, answered their questions and recommended runs for them to stick to. All the best team!

The departure of a good friend.

Plus it's only midweek with more excitement to come! Such as afternoon ice-hockey on the lake, pub quiz, final course day, and finally a staff night of cross country skiing at dusk followed by bonfire and beers. A jam-packed end of the week - can't wait!

Until next time xxx