Professional Ski Instructors of America

Thank you for considering becoming a member ski school with the Alaska Division! There are two different levels of ski school membership, certified and registered. Please read through the member school standards before filling in which school you are looking to become. Mail a check made out to PSIA-Alaska for the amount of $40 along with your application.

The Alaska Division will be providing advertisement for all member ski schools this year. Please provide me with your logo that will be placed onto the front page of the division web site linking to your area's web site. We will also be providing free advertisements if you wish to seek instructors. Email what you would like listed for requirements as well as contact information for all interested at telewarren@msn.com

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In a recent process of reviewing our purpose, we determined it can be stated very simply: We get people excited about snowsports! We do that by embracing a culture in which a seemingly diverse group of people are connected by a common love of skiing/riding. We strive to boost the value of membership by providing access to people, resources and an environment that you just can’t get anywhere else. We want to be the first place members come for information about snowsports and be a resource for our guests and prospective members. Please help us spread this message.

We’ve been working on several fronts during the off-season to assist you and your staff during the upcoming season. There are many projects and materials completed or in process. The largest project ever undertaken by PSIA-AASI, in terms of cost and time, has been the development and implementation of a new web-based association management software system. Member services for all nine divisions, plus the national office, are now being managed through one computer system. This will result in powerful management tools being made available to you through a long-promised Snowsports Management section of our website. We’ll email you once this new feature is live.

On a broader scale, our Education Advisory Council has stated the following objectives as we move forward:

Increase ease of member access to all PSIA/AASI products, programs, and services.
Develop and communicate clear paths to success in our educational system.
Develop a quality assurance system to uphold standards for all the above.
Implement a leadership development program to ensure a broad pool of volunteers to provide new ideas and energy.

We have also been busy working on education and credentialing projects. The Movement Matrix is being updated with movement analysis clips. Adaptive and Children’s sections of the Movement Matrix are in the planning process. A new Adaptive Snowboard guide is in review and will be released this season. National Adaptive and Snowboard exam standards are in development, and we have broadened the scope of reviewing Alpine standards to include all levels. We hope to have a nationally accepted standard for a Children’s credential by next season. The Internet Learning Center is also being updated.

The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) has looked to PSIA-AASI as a key partner in their ongoing Growth and Retention initiative. While some resorts have greatly improved in these areas over the last decade, the needle has barely moved for the country as a whole. The initiative’s success requires more than just a strong beginners’ program; you can help by being an active advocate for area-wide involvement at your mountain. We are working with NSAA to highlight the need for area-wide partnerships between departments as well as to highlight the positive impact snowsports schools have in growth and retention.

As always, PSIA-AASI wants to support you within your school, resort, division, and industry. Please take the time to contact me, your divisional president, or your national board representative with your opinions, concerns, and suggestions. Go to http://www.thesnowpros.org.

I would like to ask you to renew (or initiate) your status as a PSIA or AASI member school this season. Here’s looking forward to a great winter, and thank you for your commitment to creating excitement about snowsports and your continued support of PSIA and AASI!