Me and Mr. McChesney
by Terry McLeod
PSIA-NW Tech Team
Schweitzer Mountain Learning Center Director

When I was in college I took Macro Economics 101 from a professor by the name of Mr. McChesney. Like most 101 level classes, Macro Economics was fairly simple, relatively boring, and seemed somewhat unimportant to my future. Mr. McChesney was a good match for the class, being a plain, round, man with thick glasses. However, I soon learned, the hard way, that Mr. McChesney had a very rare talent that, although it served a very good purpose, would nonetheless annoy me for as long as I had classes from him. He’s the only person I’ve ever known who could write difficult multiplechoice questions. At the top of his quizzes and tests were the simple instructions, “Choose the best answer for the following questions”. I invite you to do that for the questions below; you can even discuss them with your colleagues before you turn them in to your Training Director, Ski School Director, or you can even email them to me at ltmcleod@imbris.net

What is the most important part of tuning your skis/board?

a. Base grinding
b. Base bevel
c. Edge filing
d. Waxing
e. Brushing

What snow condition is most difficult to make a turn in (change direction of travel)?

a. Powder (Snoqualmie)
b. Powder (Mt. Bachelor)
c. Ice
d. Breakable crust

Which is the most important document to reference when training for the skiing portion of your exam?

a. Exam criteria
b. Visual Cues to Efficient and Inefficient Movements
c. The PSIA National Standards
d. The PSIA NW Certification Guide

What’s the first thing you should do when you meet your class?

a. Assess them
b. Ask them their names
c. Tell them your name
d. Explain what the class will be doing
e. Tell an appropriate joke

In terms of guest satisfaction, who is the most important person on the mountain?

a. Their ski/board instructor
b. The lifties
c. The parking attendant
d. The general manager
e. Their spouse/partner

What is the most important part of the lesson?

a. The introduction
b. The summary
c. The goal setting
d. The guided practice
e. The assessment

When teaching beginning children years old or less, the most important thing is:

a. Understanding the CAP model
b. Helping them ski independent of physical props
c. Understanding the real versus ideal movement pattern concept
d. Playing games, not talking tech

The reason people should take lessons is:

a. To learn a new sport
b. To be safer
c. To be more comfortable in challenging terrain
d. To expand their horizons

The most important person in PSIA NW is:

a. Nick McDonald
b. Barb Darrow
c. John Weston
d. Chris Kastner
e. Amy Zahm
f. Me (that is to say you, not the author)

Answering these questions made me:

a. Frustrated at the author
b. Have some interesting discussions with other people
c. Look at things in a new light
d. Glad I wasn’t in Mr. McChesneys classes.