Notes
Home Area: Crystal Mountain
Notes
Home Area: Mt. Bachelor
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI? I enjoyed sharing the sport of skiing with others and PSIA-AASI offered me a professional pathway to achieve that.
Home Hill? Mt Bachelor
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill? Mission Ridge
What are your snowsports goals? Continue to develop educational opportunities for others
What is your favorite way to spend some down time? Cooking a nice meal with my wife
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports? Mountain Biking, fitness training, wine tasting, relaxing at my wife’s family’s lake house in Michigan
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports? – Initially it was a way to balance my summer job as a backcountry ranger. It was individuals such as Stuart Craig, Craig Panarisi, Jeremy Riss, and Brad Jacobson that have encouraged me to get where I am now.
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills? – I would most likely be a fitness trainer.
Favorite ski/snowboard film? Better of Dead and JP Auclair’s street segment from All.I.Can
Current go-to skis/snowboard? Blizzard Anomaly 84’s
Favorite Animal? My cat, Beatrix Kiddo
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? Aspen Highlands
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI? I’m a lifelong learner and sharer of snowsports enthusiasm. At that time, in 2000, there weren’t many women teaching telemark skiing in the areas where I skied.
Home Hill? 49 Degrees North
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill? Crystal Mountain
What are your snowsports goals? Keep improving in my communication skills when sharing snowsports info ans staying current with any changes within our organization
What is your favorite way to spend some down time? Reading and exercising
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports? Psuedo-gym rat, mountain and road biking, yoga, hiking, cooking, reading, hanging out with friends
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports? Coerced by another instructor to start teaching
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills? Working with people in the fitness field
Favorite ski/snowboard film? don’t have one
Current go-to skis/snowboard? Volkl Yumi
Favorite Animal? Girafficorn
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? Portillo, Chile
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI?
I decided to take a one-year break as a ski bum in Telluride, and that one year turned into a lifelong career. All of my trainers at the mountain were very supportive, and I eagerly attended as many training clinics as I could during my first year. I became an eager student and tried to learn everything I could about skiing, telemarking, and snowboarding through the organization. I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of interpersonal and teaching skills I developed along the way. The PSIA-AASI has made me a better person, and I feel so grateful for the organization. I hope to give back as much as it has given me.
Home Hill?
Mt. Bachelor.
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill?
Stevens Pass. I just love the steep tree runs and off-piste stashes there.
What are your snowsports goals?
I would love to work my way towards my level 3 snowboard someday, but currently I am working on becoming the best alpine and telemark clinician I can be.
What is your favorite way to spend some down time?
I enjoy spending time with my family: my wife, two girls, and a dog. We love camping and exploring the outdoors. We also love lazy weekends at home, working in the yard and having movie nights.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports?
Outside of snowsports, I enjoy hiking, paddleboarding, mountain biking, climbing trees, and anything else that involves being outside. I’ve gotten back into weightlifting recently and love throwing kettlebells around. I enjoy playing chess and other board games. I love cooking and making cocktails, and I am always on the lookout for new recipes.
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports?
I have my parents to thank for being a lifelong skier, starting at the age of two. I grew up as a child of ski schools in Taos and ski racing programs on the East Coast. Between my parents, my coaches, and the mountains, I developed a lifelong love for the sport. I took a long time away from skiing but rediscovered my passion when I fled to Telluride for a season. To me there are so many skills needed to be a good instructor, so I find it infinitely interesting. Whether searching for that perfect turn or getting to know your students, each day brings unique challenges that make this job enjoyable.
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills?
In the off-season, I work as a consulting arborist. I love teaching others about trees and nature and working with the Pacific Northwest International Society of Arborists (PNW-ISA) as an educator.
Favorite ski/snowboard film?
“All I Can” (2011). It features phenomenal skiing from some of my favorite athletes, beautiful cinematography, slick editing, and a poignant message on climate change. And let’s not forget that classic JP Auclair segment that we all dream of replicating someday.
Current go-to skis/snowboard
I’m a huge Rossignol fan. It was the first ski I could remember skiing on when I was a kid (I loved the logo), and I still have so much fun on them. Right now, my daily drivers are the Rossignol Experience 86.
Favorite Animal
Wolf. But I do feel like the mountain goat is my spirit animal, we’ve had some interesting run-ins.
Favorite place you’ve traveled to?
Switzerland. I was fortunate enough to ski there a few seasons ago, and boy, those Europeans know how to live. The mountains are gorgeous, and I just loved the numerous small huts strewn throughout the areas. It’s so cool to see entire cultures built around the mountains.
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI? I started teaching skiing at age 14 at Copper Mountain in Colorado, and ever since then, PSIA-AASI has been instrumental in helping me develop my teaching, people, and technical skills. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to pay it forward.
Home Hill? Mt. Hood Meadows, Oregon
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill? I haven’t skied anywhere near as many other PNW resorts as I’d like, so I look forward to visiting more new places as I take my training on the road.
What are your snowsports goals? My #1 goal always is to find more joy on the mountain. More time in flow state, more time in nature, and more time in the presence of inspiring people.
What is your favorite way to spend some down time? I love slowing down, enjoy snoozing with my big floofy dog, playing computer games, reading books, and sharing a meal with friends.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports? I’m a skier with a climbing problem, and my partner is a skier with a climbing problem. She follows me around for 5 months a year, and I follow her around for the other 7. So it’s perfectly even, fifty-fifty.
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports? Dear mom, if you’re reading this, thank you times a million! My amazing mom is a lifelong PSIA-certified ski instructor who has shared her passion for skiing with me and my sister ever since we were born. She showed us how much fun it is to learn and teach skiing.
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills? If not for skiing, I think I’d have gotten deep into ice climbing, whitewater kayaking, or mountain biking… and it probably wouldn’t have been long before I tried to help others find more stoke in those activities too.
Favorite ski/snowboard film? All.I.Can. The cinematography is brilliantly artful and imaginative, and the message is extremely important and timely.
Current go-to skis/snowboard? Anything with a freeheel binding attached to it! I have a new-school NTN tele rig, a tried-and-true 75 mm duckbill tele rig, and a classic old 3-pin leather boot tele rig, and I use all three of them every season.
Favorite Animal? My dog Murphy. I could be wrong, but I’m pretty sure she’s a sloth/walrus mix!
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? I’ve been to some far-flung, famous, and postcard-perfect places… but honestly, traveling through Oregon never fails to remind me that I live in one of the most magnificent places in the world. I love having snowy volcanoes, verdant rainforests, hilly savannas, stunning high deserts, towering sand dunes, and the word’s biggest ocean — all within a three hour drive.
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI?
1) to become a lifelong student and coach of snowsports; 2) to foster eternal bonds of love and respect; and 3) to be involved in shaping the evolution of the organization.
Home Hill? Snoqualmie? Stevens Pass? Mission Ridge?
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill? Does Sun Valley count?
What are your snowsports goals? Level III Cross Country certification while maintaining my current Alpine and Telemark performance standards.
What is your favorite way to spend some down time? Puttering at home, cooking, wine pairing, mountain biking to my favorite fly fishing hole or spending time on the water with Kim (spouse), family and friends.
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports? Fly fishing, cycling, water sports, golf and the continuum of mountaineering.
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports? Dr. Scott and the desire to transition from a self-coached USSA freestyle competitor to a professionally-coached ski instructor.
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills? Any outdoor program featuring experiential learning and exploration to reveal individual potential.
Favorite ski/snowboard film? The Blizzard of Aahhh’s – I’m old school and Mike Hattrup is my fraternity brother.
Current go-to skis/snowboard? HEAD World Cup Rebels e-Race Pro
Favorite Animal? Our Maine Coon cats (Jack and Sadie)
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? If based on life impact, Revelstoke, B.C. If based on life perspective, the U.K. and France. If based on life enrichment, every ski area I’ve had the privilege to visit
Biography
Why you became, and are, involved in PSIA-AASI? Was teaching step aerobics and the manager of the program was also manager of children instruction at Ski Roundtop, PA. She encouraged me to start teaching, as I’d been skiing for about 15 years already. Now, 32 seasons later, still doing it and trying to guide others in the same kind of pursuit.
Home Hill? 49 Degrees North
What’s your favorite NW resort when you’re not at your home hill? Crystal Mountain, WA
What are your snowsports goals? Earn a spot on PSIA National Telemark Team, continue to get better at what I do in all aspects of riding and teaching/coaching
What is your favorite way to spend some down time? cooking awesome foods and matching the creations up with wine
What are your hobbies/interests outside of snowsports? mountain bike/road bike riding, hiking, cooking those same awesome foods, reading voraciously
Who or what got you into instructing snowsports? I always tended to share my passion for the sport with others and with a gentle nudge, jumped right in about 32 years ago
If you weren’t teaching snowsports, what would you be doing to fulfill the itch to help others grow new skills? Mentoring somehow, be it as a tutor or trainer in some other capacity, one idea is to study to become a sommelier
Favorite ski/snowboard film? Better Off Dead
Current go-to skis/snowboard Blizzard Brahma 88 and HRC
Favorite Animal narwhal, of course, but spelled gnarwhal
Favorite place you’ve traveled to? Chamonix, France