Vail Mountain a training ground for Professional Ski Instructors of America ahead of 2023 Interski Congress
US national teams practice at Golden Peak ahead of 2023 event
If you recently saw pairs of skiers and snowboarders in red and blue uniforms making perfect turns in absolute synchronization, they weren’t just doing it to show off.
Vail Mountain has been doubling as a training venue for U.S. national teams headed to Europe for the Interski Congress, the world’s largest exchange of snowsports ideas and techniques.
The Interski Congress is an event that takes place every four years, dating back to 1951, in which member nations gather to share snowsports methodologies and techniques in an effort to benefit snowsports across the globe. Every four years a different member nation is selected to host the event. This year’s congress will be held in Levi, Finland. The 2019 event was held in Pamporovo, Bulgaria. There are 37 different member nations represented at the Congress.
In getting ready for the 2023 Congress, both the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) U.S. national teams have been training in Vail at the new Avanti Performance Zone and the Golden Peak Race Hill.
“Vail Mountain is honored to host the PSIA/AASI national teams before they head off to the Interski Congress,” said Greg Willis, Vail Mountain’s senior director of skier services. “Having our instructors train with this group on our mountain is part of an intentional program that helps put Vail Mountain Ski and Snowboard School at the top.”
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The training sessions focus on precision and technique, where methodologies like synchronized skiing and snowboarding are practiced. The teams make up the best instructors around the country in adaptive, Alpine, cross-country and snowboard disciplines.
There were a few long days for those instructors An evening presentation led by the head coaches allowed the Vail Ski and Snowboard School to benefit from their expertise. The PSIA/AASI National Teams also took Vail instructors out on the mountain for clinics before they began their training sessions. Ten of the team members have stuck around to lead clinics for Vail instructors in the Logan Academy, a training opportunity created by local philanthropists Kent and Vicki Logan.
The Logans have been longtime supporters of the Vail Ski and Snowboard School, and the Logan Academy is part of their vision in furthering instructors’ development and education, according to Vail Mountain.
Vail Mountain spokesperson John Plack said the Logans have donated funds to allow PSIA/AASI to have the teams here in Vail for the next four years, as well, allowing Vail Ski and Snowboard School to train with the PSIA and AASI professionals when they’re at Vail.
Vail Mountain has also agreed to be the training venue for the PSIA and AASI national teams ahead of the 2027 Interski Congress.
