Over a spring-like weekend in Alberta, I participated a three-day course/evaluation offered by CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors) to become a certified Level 1 instructor. Level 1 is the entry point of the four-level system, and by obtaining the certification it suggests my riding and teaching skills have passed the minimum requirement. By minimum I mean I’m no longer a beginner but a professional now. Considering this is only the second season since I started snowboarding seriously (and never fell off the chairlift, again), I am obligated to feel proud of myself.
This will become an inside joke soon enough, but since I briefly explained what CASI is, now I should continue with why I did it and how I did it.
Why
It is fun to snowboard but it is more fun to go with friends. I tried to persuade my friends go snowboarding with me and so far I have succeeded exactly once. I understand where the fear come from so I thought it would be really nice if I could teach them myself. One main takeaway from the course is that people have different learning patterns and as instructors we can adapt their learning styles and make the experience the best for them.
How
By packing stuff up to catch a plane on a Thursday night after work where the flight was unfortunately but unsurprisingly delayed for nearly two hours and arrived in Calgary past midnight which was past 2am Toronto time, joining a seminar the next morning to discuss the philosophy of the mind, taking a more or less consecutive 18-hour course/evaluation on the snow, consuming in total two protein bars in maple glazed donut flavour and two burgers without fries, taking a flight back home while spending every single hour on the plane reading papers in preparation for a presentation, and following covid protocols.
The simpler version is to register for a course on their website, and start riding until you feel confident enough, or not. Worth a try both ways.
CASI introduces the QuickRide system for teaching and riding, which by no means is the only way to ride snowboard, but the goal is to control the board more effectively and efficiently. For 2021-2022, three riding skills are evaluated on: Centred & Mobile Position, Turning With The Lower Body, and Balance Along The Working Edge. There are three Mandatory Maneuvers: Intermediate Sliding Turns, Beginner Turns (Forward & Switch), and Carved Traverse. The instructor would explain each component, do a Demo, and we would go down the slope one by one to demonstrate the riding skills. Beginner switch turns were the biggest obstacles in my mind because I rarely rode switch, but as it turned out, I improved my forward intermediate turn quick a lot during the 3-day training.
Surrender
They don’t officially say this in the teaching system because it works better not to emphasize on the negatives. However when I first started a major blocker was exactly fear- I was sacred by the feeling of falling. The fear comes from the pain (ouch), as well as the lost of control. A car going 10km/h is barely moving to me because I can hit the brake whenever I want but sliding down a mellow hill without control felt 10 times faster in my head. The more fear I had, the more weight I put on the back leg which messed up a “Centred & Mobile Position”. One technique I later learned and practiced extensively was to engage the whole lower body to initiate a turn, and shift a bit more weight onto the leading leg, essentially it is surrendering to the feeling of falling.
Meditation
A couple of years back I trained to run two half-marathons. Back then I discovered running could be my meditation. While running on a safe trail, I was able to focus on my breath, steps, and how the body felt. Similarly on the slope, when I focus on my posture, ankles, and feedback from the board, I had meditation-like experiences. Even better this time, the view is always breathtaking.
Next Steps
Getting as many milage as I could while gaining teaching hours under my belt. It would not as be as easy living in the east coast but I can’t wait for the next season the start.