February 2010
Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass update
We would also like to thank all of the ski areas for participating in Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass program. With over 155 ski areas participating this year the SnowPass program’s 13thseason is off to a good start.
As of February 9th2010 we have received applications from over 29,000 Grade 4 & 5 students from all across Canada! At this rate we will hit our goal of 30,000 by the end of this winter season. Winter has just begun so don’t forget to promote this great program to your local schools, families and pass holders and let them know that you are a SnowPass friendly ski area!
Although we are still enjoying our 13thseason of the SnowPass program the team at the CSC will soon begin working on plans for the 14thseason so please watch your inbox/mailboxes for 2010/2011 season information such as Pledge Forms, 2009/10 SnowPass Reports and SnowPass coupon redemption forms! The CSC will continue our research into the possibility of replacing the SnowPass booklet with a Smart Card for the 2010/2011 season. Information on any development will be sent to your ski area once all research has been completed.
Want to advertise to SnowPass holders that visited your ski area? Well hold on to your coupons! The Canadian Ski Council offers a customized database of contact information of the SnowPass holders that visited your ski area over the winter at a great rate! Good for selling next year’s season passes and other promotional materials. For more information on this opportunity please contact the team at the Canadian Ski Council.
Changes at your ski area?If your contacts for the Grade 4 & 5 SnowPass program have changed since submitting your Pledge Form back in the spring/summer 2009, please contact Laura Brand (lbrand@skicanada.org) to update your ski areas contact information.
Want to advertise the SnowPass program on your website? SnowPass logos and other program logos are available please contact Laura (lbrand@skicanada.org) to have any logos emailed to you. Your support is greatly appreciated.
If you have any questions please contact Laura Brand by email at lbrand@skicanada.orgor by phone at (705) 445-9140.
Pledge form season update
The CSC staff would like to thank everyone for their continued support of the 2009-2010 programs. Please watch your inboxes this spring for the 2010-2011 CSC Pledge Form packages which will include a sign up form along with information and updates on all of our 2010/2011 winter programs!
If your ski area has experienced any changes in contact information such as President/GM, Fax, or mailing address please contact Laura Brand at lbrand@skicanada.org.
Pledge form season update
The CSC staff would like to thank everyone for their continued support of the 2009-2010 programs. Please watch your inboxes this spring for the 2010-2011 CSC Pledge Form packages which will include a sign up form along with information and updates on all of our 2010/2011 winter programs!
If your ski area has experienced any changes in contact information such as President/GM, Fax, or mailing address please contact Laura Brand at lbrand@skicanada.org.
Discover Skiing, Snowboarding and Cross-Country Skiing
2009/2010 Season Update
The CSC is happy to announce that this ever present program in the Ski and Snowboard industry will continue its long history of assisting newcomers and lapsed skiers and boarders learn to enjoy our wonderful winter sports!
This season we have received 120 ski areas who have pledged to continue to support this program through offering special packages dedicated to providing a great price on lessons, lift/trail passes and equipment rentals.
As this is a national program we would like to ask ski areas assistance on keeping this program identifiable to the general public by either advertising your packages as Discover Skiing and Snowboarding or even having a link or logo button installed on your ski areas consumer website. If you would like the logo emailed to you please email Laura Brand at lbrand@skicanada.org. Another way to promote that you are a Discover ski/snowboard area is to make sure that you send back the Discover Ski and Snowboard questionnaire that is sent out late September early October as this information will be posted on the CSC’s website www.skicanada.orgto direct newcomers to your ski area. You can also send your ski area’s pricing at any point throughout the season to Greg Weeks and he will update our website.
Should you have any questions on how your ski area can become a Discover Ski Area please contact Greg Weeks at gweeks@skicanada.orgor by phone at (705) 445-9140.
Winter Feels Good: National Learn to Ski and Snowboard for Free day
The Canadian Ski Council is very happy to announce that after the success of Winter Feels Good last season, it was continued again for the 2009/10 season. Last season a total of 10 ski areas and 60 classes across Canada participated. The 2009/10 season saw more than 160 classes send in essays with 41 ski areas signing their pledge form to participate in the program! Unfortunately due to some of the school locations, not all essays were able to be sent to participating ski areas. Due to this, not all of the 41 ski areas were able to participate and the number was narrowed down to 10. We are just waiting the response from ski areas and the winning classes to find out how much fun was had by all!
Winter Feels Good: National Learn to Ski and Snowboard for Free Day is designed that ski areas across Canada will host a select group of grade 4 or 5 students and provide them with a free day of skiing or snowboarding. Host ski areas are required toprovide lift tickets, lessons, rentals, lunch and a bus ride to the ski area. Schools are asked to send in class essays outlining why they feel their class should be chosen for this special day on the slopes and what they feel are the health benefits of skiing and snowboarding. The essays are then sent to the closest ski areas and a winning class is then chosen.
This season's event took place on January 20, 2010 at participating ski areas across Canada. If your ski area would like to participate next year or if you have any questions please don't hesitate to contact Greg Weeks at gweeks@skicanada.org.
Discounted Xpresspost Envelopes for CSC Members
The Canadian Ski Council continues to offer deals on Canada Post Prepaid Xpresspost Envelopes. These envelopes are simply placed with your outgoing mail and sent with greater expediency than regular mail (guaranteed 1-3 days to major centers across Canada), but cheaper than using companies such as Purolator or FedEx, and can still be tracked by Canada Post. This offer is only redeemable by those who are Full or Associate Members of the Canadian Ski Council. For more information on how to become an Associate Member or on how to obtain an order form for the Xpresspost envelopes, please contact Greg Weeks at gweeks@skicanada.org.
CSC Consumer Website
After some delays and technical issues, the CSC’s new website is almost ready for launch! Finishing touches are being made to some of the content and layout and we are hoping to go live within a week.
The new www.skicanada.orgwill have areas for photo uploads, contest announcements, and ski area and member association updates made by you! Please stay tuned as we will be asking you for information and content to promote your area/association. Please feel free to make any submissions or suggestions about the site as these are always appreciated.
Our website will continue to be our main source for promoting all of our skier/rider development programs and research programs including: The Grade 4&5 SnowPass, Discover Skiing/Snowboarding, National Learn to Ski and Snowboard Week (and National Ski and Snowboard Safety Day), Winter Feels Good: National Learn to Ski and Snowboard for Free Day, Making Winter Winners, an updated beginner section, a detailed ski area listing and interactive mapping system, events, summer activities, SnowOnline, tips and link to suppliers' web sites, links to all of our member organizations, and a complete section with valuable research information. In addition to the programs administered by the CSC, we would like to include descriptions of your programs and events/news with links to information that might be on your websites...please let us know what you are doing and how we can help your efforts, email Matthew Dainty at mdainty@skicanada.orgor call 705-445-9140 or fax 705-445-0525.
National Research Program Update
The Canadian Ski Council continues to track the trends that affect the ski and snowboard industry and will continue with the National Consumer Profile and Satisfaction Survey for the 2009/10 season. Scannable paper surveys have been distributed to over 40 participating ski areas across Canada (in late November and early December) along with instructional survey manuals and survey calendars. Participating ski areas are asked to send their completed surveys to RRC Associates at: 4940 Pearl East Circle, Suite 103 Boulder, CO USA 80301, at least once per month. Mid-term research reports will be provided to ski areas that have completed enough surveys. For more information about this important program, please contact Natalie Laplante at: nlaplante@skicanada.org
Making Winter Winners Update
Making Winter Winners, the fundraising program aimed at helping our amateur skiers and snowboarders compete with the world, is ready to start making grants by distributing some of the funds collected to our athletes! With the finalization of the Grant Application Process and a greater awareness of the program and its goals being expressed to member organizations of the Canadian Snowsports Association, Making Winter Winners is in a position to increase donations and aid to our athletes!
Some details of the program include the inception of a Legacy Fund, where donations will be applied to supply funding beyond the 2010 Olympics when funding levels to our athletes are expected to drop substantially. This fund is intended to carry on with providing grants to our athletes on an ongoing basis to assist with the costs of training and event preparedness. The other fund being established by the CSC and its member organizations is the Educational Fund. This fund will create an educational bursary which will award educational grants annually to athletes who wish to pursue an education while actively participating in competitions and training in their disciplines.
Grants from each fund will be awarded to athletes who have completed the approved application form, had their application evaluated by the approval committee (to be named at a later date), been informed of their approval or rejection, and ultimately been selected as the most deserving of all applicants. Cheque presentations to the athlete(s) receiving the awards are expected to take place at their regions Ski Area Operators Association meeting in the spring. Grant recipients must be present at the Ski Area Association meeting to receive the award.
To launch the grant process, there will be a one-time 2010 legacy grant application process. There will be a maximum of four grants awarded with the total maximum awarded of $50,000 with no one grant to exceed $25,000. Grant applications must be received by January 31, 2010 in order to qualify. The awarding of these grants will be decided by qualifying on the standard application as well as being based on the athletes/associations Olympic results. For each gold medal won, the association will receive 5 points, for each silver medal, 3 points, and for each bronze medal, 1 point. Each application will be ranked by the grant panel and the medal scores will be added on to the totals. These grant awards will take place in the spring at the regions Ski Area Operators Association meetings.
For more information on the grant process and for copies of the application, please contact the Canadian Ski Council at mdainty@skicanada.org.
Thank you all for helping our amateur skiers and snowboarders to compete with the world!
Donations are still coming in for 2009/2010, with over $63,000 raised so far this year!
A final copy of the fund distribution process is almost complete and we hope to start distributing grants to deserving athletes soon. To date the CSC office has collected over $203,000 through its programs and ski area events and contributions!
We look forward to hearing from you about how your area raised donations...maybe you could even submit some fun pictures from your event or ski area to share with the rest of the country!
Canadian State of the Ski and Snowboard Industry Conference Update
Last year’s CSC’s State of the Industry Conference took place at the beautiful Hilton Whistler Resort and Spa from July 6thto 8th, 2009 and was a great success with top notch speakers and breakout sessions that provided an opportunity for attendees to brainstorm solutions to issues that affect the entire ski and snowboard industry. Some key note speakers included: Dr Jasper Shealy, Rochester Institute of Technology, Nate Fristoe, RRC Associates, Paul Darby, Conference Board of Canada, Tom Quinn, Forzani Group Limited, Michael Berry, NSAA, etc.
Unfortunately, attendance was down at this year’s conference due to travel cutbacks by many ski and snowboard businesses and ski areas. Next year’s CSC Annual General Meeting date and location are to be announced but will take place in the late spring or early summer 2010 in the GTA. Stay tuned for details.
CSC Member Organizations and Industry News and Updates
CASI Introduces The QuickRide System
“Snowboarding Made Easier”
New for the 2009-2010 winter season, the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors will introduce a new approach to beginner snowboarding – the QuickRide System.
QuickRide is a re-energized approach to the teaching methods and techniques for new snowboarders. It’s aimed at attracting would-be snowboarders and beginners, and focuses on turning them into life-long riders. During previous seasons, observations were made that beginner snowboarding may have been slightly intimidating or demanding for some. The QuickRide System aims to help to change this perception. The focus of the program revolves around making learning to snowboard easy, safe, and fun. CASI instructors will be trained using the new system, and training will focus on the goal of getting students up and riding as quickly and easily as possible.
The QuickRide System is comprised of five easy and simple goals during the beginner phase of learning: Basics, Sliding, Control, Turning, and Linking. Instructors will be trained with supporting tactics and methods for achieving each of these goals, with a variety of student-types (private lessons, group lessons, children, non-athletic students).
Working in conjunction with these five goals is the S.A.F.E. Approach – a teaching method for ensuring that students are introduced to each goal effectively and safely.
Beginning in November 2009, CASI provided QuickRide promotional materials and a System Guide to each resort in Canada. The System Guide includes a quick-reference to the teaching methods for instructors, as well as equipment and terrain suggestions for resorts to implement, in an effort to help increase the success of beginner snowboarding lessons.
For more information regarding QuickRide, and the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors, please contact us:
CASI / ACMS
Toll Free: 1 877 976-2274
Email: info@casi-acms.com
Web: www.casi-acms.com
Snow Resort Operations Program News
SRO programs enter their second decade with name change
Georgian College’s Snow Resort Operations (SRO) programs began as Ski Resort Operations when they were being conceived in the late 1990’s. “Even back then we tried to think of a way to include snowboarding in our name, but at that time it was very definitely the Ski industry,” explains Rob Butler, SRO co-ordinator and chief instructor. “Lately the industry has moved more toward the term ‘snow’ and away slightly from ‘ski’ so we thought it was time to change our name too.”
Since beginning in 2000 approximately 400 students have enrolled in the programs. “Snowboarders have made up the majority of students every year.” Butler adds. “Another reason to call ourselves Snow Resort Operations”.
SRO offers two year diploma and one year certificate courses, both of which include co-op work terms where students are paid to work at snow resorts. Faculty members are current industry professionals. Many grads now hold senior, year-round positions in the snow resort industry.
Georgian is the only college in eastern Canada to offer the Snow Resort Operations course. Selkirk College in Nelson, BC offers a similar program, Ski Resort Operations and Management.
SRO’s new slogan—“Throw Some School in Your Swagger”
SRO student, Dan Loeb coined the phrase that has become SRO’s new slogan. Now being used in a variety of print and electronic media to promote the SRO programs, it was unveiled at Wakestock in 2009 where SRO had a booth in the vendors’ village. SRO has room for 40 students. Tuition is approximately $3000 per year.
Cool Co-ops for SRO students and grads to Learn/Earn
Topping the list for cool job placements for this winter could be Kyle Boegel at Mike Wiegele Helicopter Skiing. Lauren Johnston is loving working the gondola at Revy; Ben Zupansky is in the park at Hemlock; Chris Tite and Spencer Rose run the park at Calabogie; and for cool of another kind, Jessika St Martin runs the Snow School at Vista Ridge up in Fort MacMurray. Other SRO’s are placed at resorts ranging from Whistler to Chicopee and everywhere in between.
Among SRO grads, Lauren Fine, in Niseko, Japan reports the snow and the work teaching skiing and snowboarding are very cool. Brooke Pack is Horseshoe’s new Snow School Director. Mike Green runs the parks summer and winter at Chicopee. John Oates runs a groomer at Silver Star. Janet Hutzul works events at Whistler. Brittany Gunn and Aaron Harrison work year-round at Blue Mountain with skiing, snowboarding, and biking. The max in coolness has to go to SRO, grad Tyler Gigg, based in Utah, who heads up Salomon’s International Freeski Team.
Professor Butler named to CSIA Hall of Fame
Rob Butler, Professor in the Snow Resort Operations (SRO) programs at Georgian College was inducted into the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance Hall of Fame at a ceremony at Mont Tremblant, Quebec on December 10th.
Founded in 1938, the Canadian Ski Instructors’ Alliance or CSIA has a membership of more than 20,000 ski instructors and coaches. Since the mid 90’s the CSIA has nominated two members per year for entrance to its Hall of Fame. This year a new category was created, that of “Inspirational Leader”. Butler is the first such nominee from Eastern Canada.
Butler was appointed to the position of Professor in the SRO Programs at Georgian College in August, 2004. In the winters he continues to work part-time at Snow Valley as Director of Skiing. In this role he
works as a ski instructor, ski instructor trainer and as a spokesman and ambassador for Snow Valley. Butler is also busy in the winter visiting SRO students in the field at their co-op work placements. “I love visiting our students in the winter,” Butler says, “they work all over Canada and in the US.”
In the early 80’s Butler began making regular appearances on Ski Base, a ski show produced by CKVR television in Barrie. He continued with Ski Base and its offshoot, Pontiac World of Skiing for more than twenty years and became known as Canada’s top tv ski pro. Butler has also written and performed regular ski instructional features on radio for more than fifteen years, (“Ski Better with Rob Butler”) and he continues to present weekly ski instructional features on A Channel.
For additional information please contact Rob Butler, Professor, Snow Resort Operations programs, Georgian College. 705 728-1968 rbutler@georgianc.on.ca
CADS SKI IMPROVEMENT & RACE DEVELOPMENT FESTIVAL March 21 to 26, 2010 at Mt. Washington, BC
We are pleased to announce that the 2010 CADS Ski Improvement & Race Development Festival will be held this year, at Mt. Washington, on Vancouver Island. This year’s festival is hosted jointly by the Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports and Mt. Washington Alpine Resort.
This year’s festival runs from Sunday, March 21st to Friday, March 26th. During this same week, the Telus Para-alpine Canadian Championships will also be held on site.
There are numerous activities, both on-hill and off-hill, happening during the week. For festi val participants interested in improving their skills, certification courses and training sessions will be offered. In addition, there will be the annual banquet.
We would like to thank our sponsors, the Binnion Foundation and Veterans Affairs Canada for their ongoing financial support of this event. In a related note, as part of a cost savings measure, the CADS AGM (Annual General Meeting) has been re-scheduled so that it can be held in conjunction with the festival, at Mt. Washington.
For more information visit: www.disabledskiing.ca
OSRA Upcoming Events
Mon March 8, 2010 OSRA RETRO FUN DAY
The OSRA Board, Events Committee & Staff invite you to join them for a Retro Fun Day at Toronto Ski Club on Monday March 8, 2010
Mon March 22, 2010 PRINOTH/PISTEN BULLY DEMO DAY
The Georgian Peaks Club is hosting this chance to view the latest in equipment for your on-hill needs. Both alpine and nordic area equipment will be demonstrated.
Tue/Wed PARKSCAPERS DAY 2 & 3
March 23/24, 2010
The practical part of the popular ParkScapers. Program will be held at The Georgian Peaks Club. Industry specialists will guide and assist participants in developing and adding to their terrain park building knowledge & skills.
Tue/Wed/Thu OSRA AGM, CONFERENCE & TRADE SHOW
April 27, 28, 29, 2010
A new format this year has our golf on Tuesday April 27 at 11am. The AGM & Conference begins on Weds 28thand runs through until 12:30pm on Thu 29th. Presentations include Harley Davidson, Beard Winter LLP, ASSQ, Willis of New Hampshire, Accident Analyzer, the Canadian Ski Council, Selkirk College & an Internet Marketing specialist. Add to this breakout sessions with the TSSA, OSRA Environment Best Practices & a session on building four-season resort business from SE Group.
Calendar of Industry Events
March 8th, 2010
OSRA Fun Day, Toronto Ski Club
April 28th& 29th, 2010
OSRA Spring Conference and AGM. Hockley Valley Ski Resort (Golf tournament on April 27th, 2010)
May 2ndto 5th, 2010
NSAA National Conference. Orlando, Florida
May 3rdto 7th, 2010
CWSAA Spring Conference and AGM. Delta Grand Okanagan, Kelowna, BC
June 1stto 3rd, 2010
ASSQ Spring Conference and AGM. Chateau Mont Sainte Anne
