New Member Guide

Welcome to the Northern Rocky Mountain Division of PSIA- AASI. You are now part of a community of snowsports professionals dedicated to sharing their skills, knowledge and passion for the mountain experience!

The following information is provided as an overview of your membership benefits and responsibilities. Our website www.psia-nrm.org, as well as the national website www.thesnowpros.org, are also valuable resources that are constantly being updated. You can also contact either the divisional or national office with any questions.

As a new member you have been assigned a six-digit membership number. This number allows you access to the National web site www.thesnowpros.org as well as the PSIA-AASI Community, a new snowsports professionals social network. The Community offers you the opportunity to connect with other snowsports professionals across the nation – ask questions, share ideas, and get the inside scoop. Your member number also gains you access to the national website’s Internet Learning Center, the 32 Degrees magazine online, and Pro offers through the Accessories catalogue. To login for the first time use your member number as both your username and passwor, once logged in you can change the password. You will also use this number to login for online event registration.

Please review the membership info below and contact us with any questions.

Thank you. We look forward to skiing and riding with you this winter!

Turi Hetherington
PSIA-AASI NRM Executive Director

 

Divisional and National Benefits

Publications

NRM Members receive two issues of the Northern Rocky Mountain News (a division newsletter that is available in print and online). Registered, Certified and Inactive Members also receive a subscription to 32 Degrees: The Journal of Professional Snowsports Instruction. This magazine covers what’s happening in teaching alpine skiing, snowboarding, nordic skiing, and adaptive skiing/riding (including tips on improving your own skiing and riding and other interesting and hard to find articles).

Education Materials

PSIA/AASI National develops and distributes a wide range of manuals, videos, and other materials to support teaching and skill improvement. These materials are available at the lowest possible cost to members and can be found in the PSIA/AASI Accessories catalog. PSIA/AASI National also has a lending library of videos and other materials to help managers and trainers, as well as interactive web-based learning modules.

You can also locate online manuals/workbooks/study guides on our NRM division website by going to the discipline of your choice using the links to access these documents in a PDF format. Some of these items are unique to our division and are required reading/study for taking certification events.

Personal & Professional Development: Educational Programs, Clinics & Conventions

PSIA/AASI clinics and conventions are held throughout the country each season. As a Registered/Certified/Inactive member you can sign up for events in all nine divisions. The NRM division offers one and multi-day programs from ridge tactics to freestyle to women specific and children’s educator events. We also provide certification and education for alpine, snowboarding, cross country, telemark and adaptive.

These education events are conducted by highly trained members of our professional staff and some of the finest clinicians in the country. Whether you are a seasoned expert or looking to just refine your technique - attending these events will improve your skills and challenge you while having fun and developing camaraderie among lifelong colleagues.

Our National premiere event, the National Academy is held in the spring of each year - and sure to be one of the best experiences you will have as a member.

Promotional & Affinity Programs (Pro Deals)

The Northern Rocky Mountain division and the PSIA/AASI National organization both offer professional discounts on everything from items that make teaching easier to equipment and gear. PSIA/AASI National even has a partnership with Subaru of America. To take advantage of promotional offers though the National organization go to thesnowpros.org and log in to Member Services to check out the latest offers.
Certification

PSIA/AASI certification signifies that you have achieved standards set by the PSIA/AASI National organization for personal performance, teaching, professional knowledge, and technical skiing/riding skills. Certified instructors provide a high level of quality and consistency in their teaching and skiing/riding skills.

A certification pin is presented to every member who achieves a level I,II, or III certification. Some members are certified in more then one discipline - or take an accreditation course in freestyle/freeride or children’s specialist.

Certification is recognized in all nine divisions and can often mean increased wages, additional benefits, and recognition. Members must attend educational updates at least every two seasons in order to stay current with the latest in snowsports education and sharpen their skills. These educational credits are also required to maintain Certified Membership.

Member Services

PSIA/AASI National provides online opportunities to review your member records, shop the online catalog, and participate in the member forum.

The Northern Rocky Mountain division and PSIA/AASI National each have a Board of Directors that continually look at ways to improve our organization and the value of membership. If you have any questions, comments or concerns please contact a board member near you or the NRM office. Contact information can be found at psia-nrm.org.

Our organization cooperates with supporting sponsors that promote instruction to the public, and other partners to strengthen the snowsports industry as a whole. For more information on these partnerships go to thesnowpros.org.

 

Maintaining Your Membership

Maintaining your membership

Members are required to pay annual dues and earn continuing education credits annually or biennially depending on level of certification. See the Membership FAQ page for more details.

 

Professional Development, Continuing Education, Credentialling, and Certification Events

Schedule of Events

The NRM Event Calendar is generally available online in October and in the Fall NRM newsletter.

Level 1 Certification

Level 1 certification involves a 2-day evaluated clinic with a written test, skiing/riding, teaching scenarios and technical discussions. It is intended for entry-level or first-year instructors. Successful completion designates that an instructor is knowledgeable in the fundamentals of snowsports instruction to include understanding the core concepts of snowsports instruction, having the ability to effectively to teach beginner lessons, and demonstrate basic skiing skills.

Each discipline provides a detailed certification guide to help you prepare for the event. Go to the Alpine, Snowboard or Nordic pages of the website to access the guides as well as more info on each discipline.

Registering for Events

Registration is online through the NRM calendar pages of website.

For more information on registation please see the Registration FAQ page.