PSIA-E Nordic represents teachers, instructors, coaches, outing clubs, guides, group leaders, youth groups and outdoor enthusiasts involved in furthering their education in two separate disciplines: Telemark and Cross Country Skiing.
These two certification tracks consist of annual events, educational clinics, accreditation programs, newsletters, and web-based educational information. These programs, membership and certification levels have become a standard in the snowsports industry. Most professionals in Nordic skiing, whether affiliated with ski resorts, Nordic centers or outing clubs have some part of our certification process on their resume.
We base our programs on experiential education, fun activities, video analysis, understanding movement analysis, creating fun and safe practice environments, feedback, and considering the student's learning style and their specific needs.
Telemark, sometimes referred to as Nordic downhill skiing, hosts programs at lift serviced areas where we offer such programs as: Learn To Tele, Video Clinic on Skiing improvement, Racing and Carving, Bumps, Steeps, How To Teach Tele, and week-long Instructor Training Courses. Some of our most popular events are Trees/Glades and Off-Piste skiing (some lift oriented and others strictly earning your turns by skiing up and skiing down) which are hosted by areas that have ungroomed snow, places to explore and where there are always "first tracks" available. We also venture into the Park and Pipe to improve our telemarking and teaching skills.
Cross Country, which includes Classical Skiing (cross-country) and Freestyle Skiing (skating) hosts programs at Nordic Centers that have prepared track for Classical and Freestyle skiing. Learn to clinics in each discipline are offered as well as Skiing Improvement, Teaching Kids, Ski Touring, Beginning Racing, Movement Analysis, Teaching Activities, Hills/Cornering/Transitions, Beginning Biathlon, and Master's Clinics with coaches in the race industry. We also offer day trip skiing on unprepared areas that teach you the essential skills for skiing in the woods and being prepared for the necessities of skiing without services nearby.
The Backcountry Accreditation program takes both disciplines and mixes the talent of the two. The gear is a cross between the cross country and tele equipment. Climbing, descending, skinning, orienteering, route selection and reading snow conditions are just a few topics we cover. This is given over 6 days of courses covering an Avalanche 100 level course indoors and four days in the field covering the topics previously mentioned. This training will provide you with the foundation for understanding snow and traveling in the Backcountry in a safe manner.
If joining PSIA-E is "learning to fly," then getting involved with PSIA-E Nordic is like learning to build your own "ultra light." We're free spirits, and we represent a different type of person compared to the other snowsports – people who don't mind a little workout, staying outside for the day, earning their turns, looking for wildlife, wanting to put in 15 k, making igloos, breaking trail in deep snow for an untouched powder shot, eating lunch outside, carrying a backpack, increasing their aerobic activity, enjoying a group of people with the same goal, and wanting to climb the biggest hill. We like to climb, travel distance and go downhill all on the same gear. This allows the group to experience many situations together and relish in that enjoyment through the day. If this sounds like the kind of people and the kind of snowsports fun you'd like to experience, check out PSIA-E Nordic!
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