 I once read that “The ski bum trades security for face shots, the future for the moment.” Considering how hollow the promise of a corporate career has become, who can say the ski bum is not the wiser investor in his or her youth?
I started down the path as a professional ski bum almost 20 years ago. The first resort I worked at (which only hired me because I was a girl and would teach kids) was in the Pocono’s in Pennsylvania. Two resorts, 8 years later and finally Level 3 Certified, I became the Children’s Program Director and then the Assistant Snowsports School Director at a resort in New York. I later became involved with PSIA –E as an A.C.E (Advanced Children’s Educator) and served as the Region 5 Children’s Committee Representative.
So why did I leave the East to come West? Aside from the vertical and the powder, it was for the change in lifestyle, it was to trade the future for the moment. And as I drove over the pass and dropped into Steamboat, I knew the 1700 miles (in less than 2 days) spent in the Budget truck rental, with my 10 year old was all worth it.
Like many of you I have made the many sacrifices needed to live this lifestyle (like sleeping in my uniform to stay warm because I couldn’t afford the heat), I know what it takes to commit to this profession. I often ask myself why we do it. Why do we teach? For me, it is because I refused to let others suffer the same humiliation I had as an over zealous 4 year old learning to ski. My father was teaching me and as a result of my incredible athletic ability I was impatient in waiting for my not so athletic older sister so I ended up with a rope tied around me to avoid further rides up the chair unsupervised. The years of therapy helped but the real reward was in knowing that I could change this. I knew that as an instructor the affect I had would go on for an eternity because as educators you never know when your influence stops.
So what makes a good instructor? “The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great teacher inspires.” ~William Arthur. For years while working at different resorts I have watched as the many guests come with great expectations of being inspired, a dream and for some for the view of the stretch pants. But we all know when it comes to skiing, there's a difference between what you think it's going to be like, what it's really like, and what you tell your friends it was like. Their premise can be met if you remember that the dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called a ski pole.
To inspire………. this is why I am here
- Dana Scronek |
