Hi Everyone,
Have you done your Mandatory Training?
The following are required in order for you to work this season.
Please ensure you have signed up or completed the following:
Online Training
Once hired (if you have done all your onboarding steps) you wil receive email notifications from our Lift Online training platform. You are automatically assigned a bunch of online courses to do each season. The expectation is that you will complete these courses BEFORE your first day of work or training.
Notes:
- You do NOT have to complete the "My Schedule/Legion" or "Wage & Hour" courses if you do not have a second job in another WB department.
- Snow Pro Need to Know - If you have been assigned both the New Staff and Returner versions, you do not need to take both. Just watch the New Staff version. 🙂
Pre Season Mandatory Training
Please if you haven't already, go in and update your profile. If you have not received an invite email from flaik, email us at wbsbstraining@vailresorts.com.
All training will be scheduled in this platform this year.
New Staff - you are required to sign up and attend the following:
- Welcome to Winter
- Snow School Orientation (SSON) for new staff
- OST - Operations & Safety Training
- IST - Instructor Skills Training
Return Staff - you are required to sign up and attend the following:
- Snow School Orientation (SSOR) for return staff
- Note that there is a specific SSO for your department (kids, adults, privates etc)
- If you are not able to attend the SSO date for your department, a recording will be provided on our wbsnowandbikeschool.ca website that you can watch and be paid for.
- RST - Return Staff Training for your pod
If you are having any issues signing up for training, please check our website and if still having difficulties, email us at wbsbstraining@vailresorts.com.
If you would like more information about training, visit:
Elective Training
Morning Session (AM Session) will be starting shortly. We will start with just Ultimate Alpine Groups and Gap and slowly expand our offerings depending on terrain and ski out. Watch the flaik calendar for offerings.
AM session is an open to all snow school, elective and unpaid session for those that would like to work on their professional development. Sign up in flaik is mandatory as well as signing an Acknowledgement Waiver (in the flaik sign up) daily.
Full Day Sessions start next week!
We'll start with mostly Open sessions, which basically means it is for everyone. We'll concentrate on getting our skiing/riding legs back, play with the terrain that is open and help you devise a season development plan.
Level 4 Ski Program
Application for the Level 4 Training groups is now closed. You may email tfraser@vailresorts.com to be put on a waitlist, but otherwise, please take advantage of all of the training sessions we have available to continue on your development pathway.
Snowboard Specific Elective Training
A message from Dan Raymond - Head Snowboard Trainer:
Hey everyone, my stoke is clearly growing faster than the snowbase, so I hit the office extra hard this week to type up a quick breakdown of what elective snowboarding sessions you can look forward to in January. I dove into attendance records going back to 1999 to look for trends: significantly more snowboarders attend training on Mondays and Tuesdays. The high mark was on February 13, 2007 where 27 riders joined one trainer for a halfpipe session on a powder day! I do miss the old days... when we had powder! I can't guarantee a halfpipe, but I can add extra trainers on Monday and Tuesday sessions so that we can better support the high demand and ability splits for our most popular sessions.
CASI 2/ CASI 3/ CASI 4: These sessions are to prepare you for your next course or exam. Progress your riding, teaching and/or pedagogy in preparation for the next step in your instructor training. Foreign cert instructors looking to broaden their skills are welcome as well.
Advanced Competency Workshop (Adv Comp): These advanced riding sessions typically focus on one of the CASI advanced competencies featured in Levels 3 and 4 -strength and flow -arc to arc -steering versatility -loading and deflecting. You’ll develop your riding in various terrain and snow conditions while improving your understanding of these great A&I concepts.
Yearning 4 Turning (Y4T): This is a radical turning session. Combining carving and buttering, accentuated by terrain; Come make some sweet “esses” on corduroy and/or pow. This session is inspired by the youtube video series that shares its name, make sure to check WB snow school shredders Aari and Terra in this clip!
Intro to STD!: This session is to ease riders into off-piste riding. You’ll learn to safely navigate trees and alpine terrain and discover new (to you) zones. This session is recommended for riders inquiring about their preparedness for the Steep’s Internal Designation Level 1.
Steeps, Trees and Drops! (STD): The name says it all! Session leaders will guide you to conditions appropriate terrain. Refine your skills to navigate chutes, glades, and cliffs. This session is for riders comfortable on black off-piste terrain. Travis Rice showcases this session well (spins optional). This session is recommended for riders considering their preparedness for the Steep’s Internal Designation Level 2-3 as well as the NEW: CASI big mountain Module.
Park (Small): Start here for coaching to tackle features (maybe for your first time). Beyond riding in the park, some skills development will take place in “all- mountain freestyle” terrain to showcase the building blocks to more complex tricks. This session is a great way to prepare for the CASI Park 1 module or build your riding confidence by getting guided park mileage. The session will prepare you for the Park Safety Internal Designation
Park (Medium-Large): Refine your tricks or learn new ones. This Session is for advanced park riders who are already comfortable riding the medium (or large) features in the Blackcomb terrain park. The CASI Park 2 standard video showcases these sessions well.
Mixed sessions (skiers welcome):
Indigenous History on the Mountain: Skiers and snowboarders are welcome to this informative day. Navigate the mountain with Sandy Ward of the Lil’wat nation as she shares traditional place names and stories about the land we literally work and play on.
Avalanche Skills Training refresher (AST): This session is for instructors (Ski or Snowboard) who have the AST 1 cert who would like to practice their backcountry skills in a safe controlled environment (INBOUNDS Flute zone). The session will cover: Trip planning and Interpreting the Avalanche Forecast. Identifying Avalanche terrain and safe travel habits up & down. Companion Rescue (transceiver use). Participants should bring: Touring gear, Transceiver, Shovel, Probe & lunch. Be prepared for a full day out.
Split-Boarding curious: A session for instructors (skiers also welcome) interested in touring. You’ll learn how to set up your equipment, important mobility techniques and practice by going for an inbounds tour in the Flute zone. This session does NOT cover avalanche skills training. Participants should bring: Split-board (or skis) touring skins, poles and lunch. Be prepared for a full day out.
WPC Health Self Assessment Classes
WB snow school in conjunction with Workplace Physiotherapy Clinic is offering opportunities for a pre season physical self assessment.
Come join Allison and Jana at Blackcomb kids at 4pm for a 1 hour class that will help you assess where you may need to develop some strength, balance or flexibility to stay healthy and safe this season.
30 people per session. Please only sign up for ONE clinic.
Myofascial Stretch Classes with Paul Sherman
Paul Sherman is back this year to help you get ready for the season and maintain your physical health with his myofascial stretch class.
Classes are free for WB snow school staff on Tuesdays at Blackcomb Base, inside Blackcomb kids from 4:15 - 5:15.
Sign up is in flaik and bring a yoga mat if you have one.
If you sign up, show up. No shows will be restricted from future training sessions.
Yoga with Bob and Amanda starting soon!
We are very lucky to have both Amanda and Bob back to help restore your bodies after long days at work.
Classes will be at Blackcomb Base from 4:15 - 5:30.
Bob's Classes on Saturdays will start on December 6th.
Amanda's Classes on Sundays will start December 14th.
Sign up in flaik - Bring a yoga mat if you have one.
Resources:
Snow School Website 🌐 - for everything snow school related:
SS Trail Map
If you haven't seen it yet, we now have a digital map that lists all terrain available to each snow school level. It's pretty neat!
Find the QR code on your safety manual, or use this link:
Username: wbsnowschool
Password: SkiSchool25
*this is for snow school staff only. Please do not pass on to guests.
Flaik - to sign up for any and all training sessions:
*even though flaik has a scheduling funtion, we will not be using this scheduling tool.
Thanks for taking the time to read all this info. It is all aimed at trying to make your life here in the wbss team safe and enjoyable!
See you up there!
Tracey Fraser
Training Manager, Whistler Blackcomb Snow School
