Jonathan Lawson

EpicMix - GeoTagging, Geolocation, and Facebook updates live from the slopes

2010-08-31T04:10:44Z

Vail Resort just announced EpicMix for the 2010-11 season. Reliving your ski or snowboarding day into the evening. Bejeweled has nothing on this. The connection with Social Media should be fun for a number of uses. I am excited to see how this is used by the skiers and riders. Great job Vail Resorts for a number of reasons. It is a very compelling and free product.

]]> SkiPassDefender This product costs less than a lunch on the mountain, and it protects my RFID-encrypted information safe from tech savvy thieves. The Ski Pass Defender also effectively allows the skier or rider to "Opt-out" of being tracked around the mountain, and allows the pass to be easily scanned by the ticket scanner at the lift line. I think every frequent skier or rider who has an RFID pass should have this as part of their gear. So, let's see what the future brings to the mountains.

Breckenridge Parking during ski season

2010-08-24T16:12:41Z

1.6 million skier/rider days make Breckenridge one of the most popular destinations in the world. Parking in Breckenridge can be at a premium. If you are staying in Breckenridge, you probably have a parking spot and use the excellent bus system to get from your home to the Gondola.

But if you are like many who visit Breckenridge for some skiing, here is a quick primer on parking. When you are arriving from the North, I-70 and Frisco, you will first see the FREE parking on Coyne Valley Rd (stoplight) make a right turn and you will be guided to the Airport Rd parking lot. There are many buses which can take you from Airport Rd to the Gondola (1mi).

Parking for the 2010-11 season will be the same as last year. $5 Monday-Thursday, and $10 Friday-Sunday with $5 discount if there are 4 or more people in the vehicle! That's right FREE parking during the week if you have 4 or more in the vehicle. You may also buy a season's parking pass for $159.

If you come into Breckenridge (which I would suggest). You have convenient options. The map to the right shows you 3 of the main lots. When you pass the Breckenridge Recreation Center, make a right BEFORE you get to the roundabout, this will keep you on HWY 9. You will pass the City Market on your left. Make your first left on North French St, and this will take you to the NORTH GONDOLA Lot. This lot is paved, so during a wet spring it is a good option.

However there are two more options if these fill. Go to the next street and make left on Watson Rd, then a right into the SOUTH GONDOLA lot. This is an unpaved lot, but still very convenient. The Gold Rush and Postal Lot (possibly returning) are overflow lots. These will both be charged at the rate of the Gondola lots.

BONUS: Insider Tip

During busy days Weekends or Holidays, instead of making the right before the roundabout go THROUGH the roundabout. Drive down Main St, then make a RIGHT on Watson Rd. You will see Ski Country Sports (Yellow Building). You will access the South Gondola lot and save yourself 5-10 minutes.

The Gondola will take you to the bases of Peak 7 and Peak 8 (Main Facilities base). You can pick up lift passes at the base of the Gondola.

First Snow hits the High Country, Colorado

2010-08-20T14:20:38Z

We have been enjoying our summer riding, rafting, parades and golf. However, we can't help but think towards the autumn season and golf. And this morning Park County, CO highest peaks saw a little snow.

: The first snow in Ski Country falls outside of Breckenridge

I had a pleasant surprise when we woke this morning. Although skiing and snowboarding came to mind initially, I started thinking about the great events and weekends in Breckenridge coming in the fall. The Labor Day Weekend offers cool mountain air and sunshine. There are art festivals right behind Ski County Sports. Then one of the great events of the autumn, Breckenridge Oktoberfest on Sept 17th weekend.

The golf courses, mountain bike trails, fishing, and hiking are all in prime condition this time of the year. There is no reason to have to endure city traffic and 90+ temps when Breckenridge and Summit County is so easy to visit.

Images and elements of "Good" Skiing

2010-08-10T02:02:56Z

When I was training for my PSIA Full Certification (Level 3) in 1993, and Trainer Accreditation (1999) I would watch good skiers for about 15 minutes every morning. Of course back then it was on VHS video tape. Now you can just bookmark this post and watch away. Some of the videos resembled what I used to watch.

Medium Radius Carved Turns

Short Radius Performance Turns

Performance Mogul Skiing

Skiing Variable Terrain

Great job Jonathan Ballou (Aspen) and PSIA-RM for putting these images together. To get this type of performance from your instructor, REQUEST a FULLY CERTIFIED PSIA/AASI professional for your next lesson.

Dynamic Warmup for Skiing - Elsbeth Vaino

2010-08-07T14:23:03Z

This is a repost of Elsbeth Vaino's MySnowPro.com Blog. This is an excellent pre-ski day routine. Visit Elsbeth's blog regularly. You may follow it via an RSS feed, by selecting "subscribe to the feed" in the right hand column of her blog page. Thanks Elsbeth.

If you've ever wondered whether you should do some sort of warmup before a day of skiing, I can provide a simple answer for you: Yes. What you should do is a bit more of a challenge. To help with this, I have created a video that shows a set of 9 activation exercises and dynamic stretches that will help to prepare your body for the ski day ahead.

Each exercise can be done on snow, in your boots, and the only equipment you need is your poles. The warm-up includes:

- Pectoral stretch

- Lower trapezius activation

- Thoracic spine rotational stretch

- Fore-aft leg swings

- Rotational leg swings

- Psoas activation

- Glute medius activation

- Lunge stretch with lateral reach

- Lateral squat with hip rotation

Do 5 reps of each exercise on each side with a 2-3 second hold for each. Then follow it up with an easy run to get a feel for the skis and the conditions. Move a lot during that first run - think 1000 steps and exagerated and repeated flexions/extensions (small/tall). Try a few hockey stops and a few roller blade turns. Then you'll be ready to enjoy the fact that you're spending the day doing he best activity on earth.

When you're back at home or in the hotel room, think about foam rolling: your body will thank you tomorrow if you do. If you're not familiar with foam rolling, check out this blog article about it, as well as this set of how-to videos.

Blogging for your business - A few blogging tips

2010-06-27T15:43:14Z

Does blogging for your business feel like taking the leap into the unknown? Here are few blogging tips and strategies for you to try The purpose of this post is to offer you, the business/brand related blogger beginning and intermediate strategy for the blogging component of your digital presence.

As a company, brand, or individual "Why blog?"

A quick search for "Breckenridge" queries 1770 results in the past 7 days. Your visitors and guests are already reading about your industry, location, or product category. Where are you? A blog tends to have the voice of a peer or expert rather than sales copy and advertising, or at least it should. If you are a ski or ride instructor we provide it here: http://www.mysnowpro.com/signup/ If you are not, you can get a free blog to practice your craft at Wordpress

Here are a few more reasons:

It's Free
Generate Positive Content
Build brand recognition and loyalty
Build Credibility with customers
Use for crisis managment
Customer Service
Provide timely and relevant content
Easily target industry trends and search terms

When our company designs a corporate website strategy, there are a few musts and a blog is a must.

Who in the company should blog?

It doesn't have to be the CEO or CMO, although it could be. It could even be shared between a few different people within the organization. Ideally the blogger should be familiar with different aspects of the organization, as well as having comfort navigating the internet and finding information.

They should also read blogs themselves and may have some basic knowledge of SEO and keywording. Here is a primer.

The blogger should NOT be micromanaged, yet operate within the policies established by the company. This said, the CMO or company owner should be able to read the blog and offer feedback.

Blogging Suggestions:

Be a "true voice" and offer relevant information rather than simply a PR pumping machine. Link to other articles where appropriate.

Host the blog on your server. Don't rely on blogger or another 3rd party hosting site! If your blog and all of your content disappears, then you have no recourse. And if this happens, your passion for blogging will diminish.

It is best to maintain an honest, and informative blog which is useful to the visitor and the industry while benefiting the company.

Have guidelines for the blogger to follow. If something is potentially "edgy" or the timing is around earnings speak with the CMO or communications director for their input.
Content is Relevant and interesting. Some companies, Industries or locations are interesting enough to write an article a day, although many do not. So, where can we find content? I follow a number of industry specific Facebook feeds, Google Reader, Google Insights or Trends. For the ski industry, Oct-December regularly sees major spikes in global search interest . This is the information people are looking to find, create it for them.
Use images on your posts. Bring additional interest to the text.
Keep up with local event calendars. For Breckenridge events, I follow GoBreck.com
Use the holiday or start of a season as a catalyst to create content.

Frequency

Advice here varies, once a day, once a week, twice a week. My recommendation - Make it regular! If you start off once a day, and then move to once a month your readers will wonder what has happened, and stop following. I would rather see a blog start off at once a week, and then build it's frequency and quality rather than reduce frequency.

Don't just use it as a marketing tool

Mention your company, but keep it brief unless it is about company specific news. Having company specials is fine as long as you keep them to once a week or so, as it offer an incentive to read the blog but won't be overbearing.

Allow readers to comment and communicate with you. Many business owners shy away from Social Media as they are concerned with negative comments and having a "bad press" on their website. Here is a newsflash... People in the world are already saying these things, however now you are able to address these concerns promptly and the communication you offer will add credibility for your company.

Create links and Publicize

Link to relevant posts and websites which are relevant to your posts.
Host the blog on your server. Don't rely on blogger or another 3rd party hosting site!
Your blog link should appear on every page of your website if possible, have an RSS feed prominently located so that people can easily follow your writing.

Enjoy your writing. Blog what is relevant. Blog what you enjoy, and do so regularly.

As a professional ski instructor and digital media proponent, Jonathan Lawson began posting daily photos and a few words a day on his www.MySnowPro.com/jonthanlawson blog (2006). Within a few weeks of daily posts, he began picking up significant readership, he was oblivious to Google Trends or Google Insights. Jonathan didn't know how to optimize his blog posts. However, through trial and error, and more than 1000 individual posts and 100s of hours study he has become a student of blogging best practices. In the past 4 years, he has consulted with business regarding the structure, frequency, & blog and social media integration with their current digital presence.

Blogging - Anticipating demand and using Google for keyword ideas

2010-06-16T13:16:06Z

I started blogging in 2006, prior to that time I would put my thoughts in my journals. It is often said, "The weakest ink remembers more than the strongest mind". I didn't know that I could make money blogging, nor did I know that I could use google keywords to get more readership.

I just wrote about ideas, about the lessons I had with my students, and about other passions of mine such as trading. Prior to blogging my journals contained my ideas and muses. I still go back to them for inspiration for new ideas, and memories of previously comprehended ones. I have also found that certain situations spawn similar seeds of thoughts.

For the past 3 years of "managing" a blogging website I have noticed trends, but until recently I have not been able to quantify them. I would write timely information based on "my time" and experiences. Indeed this is one of the powers of the blogging platform, however as a business I have found a few more structured ways to blog. What if you ran a Recreation and Sports website and wanted to get the most readership on a given topic? When would you start blogging about skiing, tennis, golf, yoga, weight lifting, physical therapy, etc? And what terms are people ACTUALLY searching.

Before I go further, I am sure there are some blogging purists seeing this going in the way of SEO (Search Engine Optimization) or SEM (Search Engine Marketing), or populist marketing. Indeed you are seeing that!

I may write about a number of things, and for my "skiing business" I would like as many people who are interested in my subjects of expertise read these articles. That is one of the main reasons I write and publish them.

So, how might you structure blogging with the Recreation and Sports...

Using Google Insights you could input a few of what you consider to be relevant topics. Let's say, Golf, Tennis, Skiing, Yoga, Sports. Each of these terms have seasonality (which is why I initially picked them). You may anticipate Skiing would see winter demand, and you would be right. It peaks in December, and has since 2004. My question is, "When does it start seeing a ramp in activity? Reasonably simple to assume, but Insights let's us see a bottom in June, ramping in Sept and spiking in Nov/Dec. And what specific search term is chosen? As I write this in June, the strong terms are "ski" and "cross country skiing".

A person could assume we would see summer spikes in Golf and Tennis, and we would be right again. The term sports remains relatively high year-around, not seeing significant seasonality. Golf troughs in November and begins to rise in February and peaks in July often around major events. Although, over the past 6yrs we have been seeing lower lows and lower highs. And the current top searches for Golf are "Golf" and "Golf Course" (but not "golf courses"). With the top countries of origin being:

Ireland
US
Canada
UK

A final observation I will make in this post is regarding aggregate demand is that we can see trends over time, and relative interest. Here is a list of 5 from high to low and their relative score out of 100 (taken on June 1st, 2010):

Golf - 58
Sports - 53
Tennis - 21
Yoga - 11
Skiing - 3

In short, If I were going to write an article on skiing I would most likely write something regarding summer sports which can benefit my skiing, or summer activities which can be enjoyed at ski resort, etc.

To reminisce in an entire blog post about the great powder day we enjoyed in March may fall upon deaf ears, blind eyes and wither like a snowflake in June.

Stay relevant, and know what the audience is looking to read. This relevance in blog posts can significantly impact your overall Organic ranking for your web presence in search.

Summit County Spring -- busy

2010-06-01T02:25:53Z

I am glad to be back blogging at MySnowPro. For many instructors there is stress involved in dealing with the shoulder season as a ski instructor.

Work, weather, living and family schedule arrangements, and ski/ride withdrawal. I have been going through all of the above. The photo to the right is unfortunately what I PLAN to be doing at some point this summer.

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First there is work:

This was the first year in many years I didn't have my summer work lined up. Since '99 I was either a Golf Pro or Future and options trader (Bell Trading or my own acct). This year it was different. I currently work with the Grand Lodge at Peak 7. It is a great company, and I am happy to work with the company. The only problem, is I like having leverage to my efforts rather than working "time for money".

However, my work on the internet and work "social media" since '95 has been bearing fruit. Leslie Stafford (founder of Colorado.net) and I have founded NanoPlanet, LLC I attached the Facebook page, and the website should be up by week's end.We specialize SEO (Search Engine Optimization) and SEM (Search Engine Marketing) in obtaining and deciphering internet market intelligence, and creating and executing strategies to help a business connect with customers. We are a creative group, have solid systems, and we can execute them quickly. I am very excited and have been putting in long days to prepare our systems for strong demand.

Weather and fitness-

Late April and early to mid-May were wet and cold. I wanted to get out on my bike and ride, but no luck with the cold and snowy weather. However, I did manage to ski for a day with our new business partner Tami B at A-Basin. There was 8" of fresh snow, and sunny weather to enjoy the morning. Mid May and on has been great. I have managed to run or ride 6 days a week which is helping me get through my ski/exercise withdrawals. I have even managed to get in a few days of practice now that the Breckenridge and Keystone golf courses have opened.

I have also been helping Sadie with her new business. I love the product, and believe everyone whom I care about would use this. It is also a great business.

Lifestyle and work schedule adjustments-

Let's just say I am not working 9-5 these days, and Sadie and my schedules require some compromise and flexibility. I am happy to be working out of the house most of the time, but that pesky work with GL7 'harshes my mellow". As we get liftoff with NanoPlanet, I will be able to work less with GL7 and work more helping business develop and grow their brand through online channels. The kids are great, and Christian's baseball team requires a schedule of its own, but we have great parents to help with the carpools.

I will be keeping weekly blog here. There is certainly much going on with the family, some of which is good and much of which is extremely challenging. Although here is a good piece of music to keep me going.

A morning walk in the snow with The Fifth Agreement

2010-04-24T16:18:19Z

Just had a nice morning walk through 10" of late April powder. I tend to read while I walk. I have never thought much of it, although it seems other people don't know how I do it. I have been reading the follow up to one of my favorite books of all-time, The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.

This book is The Fifth Agreement (You can go to MyOnlineBlastoff to get cash back discounts on all purchases) offers reasoning as to adding the additional agreement. I have long thought of this agreement in my own life, but I did not previously see such a tight correlation.

As I was walking I was re-reading the initial 4 agreements:

1) Be Impeccable with your Word - Your mind is full of knowledge, but how are you using that knowledge. "The word, as a symbol, has the magic and power of creation because it can reproduce an image, an idea, a feeling, or an entire story in your imagination."I was reminded of the understanding of the power of what we say and how we say it. It prompted me to understand

the way we use symbols as representation for a thought or a string of thoughts, or an entire belief system. I thought of the way a series of words or symbols with action can completely change the course of history. Adam and Even, Original sin, Infidel, The Rich, The Poor, American Flag, Hand on our heart, Salute to the Leader of a country. I also recounted how most humans use words. Perhaps through gossip or opinion. And where did you learn your "words". "Impeccability of the word is so important because the word is you, the messenger. You are telling yourself a story, but is it the truth?" "Being impeccable with your word means never using the power of the word against yourself."

2) Not Take Anything Personally - We are dreaming. Each of us is living our own lives. Others actions are based upon the agreements they have made with themselves, rather than your knowledge/agreements. "Who is dreaming the story of your life? You are.

If you don't like your life, if you don't like what you believe about yourself, you are the only one who can change it. It is your world; it's your dream." How often do I become the supporting character in someone else's dream, rather than the lead in my own. (For me, all too often). Others want 'secondary' characters the way they want them to be, and if they are not, they fell very hurt. They take everything personally. With this awareness, you can also understand the solution, and it's something simple and logical. Don't take anything personally.

Those are the two I internalized this morning. The remaining three will have to wait for tomorrows walk.

3) Don't make assumptions

4) Always do your best

5th) Be skeptical, but learn to listen

To your success,

Jon

The Breckenridge Lesson Pass information 2010-11 Season

2010-04-23T13:44:18Z

Thx to Bob Booker for putting together the information

BRECKENRIDGE SKI & RIDE SCHOOL LESSON PASSES

STEP 1 - Renew or Buy an 10/11 Colorado, Summit or Epic Pass
STEP 2 - Renew or Buy your 10/11 Adult Lesson Pass for only $249 or Child Lesson Pass for only $560
STEP 3 - Take your skills to the next level!

Breckenridge Lesson Passes allows you to take class lessons throughout the 2010-2011 Season.

· Valid Thursdays through Sundays

· Breck Adult Lesson Pass- $249. Ages 14+ Valid for Ski, SB and Tele Saturday class lessons.

· Breck Child Lesson Pass - $560. Ages 4-13, Valid for Ski and SB class lessons.

· Spring sales through May 7^th, 2010 or while supplies last.

· Participants may redeem one Ski & Ride School group lesson ticket per day on the morning of the lesson. The Breckenridge Lesson Passes are valid for classes Thursday through Sunday only. The lesson ticket is NOT TRANSFERABLE. You must have your season pass present to obtain a lesson ticket.

· On your first day stop into a Ski & Ride School office to fill out a release form, a Breckenridge Lesson Pass agreement, and to obtain a lesson ticket. After your first day you will not be required to fill out a release however you will still need to obtain a lesson ticket.

· Breckenridge Ski & Ride School Pass redemption is unavailable: 12/23/10-01/02/11, 1/08/11-1/09/11, 1/15/11-1/16/11, 2/19/11-2/20/11 & 3/12/11-03/20/11

· Lessons meet at normal class lesson times; 9:45am for Adults and 9:15 for children, for morning and all day lessons. Afternoon lessons are only available to novice skiers and riders, levels 1-4, and depart at 1:30pm.

· We will make every effort to accommodate instructor requests but reserve the right to make assignments according to business needs and policies. The final decision lies with the supervisor and not the instructor.

· Not valid for Ultimate 4, Adventure Session, camp or special program participation.

· All dates/times/locations/prices subject to change. Please call 1888-576-2754 (970-453-3272) for updated information.

· Refund policy: Before Dec 22 the one day window rate for an adult/child lesson will be subtracted based on usage. After Dec. 22, Breckenridge Lesson Ski & Ride School passes are non-refundable.

Late February Weekend in Breckenridge, CO

2010-03-19T13:21:00Z

Skiing in Breckenridge this season has been pretty decent. We have been spoiled with great snow the past few seasons. Although Father Winter made a nice showing in Mid February. I have put together a short video to prove it. Although, videos have been less frequent this year due to some issues with MS Movie Maker Live. I sure wish I had a better and easier movie program.

I have great fortune to ski with some fun people from beginner through expert, although the advanced and expert skiers make for better action video. Enjoy. We are setting up for a very nice spring season of skiing.

Babes on Bumps 2010 - photo review

2010-02-27T14:08:31Z

I had a great 2 months skiing with the ladies of the Babes on Bumps. We came to the season with diverse goals.

1) Improve our skiing

2) Have fun

3) Push a few of our limits

After the first lesson we talked about Zones of Comfort, Performance, and Fear

Here is a slide show of a few of our adventures

We trying to focus and integrate 1 of the 3 skills (Rotary Movements, Edge Ctrl Movements, and Pressure Ctrl Movements) during the first 4 weeks of our time together.

We use a variety of Fore/Aft Balance queues (feeling the shins by flexing/extending the ankles)

Foot to foot balance in soft snow. Finding our equilibrium 80/20, 70, 30, 60/40, or 50/50

We also skied across the bumps to develop an awareness of movement in the ankles, knees, and hips. Specific focus was give to "short circuiting" the extension reflex. Flex as we cross the face of the bump, rather than extend or brace against the bump.

A constant theme was developing a "softer" ankle while we skidded through our turn. Understanding that a less edged ski as it skids will create friction, and friction will contorl our speed. If we want to increase our speed or hold our line we can roll to a higher edge and develop a carve.

In the second half of the sessions we traveled the mountain and worked more on application. Whale's Tail, North Bowl, Snow White, and E-Chair were fair game. We still have plenty of practice to get in. But I hope it was a fun time had by all.

Thank you Babes!

Here is a second and shorter slide show

Wrapped up MLK weekend skiing in Breckenridge

2010-01-19T16:41:16Z

We just finished a busy and pleasant weekend in Breckenridge, CO. Skiing and riding was reasonably good. I can't wait for some "horrible" weather to replenish the soft snow on the mountain. It looks like storms are rolling through.

I have been sampling a few tune shops in town. I have been using Pup's Glide Shop. They have been putting on fine tunes. Although about 3 weeks ago I took my skis to Breckenridge Sports in the Maggie (Village of Breckenridge). Rafe is the main tuner there. Wow, he has been doing FANTASTIC work on my skis. The edges are great, and his base structure work is impeccable. I can't say enough about how much pride Rafe takes in his work. I have been been sending my students to both of these locations for ski repair work this season. And heaven knows we need to have our skis repaired from the early season beating they have all taken.

I was fortunate to ski with some very nice people over the past few days. On Saturday I skied with Vanessa R from Kansas City. It was her first day back of the year. Rather than skiing day one with her friends she joined me for a Level 5 lesson. We skied Peak 7 in the morning and Peak 9 in the afternoon.

A few focuses were flattening then turning the inside leg throug the transition of the turn. By the end of the day she was comfortably making parallel turns, and even skied a blue/black.

On monday I was fortunate to ski with Tom and Mary from the UK. They had been skiing with us for 6 days prior, and wanted to technique adjustments but also some adventure seeking around the mountain. We worked on some contemporary technique including an earlier tipping (rather than twisting) of the ski, and allowing a flexion of the inside leg from the ankle, knee, and hip. Prior to the coaching, they both had a simultaneous flexing and extending of their legs. This was leading their moving back through the shaping and finish of the turn.

Later in the morning we took this on to the T-bar and North Bowl. The snow was surprisingly good. Although only 3" of new snow was reported we found considerably more in spots. The terrain features had softened as well. In the moguls we focused on bringing the feet UP toward the hips rather than the torso down to the feet. This allowed better ski to snow contact earlier in the turn. In the afternoon we decided to move up into the Imperial Bowl. We skied Whale's Tail to Vertigo for our first run, and the Peak 8 Summit and Lake Chutes for our second. Our third run took us back to the Whale's Tail and the Boundary Chutes. My hope for them is the enhanced technique and the exposure to new terrain will make the next 3 days even more enjoyable.

Tom and Mary's Photo Album

Tom&Mary

We are also planning a second MySnowPro.com ski trip to Silverton in February. One day at Silverton Powerdercats, and the second at Silverton Mountain.

Zones of Comfort and Fear - Performance Skiing

2010-01-12T20:10:29Z

The contents of this post have been incredibly important to my ski and golf teaching. I have also used the concepts here for other types of athletes and performers. I labelled zones of comfort, performance, and fear in my own sports growing up (Motorcycle racing 1978-82, Surfing 1981-1992, Track 1986-92, and Cross-Country) I have found that several others have moved in parallel with these ideas. I first shared this with my students around 1992. In the mid 90's I started meshing some of the terminology and ideas of John Phillips from Aspen Mtn. I honestly don't know where my original ideas end and others began. And for the learner's sake, it doesn't really matter. What does matter is that these ideas are simple and work well if used during a learning process and the student stretches their personal comfort zones. When I have the opportunity to have an "Adventure Lesson" with a skier I like to create a syntax in which the skier and teacher can communicate. I call this the Zones of Comfort and Fear.

All Zones are relative to the individual. They are not necessarily Green, Blue, and Black runs. They are influence by skier/rider ability, experience, and mental state at the time of assessment. They can also be influenced by terrain conditions (powder, ice, moguls, etc), Traffic on the run, and Time day (visibility, fatigue). Furthermore, these zones are not fixed. For example, a blue mogul run at some point may have been a yellow zone activity, however when the student gets comfortable with blue bumps it eventually turns green. It is also important to note when a participant is standing above a run and looking in, the "fear of the unknown" can be quite strong. Once the skier/rider "takes action", there will usually be a 1/2 to 1 zone drop in anxiety.

I remember a few times I've told myself, "Mind you can tell me how scared I was when we get to the bottom of this run. I will listen to you. Until then, body... do what I have trained you to do".

Green Zone - Comfort/familiar This is the point to add to the participants knowledge base.

An instructor can share and develop new movements, and exercises/drill in this zone. Learned and Activity knowledge can be co-developed in this range. This can be considered to shallow end of the pool. Remember that "a sailing ship is safe in a harbor, but that is not where sailing ships were meant to be sailed."

Optimal Performance Zone - OP Zone- Knowledge and developed skill in conjunction with stress/arousal creates an optimal performance zone for the athlete/performer. I monitor this zone in my golf game with an optimal heart beat. (My golf Zone Hb is 85-98). It is higher with skiing. I enjoy spending time with my student in this area. If I can pace the lesson properly we can stay here for an extended period of time. I will also try to "Anchor" feelings, emotional states, and performance queues while we are in the OP Zone. "What are you seeing?" "What muscles are firing?" "What thoughts do you have?", etc.

Yellow/Thrill Zone- High State of arousal. Some of my students talk about this zone as the "Yellow - wanna pee my pants" zone. Depending on the performer this range may see an elevated "fight" performance throughout the thrill zone. They perform well. They thrive in this zone. Others may encounter a "flight" response as they move through this zone. These "flight" skiers would prefer to finish the lesson segment and go back to their green zone. A skilled instructor may be able to keep their student performing in this zone by encouragement, focus on the activity, and/or anchoring of the experience.

An important part about this zone is to realize that either response should be noted, as well as performance. All results should be applauded NOT criticized at that moment. Some feedback can be given and should be given as an observation. i.e. There is an up-unweighting/extension movement at the beginning of the turn, rather than the absorption/flexion movement we have been developing. The instructor can move back to the "green" or OP zone to work on skills that need enhancing/correcting.

In a learning environment the student/instructor would be best served not to spend an extended length of time in the Thrill zone. Much like the driver who keeps their car in 2nd gear at High RPM for extended period time, excessive wear can be created. Balance learning among Green-OP-Yellow-Orange zones.

Orange Zone - Think of this as the beginning of the Red Line in a car, or anaerobic in workout. An instructor or coach can help manage the anxiety which is inherent within this level. An instructor/coach's presence, words of encouragement, tactical advice, and reminder of goals/incentives can all be beneficial to the learner. In fact, this is an important reason top athletes hire coaches. They help the athlete focus when their world is "spinning".

A skier can play here for a little time, but extended exposure to this mental state will start to see significant performance deterioration. A skilled coach can move the skier between the OP Zone-Yellow-Orange which will expand these zones outward. The terrain or situation which was once orange, can become yellow, or even green with a few journey's into that environment. This can also be viewed as the peak of an Adventure lesson. Celebrate the effort and the experience rather than just the performance. Most of our skiers are not peaking for the olympics or a major performance. They wish to move beyond what they have previously accomplished. Instructors and coaches can help a skier rapidly expand their skier's vision and ability by venturing into the OrangeZone. However, skill must be taken to select environments in which the skier may decompress back to a "safer" zone quickly if necessary. In most cases it is best to celebrate it without critique, but exposure to this zone is important for the skier to grow. This zone also provides fantastic stories for student to share with friends and family during apres-ski!

Red Zone - If a person steps beyond the optimum performance and thrill zones they enter a "danger zone".

Performance will decline rapidly as higher levels of anxiety or discomfort occur. Sometimes lessons go here without the intent of student or instructor. We sometimes call this "TF'ing" the student. If at all possible, it is to be avoided.

After a Red Zone experience, it is often advised to go to a "GreenZone" run to decompress. Then you can build back toward the OP Zone.

I like to introduce these concepts to my students. If I am planning an adventure lesson with a student either today or in an upcoming lesson

The reasons are three-fold:

1) Allow them to experience what is going on and identify these states

2) Allow us to have common language to describe the mental state of the skier/rider

3) Set a gameplan for understanding my feedback, and the reasons we are moving from zone to zone.

Skiing on a Monday in Breckenridge

2010-01-12T19:31:18Z

I greeted Monday morning to sunshine and comfortable temperatures. But here in Breckenridge we love Mondays. There is more room to ski and you can just about ski right onto the lifts.

Midweek days are usually fun to teach on because the folk who ski often have taken their vacation to ski. January 11th was just such a ski lesson with Dave A. from the Highlands Ranch area. Dave took advantage of the new Adventure Session product with Ski School. This session is offered for between 1-5 guests, and starts at 9:15. It is not designed as a lesson but rather a guide around the mountain. A buyer of this product usually isn't able to request an instructor for this product.

I met Dave about 9am, and he had a few terrain goals. Being that he was a Level 7 skier, I had a few ideas. When I saw that he was up for being an "All-Terrain" 7, we were off!

We warmed up on upper 4 O'clock from 6-Chair on Peak 8 (P8). We slipped around to the Front Bowl (Horseshoe Bowl) so that I could determine his comfort level. We used a Green, Yellow, Red model to help me determine his level of "mental" comfort on certain terrain. When we dropped in the snow was very good. From there we skied the "Swamp", then headed over to the T-bar. Dave did well across Front Bowl area. He told me that he had thought of skiing from the top of Imperial Bowl "12,900" and he wondered if he was able. After seeing him ski and knowing a few things about skiing people from the top, we loaded the chair. In 4 minutes we were on top of the world. Pike's Peak was in clear view (90+mi away). We skied the ridge, then reloaded the chair. Now it was time for the Imperial Bowl itself. We entered and took bite size chunks of the bowl By the time we were half way down the comfort level was high and we skied all the way down. We skied a few runs on Peak 7, including Ore Bucket. We took one more run off the T-bar, then had a few more runs before lunch at Spencer's on Peak 9.

After a short but tasty lunch we headed back out to enjoy the bluebird day. It was gorgeous on the hill. We headed over to Peak 10 for a few runs. We took a look out on the "southside", then skied Cimarron and DoubleJack. Great times. With a few pointers Dave was skiing very well. As our legs began to tire, we headed back to P8 for another Imperial lap.

It was a great day to play on the mountain with temps in the 20-30s, and nearly cloudless skies. We skied about 19,000 vertical feet by the end of the day. That was a good Adventure Session. Thanks Dave.

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