Spinning Wheels

Tomorrow, June 30th, was originally scheduled to be the opening day for Treble Cone's 2008 season. Unfortunately, after furiously preparing the facilities, training the staff, planning programs, and generally keeping busy while working to keep our excitement in check, our opening has been delayed due to a lack of snow and snowmaking temperatures. We're still keeping our fingers crossed for a Tuesday opening, but Wednesday is more likely.

On the upside, it's been an interesting week-and-a-half of training. I arrived early to get up to speed on the supervisory side of the Snow School and have had an opportunity to get to know our new staff first on paper, and then in person. It's always an interesting process getting to know a new staff and that is particularly so here given the number of countries represented. Other than returning staff, in order to get hired to teach at Treble Cone one must ISIA qualified, which is basically the equivalent of a PSIA Level III - commonly referred to as "full-cert". On our staff this year we have full-certs from France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Australia, New Zealand, England, Scotland, Canada and the US. It really is a remarkable collection of people and, as was the case last season, it is a very young, very enthusiastic, and very impressive group.

This year my role is very different at Treble Cone. While last year I was a line instructor, this year I am supervising all adult lessons for both ski and snowboard and I am coordinating all of the special programs we conduct throughout the season (ski weeks, women's programs, masters, etc.). Combine that with the fact that, together with our director, I'm coordinating the alpine training program for our staff, and I'll have a fundamentally different perspective on who we are, what we do and how.

I'll look forward to writing about the season here on the blog, sharing it once again with friends and family. In the meantime, I'll need everyone's help doing the snow dance (boots, hat, goggles, pajamas, in the living room). It will snow, we will slide around on it at Treble Cone and I'm not worried. I am, however, anxious to get started and I am definitely excited for another winter season.