Page Four
PSIA AND THE AMERICAN
SKI TECHNIQUE
By GOSTA JOHNSON
Certified USE AS A Ski Teacher
Charter Member PSIA.
For many years, ski teachers
in America have felt the need for
a unified approach to ski tech
nique and ski teaching. The ski
ing public has for too many years
suffered from too many dif
ferent approaches to skiing.
As long as the pupil stayed with
one single school, he had no
trouble learning how to ski. Pity
the poor skier, however, who took
lessons in more than one ski area.
Many times, he had to completely
unlearn or discard what he was
taught last week, in order to
satisfy the demands of the in
structor in another ski area.
Three years ago, PSIA (Pro
fessional Ski Instructors of Amer
ica, Inc.) was formed. Starting
with a handfull of Certified Ski
Teachers from the seven different
Divisions of the U.S. Ski Associa
tion, PSIA has grown to a mem
bership of around 400. Certi
fication by one of the Divisions
of the USSA is required for mem
bership. Some of the finest teach
ers and ski technicians in the
■world are directors and members
of PSIA.
The main purpose of PSIA is
of procedure in Certi
fication of ski teachers and uni
fication of ski technique taught
by American Ski Schools. As a
•result of this effort, the Ameri
can Ski Technique (AST) has
finally, come into its own and is
presently being taught by practi
cally all ski schools, operated by
Certified ski school directors.
The American Ski Technique is
the result of much study by
teachers from every part of the
U. S. Naturally, it was not
easy to unify thinking in a coun
.forp as large as ours. It has re
quired much research and much
effort. To be sure, we still have
some loners, who think they. can
go it alone. I do not think this is
possible.
The direction taken by PSIA
was to split teaching into Tech
nique, Method and Theory. This
division was made to get a sys
tematic approach to the problems.
Without this separation theory
behind ski teaching can not even
be intelligently discussed. And
if you mix Technique, Method,
Amity Book Shop
564 Alter Street
Hazleton, Pa.
HIGH ACRES COLLEGIAN
and Theory together, you will get
to no conclusions.
There is no such thing as
starting ANY SPORT at the top
bracket! Exceptions can of course
be made. Each case must, how
ever, be judged by the instructor.
Our main concern is the mass, and
in our methodology or technique
we can not consider particular
groups of people. We have to
consider the ski school pupils as
they come to us.
I think that within a few
years all U.S. ski schools will be
teaching the American Technique.
There are many more instructors
now than there used to be. The
younger generation feels that it
is in the interest of our profession
that we grow together, we inter
change ideas, and we give our ski
school pupils the best possible
lesson there is.
So this winter ski American!
Make sure your ski school is a
PSIA American Ski School. Some
extroverts may guarantee you to
learn if you stick to their teach
ing for so many lessons. The
PSIA School does not guarantee
anything except to give you
the best lesson available. . . .
anywhere! !
COLUMBIA
RECORD STORE
The Finest of Record
Selections In The Area
DOWNTOWN Hazleton
SEMY'S
SERVICE STATION
Your Friendly Inspection Service
20th and Alter Sts. Hazleton
HUC 2nd in Tourney
The Hazleton Campus recently
competed in an inter-collegiate in
tramural program between all
Penn State Campuses. It was held
at the Ogontz Campus in Phila
delphia. The Hazleton representa
tives placed second in all of the
activities which consisted of chess,
ping-pong and bowling.
“It is only when the human spir
it complicates itself by growing
self-conscious and seeking to be
original by contriving novelties of
expression, instead of having faith
in the authentic spontaneity of its
inherent individuality, that we be
gin to get devitalized, ostentatious
displays instead of direct artistic
expression.”
—Richard Guggenheimer—
“Sight and Insight”
Harper and Row
“A good deal of the unease in
modern life is due to the sense of
frustration among thousands of
people who feel themselves
doomed to narrowly operative
tasks with no outlet even for.., a
small creative impulse.”
—J. E. Barton—
“ Purpose and Admiration”
CHEMISTRY . . (continued)
tions, including a reasonable pro
ficiency .in basic sciences, math
ematics, communication skills,
and the basic principles of chem
ical technology.
Authentic Ivy Fashions
For Class and Campus
A DISTINCTIVE SHOP FOR MEN
42 W. Broad St. Hazleton, Pa.
December 6, 1963
INTRAMURAL
FOOTBALL GAME
The Intramural football " cham
pionship was held three weeks
ago under . the supervision of
Alfred Leister, Physical Educa
tion instructor. The IntEamural
football squad is composed of six
teams. After , a hard fought sea
son, the Giants and the Best
teams were tied for first place;
then, the playoff game was held.
The performance of the Giants
was nothing short of spectacular,
and the Bests just couldn’t seem
to stop them. The Giants com
pleted fourteen passes, and, out
of that number, five were received
on paydirt.
The Bests completed two passes
and lost two by interception. Ken
Launikonis sparked the plays as
offensive quarterback.
At ■ the final score, the Bests
weren’t. The Giants carried the
Championship honors away with a
sweeping 64-0 victory.
“Art, that for ages has hewn its
own history in marble, and written
its own comments on canvas, shall
it suddenly stand still, and stam
mer and wait for wisdom from the
passer-by? For guidance from the
hand that holds neither brush nor
chisel?...”
—Whistler (in a pamphlet
attacking Ruskin)
PARKING . , . . (continued)
have two or more cars in the fam
ily which they bring to school,
special arrangements will be
made.
Due to late approval of the
project, the completion of the
area, including a black top, light
ing, and the student walk, will be
i postponed until next spring. How
ever, it is certain all the students
; will enjoy using the new site and
help maintain its appearance.