A Pike County WDA Publication

Volume 3, Issue 2

Page 7

By: Nick Marsh

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   When I was 14 I got my first real job at Masthope Mountain. They taught us how to give a lesson and how to ski more professionally. The first thing that we learn is how to give a proper lesson. The first step in teaching a lesson is to get used to the equipment and know all the parts. To teach this we normally just tell the student to identify the piece of equipment that they don't know about. For instance, the thing that you put your boot in is called the binding.  After that we teach the student how to stop. To do this we tell the student to spread his heals keeping the tips of the skis close but don't let them touch or cross.  This simple move is known as a wedge, pizza, or a snowplow. After that we teach the student how to turn. To turn we tell the student the simple phrase opposite foot opposite turn. All this means is when you are negotiating a turn you are going to lean on the opposite foot. I.e. when you want to take a left turn you are going to put pressure on your right big toe as well as lean on your right foot. Once they can stop and turn to capacity we take them for a stroll down the bunny slope. On the bunny slope they enhance their skills and get used to speed control. After that we take them down a harder slope with steeper hills. This makes their skills even sharper. Once at the bottom of the mountain we teach our students how to get onto the chair  lift By the time that we get this far one-hour has elapsed. Then the students go on and practice their skills.

There are many things that this job offers me. Whenever I am not teaching there is usually something called a clinic going on. In clinics ski instructors are taught different exercises that enhance our skills so that we are better skiers. Another perk is that we can get discounts to other mountains if we decide to go to other mountains. Another perk is that we have ski stores that are kind and generous to us and give us discounts on ski equipment. The last perk is some mountains let their employees bring immediate family to the mountain and give them discounts on lift tickets.

As you all should know, for every fun activity there are risks and dangers. In this paragraph I shall talk about some of the injuries that can occur while you are skiing.
If you have ever skied a major mountain you have probably seen the ski patrol bring someone up the mountain with a leg brace on. They normally have a sprain. But if they do break a bone it is normally the femur. This is a very painful injury. To relieve this injury EMT's will normally pull down on the leg to pull the femur out of the muscle and relieve the pain. Other times skiers will put strain on the knee and pull or twist ligaments. This usually results after going off a jump and landing wrong once this happens you can pop out your knee or just twist it the wrong way.
The long-term affects of these injuries are on and off pain in the knee joints, arthritis and even ligament damage.  Another common injury is wrist sprains and breaks. These are normally pain full for the first couple of minutes. When you encounter someone with a wrist sprain try not to move his wrist a lot and put snow around it to reduce the pain and swelling. Once you have done that tell someone to go and get the ski patrol. Never leave an injured person alone on the slope. Always have someone watch over them until ski patrol arrives.
Other injuries that occur are bruised and broken ribs. This injury mainly occurs to snow boarders but it can also happen to skiers. When you go off a jump and land wrong you tend to crash. If there are any ice chunks in the way and you hit them hard enough you could break your ribs. When you do break your ribs it hurts to breath and whenever you try to move it hurts. Broken ribs can be fatal injuries. Shattered ribs that are close to the heart can rip through the heart and kill you. This injury rarely happens. Head injuries are a common thing while skiing. Since some mountains make snow and don't wait for it to snow there is usually a thick layer of ice below that powder. If you fall and whack you head hard enough you could get a concussion. You could also be knocked unconscious. The worst thing that can happen is that your skull could be cracked open and you could go into a coma or even worse you could die. All of the injuries that I have just told you about are not meant to scare you but to give you a warning about what could happen if you don't take skiing seriously. 

Dressing to keep warm on the slopes is very important. When ever it is a cold day on the slope and I have to teach for 5 or 6 hours straight I put on kakis and black snow pants.  This normally keeps the lower extremities warm and dry. I then put on a pair of regular shin high socks followed by a pair of thinsulate ski socks. After that I put on my ski boots being sure that they are adjusted correctly. Then I usually put on a t-shirt followed by two-to-four layers of thin sweatshirts.
After that I put on a white turtleneck and my work vest followed by my jacket and two layers of thin gloves followed by a pair of thick mittens. I then put on a facemask and earmuffs as well as goggles. I recommend a clear pair of Oakley's. This is advised for the colder days. For the warmer days you might want to exclude the jacket and a shirt or two as well as a pair of gloves.

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