All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding

Fear, risk, and confidence. Essential elements to know and understand for our students and for ourselves. On this episode, we get into these topics and share some of our own processes with managing fear and risk, as well as discuss the Self Efficacy model as a tool for understanding and working through fear while snowboarding.

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI S...

We had so much fun last week that we decided to double down on a second episode of submitted hot takes! More on boots and bindings set up, proper equipment for exams, full-time vs part-time passion, do skiers or snowboarders have more creativity in their lessons, and more!

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larso...

Episode 57 - The One With All The Hot Takes

You’ve been waiting for it, in this episode Matt, Chris, and Brian dig into the pile of hot take submissions, covering a range of topics from teaching for transfer to boot sloppiness. This will be a new recurring session we’ll bring back as the hot takes continue to roll in!

This week’s hot take: Listen and find out!

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding...

Picking up from where we left off last week, it’s part 2 of the Level 3 certification top tips! Matt, Brian, and Chris circle back to a couple additional pieces of the teaching assessment, and then spend the bulk of the episode around skills and drills for the riding performance assessment. Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, lets go!

This week’s hot take: There’s no hot take! Stay tuned for next week’s all hot takes episode!

The snowboard ...

We’ve covered Level 1 and Level 2 certification, and in this episode we’re finally jumping into the Level 3. Level 3 is PSIA-AASI’s highest national level of certification. It’s a high standard, and a big undertaking. Let’s demystify it a bit! Anything, Anytime, Anywhere, lets go!

This week’s hot take: How do you visually assess students before you get on snow? What do you get right, what do you get wrong?

The snowboard podcast All I...

Matt, Chris, and Brian are joined today by Steve Franklin, a snowboard instructor, AASI East Snowboard Examiner, and Prototype Technician at Burton Snowboards’ facility Craig’s in Burlington, Vermont. Steve’s unique background gives him an incredible perspective on both teaching and building snowboards. 

This week’s hot take: What’s your dream board?

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding ...

A common question we hear as snowboard examiners is why snowboard certification uses activities in the terrain park as part of the assessment. Chris, Matt, and Brian continue their discussion around why freestyle elements in the snowboard certification are part of the culture of snowboarding and vital to snowboard instructor certification as well as share some ideas on how to train for the freestyle components of snowboard instruct...

A common question we hear as snowboard examiners is why snowboard certification uses activities in the terrain park as part of the assessment. Chris, Matt, and Brian share some of the common themes of these questions, and their takes on why freestyle elements in the snowboard certification are part of the culture of snowboarding and vital to snowboard instructor certification.

This week’s hot take: What metrics help you determin...

It’s the middle of the season and this episode is all about managing energy, taking care of yourself, and getting through the mid-season lows. Fresh off AASI National Team mid-season training, Chris, Matt, and Brian share some of the ways they’ve experienced the slump and managed energy mid-season.

This week’s hot take: How would ski resorts be different if they were invented by snowboarders?

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need t...

The big 5-0, episode 50 is our third episode aiming to demystify a few commonly misunderstood terms. This episode is a bit about the 50-50 and a lot about how our upper and lower body parts can move together or independently from each other through separation. Topics include rotation, counter rotation, and rotation of the upper body over the lower body or lower body under the upper body!

This week’s hot take: What’s your daily d...

Following the Level 1 Top Tips episode, this episode dives into Matt, Brian, and Chris’ thoughts on preparing for Level 2 certification. They chat through skills for Teaching, Movement Analysis and Technical Understanding, and Riding Performance assessment modules, with suggestions on training for each zone.

This week’s hot take: How can you promote fun in the halfpipe to a new rider?

The snowboard podcast All I Really Ne...

Matt, Brian, and Chris have mentioned Penn State's Professional Snowsports Education Program Certificate previously, this episode is all about it! Dr. Pete Allison joins us in this episode to share how he got involved with PSIA-AASI, the roots of the credentialing project, and how that’s resulted in a certificate program for ski and snowboard instructors.

This week’s hot take: What are the most impactful traits from a teac...

The second episode of the new year is Top Tips for Level 1 Certification! Join Chris, Matt, and Brian, as they share their thoughts on the best things you can do to prepare and be successful at your Level 1 cert. Whether you’re getting ready for your Level 1, a trainer helping others prepare, or just a friend in the locker room that knows a buddy who’s about to go to the Level 1, there’s something in this episode for you!

This wee...

Episode 46 - We're done Waiting, Let's talk about Weighting

We’re back from the holiday break with a fresh episode on up- and down-unweighting. Ever wonder what is actually going on with pressure management on your snowboard when you move vertically to change edges? This is the episode for you!

This week’s hot take: Performance vs durability in gear construction!

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowbo...

Inspired by Spotify’s “Wrapped” stats about the show, Chris, Brian, and Matt reflect on the 19 episodes they’ve recorded since rebooting the podcast and discuss what they’ve learned in the process of recording the pod. Tune in to hear their thoughts on highlights and challenges of recording a snowboarding podcast!

This week’s hot take: Favorite moment from the show!

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from S...

In this week’s episode, Brian, Chris, and Matt dive into what’s in their pockets when working as instructors and examiners. Numerous threads are followed, including locker contents, and whether snow and coffee lead to dehydration. 

This week’s hot take: what’s the biggest failed innovation in snowboarding?

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard Natio...

The SCARF model is a psychological theory that explains how five social dynamics can trigger a threat or reward response in our brains. These elements are Status, Certainty, Autonomy, Relatedness, and Fairness. 

The SCARF model was developed by Dr. David Rock in 2008 in his paper, "SCARF: A Brain-Based Model for Collaborating With and Influencing Others". The model is based on neuroscience research that suggests these social domain...

New hire training, ITC, instructor training course, whatever your ski and snowboard school calls it, we all have them! With training season upon us, Chris, Matt, and Brian share their thoughts on hiring and training new instructors! 

The snowboard podcast All I Really Need to Know I Learned from Snowboarding is a weekly podcast with AASI Snowboard National Team Members Chris Rogers, Matt Larson, and Brian Donovan. Tune in each week...

Episode 41 - Rider Rally 25th Anniversary with Special Guest Eric Sheckleton

This spring is the 25th anniversary of Rider Rally, and we’re celebrating by bringing Rally to Copper Mountain in Colorado. This week, tune in as we welcome AASI National Team alumni Eric Sheckleton to the show. Eric is the President of Interski and has been involved in shaping much of the last 30 yeas of PSIA-AASI. He also helped create the first Rider Ra...