While the 2020-21 winter season brought unprecedented challenges, we made the most of it with great snow and awesome days of learning and exploration in Vail and Beaver Creek. Even if our smiles were hidden behind masks and our high-fives were replaced with fist bumps and “sky-fives,” we carved our way down groomers, adventured through knee-deep powder, explored movements in the bumps, and learned new tricks in the park.
The 2020-2021 season was also very fulfilling for me professionally. My biggest passion is helping others fall in love with skiing and snowboarding and the outdoor adventure of exploring the mountains. When I’m not teaching at Vail and Beaver Creek, I wear my other hat as a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) National Team. As a member of the Team, I get to travel around the country (and sometimes internationally), training instructors for professional development and getting them ready for certification exams. When the resorts shut down in the spring of 2020, it also shut down all of our spring exams, so the instructors I was working with all season were unable to sit their exams. However, the spring of 2021 was particularly rewarding as I got to watch dozens of instructors I worked with in the past pass their exams.
The 2020 shutdown also delayed the 2020 National Team Selections. So in April of 2021, after a one-year delay, more than a hundred ski and snowboard trainers met in Breckenridge for the selection process of the new National Team. After a week-long selection process consisting of riding and demonstrating in all kinds of terrain, conditions, and a plethora of on-snow, in-person, and online presentations, 29 instructors of all disciplines were named to the 2021-2024 PSIA-AASI National Team. I’m honored to be serving a second term among this group of exceptional instructors and trainers. Learn more about PSIA-AASI and the National Team Selection and visit my bio page on the PSIA-AASI website.
This summer has been equally full of excitement. I took on a new role managing activities and amenities at the Red Sky Ranch Golf Club, one of the premier golf clubs in the Vail Valley. The two golf courses on the property are consistently rated in the top 10 in Colorado, and it’s been a pleasure getting to know the resort and the membership at the club. Outside of work, the summer has been filled with adventure. My girlfriend, Chloe, and I took a cross-country road trip to visit family and friends in Vermont and Maine, spent time camping in Moab, and hiking, mountain biking, and wake surfing as much as possible. While I love the summer in Colorado, the last couple of weeks have signaled the changing of seasons with beautiful fall colors, and words like “snow,” “skiing,” and “snowboarding” are suddenly much more prevalent in conversations around the valley.
With that, I’m looking forward to the next few weeks of relative “downtime” until the season ramps up for instructor training. With November 12 targeted as Vail’s opening day, we’re looking at an early opening and a long season of play in the mountains! My schedule is filling up fast, so if you haven’t already connected with me about planning your trip, please reach out soon so I can get you on the calendar!
Chris Rogers