Potential Mogul Clinic offered by Dan DiPiro

[Greg]

Dan DiPiro, the author of the how-to book "Everything the Instructors Never Told You about Mogul Skiing," contacted me this morning about potentially offering a mogul clinic(s) this season. This is very preliminary and this thread should be used to gauge interest as well as make any suggestions for what you would like to see as part of a mogul clinic, suggested ski area venues, 1 or 2 day clinics, etc. I will direct Dan to this thread so hopefully we can work together to shape something that will work well for everybody. Please share your thoughts here. Specifically, indicate whether this is something you'd be interested in participating in.

About Dan: Dan DiPiro is the author of the how-to book "Everything the Instructors Never Told You about Mogul Skiing," which is available at www.LearnMoguls.com, www.amazon.com, www.bn.com, through the toll-free order number (888)280-7715, and everywhere new books are sold. In the late '80s, Dan competed in two USSA National Freestyle Championships and attained a mogul skier ranking of 21st in the country. In its November, 2005 issue, SKI Magazine recognized Dan as one of the nation's top-100 instructors. Dan has instructed through the ski school at Cannon Mountain, in Franconia, NH, and has coached mogul competitors at Waterville Valley, also in NH. Dan is also a professional writer. His ski-instruction writing has appeared in SKI Magazine, New Hampshire Magazine, Heart of New Hampshire Magazine and elsewhere. Dan's non-skiing writing has been published in The Boston Sunday Globe and in college alumni magazines all over the northeast. Dan holds a bachelor's degree in English from Tufts University, and master's degrees in education and teaching from Boston University. He lives in Dunbarton, New Hampshire, with his wife and his dog, Otto.

 

[SkiDork]

I'd be interested.

 

[bvibert]

Count me in as interested too..

 

[Grassi21]

Dan, I've really enjoyed reading and rereading your book. Last season was my first in the bumps. I definitely utilized a number of the practice techniques from the beginning of the book. I would be very interested in a mogul clinic. For me the biggest factors would probably be location and time of year. I know this idea is preliminary, but have you put any thought into location or time of year?

 

[Angus]

ditto...

 

[Greg]

For me the biggest factors would probably be location and time of year. I know this idea is preliminary, but have you put any thought into location or time of year?

I suggested to Dan to consider perhaps two sessions, "North" and "South". I suggested Sundown or Hunter as "South" venues.

 

[snowmonster]

Subject to time and location, I'd be interested. North/South sessions are a great idea.

 

[wa-loaf]

I'd be interested. Depending on time and location. NH or Southern VT (or even B-east) would be best for me.

 

[2knees]

much interest here.

 

[RISkier]

I'd potentially be interested depending on date and location. My other concern would be skier level. I'm just barely starting to dabble in small bumps and I REALLY SUCK in them. But I'd really like to learn to ski bumps because I think it just makes you a much better all mountain skier and is kind of a requisite skill for doing much off piste stuff.

 

[roark]

Absolutely interested.

 

[Grassi21]

I'd potentially be interested depending on date and location. My other concern would be skier level. I'm just barely starting to dabble in small bumps and I REALLY SUCK in them. But I'd really like to learn to ski bumps because I think it just makes you a much better all mountain skier and is kind of a requisite skill for doing much off piste stuff.

You and me both...

 

[hammer]

But I'd really like to learn to ski bumps because I think it just makes you a much better all mountain skier and is kind of a requisite skill for doing much off piste stuff.

Same here...any possibility of a beginner bump clinic somewhere in NH or Mass.?

 

[Beetlenut]

I'd also be interested, depending on location and day of the week!

 

[Greg]

Some good comments about skill level. I'm not sure how you determine that, other than by some honest self-evaluation. I'll let Dan chime in on that one; perhaps he has experience instructing groups of varying skill levels simultaneously already.

 

[JimG.]

Some good comments about skill level. I'm not sure how you determine that, other than by some honest self-evaluation. I'll let Dan chime in on that one; perhaps he has experience instructing groups of varying skill levels simultaneously already.

Dan's a level III instructor...I know he is experienced in dealing with varying skill levels. But there are limits to that.

If I were organizing this, I'd have 2 clinics at each location (2 North, 2 South).

Each location would have a beginner clinic and an advanced clinic. Honest personal evaluation will mean nothing if there are no ability levels in the clinic choices.

The worst thing to have in a clinic is the feeling that you're holding up the group or trying to keep up; you learn nothing that way. Equally true if you are bored or uninterested because the ability level is just way below where you're at.

Oh yeah, I'd be interested in skiing with Dan again, maybe even in some bumps this time around.

 

[2knees]

Dan's a level III instructor...I know he is experienced in dealing with varying skill levels. But there are limits to that.

If I were organizing this, I'd have 2 clinics at each location (2 North, 2 South).

Each location would have a beginner clinic and an advanced clinic. Honest personal evaluation will mean nothing if there are no ability levels in the clinic choices.

The worst thing to have in a clinic is the feeling that you're holding up the group or trying to keep up; you learn nothing that way. Equally true if you are bored or uninterested because the ability level is just way below where you're at.

Oh yeah, I'd be interested in skiing with Dan again, maybe even in some bumps this time around.

So if he were to offer clinics for two skill levels i guess it would be a couple hours for each or something like that. The tough part for Dan would probably be finding an area that offers more mellow bumps for a beginner type class. Not alot of those types of runs out there on a consistent basis. Anyway, thats one generous offer by Dan.

Out of curiousity, Jim, you've instructed yourself. Do you, or did you, find that most people were relatively honest in their self assessments? Or did you not even ask before you took them out on the hill.

 

[Greg]

So if he were to offer clinics for two skill levels i guess it would be a couple hours for each or something like that. The tough part for Dan would probably be finding an area that offers more mellow bumps for a beginner type class. Not alot of those types of runs out there on a consistent basis. Anyway, thats one generous offer by Dan.

As of now, Dan mentioned that this will most likely be a one-day, all day, on snow-only clinic. No video assessment, no classroom-type stuff. Keep it simple. He's considering 2 separate single day clinics (one Sat, one Sun), so perhaps he can do one beginner, one advanced. I don't want to speak for him, but this is some of the stuff we talked about.

Low-angle bumps will obviously be key, especially for a beginner bump clinic. This is precisely why I recommended Sundown, especially with the (almost ridiculously) low-angle bumps on Exhibition. Those bumps that Hunter seeded on Broadway mid-season would be a good location too which is why I suggested Hunter as well.

 

[Greg]

Low-angle bumps will obviously be key, especially for a beginner bump clinic. This is precisely why I recommended Sundown, especially with the (almost ridiculously) low-angle bumps on Exhibition.

Oh, and not to mention, Sundown is just up the road from me. I have no shame.

 

[JimG.]

Out of curiousity, Jim, you've instructed yourself. Do you, or did you, find that most people were relatively honest in their self assessments? Or did you not even ask before you took them out on the hill.

The honesty level is probably similar to what you see in the everyday world. Some folks exaggerate, some are really honest and their appraisal is accurate, and some underestimate their skill level.

Good ski school directors will make prospective students put their skis on and make them move about a bit...you can tell an awful lot that way. But when there's a crowd that's not feasible. The best scenario is a large group with 2 or 3 instructors for each skill level. The entire group skis a level appropriate warmup run, then the instructors conduct a ski off and separate the group into skill appropriate classes.

And then sometimes you just had to teach a group of 10 students with varying skill levels. It's not as hard as it sounds. I would give the better students individual instruction and tips to improve from where they were at, then I'd make them ski first and point out what they were doing well to the lesser skiers. They get the visual and copy it, or at least try. I would stay behind with the weakest skiers and give them some individual tips too. That all got mixed in with general drills at that level that all in the group could benefit from.

The hardest part is pacing the group and keeping them together. You just have to be creative.