The Interski Congress 2023 is just around the corner. The event for ski and snowboard instructors, which takes place every four years, is this year's guest in Levi, Finland. 1,500 enthusiastic winter sports instructors and professionals from 35 different countries are expected to spend several days exchanging views on relevant winter sports topics. Workshops are just as much on the agenda as lectures, demo shows and themed evenings. Above all, however, the Interski Congress stands for global networking with people who share a common passion for snow sports. This has always been the core of the event, which needs to be nurtured and preserved.
THE (GUEST) EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING
The central congress theme at Interski 2023 in Levi is "THE (GUEST) EXPERIENCE IS EVERYTHING". As Jonathan Ballou, ski school director of one of the largest ski schools in the world, aptly described in the "Snowsports Insight" interview (read here), the focus is no longer on topics such as progress, didactics or methodology, as was the case at previous Interski Congresses. So it's less about teaching, rather learning and the experience of the guest take on a much higher priority. Interski itself also sees a snow sports instructor less as a teacher in the classic sense, but rather as a service provider in an adventure industry:
"The snowsports instruction experience is more than just the service provided by the instructor or school. It encompasses the ski resort, the snow conditions, the weather, the equipment, safety, the pedagogical approach and the circumstances each individual faces."
This approach makes it clear how challenging the work of a modern snow sports instructor can be. It is no longer enough to memorize the syllabus and repeat the program hour after hour. Rather, it is important to adapt your own lessons to the needs and expectations of the guests.
At Interski 2023, this topic will be deepened and discussed. It will be exciting to see what national and cultural differences there are in this regard. The congress itself will also be an indicator of this, since the expectations of the congress participants are also very different due to their internationality, age, gender or level of qualification.
Martin Dolezal, Johann Reisenberger and Stefan Wallner from the Snowsports Academy will be there live and will of course provide information about the most important results in our blog.
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