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Jimmer Hayes

Adaptive Examiner Alpine Dev TeamAdaptive Ed Staff Coach, Adaptive Steering Committee

Home Resort/School Gore Mountain NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I love summer as much as winter.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Gore Mountain
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Ski Instructor (volunteer)
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	When candidates do well and I am able to hand them their hard-earned, certification pin!
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Aspen Highlands
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Diversify your skill set and do not be afraid to take chances.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Fishing, Boating, Kayaking, Snorkeling, SCUBA Diving, being on or in the water with my family
What would be your personal motto?	You will never know if you do not try.
Name three words that describe you.	Passionate Loyal Kind
Who is someone you admire, and why?	My Father. He (and my Mother) taught me the value of family and shared his love of skiing with my Mother, brother and myself.

Mary Ellen Whitney

Adaptive Clinic Leader Adaptive Steering Committee

Home Resort/School Jiminy Peak, MA NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I love adventure travel and have visited over 40 countries around the world, and 46 US states.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I play the flute and sing in a band.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	I am the Founder and CEO of STRIDE Adaptive Sports, an organization that educates and provides recreation and sports for people with different abilities since 1985.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Heidelburg Ski Area, PA – 1974
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Ski instructor – Camelback PA 1980 – 83.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Every lesson is adaptive! Literally ANYONE can ski.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	Being a clinician for the National Adaptive Academy
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Aspen Highlands or Alta Utah
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Get a job in the industry in order to afford your habit!
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Yoga, fitness, international travel, biking and sailing.
What would be your personal motto?	Be kind to yourself and others.
Name three words that describe you.	Achiever; Fun; Active
Who is someone you admire, and why?	My husband – intelligent; kind and giving.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	An Adaptive Physical Education Teacher – and I fulfilled that dream!
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Finish building the STRIDE Adaptive Community Center and Gym headquarters in NY.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Transition of leadership for STRIDE, so I can retire.

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Mermer Blakeslee

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Windham Mountain NY

Show Notes

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I’m a fanatical ornamental gardener. I write fiction (novels, short stories) and poetry.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Windham Mountain, NY, my home mountain, which was called in 1960, Cave Mountain.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	That learning is more rewarding than knowing.
What would be your personal motto?	“Let the beauty you love be what you do.” Rumi

Candace Charles

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Plattekill NY

Show Notes

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I’m a competitive Olympic Lifter.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	In the winter I work at Plattekill Mountain, located in the beautiful Catskills, and provide staff training and coaching. In the summer I’m a Guide and the Director of Visual Impact for Trek bikes in Saratoga Springs.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Gore Mountain in upstate New York.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	There isn’t a one size fits all lesson because every student comes with different expectations, goals, past experiences, etc. and the fun is to try to tailor learning to work with individuals.
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Jackson Hole was a really special trip. On the East Coast, Sugarbush is one of my favorite places to visit.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Take time to get some free runs in with coworkers and trainers whenever possible. It helps keep you grounded in your love for the sport and peer coaching is super helpful to bounce ideas around and try new things.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Mountain biking, lifting, hiking and kayaking, as well as playing with my adventure dog Timber.
What would be your personal motto?	Good Vibes Only

Suzy Chase-Motzkin

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Hunter Mountain NY

Show Notes

Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I have been a mind/body energy healing facilitator for nearly 40 years and, I wrote a series of children’s life skills books and a musical dramady about a dead guy trying to contact his family.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	The more you know, the less you have to say while instructing. Less is more.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Building walls and things with rocks, gardening, and golf.
What would be your personal motto?	Seek to understand others and be kind.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	An actress. This industry is the perfect venue for performance skills.

Ned Crossley

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Windham Mountain NY

About Me | Show Notes

Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	Created a Windsurfing Instructors and Programs Association (WIPA) for the USA just 4 years ago and it parallels PSIA-AASI. http://www.windsurfingipa.org
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I love to ice skate and if I could only teach one thing, it would be basic ice skating.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	After retiring, I’m actively teaching Skiing for Windham and PSIA- E and in the summer it’s windsurfing, windsurf foiling, and wing foiling.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	The first ski slope I ever skied was Hunter at the age of twenty-three. I averaged 6-10 times per year until the age of thirty-nine when I started to teach skiing at West Point.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Department of Physical Education ski classes for cadets at US Military Academy in 1985
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	I’ve got a lot to learn in all three arenas…. people, teaching, and technical….in all areas of life.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	EVERY SINGLE ONE of my ski teachers, mentors, and coaches that skied with me. That said, over 60 Alpine National Team Members and innumerable PSIA-E Examiners.
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	The mountain that I’m on right now!
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Keep learning and exploring what the body and the ski can do.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Watching You Tube movement technique videos in many sports.
What would be your personal motto?	Work at your play and play at your work.
Name three words that describe you.	Share, care, and learn.
Who is someone you admire, and why?	Michael Rogan is awesome and helping the world to teach skiing better.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	My favorite subject was “recess” then “gym”. So I made a living at physical education and coaching.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Ski on other continents.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Stay healthy and learn whilst sharing and caring for other students.

Brian Dolin

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Windham Mountain NY

Show Notes

Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Catamount
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Ski Instructor

Christopher Ericson

Alpine Examiner Alpine Certification Committee ChairAlpine Steering Committee

Home Resort/School Belleayre NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	At one point or another, all of my children have been Snowsports Instructors and at one time, we had three generations of instructors at Belleayre at the same time.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I plan for disasters, literally.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	I am the Director of Training and Instructor for Belleayre Mountain, work as a Trainer for SNOW Operating coaching staff on Terrain Based Learning and work for the Westchester County Department of Health year-round as a Deputy Commissioner.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	As a child, first experiences sliding on the snow were at Fahnestock Ski Area, which is right off the Taconic State Parkway. About 200 vertical feet.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Teaching SkiWee at Belleayre Mountain in 1987.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Active listening to your client and reading their body language. The lesson is not about you.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Show people how to have fun in the winter playground and to feel safe.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Fishing, hiking, spending time with the family

Robert Gallo

Alpine Dev Team

Home Resort/School Mount Peter NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I’m a retired NYC Correction Captain
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	Cooking gardening I keep bees
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	Run operations for a water treatment company
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Ski stoney point
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Instructor
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	The importance of someone trusting you
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	Teaching a grandfather and grandson in a family lesson
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Snowbird
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Find a great mentor
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Cooking
What would be your personal motto?	Get out there
Name three words that describe you.	Got your back
Who is someone you admire, and why?	My dad, well respected dignity
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Continue to raise my children in a way they are a benefit to the community
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Same as above

Not Available

Emily Gregg

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Beaver Creek, CO NY

Show Notes

Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	My Dad built a small rope tow in our back yard in Minnesota!

Not Available

Jimmer Hayes

Adaptive Examiner Alpine Dev TeamAdaptive Ed Staff Coach, Adaptive Steering Committee

Home Resort/School Gore Mountain NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I love summer as much as winter.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Gore Mountain
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Ski Instructor (volunteer)
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	When candidates do well and I am able to hand them their hard-earned, certification pin!
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Aspen Highlands
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Diversify your skill set and do not be afraid to take chances.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Fishing, Boating, Kayaking, Snorkeling, SCUBA Diving, being on or in the water with my family
What would be your personal motto?	You will never know if you do not try.
Name three words that describe you.	Passionate Loyal Kind
Who is someone you admire, and why?	My Father. He (and my Mother) taught me the value of family and shared his love of skiing with my Mother, brother and myself.

Not Available

Jenni Hogan

Alpine Dev Team

Home Resort/School Windham Mountain Club NY

Show Notes

Nathaniel Mead

Alpine Examiner

Home Resort/School Holiday Valley NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I worked 4 summers in Colorado at Steamboat Lake State Park while in college.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I like building furniture with antique lumber. I made my kitchen table out of hemlock that was from the 1770’s.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	In the winter I’m the weekend supervisor at Holiday Valley. I assist running trainings and prepping our staff for certification exams as well. I work for NYS as a law enforcement officer year round.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Holiday Valley in 1997.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Adult ski instructor
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Persistence.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	Ski instructing with my father. He was the one that got me interested in it.
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Utah.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	It’s a long winter. Why not enjoy by instructing!
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Water skiing, fishing, hunting, and spending time with my family

James Polinchok

Alpine Examiner Children’s Examiner

Home Resort/School HoliMont NY

About Me

Gail Setlock

Alpine Examiner Snowsports Management Committee Chair

Home Resort/School Gore Mountain NY

About Me

Mickey Sullivan

Alpine Examiner Education Committee Member

Home Resort/School Hunt Hollow NY

About Me | Show Notes

Tyler Sullivan

Alpine Dev Team

Home Resort/School Bristol Mountain NY

Show Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I have hiked and skied two volcanos
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	Help develop terrain parks at my home mountain. Help flip houses. Design rallycross tracks.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	My front yard where I grew up it was 200 feet vertical.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Fitting used ski boots that people would rent for the season at the local snowsports shop.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Managing risk of other people in the group either teaching or training can lead to a very successful or unsuccessful outing.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	All the people I have met and the relationships created for life.
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Anywhere with a steeper pitch and trails that use the natural flow of the terrain.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Teaching a person “how” you perform a certain activity is more important than showing them how great you are at skiing or snowboarding.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Working on my cars and racing them when I can.
What would be your personal motto?	cool breeze
Name three words that describe you.	Exciting, motivating, caring
Who is someone you admire, and why?	Friends with little ones who are able to balance personal and professional life and make it look easy.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	Race car driver
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Compete in more rallycross events and drive my rally car more. Ski with my wife in France.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Open a business. Tryout for the PSIA/AASI National Team

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MaryLu Cianciolo

Children’s Dev Team

Home Resort/School Chicago Snow Studio NY

About Me | Show Notes

Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I have skied 82 different areas in the US, 6 in Canada, two in Chile, one is Bulgaria, France and Finland. I work to add a few every season.
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I can winterize my RV by myself in less than 30 minutes.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	Immigration Lawyer – Yes I can help you get that 90 day fiancé, but do mostly business immigration. Franchise Business owner of Great Clips Hair Salons
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	Through Snowstar Ski Club in Milwaukee Wisconsin when I was 10. I checked a book out of the library and taught myself the basics before my first lesson. I guess that foreshadowed that I would own an indoor dry slope.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Instructor and adult race coach at Wilmot Mountain Wisconsin.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	All of us come from different backgrounds, but we can have civil conversations with anyone on lifts because we all share the love of snowsports.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	I organized a snowsports trip for my daughters synchronized skating team after the last competition. At the end of the day, one of the dads came to me crying. He was one of those beer league, 60 day a season skiers. He always imagined how he and his daughter could ski together on weekends and trips, but his daughter at that time 10 or 11 had a few lessons but did not take to the sport. On this day she was able to spend time with her teammates and it clicked how great this sport can be and asked him when they go go again. He was the happiest dad. I will always remember this day.
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Whiteface, but Levi Finland at the 2023 Interski was the best snow I ever skied.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Have a day job that is flexible enough to allow you to have this career.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Camping Going to auto races
What would be your personal motto?	Skiing fixes everything
Name three words that describe you.	Tenacious, diplomatic, applauder
Who is someone you admire, and why?	Dolly Parton. No celebrity has gone from poverty to do more first by creating the Pigeon Forge vacation area to create jobs for her community and now with youth programs to help youth nationwide.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	Lawyer
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Transition from being a helicopter mom to an empty nester without tears
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Visit and slide at 100 more resorts.

Kerri Petrillose

Children’s Examiner

Home Resort/School Mount Peter NY

Show Notes

What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	I work for Ford Motor Company, where I currently support the Dealer Wholesale Parts business Nationally. Within the snowsports industry, I am a Snowboard Staff trainer and teach a lot of privates to our smallest clients.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	I learned to ski and snowboard at Greek Peak in Central New York.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	I started as a Junior snowboard instructor at the Children’s Center at Greek Peak Mountain Resort but before to that I volunteered in their Adaptive center supporting our Mono and Bi-Ski clients
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Perseverance…not everything you are trying or attempting to learn will come easy or be successful on the first try. Failure is not a reason to stop trying to succeed.
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	My favorite memories all circle around the joy of the “ah-ha” moments of seeing a client finally piece things together; seeing the excitement of achievement.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	No one knows when you forget something, miss a step, or mess something up. Just keep moving forward and don’t stress.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	When I’m not on snow I fill my time with family, reading, and working on homemade vegan treats.
Name three words that describe you.	Headstrong, Motivated, Unique
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	When I was little I wanted to be a Teacher, to the extent that I played “school” with my little brother and assigned him “homework” from my leftover school workbooks much to his chagrin.

James Polinchok

Alpine Examiner Children’s Examiner

Home Resort/School HoliMont NY

About Me

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Mark Lacek

Telemark Examiner Cross Country Examiner

Home Resort/School Gore Mountain NY

Show Notes

What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	I am a carpenter. I enjoy whitewater rafting. Recently, I have become interested in rustic furniture building.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	My Dad was on Ski Patrol at Royal Mountain in the Adirondacks, so my Mom, brother and sister Nd I spent a lot of time there.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Cross country ski instructor at Garnet Hill Lodge in the Adirondacks.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	If you find what you are doing to be enjoyable, those around you will be more likely to enjoy themselves too.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	These days, hiking and rowing.

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J.Mark Graham

Snowboard Examiner

Home Resort/School Holiday Valley NY

Show Notes

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Matt Charles

Telemark Examiner

Home Resort/School Plattekill Mountain NY

About Me | Show Notes

What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	Geologist
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	Be patient, be kind, root for everyone.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Get there before your lessons start to ski, keep skiing after your lessons are over.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Golf, Mountain biking
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	Finally make the National Team

Mark Lacek

Telemark Examiner Cross Country Examiner

Home Resort/School Gore Mountain NY

Show Notes

What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	I am a carpenter. I enjoy whitewater rafting. Recently, I have become interested in rustic furniture building.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	My Dad was on Ski Patrol at Royal Mountain in the Adirondacks, so my Mom, brother and sister Nd I spent a lot of time there.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Cross country ski instructor at Garnet Hill Lodge in the Adirondacks.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	If you find what you are doing to be enjoyable, those around you will be more likely to enjoy themselves too.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	These days, hiking and rowing.

Adele Wellman

Telemark Examiner

Home Resort/School HoliMont NY

Show Notes

Notes

What is an interesting fact about you?	I discovered a new species of firefly (the synchronous firefly) in New York State. Insects are super cool!
Do you have any skills or talents that most people don’t know about?	I know how to repair rust on cars and enjoy learning how to fix things around the house.
What jobs do you do – within and outside the snowsports industry, both winter & summer?	During the winter, I teach all levels and ages of skier and rider. I also teach telemark to whoever is interested, or even if they are not. I am a team leader and a staff trainer. I also am on the Telemark Dev Team. In the summer, I work t the largest state park in NY, Allegany. 100 square miles! I’m in charge of the environmental education department. My crew and I get to teach people about bears, butterflies, trees and how we all interconnect. We connect people with nature every day.
Where is the first place you participated in snowsports?	I was a professional sledder as a kid, then tried xc skiing as a senior in high school. I didn’t start skiing until I was 21. I learned on artificial turf in Gatlinburg, TN I was hooked after that! I got on the ski school staff there, moved to Snowshoe after a few years, then to Holiday Valley in NY and finally HoliMont since 2001.
What was your first job in the snowsports industry?	Lifty at Ober Gatlinburg, TN. I got to meet ski instructors and patrollers who eventually taught me to ski.
What is a valuable lesson you learned in your snowsports career?	When it comes down to the exam day, it’s just you in your boots. You need to do the work, the studying, the training. Seek out the people who will help you become better. It can be anyone across the disciplines, a racer or just someone who has been teaching forever. Then DO THE WORK!
What is your favorite memory from your snowsports career so far?	Hike and ski adventures with my friends from one ski area to another. We usually skied back in the dark. Sometimes on the super cold nights, the snowflakes glistened like diamonds in the dark sky. Magical!
Where is your favorite place to ski or ride?	Any time I am on snow is my favorite. It really doesn’t matter where I am.
If you could give a younger person snowsports/career advice, what would it be?	Just do it, decide, then seek out positive people as coaches and go after it. DO the WORK.
What activities do you enjoy, when you’re not out on the snow?	Travel to fun places to mountain bike and see beautiful scenery.
What would be your personal motto?	Love what you do, the rest will come.
Name three words that describe you.	enthusiastic, determined, squirrel-like (if that is really a word)
Who is someone you admire, and why?	Anyone who has overcome some type of adversity. I respect them for things they may have gone through that I am not sure I could handle. I admire their guts and determination to not give up.
When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grow up?	UPS driver, they drive a cool truck with no doors and get to wear shorts or a park ranger. Taking people on hikes to smell trees seemed like an amazing job.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next year?	Make skiing the bumps look smooth (with a capital “OO”) and feel more at ease in the trees.
What goal would you like to accomplish in the next five years?	I would like to learn to surf. As for skiing, increase my skills to become part of the Telemark Education Staff.