Freestyle Specialist 2 – PSIA-AASI Eastern

The Freestyle Specialist 2 (FS2) affirms that the instructor is qualified to teach through the intermediate to advanced zone and on intermediate (blue) terrain as well as extra small to medium terrain park features. Please reference the PSIA-AASI Freestyle Specialist National Standards for more information.

The Freestyle Specialist 2 is an assessment based certificate that provides instruction to aid participants in acquiring knowledge of teaching intermediate/advanced level Freestyle lessons AND evaluates the achievement of the intended learning outcomes. Certificates are awarded to those who meet the Specialist Standards.

Depending on registration levels, this assessment can be run with three different group types:

As a standalone FS2 with either an Alpine or Snowboard specific focus
As a standalone FS2 with a multi-discipline focus, combining both Alpine and Snowboard candidates
As a combined FS2/3 with either an Alpine or Snowboard specific focus

Upon registration, candidates will be asked to indicate which equipment they plan to participate on (Alpine or Snowboard). The candidate must remain on the declared equipment for the duration of the event. Ahead of the event, Administrators will reach out to provide more details.

The Freestyle Specialist E-Learning Course must be completed before registering for your on-snow event. This E-Learning Course is offered in a Snowboard or Skiing track, costs $25, and offers 1 CEU credit upon completion. You can access the course here:

Learning Experiences:

Specific activities will vary depending on the group’s needs and environmental conditions and typically include:

Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication to promote group dynamics, provide behavior-based feedback, and demonstrate active listening.
Observing and managing instructor self-awareness and self-management in the freestyle learning environment in general and, specifically, for the learner through personal reflection of emotions and behavioral responses to emotions.
Recognizing individual motivations and emotions, interpersonal challenges, and the role of social awareness in interpersonal and group dynamics among the group members.
Planning intermediate-zone freestyle lessons, activities, and progressions.
Implementing and adapting learning experiences in the intermediate-zone freestyle lesson environment.
Helping students identify and understand performance changes in the intermediate freestyle environment
Practicing the application of discipline-specific fundamentals in isolation and combination – in or on a variety of terrain and freestyle features.
Varying tactics for speed, pop, spin, and line to develop the versatility required at the FS 2 level.
Off-snow activities such as cross training to enhance agility, strength, and kinesthetic awareness.
Group activities, with instructors performing various tasks and discussing the similarities and differences of each.
Analyzing freestyle skiing/snowboarding to better understand practical applications of discipline-specific fundamentals.
Exploring how to apply and adjust DIRT to discipline-specific fundamentals, based on the desired freestyle outcome
Group activities, with instructors performing various tasks and discussing the similarities and differences of each.
Analyzing efficient freestyle skiing/snowboarding to better understand practical applications of discipline-specific fundamentals.
Exploring how to apply DIRT to discipline-specific fundamentals, based on the desired freestyle outcome.
Using different types, sizes, adjustments, and purposes of gear in or on various terrain and freestyle features.

Learning Outcomes:

Adapt verbal and non-verbal communication to support the emotional state of subsets within the group in the freestyle environment.
Plans learning outcomes and progressive learning experiences and adapts to the changing needs of intermediate students in the freestyle environment.
Facilitates learning experiences and adapts them as necessary to guide students toward agreed-upon outcomes and engage them in the process in the freestyle environment.
Communicates performance changes that target the learning outcome to help students identify that a change has been made in the freestyle environment.
Adapts discipline-specific fundamentals to demonstrate specific freestyle outcomes in beginner through advanced freestyle terrain, including extra small through medium features.
Uses current PSIA-AASI resources to identify, describe, and evaluate personal performance; applying discipline-specific fundamentals and considering tactics and equipment choices.
Articulates accurate cause-and-effect relationships of two or more discipline-specific fundamentals through all phases of ATML – taking equipment choices and stance setup into consideration – to offer an effective prescription for change for riders performing FS 2 activities.

Recommended Learning Resources:

Recommended: Review Freestyle Technical Manual

Equipment/Materials Needed:

Twin tip skis are highly recommended OR any board that feels comfortable to try freestyle maneuvers on.

Find Events like this on the Eastern Calendar:

Find Events like this on the Eastern Calendar

Freestyle Specialist 2 information is available on the Eastern website at easternsnowpros.org/education/freestyle-specialist