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Northstar instructors selected to join PSIA and AASI National Demonstration Teams

Special to the Sun

TRUCKEE,Calif. andamp;#8212; Northstar California Resort proudly announced three of its ski and snowboard school instructors andamp;#8212; Mike Hafer, Ryan Christofferson and Chris Hargrave andamp;#8212; were selected to be part of the PSIA and AASI National Demonstration Teams for the 2012-2016 term. Each demonstration team position is highly coveted, with only 24 positions available to be filled every four years by members from across the country. Between Northstar and its sister resort, Heavenly, seven of the 24 spots were filled.During their tenure, demonstration team members are responsible for traveling across the country to lead clinics for other ski and snowboard instructors, covering topics from teaching techniques to skiing/riding improvement. The teams represent an important component of the associationandamp;#8217;s education programs, instructor training and snowsports industry outreach. This is the second term on the demo team for Hafer and the first for both Christofferson and Hargrave.andamp;#8220;We are really proud of Mike, Ryan and Chris. Theyandamp;#8217;ve each worked extremely hard to be recognized as part of this elite national team,andamp;#8221; said Andy Buckley, director of skier services at Northstar. andamp;#8220;And, for Northstar, having three educational professionals on the national demonstration teams is a huge testament to the quality of programs offered at our resort. These three have and will continue to be highly involved in the development and design of learning programs offered to our guests.andamp;#8221;Mike Hafer, PSIA Alpine Team (second term)With more than 17 years of experience, the last 14 of which have been at Northstar, Mike Hafer has been selected as one of the PSIA Alpine Team members for the second time. Some of Mikeandamp;#8217;s career highlights include teaching a NASTC course in Chamonix, France, and guiding snow cat tours at Northstar in the area that later became Lookout Mountain. Currently, Mike is the assistant ski school director at Northstar where he is responsible for oversight of the schoolandamp;#8217;s daily operations, including the development of training programs for new employees.Ryan Christofferson, PSIA Alpine Team, freestyle specialistA member of the Western Division tech team for PSIA, Ryan Christofferson has been part of the ski industry for 10 years. An ambassador for the sport and a valued addition to the team programs at Northstar, Ryan has been at the resort for four years, serving as head coach of the freestyle ski team for the past two years.Chris Hargrave, AASI Snowboard TeamResponsible for the development, management and direction of the Burton Snowboard Academy at Northstar, a one-of-a-kind learning program designed for snowboarders and those who want to get into the sport, Chris Hargrave has worked in the ski and snowboard industry for the past 19 years. Chris has demonstrated his passion for snowboarding education as a consultant for Burton Snowboards, as a coach for High Cascade, an AASI trainer and examiner, and as an industry presenter for the National Ski Areas Association and Ski Area Management. Chris has also contributed to the industry through the documentation of the instructors guide to park and pipe for PSIA-AASI and building freestyle programs for resorts and organizations like USASA.The team selection process consisted of four days of on-snow assessments of candidatesandamp;#8217; skiing or riding and clinic leading, as well as indoor presentations and interviews. This is the first time Northstar has had three individuals on current PSIA-AASI teams. For more information about the PSIA-AASI Team Selection, visit http://www.TheSnowPros.org.For information about Northstarandamp;#8217;s Ski andamp; Snowboard School, visit http://www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.andamp;#8212; Submitted to aedgett@sierrasun.com


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