The Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports (VISAS) at Mount Washington Alpine Resort is conducting orientation sessions for new volunteer instructors on Nov. 5 and Nov. 19 from 7-9:30 p.m.
If you are a better than average downhill or cross-country skier or snowboarder (strong intermediate level), consider yourself "a people person" and can remember your own first thrill of a controlled slide down the mountain, then read on.
For over 20 years VISAS has provided tons of fun for both instructors and their students with physical or cognitive disabilities. Using a variety of adaptive equipment and constantly improving techniques, VISAS instructors quickly have students gaining confidence and satisfaction on runs and trails.
We are holding our first information meeting for prospective instructors on Wednesday Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. in the Florence Filberg Centre, Craft Room in Courtenay. Come out and see what our program has to offer you as a volunteer instructor.
Instructors must be a minimum age of 19. The information evening includes videos, hand-outs and the chance to talk to veteran VISAS instructors.
The downhill program requires you to commit to a mandatory two weekend training session at the beginning of the ski season; this is two consecutive weekends, Saturday and Sunday, four days of concentrated training.
The society also requires a minimum of 15 volunteer days of instruction from each instructor during the season, approximately one day a week. Successful candidates will receive their Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing (CADS) Level 1 Certification on completion of the four days of training.
We have a social and cohesive group of instructors and Mount Washington is very supportive of our programs, with many benefits accorded our instructors. We may be the group for you, come to the meeting and see where you can make a difference accenting the abilities of our students.
Check us out on the web at www.visasweb.ca or for more info and visit our VISAS Facebook page and on Flickr.
– Vancouver Island Society for Adaptive Snowsports