Snowmass, CO – Snowmass is the setting and professional ski and snowboard instructors are the guests for a huge snowsports industry celebration this week commemorating five decades. The 50/50 conference, hosted by the Professional Ski Instructors of America and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (PSIA-AASI), will feature seven days of parties, skiing, riding, learning and honoring industry frontrunners at Colorado’s Snowmass ski resort.nSnowsports have transformed dramatically in the past 50 years, but the passion and dedication of the people who teach them remains unchanged; that is the central focus during this week of celebration that will both take a look back, and forward, at the business of professional ski and snowboard instruction.
“What a fitting way to celebrate the end of a stellar ski season and the 25th anniversary year of the Snowmass Conference Center,” said Jim O’Leary, National Sales Manager with Snowmass Tourism Groups and Meetings. “Snowmass is honored to have been chosen by snowsports industry leaders as the venue for this conference and our team has been working behind the scenes for a year since we learned we would be hosting it to ensure that it executes flawlessly.”
The celebration, which has been 50 years in the making, is the biggest event of 2011 for snowsports enthusiasts, with 550 registered guests attending throughout the week and a banquet for 450 planned.
“This is the first time we’ve done an event of this magnitude,” said Sara Nakon, PSIA-AASI Membership Director. “Snowmass is perfect for the 50/50 event with 3,000 acres of terrain, three other ski areas close by, and the availability of convenient banquet facilities and so many off-mountain venues for evening events and entertainment.”
The gala banquet that is planned is a celebration of the exciting past, present and vibrant future of snowsports. On Wednesday, the Snowmass Conference Center will be the site of a keynote address by Bud Keene, Olympic and X Games Snowboard Coach. Lifetime Achievement Awards will honor PSIA-AASI co-founder Curt Chase and former PSIA-AASI President Mark Anderson. The historic presentation of 50-year member pins will be awarded to more than 30 attending members of the organization, some of whom are now in their 90s.
The snowsports industry and its professional instructors have much to commemorate over the past 50 years, with innovations in equipment like shaped skis, the revolutionary emergence of snowboarding and the development of comprehensive adaptive ski and snowboard programs for disabled individuals.
“Our members are people who are passionate about instructing; they feel lucky they get to enjoy this lifestyle every day. They also place huge value on certification and staying on the cutting edge of industry best practices,” said Nakon.
PSIA-AASI is the preeminent education and standards-based organization in the United States for all snowriding disciplines, including alpine, nordic, telemark, snowboard, adaptive skiing and riding, and childrens’ skiing and riding. The PSIA-AASI organization has more than 30,000 members all across the United States, and the organization is run and administrated by nine U.S. divisions.