Chapter One
Zoey
Present
“G ood morning. I want to start by thanking you all for being here and taking a chance on our little mountain oasis. I know Balsam Ridge, Tennessee, is no Vail or Aspen, but we will strive to offer a premier winter sports option for guests here on the East Coast. I have complete faith in our resort staff to provide a five-star vacation experience, but we all know that the school and patrol are what makes or breaks a true ski resort. You guys are the best of the best,” Langford begins.
A roar of agreement rises in the room.
He cuts his eyes to a table of rowdy young newbies, Morris Tuttle being their apparent leader.
“Well, some of you are. Some of you have a lot to prove.”
The motley crew of handsome ski bums grins at him.
“For the next four weeks, you will be living together, eating together, and working together, learning the lay of the land and training for the upcoming inaugural season here at Misty Mountain Ranch and Ski Area. I want you to feel like a family. And as with all families, there has to be someone in charge. So, I’d like to introduce you to your new parent, not that she needs any introduction.
Help me welcome our head instructor, Miss Zoey Phillips. ”
I make my way to the front of the room to hoots and hollers and whistles.
“We are very fortunate that Zoey agreed to take the position here. I expect you all to show her the same respect that you do me. Leave your egos at the door and appreciate that you have a world-class champion to learn from.”
He turns to me and nods. “The floor is all yours.”
He takes a seat at the back of the room, and I look out at the faces that are now concentrated on me. I clear my throat and launch into the speech I’ve been practicing all weekend.
“Thank you, Langford. I appreciate your kind words and your confidence in me.
“Hello, everyone. I’m excited to be here and to be working with you all.
This job takes more than just skill. It takes patience.
Teaching can be repetitive, so you need to be creative with the drills and practices that you utilize.
No two students will be the same. There are going to be days when you have groups or individuals that try your last nerve, but a good instructor never lets that show.
Never. Every client should leave this mountain thinking everyone, including you, has had the best day of their lives.
“The job also calls for calmness and adaptability. Teaching skiing and snowboarding to people of different skill levels isn’t easy, and it comes with risks.
You never know what you’ll face halfway up the mountain, depending on the conditions.
So, always think quickly and act rationally in any situation.
The clients will feed off your reactions.
No one wants to follow an instructor who looks stressed or nervous.
And you don’t want to be leading a group that is stressed or nervous.
“People will get scared when they start trying new things. Whether they are beginners or strong, experienced skiers who want to push their boundaries. It’s natural, and even if you don’t find the situation scary, it’s important for you to understand that they do and empathize with their fears.
Falls and accidents are going to happen.
The best instructors are the ones who can act quickly, assess and address any injuries, ease the embarrassment of those moments, and keep everyone laughing.
Don’t let them take their missteps too seriously.
“Whether you’re teaching vacationers, junior ski racers, or future ski instructors, they all want to have fun and enjoy the experience. It’s your job to make that happen.
“It goes without saying that you need to be at a high level of physical fitness to do this job. I expect you all to make use of the workout rooms Langford has provided at least three days a week. I know Langford said that I’m your new parent, but I don’t intend to hold your hands like you’re a bunch of ten-year-olds.
I’m not going to give you a workout schedule unless you force me to, just do the work.
“Remember that you, too, are a constant student. Keep developing and gaining knowledge. Work with instructors who are at levels above you to hone and improve your own skills.
“As Langford said, leave your egos at home. There is no place for them on this mountain.
“I need you all to have a genuine love and appreciation for the sport of skiing. This is going to be a challenging and sometimes-demanding job, but if you are someone who loves skiing both for work and for pleasure, you will make a great instructor.
“And get excited for seeing people improve. The best instructors I know get a real high from helping people get better. Be uniquely you. Develop your own teaching style. Don’t try to copy me.
Don’t try to be the next guy. You have something to offer that we don’t.
Langford saw it in you when he hired you. That’s why you’re here today.
“So, have a good time. Respect the mountain. Respect your fellow instructors. Continue to ask questions. Most importantly, do your own thing and learn a few simple tricks to show and teach your clients. Trust me, they love that.
“Now, I know you’re all getting settled into the staff cabanas and finding your way around. I have printed out detailed maps that show the main ski areas. Including all slopes, their categories from beginner all the way to expert, and pertinent general info on them.
“Those who are strictly instructing snowboarding, grab the map with the three Terrain Parks for Snowboarders. The first is Newbie Park. This is a place to get your freestyle footing. It’s perfect for beginners because of its small, rollable jumps and easy jibs without gaps or kinks.
You want your skiers to start here and work their way up to Elevation Park.
This park has some creative and unique features and is perfectly designed for newbies who are transitioning to harder features.
And last but not least, we have Shredders Park.
It is a cornucopia for shredding features and has everything from medium-sized jumps to technical jibs.
When your snowboarder is ready, Shredders Park is the perfect place to take their freestyling to the next level.
“I have divided you all into four groups: beginners group ski, intermediate group ski, advanced individual ski, and snowboard. You should have an email waiting for you tonight with your assignment. I placed you according to your scores from instructor school and your abilities that I have observed.
“Yes, these are carved in stone. No, I will not be changing anything until after the season. So, get comfortable with where I placed you and remember there’s no position that is more important than any other position.”
I watch as they begin to fish their phones out of their pockets and bags, eager to check their inboxes and see where they landed.
I take in the waves of pleased smiles and unhappy scowls and make a mental note as Langford stands and joins me at the head of the room once again.
“I want to add that your cabana assignments are also in the email and include the four-digit code that locks and unlocks your door. If you had your belongings sent ahead of you, they should already be waiting for you when you get there. If you have any questions or need anything pertaining to housing, please contact our groundskeeper, Higgins. He’ll handle those things. ”
He claps his hands together and turns to me. “Anything else to add, Zoey?”
“Just enjoy the weekend and get settled, and I’ll see you all back here Monday morning at nine. We’ll be doing a little dry land training until we get snow or Langford here starts up the blowers.”
“Okay, scoot on out of here,” Langford dismisses them.
I make my way to the exit to greet everyone individually and to make sure they all leave with the maps.
“A paper map—how very 1996 of you,” Joanna, one of the instructor candidates I befriended in Colorado, quips.
“Hey, I worked hard on these. I know you can click on the website and see them, but you know as well as I do that cell phones aren’t always reliable on mountaintops,” I reply.
“True,” she agrees.
“I like maps. I hate my phone,” Scooter, another recruit from Colorado, says as he snatches a couple of copies of each map.