I've spent the last 3 days on a Professional Mountain Bike Instructor's course with Zep Techniques.
Up early on day 1 I pedalled over to Lost Lake Cross Country Connection where I was meeting Paul Howard from Zep Techniques and the other student instructors Nicole (from Vancouver), Morgan (from Whistler) and Jeremy (from New Zealand).
It was a nice day- a little chilly but dry and we spent the first morning riding the gravel tracks and singletrack of the Lost Lake concentrating on one of six skills at a time, the 6 skills we would be learning how to teach. Paul would show us how to break the skill down and then we would have a go at perfectingour demos and skill at performing that skill on some techy singletrack that is similar but probably harder then the Welsh trail centres. Really fun to ride.
We lunched at Portobello and in the afternoon we learnt how to teach each skill as well as how to guide a group and keep it safe and fun as well as having effective teaching.
That evening we were all allocated a lesson to teach tomorrow so we could read the manual and prepare. I had cornering- so I read most of the manual in time before we went to the movies tonight to see Year One. It was a funny movie a little in the Life of Brian Monty Pythonesque style!
Day 2 it was pissing down as I pedalled over and it was pretty cold- I had merino wool on! We all taught a lesson in the rain, I went first and my lesson went very well, it was not perfect but it seemed to go across well and I go great feedback. It was fun being a student too as we all tried to subtely hint when the instructor missed something- e.g. at one point Nicole started our warm-up and forgot the bike check so as she cycled off I just said "Ooops my tyre is flat" and we all fell into a fit of giggles as she realised she had to stop and do a bike check!
After another yummy lunch at Portobello's we started working on Maneuvers (in the sun in the skills park) and how to teach them- riding skinnies, front and rear wheel lifts, rolling drops and riding small drop offs. Once we had learnt how to do them and how to teach them properly we all had to teach one. I did a great lesson on front wheel lifts so I was pleased with that.
We were all allocated a skill to teach tomorrow for our evaluation but had to learn all the maneuvers as one would be picked on the spot. So I read the manual thoroughly until I was almost asleep and then wrote some bullet point lesson plans for each one.
I PASSED!
Day 3- still raining, we took it in turns to teach. I went 2nd this time and taught Line Selection- I used my Mr Magoo and Buzz Lightyear examples to set the exercise which made it fun and visual. I got great feedback that it was a strong lesson so I was glad as I had prepared well for it. By lunchtime we were very cold and hungry and wet. Another lunch at Portobellos with the market in Blackcomb on reminding me today was a Sunday.
Then we taught Maneuvers, Jeremy did Skinnies, Nicole did front wheel lift, Morgan did rolling drops and I had to do rear wheel lifts which seemed easy but then he asked me to progress it a level off the cuff so I ended up introducing a front wheel and rear wheel lift maneuver. That was tough as I had not practiced my demo and had to hop over a small log for everyone cold- it was not perfect but I did OK and everyone got it in the end which was a good result.
Back at Cross Country connection we filled in some feeback on the course and received our certificates and feedback as we all passed.
Now I'm keen to do level 2- I know I could instruct it but the riding skills may be an issue as I can clear tabletops on Crank it up but I hate the ones on A-line.
Anyway this was a great course, very structured and effective. I do hope that hey are successful in creating a governing body and getting it to be a formally recognized qualification as this industry really needs that now.
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