• Northstar and Heavenly Capture Seven of 24 Total Demonstration Team Spots
TRUCKEE, Calif. – May 3, 2012 – Northstar California Resort proudly announced today that three of its ski and snowboard school instructors – Mike Hafer, Ryan Christofferson and Chris Hargrave – were selected to be part of the PSIA and AASI National Demonstration Teams for the term running from 2012-2016. 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 association’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.
“We are really proud of Mike, Ryan and Chris. They’ve each worked extremely hard to be recognized as part of this elite national team,” said Andy Buckley, director of skier services at Northstar. “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.”
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 Mike’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 school’s daily operations, including the development of training programs for new employees.
Ryan Christofferson, PSIA Alpine Team, freestyle specialist
A 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 Team
Responsible 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 been working 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 candidates’ 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 www.TheSnowPros.org.
For information about Northstar’s Ski & Snowboard School, visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.
About Northstar California Resort
One of the finest year-round mountain resorts in North America, Northstar is host to a base area village featuring unique shops and restaurants, a conference center, 9,000 square foot outdoor skating rink, movie theaters, on-site lodging, special events and more. A winter sport enthusiast’s paradise, Northstar offers 97 ski trails spread across 3,170 acres, award-winning terrain parks and snow sports including alpine and Telemark skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and tubing. Summer activities include mountain biking, golfing, scenic lift rides for sightseeing and hiking, fly-fishing and more.
Northstar is located on Highway 267, just six miles north of Lake Tahoe and six miles south of downtown Truckee. For more information, call 1.800.GO.NORTH (1.800.466.6784) or visit www.NorthstarCalifornia.com.
About Vail Resorts
Vail Resorts, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the leading mountain resort operator in the United States. The Company's subsidiaries operate the mountain resort properties of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge and Keystone mountain resorts in Colorado, and the Heavenly Ski Resort and Northstar California in the Lake Tahoe area of California and Nevada, and the Grand Teton Lodge Company in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. The Company's subsidiary, RockResorts, a luxury resort property and hotel company, manages casually elegant properties. Vail Resorts Development Company is the real estate planning, development and construction subsidiary of Vail Resorts, Inc. Vail Resorts is a publicly held company traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MTN). The Vail Resorts company website is www.vailresorts.com and consumer website is www.snow.com.