Anonymous wrote:What is the truth Mr. Harb?
Not Harald.
IMO, there is benefit to using PMTS techniques to develop your skiing. I have used the drills myself, and they did improve my skiing. Would my skiing have improved without them? I don't know.
Even if the ideas are "the way", their wholesale implementation remains a huge problem.
Also, to suggest that all resorts should adopt PMTS as the sole methodology because their instructors don't ski well is a tad too eager.
eg. What do you do with a 50 year old non-athletic person that has not exercised for years, never been on skis before and has trouble just standing? That person wants to try skiing for whatever reason, and finds that they are having a blast just trying!
Do you tip little toe edge? Side slip? No, you wedge them down after the stumble off the magic carpet while their friends and family take the photo op to catch "mom/dad" with the mountain in the backdrop. Everyone is laughing/smiling. They have the feeling of sliding and proudly say: "I'm a skier!". There is a chance they will return if they enjoy it enough, maybe even bring a friend to take a lesson too. The resort makes more money.
Yet, if all they do is spend their lesson sideslipping, they can get discouraged, say they're not good enough to ski and give up, never to return. This is simply skier retention from the resorts perspective. How does PMTS help here?
IMO, far more athleticism is required in the student to be a candidate for PMTS than is required by the wedge progression. I fear these non-athletic types will be left behind. While they will never be WC athletes, their kids might be, so don't say them being left out is ok. That's elitist.
I have no intent to slam PMTS, but retention looks like a real good reason why a ski resort would not limit itself to PMTS. I'd think the resorts are not wise in limitting themselves by teaching PSIA either -- that's just business.
Some people say they've been teaching PMTS stuff "on the sly". From a business perspective, if a skier has a fall during a lesson and sues the resort and the instructor, what chance does the poor instructor have if he's been teaching PMTS on the sly during resort sponsored lessons, and the fall happened while performing a purely PMTS drill? ( eg. Glove between boot springs to mind. ) What legal council will come to their aid?
The PMTS is not covered or licenced by any umbrella organization like the PSIA. The poor instructor is on his own. Given the number of lawsuits launched in the states, specious or otherwise, I'm a bit surprised that Harald has the cohones to print anything on the matter at all!
So, there are issues in implementation, retention and liability even before saying whether it's really good or not! I think things from PMTS can and should be incorporated, but I doubt that PMTS will displace the current approach.
My 2 cents.
I'm putting on my flamesuit now.... ok! I'm ready!...