Month: December 2025

As a member of the Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance, we're given the opportunity to receive updates from Canada's top trainers including those presently on the National Demonstration Team. If you’re gearing up for the 2025–26 season, the latest Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance (CSIA) technical update—delivered by Jean-François Beaulieu—feels perfectly timed. Before we hit the slopes as eager ski instructors, we received an in-depth technical update online. It was the perfect preamble to our very cold first few days on the slopes of Mont Tremblant, Quebec. The skiing world is shifting, skiers are showing up more informed and more performance-focused, and instructors are expected to blend technical knowledge with tactical intelligence more fluidly than ever. Among all the biomechanics, terrain strategies, and skill-blending theory, one moment that stood out above everything else—and funnily enough, it didn’t happen during the on snow session. It happened on the chairlift.... But before we get to that story (and trust me, it’s worth the ride), let’s unpack the updates. During your chair ride with Jean-François, he shared a teaching moment from years ago—one he still remembers vividly. The student?JF Beaulieu himself. The instructor?Michel Beaulieu, a seasoned coach with a knack for turning technical concepts into unforgettable experiences. JF described how Michel delivered an already solid skiing lesson—good drills, good tactics, good terrain choices. But then Michel did something that didn’t just make the session good… it made it great: He wrapped the technical focus in a story. Not a lecture.Not a mechanical explanation.A narrative. A short, powerful story that illustrated the tactical point in a way that stuck with JF. It wasn’t just “here’s how you should approach this movement.”It was “here’s the scenario, here’s the emotion, here’s the imagery… now ski it.” And according to JF, that story is the reason the lesson’s tactics became permanently ingrained in his skiing. The takeaway? Memorable teaching is emotional + relatable + meaningful. Not just technical. The story gave the movement context.Context made it tactical.Tactics made it sticky.And the emotional resonance made it memorable for life. In other words: Skiers don’t always remember the drill.But they remember the story—and it helps them remember the movement. This is exactly what the 2025–26 update is calling for: Clarity Connection Tactics Emotion Integration Context Mt chairlift moment with JF is proof that even for elite athletes and educators, a good story outlives a great drill.

Month: December 2025

My Chairlift Moment With one of Canada’s Top Ski Instructors

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