The Eurotest Skiing Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun Austria April 2021

The Eurotest Skiing Kitzsteinhorn Kaprun Austria April 2021

On Friday the 19th April 2021 a Eurotest was held on the Kitzsteinhorn glacier in Kaprun Austria In this Snow Camps Europe video, we take a look at what the Eurotest is and see some of the candidates tackle what is seen to be the ultimate test of a ski teachers skill. Many people disagree with the Euro test being part of the level 4 ski teacher examination process and following the test many of the candidates who pass will never race in gates again all be they will spend most of their time skiing with beginner and intermediate skiers in a ski school environment.

00:00 Start
00:11 What is the Euro-Test
03:16 Time setting
05:20 Ski Teachers Race
07:28 Racer v Ski Teacher
08:49 End

#eurotest #skiing #snowcampseurop

[SnowCampsEurope]

What are your thoughts on the Eurotest?

[AgniBroumen]

There is also the issue of older ski instructors wanting to pass this test it would be impossible as they could not compete with the young fis racers that set the times. So it s definitely not fair.

[AlfoNso-]

It must be mentioned that for Italian skiing instructor the Eurotest is essential for teaching at any level and we cannot work without having passed it, not even with beginners

[davidlongfield]

The vast majority of instructors in a ski school do not need to have achieved the lofty heights of level 4 with the eurotest or equivalent. Most will teach beginners or people looking to improve their parallel skiing to a high-ish level in order to be able to ski most groomed runs. Likewise a ski school does not need everyone to be top level either. it is not only counter productive and elitist but more expensive to pay a level 4 that a competent level 2/3. There are three reasons why this level is seen as a must have. 1. You need it for high positions in the school. 2. The school has high end clients. and 3. it is used by some countries as a barrier to foreign instructors. There is also the issue of personal liability insurance ( not a factor when I taught in the 80s and 90s). Some of the best teachers that I have come across are young, keen level 1/2/3s who love their jobs and love to see low end clients with a smile on their faces after snowploughing down the beginner piste.

[fede_wenzel]

Usain Bolt's Coach is not even half as fast as his student... Coaching is one thing, extreme high-level performance is another....no more questions your honor...

[bernhardbleierer]

do you have the number 12 on video? Can you send it to me?

[TAH]

WELL, if think that if a requirement is needed to ski fast once, then it should be required to regularly pass the speed test perhaps at a greater speed differential which is age related and this should be applied to older students. Ski techniques and equipment do constantly change. A level 4 Instructor that once passed on unshaped skis 30 years ago, whilst familiar and competent to ski and teach ordinarily with shaped skis may not have the necessary ability to teach current ski race techniques on new equipment and also may be very unfit and overweight etc. The race coaches I know have race coach qualifications. The level 4 instructors I see tend to teach levels 1, 2 and 3... All associations look and listen favourably upon their kind however unfair.

[Benzknees]

Wow, the course made that skier who lost his pole look v.amateurish. Even tho’ he must have been a pretty good skier to get to L4.

[goskiing]

OK. The Eurotest itself, as in the day of the race; is pointless. Apart from maybe learning a little about nerves and the psychology and anxiety beginners feel all the time. Even then, it's largely the 'good' skiers like the 1st guy who often need to learn this empathy, and there's nothing a flat glacier piste with soft snow, blue sky and an early start number can scare him with... So as I say, race day it pretty pointless.
It's the training required to get to that level where the real Level 4 value lies.
Technique, pushing yourself too and beyond you're limits, feeling a few crashes, dealing with the psychology of 'getting back on the horse', and trying to go faster still! Tactics, snow conditions, visability, ski tuning, boot canting, wedges, flex, plates, bindings, etc. Organisation of training, punctuality, remembering all your sh*t, transport, hotels, putting on a ridiculous body-stocking and feeling the burn of competition. Only a quick, 1 minute feel of it, but if any of these Ski Teachers had serious FIS experience they'd likely have exemption level FIS points (although the bar for this is constantly raised), it's good to put people through the ringer a little.
Talking of burn, not many people pass without some squats. Gym training, fitness, understanding how high level skiing is very anaerobic and that takes some leg prep.
Does it sound like a pointless test now?
And I know many level 2 and 3 Ski Teachers have been through all I've listed, and MORE, but failed multiple times at the final race day hurdle. That is unfair, but how else to 'prove' for want of a better word that you have been through it all?
I guess that's why those who pass turn a blind eye and say the clock never lies. That's a very harsh way of saying it, but how else to test Alpine Nations who have thousands of people wanting to be ski instructors, the test has to weed them down to an industry acceptable number.

I liken the Eurotest to boxing. Fight Night is not everyone's cup of tea, a bit elitist and a bit too much testosterone. But without that cauldron of the brutal reality facing you, people would simply not train, push and achieve half as much as they do.

That's a long ol' way of saying. The test itself is pointless, the training is industry leading and defining. There's no way to show you've done sufficient training - without the test. And round we go arguing about it.

For those still reading and wondering, yes, I have passed the Eurotest, and went on to get 71 FIS Points after that.

The Ski Teaching Industry and lifestyle is [was] great. It will always suffer from the danger of becoming a 'boys club', this test if nothing else, ensures a meritocracy is always present. Maybe not quite in the right way, but close enough.

If you want an easy life, study astrophysics at Oxford or something... for Brits especially who want a real challenge, go down the Eurotest route, haha