ZEP & THE BaSE at COP

Posted: Jun 2, 2009

ZEPtechniques' PMBI Instructor Training Courses now at COP

ZEPtechniques is proud to announce a new venue for our Professional Mountain Bike Instructor Training Courses this June - the awesome bike park at Canada Olympic Park! With the ever increasing number of Mountain Bike Camps popping up everywhere, being able to offer quality training to prospective mountain bike instructors is more important than ever. Developed from over 10 years experience coaching and training instructors in both the Mountain Bike and Snowboard Industries, our PMBI courses train instructors how to safely and effectively teach clients in a fun, relaxed atmosphere.

The PMBI courses are unique in that they focus on Skill and Maneuver Based Instruction to develop a person's riding, regardless of the chosen discipline. The courses train instructors how to develop clients' riding skills so they can use them as they see fit, according to the situation they are in. This is different to the old school way of teaching mountain biking where people are coached according to the situation, rather than a skill. As an example, instead of learning how to "ride a rooty section" (a situation), skill-based teaching would see a rider focusing in on a particular skill - so perhaps learning "different ways to position the body and balance over the bike". Now they can learn how moving the body over the bike changes their balance and effects the way it handles, and can therefore better understand how to balance for any given situation, and not just roots.


This makes for much more able and effective instructors who can teach regardless of the setting (XC/DH/FR), whilst producing riders that are more adaptable and knowledgeable to better handle different riding situations - making riding safer, easier and more fun which is what it's all about. Skill based teaching has been the corner-stone to ski and snowboarding instruction for the last 4 decades for a reason - it's the best way for an instructor to analyze (which is vital to proper instruction) a person's riding and therefore also develop it.

The PMBI courses are 100% practical based, with three full days of riding, coaching and training; during which candidates will learn in detail about the skills, techniques and maneuvers within modern mountain bike riding whilst learning how best to safely teach these to individual clients. Riders will be given daily, personal feedback on their own riding and demonstrations (including video analysis), and will also get to practice teaching before the final day where they will get to teach two complete lessons. More info on the PMBI Level 1 and 2 courses is at www.zeptechniques.com, or to sign up for a course email info@zeptechniques.com

COP course dates for June are 23rd - 25th... but hurry as BaSE MTB & SB Camps have already booked 3 spots for their new coaches! Fresh out of Calgary, Biking and Snowboarding Experience run camps that travel every day to a different shred zone. PMBI courses are also available in Whistler and Silver Star... visit our website for more details and to check out course dates throughout the summer, at all venues.

Cheers,

Paul
Owner ZEPtechniques