Category: Downhill Snow School

Let’s only remember the 406 classes taught, the many programs offered, the sooo popular Saturday races at Mount St Louis Moonstone. Your CSIA and CASI qualified instructors continued to train at Tremblant and in Ontario to bring you safe, productive and fun lessons.Our 51 ski and snowboard instructors want to thank all HPSC members for your enthusiastic participation in our daily trips lessons and Canadian overnight trips guidance.A few special instructor achievements deserve our warmest congratulations: Laura Shepherd – full Level 3! David Manning – Course conductor for Level 1 courses  + CSIA Ontario and National – HPSC Instructor of the year Mike Romano – accepted in the Level 4 academy Matt Diamond – CSIA (skiing) Level 2 Carmen Lopes – CASI (snowboarding) Level 2 We hope to see you all again in our lessons next winter!

I started skiing 15 years ago and quickly found out there is so much to learn about this sport. Skiing has taken me to parts of the world that I never would have seen otherwise (Switzerland, Japan, Western Canada). I earned my CSIA Level 2 in 2018, which led me to a whole new world of challenges and possibilities. The Learning Never Stops! I am so happy to join the High Park Ski Club Snow School and have the pleasure of being able to transfer my skills and knowledge to all levels of the High Park Ski Club membership.

If you were wondering what was sparkling at MSLM last weekend… it wasn’t the freshly fallen snow, our instructors new goggles, or the smile of our Director, Laura Shepherd, excited to train with Level 4, Jason Young. No, that sparkle would have come from your instructors’ brand new uniforms, featuring our new HPSC logo! Not unlike our very popular previous uniform, it keeps the basic brand colours with a snazzy touch! We might be even more visible on the hills!! This new uniform is the result of an incredible effort from design to distribution! Kudos and thanks go to Apolonija Battiston, Kathleen McCabe, David Manning, Rocco Romeo, and Mike Romano for such a great uniform, another one which will make us proud!

As announced in the October 11 issue of SnoBiz, Ski School welcomed seven new instructors for this season. Today, we introduce you to Lina DiFelice and Izabella Wilczynska.

Lina DiFelice I’ve been a member of HPSC for 12 years and started skiing when I was 11. Dad would sit in the chalet for hours, while my 2 sisters and I took ski lessons at Mount St. Louis/Moonstone, and Blue Mountain. We loved it and were hooked. My younger sister Donna went on to become a Ski Patrol, and was an active participant with HPSC in the 70’s. Fast forward… after a long hiatus, I followed in my sister’s footsteps, and joined HPSC and renewed my passion for skiing. I’ve enjoyed many extraordinary ski trips around the world, received phenomenal instruction from attentive coaches and teachers, and have made many friendships on and off the hill. With the support and guidance of the HPSC instructors, private lessons, and time on the hill, I grew as a skier. After retiring from a great career in teaching, moving to Collingwood, and growing my confidence, I decided it would be fun to give back the knowledge and gifts I’ve received.  I’m excited to share my love of nature and the joy one feels gliding down the mountain.

Izabella Wilczynska

I fell in love with skiing as a little 4-year-old kid watching Olympics, and promptly used my plastic cross-country skis on the tiny hills in my hometown (Torun, Poland) for my first attempts of hockey stops. I didn’t get a chance to really try skiing on proper skis and hills until much later- my high school got a donation of downhill racing skis from an Austrian ski club and took us on a trip to Slovakia.  It was a great trip where I learned to fall well, and often (on my unsharpened 190s) but my passion for skiing remained. Finally, many years after moving to Canada and discovering the traveling ski clubs, I was able to take proper lessons. I joined as a step 3 and worked hard to overcome my newly found (grown up) fear of speed. Fast forward 7 years and I am proud to be joining the HPSC ski school as a new instructor. I want to share my joy of skiing with others who may not have had a chance to learn earlier just like me. As a cautious skier, I will be there to encourage you to overcome your fears, and discover the reason we have winters. In the off season, I am an avid stand-up paddle boarder (SUP), also certified as an instructor. I love the outdoors so if not on the water, I am camping, hiking, or exploring.

Hi everyone! Our downhill snow school is looking for enthusiastic snowboard and ski instructors for next season.

You will make friends for life, have a chance to help other members of the club to improve, and get access to a whole new world of development. Volunteer instructors also get some perks that help defray the cost of teaching, including:

• Lift ticket or pass reimbursement
• Transportation to/from the hill
• Cost offset on long trips when you teach
• Access to our great afternoon sessions, Tremblant training with level 4s, and instructor training reimbursement
• Small stipend

…plus, we have a TON of fun on snow and off snow!

Qualifications to teach with us include one of the following: CSIA level 2+, OR CSIA level 1 + HPSC Instructor Training, OR CASI level 1+.

If you are keen to help your fellow members, have a good attitude, and have met these requirements, please reach out to me at downhillsnowschool@hpsc.ca to express interest and to get access to our application form. We are recruiting until August 30, 2023. 

Christine Bellerose
Director, Downhill Skiing and Snowboarding

The Downhill Snow School is excited to celebrate some significant instructor achievements! Please join me in congratulating our instructors: 

Kerry Kupecz has attained her Level 2 certification. The CSIA Level 2 is a significant step up from the Level 1 and a milestone in every instructor’s development.

In addition, Laura Shepherd challenged the Level 3 teach exam and has now attained the Level 3 partial – teach certification. The level 3 exam is an advanced certification and recognized internationally.

Lastly, I challenged the ski exam and attained full Level 3 certification.

Congratulations to our instructors for their success on exams. You have made our snow school proud!

David Manning
Snow School Director, Director of Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding
…and new CSIA level 3 🙂

Kerry Kupecz

Laura Shepherd

David Manning