speaker-0: Ride, teach, inspire. This is the Dropping Podcast brought to you by the Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors. Hey everyone, welcome back to the Dropping Next podcast. I'm Rob Whalen alongside Jeff Chandler here, and we have an awesome episode on deck for you today. ⁓ if you've been following along in Cassie's news, you'll know that our current strategic plan is up for a refresh. So you'll see that come out in the fall. Our guest for today's episode was part of the team that created ⁓ that initial strategic plan that we're currently functioning under. So we thought it would be cool to bring him on, ⁓ talk a little bit about back in the day, but also dig into like where the association is going in the future with our new strategic plan. ⁓ so that's what we have planned for the episode and I'm gonna pass it over to Jeff to introduce Monsieur Robert Jonka.
speaker-2: Nice. Thanks, Rob. Yeah, as Rob said, we're really stoked to have ⁓ Robert Janka here with us today. LaBob, a ⁓ longtime snowboard instructor, Cassie member, board member, technical committee member, technical committee chairman, na original national technical coordinator. The list the list goes on and on and on, interski representative. So welcome Bob.
speaker-1: Thank you for having me. That's great. I'm happy.
speaker-2: Yeah, we're really ⁓ really happy to chat with you. I know you got probably lots of stories, lots of memories over the over the years of your time with Cassie and ⁓ as as Rob said at the start here, I'm gonna get mixed up with my Robs. I know this is gonna happen here in the next little bit, but ⁓ you know, it's ⁓ like part of what we'll what what we'll talk about here eventually is where Cassie's going. But really I'm more interested in where where Cassie's been with ⁓ where you've been in in terms of being a snowboard instructor and ⁓ I the first question I wanted to ask you actually is like how long have you been a snowboard instructor for? Have you retaliated?
speaker-1: ⁓ snowboard instructor, yeah. So I did my level one in 1989. I was in ⁓ Sutton in Quebec. Nice and I I wanna say it there because ⁓ a lot of people will be surprised. My ⁓ level one evaluator was Andre Dalaire, and Audrey has been ⁓ Burton rep ⁓ back then. He's still in the business and now ⁓ representing many other brands. But yeah, so nineteen eighty nine, which ⁓ will be close to ⁓ forty years soon.
speaker-2: Wow. That's so cool. Yeah. Nice. What ⁓ what w what w what sort of brought you to it? Like what was your ⁓ your history before snowboarding? How did you become a snowboarder before an instructor?
speaker-1: That's a funny one. It's ⁓ so I was a really bad skier, like really bad. I played hockey. I played hockey until you know I still play hockey, but you know, back in the day they were like you play hockey, you don't ski you can't ski. So I started skiing, I was like twenty plus and I was not a good skier. ⁓ so ⁓ that was winter time. Sum ⁓ summertime I was doing a lot of windsurfing. And I thought that it would be cool to combine, you know, winter sport with my summer sport back then, ⁓ winter thing, and then ⁓ came ⁓ some s ⁓ snowboarding. And then ⁓ I was in Moncton, New Brunswick doing my degree in physical education and ⁓ you're gonna laugh at it. It started as a date, ⁓ with a girlfriend. So I was like, that would be cool, I will ⁓ let's let's go snowboarding. So we went we went ⁓ to Wentworth in Nova Scotia. Yeah and and I had ⁓ what's what was called there ⁓ back then I think was innie inisurf or something like that. Inis in his snow. And ⁓ that was it. So and that ⁓ that lady is ⁓ is my wife.
speaker-2: ⁓ nice. I was just about to ask. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.
speaker-1: We were not we were I was starting to date her. I was like, let's go snowboarding. So ⁓ that's how we start. So nineteen eighty seven in ⁓ Wentworth, Nova Scotia on a ⁓ K two gyrator with my Sorrel boots. And I have some pi I have some picture of it.
speaker-2: So cool. Did you ⁓ was it just one of those like let's rent a board and go figure this out? Was there ⁓ was there any teaching involved or
speaker-1: Yeah, we took we took a a lesson. You know, we got there, get the rental, we got to meet our ⁓ instructor, he was great. I don't remember his name. Andy must know. Andy McLean must know. Right. But anyway, yeah, it it was fun actually, you know, I remember it was a positive positive experience.
speaker-2: That's good. Yeah. Yeah. Mine my first time, not so much, but that's good that you had
speaker-1: So so eighty seven and then I finished my degree in eighty nine, moved to Quebec and that's when I took my level one ⁓ with Andre.
speaker-0: So what was snowboarding like back in the late eighties, early nineties?
speaker-1: Well interesting because ⁓ you know when I when I did my level one ⁓ in Sutton ⁓ previous to that, obviously ⁓ I was writing, but to write you needed to get some ⁓ credential. So you needed to go to a resort where they actually accepted snowboarding, not of them. ⁓ not all of them, sorry. And then ⁓ They were ⁓ assigning you with a ski instructor on the the bunny hill and basically they were like we wanna see you turn right, turn left, and then ⁓ basically slow down break and then you got a what was called back then a competency ⁓ card with your picture and yeah yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah. Like a license. Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, and that's how you were able to buy a lift ticket, ⁓ going to a resort with your store. But that that's how it was. Very, very few of us, you know, obviously everybody looking at us and ⁓ what they they called us ⁓ scrapers or whatever, try to remember exactly, but were destroying the the trail and so on. But then it just started to be bigger and bigger. Yeah. That w that was fun.
speaker-2: Yeah. Did you from that first time there, did you w do you remember what your first board was that you ended up on after the gyrator?
speaker-1: Yes, and and ⁓ I mean it's not here right now, but I have my first board, it's in my garage. Was a Burton Air ⁓ one sixty and you know they were those thick it was a plank basically. Yeah. And then ⁓ remember I no longer have them, but we have the canned plate. ⁓ but yeah, it was my first board. One sixty, like a big part for me. Yeah.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's so cool. And then ⁓ so from the from the level one, did your was your aim just to become an instructor? Did you do it just because you, you know, out of interest, or what was your plan there with becoming a a snowboard instructor?
speaker-0: You had to impress a girl, I think. That's what it was.
speaker-2: I know what I'm talking about.
speaker-1: Yeah. No. ⁓ I think I just wanted to become an instructor. b it was linked to my degree as f teacher. Right. And then I was getting into my master degree ⁓ in Sherbrooke, so that's why I was in in ⁓ Sutton, that area, Eastern Township. And ⁓ no, I was like, ⁓ level one done, let's see what's next, you know. And I try to remember, I'm not sure, but I think It was only two l two level back then. It was Canadian Snowboard Federation. That's how I got my level one. And then a couple years after I took my level two and I do remember I took my level two in Bromont on a hard loop setup. And I do remember my evaluator. Don't remember his name, but I do remember him. and then ⁓ I guess at that point I was at the highest ⁓ certification level because ⁓ nine ninety one would have been still not be Cassie. Yeah. Yeah. And then ⁓ you know, there's a few names I can throw out there, but ⁓ Daniel Lafive ⁓ was the coordinator back then. ⁓ and then ⁓ just heard of me I guess and was like hey you should come and join us and be an about where we need people and such.
speaker-2: That's right. Yeah.
speaker-1: with my background, 'cause ⁓ Danielle ⁓ and I had that summer gig, you know, we were a windsurfer, we were competing together. Right. Right. And basically that's how it all started. Yeah.
speaker-0: ⁓ cool. So just a few years later, Cassie comes around in ninety-four. this can be to Cassie or to the CSF days. what do you miss most about ⁓ snowboard instruction back from the early days?
speaker-1: ⁓ you're gonna find my my answer to this a bit interesting. I would say what's missing for me is the the French teaching. I was I mean obviously I was in Quebec. Most of everything, lesson or all my teaching was in French, a little bit in English. But that's what I miss the most. And it's interesting because ⁓ ⁓ through ⁓ a project that we have in twenty five twenty six with Cassie, which was to enhance the ⁓ the French teaching, especially out east. ⁓ I got invited by ⁓ Luc to teach a level one course in Quebec in in December and it was a it was a very, very good experience. I was I felt so good about it. It would have been ⁓ over twenty years for me.
speaker-2: That's what it's
speaker-1: Without teaching in French.
speaker-0: Hmm.
speaker-2: Wow, wild. Wild. Yeah, that's very
speaker-1: And and and people ask sometimes they were like, Well, what's the difference? ⁓ for me it's it's about being more precise. I can be more precise when I teach in French than when I teach in English. It's yeah, little things, but it is what it is. Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. Yeah, that was cool. That was just this past winter, right? That you went ⁓ went back to do the level one. Where was that? What ⁓
speaker-1: It was at ⁓ Mont Lac Vert in ⁓ in Lac Saint Jean. And ⁓ it was it was cold, it was minus minus twenty five I believe, something like that. I didn't miss I didn't miss that. But but ⁓ we we had a blast. It was a good group, good people, you know, super keen, so it was fun.
speaker-2: Very cool.
speaker-0: You've kept your French accent, Bob. How long have you been at West? You've you're in Whistler based now or squamish?
speaker-1: Well we we now live in Squamish. We bought a house here, but ⁓ we moved in two thousand eight. So ⁓ it would be in it would be nineteen years, I believe, this year. ⁓ and and you know, ⁓ people are like, Well you still have an accent. Yes, and I'm proud of it.
speaker-2: Yeah. It should be. I was gonna say. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's very cool. Yeah. So your your time teaching there through ⁓ the early days of Cassie ⁓ extended ⁓ you know, right up until that two thousand eight period and then and then you made ⁓ you know, made some huge strides ⁓ also in the high performance side as well and the competitive side and just wondering if you wanted to to jump into that a little bit on your your time with Canada Snowboard and
speaker-1: Yeah, so so if we talk about the Cassie time, so ninety three, ninety four I guess first year, you know, I was involved s ⁓ since the beginning as everybody knows. And then in two thousand five ⁓ I got an opportunity to go with the the national program. ⁓ so two thousand five to two thousand fifteen, so actually two Olympics cycle. The the first one I was not involved because it was in prep to ⁓ Torino, so 2006. I was not really involved in that one. Okay. But then it became what they call ⁓ back then ⁓ with home the podium ⁓ next generation and all that it's they still use the ⁓ acronym I guess. ⁓ so anyway ⁓ yeah and I sp I spent ⁓ ten years with the ⁓ the national team program ⁓ been through two Olympic cycle. the ⁓ a lot of ⁓ at the beginning a lot of the ⁓ my involvement was more with ⁓ developing ⁓ the ⁓ junior programme so ⁓ I've been I've been to like ⁓ I think six junior world championships some university game and all that so ⁓ many many world championship and ⁓ World Cup as well. So that was my involvement with the with the national team and then you mentioned Jeff ⁓ high performance director. So basically what ⁓ what it is is that I was in charge of ⁓ the ⁓ national team program leading to the second ⁓ cycle which was Sochi. So it's for people to understand without getting into all the details basically, you know, looking like ⁓ being the head coach. there was twenty five people ⁓ reporting to me, coaches, assistant coach, ⁓ physio, doctor, and so on. So tech, ⁓ a lot a lot of a lot of good stuff. It was ⁓ it was a good time. It was ⁓ you know, learned a lot. But yeah. Met and met a lot of people obviously.
speaker-2: I can imagine. Yeah. And I mean those early years, I mean, between about nineteen ninety five to two thousand five, there was a there was definitely a link between what was the Canada Snowboard Federation and Cassie when Cassie started. As you said, I mean, I was the same when I took my level one. It was a CSF course and not a Cassie course. It was like ninety three or ninety two and ⁓ what eventually became Cassie. But you know, a lot of people probably don't realize that the Canada Snowboard Federation originally ran the instructor programs in Canada and then that turned into more of a competitive focus as as the years went on, right?
speaker-1: Yeah, exactly. And ⁓ there I mean th we will need hours to talk ⁓ a little bit more about this, but you know, and then you will have we will have to bring names into this, but there's so many people involved, you know, you don't wanna miss anyone. But yeah and and you we know the people, some of them that are ⁓ with me on the ⁓ Hall of Fame. ⁓ but ⁓ great people. ⁓ he was ⁓ you know from the beginning to where we are right now, it's it's so interesting because you you know we touch ⁓ about much about almo almost everything on the ⁓ from the instructor side to the competitive side.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, it's been cool to see. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, you were ⁓ among I think was the among the first inductees to into the Cassie Hall of Fame. what was ⁓ you know, and this is quite this is going back quite a few years now. I mean your involvement since your Hall of Fame induction has been hasn't slowed down, but what ⁓ what were some of your ⁓ when when that Hall of Fame induction happened, what were some of the the things that you looked back on as being kind of the most proud of? ⁓
speaker-1: I would say that ⁓ it's ⁓ the little thing that we've done ⁓ leading to you know my induction in twenty fourteen because there's been that gap, you know, 2005 to ⁓ 2015, I was not I was no longer involved. I was still paying my due. I was like this is why I'm here. Yeah. Very supportive, always looking at what was going on on the Cassie side. But ⁓ it's the little thing that we've done previous to that, you know. ⁓ you mentioned ⁓ Jeff ⁓ being part of the ⁓ technical committee, being the ⁓ technical director for the program, whatever it was back then. I try to remember what was on my contract with Cassie back then. Yeah. And then ⁓ it's the program we we created, you know. ⁓ I do remember ⁓ working with ⁓ thread on ⁓ the ⁓ kids training as an example and then ⁓ you know building the new or let me say more ⁓ to be more ⁓ politically correct ⁓ making the reference guy reference guide evolving the way it should be. Yeah. And then ⁓ you know I'm gonna use the word which is not good, but creating the people as well, you know. We ⁓ we I I was going like you've done Jeff and what J Jen is doing right now, going across the country, east to west, west to east, making sure that we had the the standard were there and then that we had good people in place and then that that's I believe that's what I I brought or that's what I'm proud of ⁓ as ⁓ you know being inducted to the alternative.
speaker-0: Hmm.
speaker-2: Yeah, I mean I can I can ⁓ definitely vouch for that. I was ⁓ you know, ⁓ an you know, probably not even I was probably about twenty, I think, when I first started on the technical committee and, you know, was first exposed to what ha what goes on in behind the scenes in terms of creating these technical programs. And, you know, And Andy McLean, who we've mentioned, I think was the tech chairman there at that point, but you were already involved in the tech committee and ⁓ you know, your your impact on those early years of all the technical programs is It's still there, right? Like it's ⁓ it's pretty cool to see.
speaker-1: It it is and then you know we ⁓ when I go back to ⁓ to ⁓ Sunshine Village ⁓ memories are just yeah, you know, of like I spent so much time in in in ⁓ sunshine. ⁓ I I remember I was there at the I don't even remember the name of the hotel there, but I stayed once, I stayed eighteen days in May there.
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah. I remember that. Yeah, I remember that.
speaker-1: And then ⁓ listening to Trooper or April Wine, you know, on the last day or so. But but mostly what I remember was is really the people and I get there and you know and sometime I just Hey so and so and I'm like, What, they're still here or you know it's it's that's that's what I like about, you know, the memory of all that.
speaker-2: That's right.
speaker-0: Speaking of still being here, what I I think is really cool and admirable about your story is how involved you still are as an instructor at a resort, as an evaluator, and also having served on the board for so long, just kinda wondering if you can speak to like the balance of those three roles over the years.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, so first of all, pe people always ask me ⁓ in the winter, so ⁓ yeah the usual question that I've been asked for ⁓ s I s I believe since I I I wasn't I started to be an instructor. What do you do in in the summer? ⁓ I I do have a ⁓ full time job, you know, I'm the executive director for Sport F B C ⁓ based in North Van and then my my ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: employers ⁓ give me ⁓ you know a little bit of more freedom in my winter time. We are more in ⁓ quiet time so I I can spend let's say a little bit time of time on snow. So ⁓ people see me here and there like I I'm I can arrange my schedule at work so I can do work at night or early in the morning and you know jet job ⁓ the job gets done. That being said I ⁓ yes, I'm a I'm a part-time instructor with Sur Black Home. ⁓ I do ⁓ get on the ⁓ magic carpet, beginners, beginners and and so on. And I I also ⁓ started working for Extremely Canadian ⁓ four years ago, which is a great gig, you know, ⁓ it's more of a guiding gig for people looking for checking ⁓ the box on their bucket list, you know, bringing them to some very good ⁓ area ⁓ along either Whistler or Black home. ⁓ and and usually black front, double black run, ⁓ good stuff. So ⁓ it's it's a good gig. I I was doing a little bit of training ⁓ still at Cyprus ⁓ grouse and Seymour, but that was a bit too much. ⁓ started to let it go, especially with the fact that I got able to train some people to do that training. So you know, and then ⁓ they also got more people getting certified at higher level, which were able to do the job. So you know it gave me more time to focus on ⁓ doing some cassy stuff. And and I was very surprised at the last ⁓ in person meeting in in ⁓ Canmore because ⁓ Andrew McCraney presented the board with the ⁓ you know, the evaluator and the amount of of ⁓ work that's been done and I I could see my name there and I'm like, ⁓ I've done more than I ⁓ thought I was to do. But but ⁓ still, you know, I'm ⁓ I I like to do level one, level two, level three, not so much because you know what?
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: It's something we need to talk about. You know, I am getting old. And then am I writing at the level? Yeah, maybe. But you know, am I the best person to demonstrate? And no, I'm not. So, you know, ⁓ it's also something that we need to realize, thinking about, you know, moving on, passing the torch and so on. But as long as I will be able to write ⁓ I will I think I will continue because it's ⁓ it's passion, it's very passionate. I like to meet people, I like to help people, I like to see their ⁓ evolvement as ⁓ instructor or writer or teacher and ⁓ you know if I can help them with their development, ⁓ I'm gonna do that. Now to be a director on the board, it's it's a funny one because ⁓ A lot of people know, ⁓ but there most of the people don't know. And then I sometime introduce myself by saying, I'm s I'm Bob, you know, I'm the your evaluator, and by the way, I'm a board member. And then sometimes some discussion started and I like to listen because you know that's how we get I get feedback to bring to the table when we meet with the board. Sometime ⁓ question are ⁓ or discussion are a little bit more intense because people know, people like to talk and I like to talk about, you know, the more the political side of it. But it's a good opportunity for me, ⁓ like you said, being ⁓ an instructor and ⁓ an evaluator, knowing that I'm I'm also involved with the board of
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's so important to maintain that that connection, right? And y it keeps you keeps you connected to the members, I think, as well is the is the big one, right?
speaker-0: Hey, quick break from the show to tell you about one of our ProDale suppliers, Scabbard board sleeves. This is a company based in Whistler, BC, and they've been making these neoprene board sleeves for a few years now with the purpose of protecting your board while it's in transit. These things are awesome. If you're chucking your board into a Thule box or into the back of the car, just slides on there super easy, protects the base and the edges from getting dinged up. Or maybe you're the type to throw your board in the car. So not only is it protecting your board, it's protecting your seats from getting cut by the edges. It comes in multiple sizes so you can fit any board. So if you're tired of your board getting all messed up on the way to the mountain, check out Scabbard. Chuck it in the tuli box and don't worry about your equipment ever.
speaker-2: I mean over the last few years, it's been a I would say the last five or so years has been a kind of a big big change period for Cassie as an association and and I think we've kind of really focused our efforts on, you know, planning and we're working on ⁓ we've worked through this twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six strategic plan. But what looking back on the last few years, w what kind of what were maybe the goals going back going into that? plan three, four years ago. ⁓ you know, right around the time that I started as the ex executive director was around twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three. But back in that time you were on the board at that time. And what were some of the maybe the big picture sort of goals you were hoping to see for from the board level for the for the you know, your everyday Cassie member?
speaker-1: I think it goes back to my little last comment. It was the connection with the member. Yeah. ⁓ not that we felt like there was a disconnection, but I think we wanted to get the member involved. We wanted to hear more from them. ⁓ we wanted to consult them as well, which we did. And I think that was ⁓ probably the big ⁓ the big picture change that the board was was looking for. And then ⁓ to this point I think I think that ⁓ we did a really, really good job. ⁓ there's more and more people ⁓ who now understand the strat plan. Not that they didn't understand in the past, but you know, they were and they felt like they were part of the ⁓ process. ⁓ I think that was the big thing.
speaker-2: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, I think it's important ⁓ talking about strat plans in general, because i this whole world for me, I mean, I ⁓ i it was new for me when I started in my role. And I'll I'll I've said this to a few people, but I was always a little bit ⁓ I was a bit ⁓ I had sort of mixed feelings about the the thought of a strat plan, and and so I think it's probably worth just to spending a minute or so just discussing for everybody to sort of know like the The Strad plan d it's really it I've come to view it as a like a really good roadmap and it sort of charts out the the next few years and where we want to go. And I I was sort of always viewing it as a bit of ⁓ a a limiting sort of thing that it would sort of force us to to sort of stick to some things that maybe weren't weren't relevant at the time. But I've I've really changed my opinion about it over the last few years working through it and it it's good to have ⁓ you know, from a communication side for members, it's good to have a plan that sort of shows where we're trying to take things. F obviously for me as the the person who's in charge of kind of carrying those things out, it's good to have a roadmap rather than just kind of aimlessly driving in circles. But yeah, I it's been a bit a bit of a a a big lesson for me in terms of the the usefulness of that whole process and and ⁓ I would agree I think from a big picture perspective getting getting members involved in setting that plan and and having a voice, either through informal discussions on a course or at an event or even or you know, through something more formal like a survey. That was always that was sort of a goal right from the start, I think.
speaker-1: Yeah and and obviously the the me as a director I'm representing members. But ⁓ you know, it's more than my say, it's the say of the members and and ⁓ you know we didn't create a plan to put it on a tablet, you know. We create a plan because we wanted to use it as you said as your ⁓ the roadmap and I'm I'm very proud of of what's been accomplished ⁓ with that specific ⁓ shred plan over the last few years. It's it's very good.
speaker-2: Yeah, I mean we as we've said, we're kind of coming to the end of this ex this existing one. It I I can't believe it's already been three years working with that plan and we put some time last month into ⁓ the board met together last month to do some planning on what the next three years is gonna look like. ⁓ you know, the big the big ⁓ sort of structure of this plan sort of follows these three trails and the three trails of excellence, which we've really been working towards the on the courses side, the the member side and the industry side. And we're gonna keep that structure in place because I think that that that really sums up why we exist, right? We need to sort of keep those three plates spinning on the on the obviously on the courses and the program side. That's ⁓ you know, one of the reasons w the probably the main reason we exist is to deliver these courses and deliver this training. ⁓ when you look back on this the last few years, what what sort of stands out in your mind around around courses and programs and And I always sort of comment how it's it's funny when I t you know, when we took our level one back in the in the nineties, there's things in the level one that are still in the level one that you're sort of tried and true things, but there's a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't in there back in those days. But what sticks out in your head as far as improving or evolving on our courses?
speaker-1: I think it's well I'm obviously it's the we always work we always let me say let me put it that way. We always look at best way to make it to keep it simple, right? Right. So so ⁓ you know the evolution of the level one from back then, like you said, Jeff, there's not much that has changed honestly. ⁓ few little things, you know, exercise that we tried that are better and such and you know, ⁓ but ⁓ it's probably more the ⁓ the delivery, the way we deliver it. it's I would say a bit smoother. ⁓ the ⁓ the quick write system as an example is a very good example. It's so you know, sequency you just follow. Yeah. If I mean if you follow it, it should work. Right. So and then y you go back, it's it's a building block. That's how we we ⁓ met but and then looking at the other ⁓ course, obviously two, three, four and so on, the evolution, the evol the ⁓ yeah, the evolution of going from one course to another is probably, you know, quite probably a bit better. And don't forget, you know, if you remember going back, I I talked about it earlier, ⁓ eighty nine. Two to level. Level one? Yeah. Basic level two top.
speaker-2: Right.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: And then it went to level three and then we add we added the level four. So obviously there's a a pathway. And then I usually ⁓ split it in two. I I put level one, level two, which is more intro to, and then level three, level four. If you wanted to make a career, become an evaluator, that's your pathway. So I think this is this has become more clearer and ⁓ way better, especially in the past. What I want to add is is ⁓ the delivery ⁓ in in the way of ⁓ training, evaluating all that. I think we like in e with every b business, we ⁓ we've bat we've been impacted by the the the pandemic. And and then ⁓ I do remember, you know, we started to do the ⁓ course following the pandemic, like Don't touch me, I won't touch you, and then ⁓ don't talk to me and I may talk to you and then ⁓ and all that. Fairness. But this changed the way that we deliver course as well. Yeah, you know, we became ⁓ more digital, we became less paper as well, right? Yeah. So so ⁓ remember sitting down writing the the evaluation in rush to deliver to the ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah.
speaker-1: The people because ⁓ the cafeteria was shutting down or the or the lodge was shutting down. ⁓ but yeah, things have changed for sure. that's where we are right now.
speaker-2: Yeah, it's interesting how ⁓ you know, in my previous role in the on the technical side, it w you know, prior to say 2020, 2019, 2020, I always we always had these discussions on the technical side about how, you know, ⁓ improving the the digital delivery of some of our content would allow us to deal with the theory info separate from the practical. And we could spend our time on hill d dealing with the practical and practicing our writing, practicing our teaching and those those couple of years there during especially during COVID was it was sort of like the kick that we needed to make that happen. And ever since then we've been in essentially pap like you said, paperless in our delivery of courses, our ⁓ our online training, the the level that we're using online training now and e learning and all that stuff has just steadily increased. And that was all really fast forwarded during that that twelve month period there. And it's left us, I think, in a better spot.
speaker-1: We did a good job, like they said ⁓ adapt or think outside the box and I think that Cassie did a good job in that way 'cause we were like, Okay, we're gonna adapt, we're gonna think outside the box and we did.
speaker-2: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You mentioned as well the the over the last couple of years the evolution we've the ⁓ the improvements we've made and how we train our evaluators and you know and it you know, it's no question Cassie's busy. We've never been busier, we've never certified more people and so with that comes a need to have more evaluators and so ⁓ I think we've made some good strides there as well in terms of you know, consistency among evaluators. It y volume is always a big thing for Cassie. We do we do a lot of courses across a big country. And ⁓ you know, I know you've been to events like InterSki before and trying to communicate, ⁓ I had a discussion at the last Interski that I went to, ⁓ trying to communicate to ⁓ someone in another country that we have two hundred and fifty or two hundred and sixty evaluators in a c and you know, in this person I was speaking to, they may have a dozen. And so the question of consistency among evaluators is a much bigger challenge for us than it is for a lot of other countries. So I think we've made some im i improvements there as well.
speaker-1: And and and and to that, Jeff, it's a good problem.
speaker-2: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. It's great. Yeah. what are some things that maybe stick out in your head as far as ⁓ you know, course and program innovations or or changes that have been maybe tougher to tougher to s to to tackle? Is there anything that sort of sticks out in your head that ⁓ you know we could still be we could still do a better job on?
speaker-0: ⁓
speaker-1: I think that the the biggest challenge is always the ⁓ the speed and let me express that. It's the speed of how we wanna to expand or deliver. Yes. ⁓ and then I think at some point ⁓ I will go back, Jeff, to when we decide to send I think it was you and Andy to China for a pilot project. And then you got back, you guys like, ⁓ that was great, you know, there's ⁓ definitely lot of opportunity there and it just went on and then it was just like just like this. Yeah. And then at some point I think it went maybe it was a bit too fast. We were looking at it we're like, ⁓ my God. And then you know, ⁓ the demand was big and then we were using some of our top evaluator over there that we couldn't use here. And then you know it it was probably one of of a challenge that we have. Yeah. And and we still can have. But but but it link also linked to the fact that, you know, there's a d big demand and we need more evaluator and we are where we are right now. So I think that was ⁓ probably one of ⁓ our biggest challenge ⁓ in implementing, you know, ⁓ the program and and so on. But again, I'm gonna repeat You it's it's still a good problem.
speaker-2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that ⁓ balancing that, you know, expansion and meeting demand and whether it's international or or domestic, it's it's I would say the same. That's been our biggest challenge in in carrying out this this latest version of the Strat plan. I mean, we've done we've done some great things in terms of providing resources in other languages and and all these things and it's ⁓ it's ⁓ it's an ongoing challenge for sure and we're we're always looking for the best way to to deal with that stuff. So ⁓ and like you said, I would say the same. It's a it's a good challenge to have because it just reflects the the demand for our programs and the the quality of the programs. So I'm pretty proud of that. Yeah. Rob, do you want to get us into our so Bob, we have these ⁓ what we call palette cleansing questions that we usually do on the these episodes. They're kind of like quick, quick, ⁓ lighter sort of questions. So I'll let Rob tackle these ones. Okay.
speaker-0: Sweet. I wasn't sure if we were wrapping up that previous section yet or not. But ⁓ here we here we go with the palette cleansers. This is fun. ⁓ and Bob, I gotta ask, as I don't know the story, how did you get your nickname Le Bub?
speaker-1: ⁓ good question. when I when I joined ⁓ Canada Snowboard, ⁓ the the ⁓ I needed an email address and then ⁓ they couldn't give me ⁓ Bob at what was it back then? CSF I believe. Bob at CSF dot C A, something like that. ⁓ and I try to remember who was in charge of IT. I can't remember, no big deal, but the guy re reached out to me and was like, ⁓ I cannot put like should I put Rob? And I'm like, Well there would be too much confusion, email will go. So I said, Why don't you just put La Bob? And ⁓ that's how it was, sorry. So so la bob it was and it was funny because ⁓ obviously that's how I communicate with people and then I was traveling the world for some work up and Olympics and such and they were hello. So here we go.
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah. That's the story. That's great.
speaker-0: That's hilarious. That's that's the second episode in a row here where we've ⁓ the answer has been because I needed an email address.
speaker-2: Right. Yeah.
speaker-1: Exactly, yeah. Right? Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah, that's right. Lars said the same thing on the last one, right? Yeah.
speaker-0: Exactly. ⁓ so you've got a lot of Cassie memories. ⁓ what's the best one?
speaker-1: I I think I I touched a little bit on earlier and again like I said we ⁓ we were at the in-person ⁓ board meeting last month, month ago in ⁓ Canmore and ⁓ Sunshine Village is is one of my favorite resorts. ⁓ because of the ⁓ good memory that I had there. I met so many people there. ⁓ and then we had those ⁓ how do they call ⁓ how did we call them? ⁓ the ⁓ session we had, spring session. Supercourse, here we go. We had the supercourse, so people were coming from everywhere. When I say everywhere, ⁓ Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, ⁓ Ontario a lot, and then people even from BC coming to the supercourse.
speaker-2: ⁓ the super course.
speaker-1: ⁓ we were doing everything. One level one, level two, level three, level four, ⁓ part one and carving at ⁓ as well. So ⁓ those are ⁓ definitely some good cassie memory. As long as a lot of those ⁓ board of director meeting ⁓ you know ⁓ we always had ⁓ some some fun event were either mountain biking or stuff like that. So ⁓ it was good. And and I also have some not so good ⁓ memory in the way that I let me explain, you know, the story with with Fred ⁓ at ⁓ at ⁓ Lake ⁓ sorry at Sunshine when she broke her leg. So
speaker-2: ⁓ Shredd Allison Church, yeah.
speaker-1: So I was following her and then I lost her in the dust of of snow and then I stopped. I'm like, Are you okay? She's like, I think I broke my leg. And I wasn't the the end of the story was not fun, but it's part of the memory. You know? ⁓ another another Shred story is is when we ⁓ we got to ⁓ Penn and we unload the ⁓ the van and Shred was like, Where's my bag? And we're like so we had a van with one of those ⁓ roofed rooftop ⁓ big rack open. Yeah, and then we we drove from Kyrie to ⁓ to Belve. And then ⁓ a big truck passed us and with the draft the b the back the back went on the highway, we didn't realize.
speaker-2: Open rack. Okay.
speaker-1: Alright. And then and then I'm gonna finish the story 'cause it's interesting. We were there for ⁓ the meeting tech meeting. And then schedule was super tight. So the morning after, ⁓ we had to go back to ⁓ to ⁓ basically to ⁓ Calgary to because the the the board what's the next exit ⁓ Jeff After Calgary?
speaker-2: ⁓ Cochrane or something. Cochrane. Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1: The the the bag was at the R C ⁓ P in Cochrane. So so we drove back on the on the van, the t all the tech, with Dan driving, and we did our tech meeting in the van back and forth. Nice.
speaker-2: Yeah, no joke. That's multi task multitask.
speaker-0: That's good multitasking. That's like ⁓ using the lift line to talk about what you're gonna do on the next run.
speaker-1: But Rob Rob, I actually I'm gonna write a book on Cassie memory story. There's too many
speaker-2: ⁓ Yeah.
speaker-0: Well, funny enough, you mentioned Shred and her and I have talked over the years about doing a a coffee table book. So we'll have to hit you up for ⁓ some entries 'cause it would be that would be a pretty epic project. ⁓ okay, changing gears here. favorite snowboard you ever rode?
speaker-2: Right. Yeah. ⁓
speaker-1: That's a very good question. It goes back many years ago, plus twenty plus I believe. ⁓ I was because of my status with Cassie, with snowboard and all that, you know, I was getting offered to write this board and that board sometime for free, sometime ⁓ you know, just ⁓ take it, bring it back. And then ⁓ I got a an Ellen Ellen element. That was the best board I ever ride in my life. It was for some reason, I don't don't ask me why. It was pretty the good the best land, the best width, the best stiffness, and then I just felt ⁓ my god, look at that. But that was the best board ever.
speaker-2: Well, cool. ⁓
speaker-0: I don't Yeah, me neither. I don't think they're making boards anymore.
speaker-1: I don't know. ⁓ but they are probably making still making a lot of board for other brands.
speaker-2: Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-0: Okay, you already answered this one, I think, but maybe you have a different answer w ⁓ when you really think about it. Where's your favorite place to ride?
speaker-1: The ⁓ I okay, so I get that question ten thousand times this season. Yeah. And then and then I don't wanna be biased, but my best place to ride obviously Worcester Blackcomb. Because it's in my backyard. This is my resort, this is where I go. I know the resort more and more and I would say that I've probably ridden I don't know, maybe sixty percent of it. There's places that I still haven't
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: bin or or ⁓ trail, maybe over sixty, seventy, seventy five. But ⁓ Sunshine has a special place.
speaker-2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
speaker-1: And I've been I've been everywhere in the world. I've been to some nice place, you know, ⁓ talking about Interski ⁓ earlier, when we went to Interski, ⁓ it was in Kramontana in Switzerland. And then ⁓ on that trip we went to ⁓ Sarvinia, so Zarbat. ⁓ it's really nice out there. But I mean Sochi in Russia. It's crazy that place. Unbelievable. But is it my best place? And I'm not gonna go there tomorrow. So you know. So that's why
speaker-2: Really? Like you, I get that question all the time too. What's your where's your favorite place to snowboard? And it it's it it really just depends on the day, like what what the what the snow's like on the day, what the group is like that you're with and what happens to be happening. I mean it could be it could it doesn't have to be the biggest, most impressive place, right?
speaker-1: Yeah, and then and then if you if you think about what you just said, Jeff, then Whistler has a lot to offer and Sunsh Sunshine had a lot to offer in that way.
speaker-2: Right. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Cool.
speaker-0: I think a lot of it comes down to the experience that you have at a particular place. It's not necessarily the mountain itself, you know, it's the people you get to ride with and it's pretty cool. So the strat plan has these three pillars that we kind of keep referencing back to. And the second one, which is one that I I kind of use as my roadmap and my kind of communications and member engagement role. ⁓ and it's all around member experience and governance. ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: Just wondering, Bob, if you can comment on how the association has changed like in the members' eyes over the past decade or so.
speaker-1: That that's the the word I'm gonna use is link going back I don't know maybe six seven years ago and people ⁓ Cassie this and Cassidy and you know well what what do you have any feedback you know do you want to be involved? Do you wanna do so ⁓ I think that's and and also you know we've talked about creating that new strat plan and and so on. ⁓ the perception ⁓ right now is from the member is probably better than it was ⁓ years ago. And then I still can see that the perception is getting better and better, not only to the member, but you know, to the stakeholder, to the ⁓ the partner that we have, to the ⁓ industry as well. So ⁓ I would say that the big the big thing is the ⁓ the perception.
speaker-0: Yeah, that's really interesting. And ⁓ having been in Cassie for a long time I would I would tend to agree. what do you think are some of the things that helped change the perception in a positive way? It's
speaker-1: Probably the ⁓ the openness that we had to the members. I I started earlier by saying ⁓ we consulted them so it was ⁓ it was not la you know us and them, it's us all together, right? so ⁓ the ⁓ the member had the an opportunity to to talk, they had an opportunity to ⁓ express themselves, to give us some feedback, we listen to them and then ⁓ I think they feel more like they've been heard and they're still being been hearing. You know, when I have discussion with ⁓ a member about something, I can bring it to ⁓ our board of director meeting and then suddenly ⁓ a director from another re area, region or province would say, ⁓ I got the same ⁓ question or the same feedback and then we build down or we you know we We look at how we c we could make an improvement. So ⁓ yeah, that's how I I basically that's how I see it.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. trail three of the the existing plan is all around industry development and we recognize you know, recognizing our role. We even changed our our vision statement a few years ago to recognize that, you know, we're ⁓ we have a key ⁓ role to play in building a ⁓ overall you know, quality snow sports industry. But what What have been some of the changes that you've seen over the last few years when it comes to resorts or snow schools or kind of our industry focus that stand out for you?
speaker-1: I'm gonna go further back, Jeff. ⁓ because ⁓ and I think it's it's started there because ⁓ Cassie has always been in the past, ⁓ linked to C SIA. And then it's not a again a bashing with C SIA, it's like yeah, Cassie is Cassie, CSI is C SIA. Ski is ski, snow war, snowboard. we I shouldn't say we Cassie. ⁓ build his own reputation, his own ⁓ credibility, and then it got better and better. And nowadays, I can tell you, ⁓ you know, nowadays when ⁓ we show up with a Cassie jacket at the resort, I feel like there's more respect. That's how I feel. And then it's not only me, you know. ⁓ in the past it would have been ⁓ bunch of Yao here doing a course. No. Cassie's in the house. ⁓ welcome guys. Do you need anything? You know? And then I'm talking about the the snow school or sorry the resort. But it's it's not only there, you know. I know for sure Jeff and the crew are ⁓ going to all of those ⁓ meeting and I think you were at the ASSQ ⁓ lately, Jeff. And then ⁓ there's always you know, people coming to Cassie for for either, you know, ⁓ telling us that we're doing a good job and then if there's any ⁓ project ongoing or whatsoever. So ⁓ I think that's the big ch shift. ⁓ we became independent l many years ago, but we're no longer a child. We're ⁓ actually we're no longer a teenager. I think we're more into the adult ⁓ mode right now and people respect us ⁓ more. That's how I see it.
speaker-2: Yeah, no, I would agree. I think ⁓ you know, part of it is the sport of snowboarding has been around long enough that it's maturing and growing. But Cassie in general, I mean thirty th going into our thirty third year, thirty three ⁓ years of building building these relationships and I I feel the same way. I think, you know, it we're no longer the ⁓ you know, the the ⁓ that like you said, the ya the Yahoo's showing up at the at the hill on doing a course. Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, and even more, Jeff, you can tell 'cause I I mean you will correct me if I'm wrong, but even you as ⁓ the ⁓ executive director of the organization, you get ⁓ you're getting asked to make presentation, which was not in the the case in the past and not you know that we 'cause i it is what it that's how it was in the past. ⁓ snowboarder. It's and then ⁓ yeah, so we're getting there I guess. Yeah.
speaker-2: ⁓ Yeah, for sure. Yeah, we're making making progress. And I think it it it all stems from our our, you know, recognizing our our role there. We're we're a supporter of the industry, right? We provide we provide the instructors that are hopefully well trained to do the job and and ⁓ just recognizing that we that's the reason we exist, right? Is to support the the industry as a whole. So you've done ⁓ quite a few terms now on the board and you're ⁓ you're coming towards the end of your ⁓ your third three year term here. So that that represents a long time on the board. And ⁓ I'm sure you've learned I know you have a lot of experience on other boards, not just on the Cassie board as well. But you know the the idea of kind of passing the passing the torch over to new bo board members is kind of ⁓ probably on your on on your mind. So what's what's some kind of ⁓ maybe a piece of advice that you would give to a a new board Cassie board member on you know keeping Cassie healthy over the long term?
speaker-1: It it's w it's what I've been ⁓ exchanging with the actual board f since I got there. We need to be ⁓ cautious. We need to think big for sure, but we also need to think about ⁓ the growth and then ⁓ you know, making sure that there's ⁓ good balance and and discipline.
speaker-0: So I think we're rounding out the episode here with a few more questions and just kind of some looking forward type stuff as we conclude here. where do you see Cassie going in the future?
speaker-1: Touch base a little bit on it. ⁓ it's still growing, It's we still have ⁓ the ban is still big. I I'm concerned by the ⁓ the global warming, the the lack of snow. We had we had an experience actually, you know what, whistler black home in January this year. That was not the greatest place to ride. So if it happened here, imagine, you know, when ⁓ we look at s smaller resort and then ⁓ again ⁓ Grouse ⁓ of the three ⁓ on the North Shore was the one who was the most impacted this past season. They didn't have a good season, it was horrible and I felt bad for them. And then we look at what happened in the East, you guys ⁓ Rob had a probably one of the best seasons over the last I don't know many years.
speaker-0: I don't remember a better season. Yeah, it's weird.
speaker-1: See so so it goes like this and then ⁓ you know, what does it mean? Are we gonna I don't know, in in twenty years from now, are we gonna teach on dry slope? I I'm just I'm just thinking out loud right now. But ⁓ you know, it's ⁓ this is ⁓ where I see things going. We need to be aware of that and ⁓ you know, be proactive. ⁓ I think that's the the the way to look at it. Always think ahead. A w
speaker-0: Yeah. So you've talked a lot about members and it's not we're not an association kind of being directive. You know, we we include the the membership in in our discussions and in where things are going, ⁓ which I think is a a big strength of ours. ⁓ where what role do you want to see members taking on as we move into the future?
speaker-2: Yeah, smart. Yeah.
speaker-1: ⁓ take take their ⁓ their membership as ⁓ talking right as a vo voting right you know they they're there ⁓ they're member they should communicate and ⁓ let us know and ⁓ reach out to to us and ⁓ be maybe more involved you know ⁓ I I something I didn't say ⁓ to start ⁓ Rob and Jeff is ⁓ I was at the first ⁓ meeting when they created Cassie. And ⁓ I'll I'll I'll put it that way. He was a gong show. He didn't he didn't go well. And I I'm not gonna put names and I'm not gonna say much. And then there was a lot of of ⁓ not so positive thing going on. And I got home and I said to my wife, ⁓ it's depressing almost, you know. And she said, Well, stop bashing. And she said, if you can beat them, join them. And that's how I got involved. The following year, ⁓ I think I ran for the ⁓ technical committee because that's how it was back then. And that's how I got involved. So I would say to the member, you know, get involved, you know. Be the next board director or you know, put your name on being part of the the national tech team. Or ⁓ you know, there's we have a lot of a program and then you can all name them ⁓ Rob. I know you're you're leading one of them, but get involved in some
speaker-0: Absolutely. Yeah, we've got the diversity advisory group. We have the instruction mentorship program. and we often call out asking, you know, questions in Instagram stories that we're looking for input for. Jeff sends out a lot of surveys asking members' opinions and yeah, I think that's that's a really important take home. You know, don't just sit there and do nothing when you you see an opportunity to help out where we need you.
speaker-1: Especially if you keep ⁓ how can I say whining. Because I was a whiner. I was one of them.
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1: My wife was like, I hate to hear you did it doing this. Get involved. Just throw your name. Change it exactly.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: So all that experience you have, ⁓ being a Hall of Famer, being ⁓ on the board, your experience with Canada snowboard and so on, ⁓ what is ultimate the ultimate success ⁓ for Cassie look like? ⁓
speaker-1: think that ⁓ we should be proud of where we are right now. and then ⁓ that might be redundant but ⁓ Cassie's now an adult and then ⁓ we should be proud of that. You know it's in very good ⁓ financial position right now. The program are running smoothly You know, there's a demand, ⁓ people are looking at us, you know. ⁓ we look good. So ⁓ yeah, I think that it's it's basically where we are right now and and how ⁓ recon well recognized ⁓ the organization is that everybody should be proud of
speaker-0: Well, we should be proud. thank you for that. ⁓ I think that's a really good place to end the episode. thank you, Bob, for coming on the show. Thank you for all of your years of service to the association and the snow sport of snowboarding in general. It's been ⁓ you know, you have a you've had your hand in a lot of different places to help us get to where we're at. So so really ⁓ the membership thanks you for that. To the listeners, thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Dropping Next. Be sure to give us a review, hit that five star, and send us an email if you have any guest suggestions, anything you want us to talk about on the show, ⁓ or you just want to send us some flowers, podcast at cassie dash acms.com. And we'll see you on the next episode in two weeks. Thanks again.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: Thank you.
speaker-2: Nice. Thanks, Rob. Yeah, as Rob said, we're really stoked to have ⁓ Robert Janka here with us today. LaBob, a ⁓ longtime snowboard instructor, Cassie member, board member, technical committee member, technical committee chairman, na original national technical coordinator. The list the list goes on and on and on, interski representative. So welcome Bob.
speaker-1: Thank you for having me. That's great. I'm happy.
speaker-2: Yeah, we're really ⁓ really happy to chat with you. I know you got probably lots of stories, lots of memories over the over the years of your time with Cassie and ⁓ as as Rob said at the start here, I'm gonna get mixed up with my Robs. I know this is gonna happen here in the next little bit, but ⁓ you know, it's ⁓ like part of what we'll what what we'll talk about here eventually is where Cassie's going. But really I'm more interested in where where Cassie's been with ⁓ where you've been in in terms of being a snowboard instructor and ⁓ I the first question I wanted to ask you actually is like how long have you been a snowboard instructor for? Have you retaliated?
speaker-1: ⁓ snowboard instructor, yeah. So I did my level one in 1989. I was in ⁓ Sutton in Quebec. Nice and I I wanna say it there because ⁓ a lot of people will be surprised. My ⁓ level one evaluator was Andre Dalaire, and Audrey has been ⁓ Burton rep ⁓ back then. He's still in the business and now ⁓ representing many other brands. But yeah, so nineteen eighty nine, which ⁓ will be close to ⁓ forty years soon.
speaker-2: Wow. That's so cool. Yeah. Nice. What ⁓ what w what w what sort of brought you to it? Like what was your ⁓ your history before snowboarding? How did you become a snowboarder before an instructor?
speaker-1: That's a funny one. It's ⁓ so I was a really bad skier, like really bad. I played hockey. I played hockey until you know I still play hockey, but you know, back in the day they were like you play hockey, you don't ski you can't ski. So I started skiing, I was like twenty plus and I was not a good skier. ⁓ so ⁓ that was winter time. Sum ⁓ summertime I was doing a lot of windsurfing. And I thought that it would be cool to combine, you know, winter sport with my summer sport back then, ⁓ winter thing, and then ⁓ came ⁓ some s ⁓ snowboarding. And then ⁓ I was in Moncton, New Brunswick doing my degree in physical education and ⁓ you're gonna laugh at it. It started as a date, ⁓ with a girlfriend. So I was like, that would be cool, I will ⁓ let's let's go snowboarding. So we went we went ⁓ to Wentworth in Nova Scotia. Yeah and and I had ⁓ what's what was called there ⁓ back then I think was innie inisurf or something like that. Inis in his snow. And ⁓ that was it. So and that ⁓ that lady is ⁓ is my wife.
speaker-2: ⁓ nice. I was just about to ask. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome.
speaker-1: We were not we were I was starting to date her. I was like, let's go snowboarding. So ⁓ that's how we start. So nineteen eighty seven in ⁓ Wentworth, Nova Scotia on a ⁓ K two gyrator with my Sorrel boots. And I have some pi I have some picture of it.
speaker-2: So cool. Did you ⁓ was it just one of those like let's rent a board and go figure this out? Was there ⁓ was there any teaching involved or
speaker-1: Yeah, we took we took a a lesson. You know, we got there, get the rental, we got to meet our ⁓ instructor, he was great. I don't remember his name. Andy must know. Andy McLean must know. Right. But anyway, yeah, it it was fun actually, you know, I remember it was a positive positive experience.
speaker-2: That's good. Yeah. Yeah. Mine my first time, not so much, but that's good that you had
speaker-1: So so eighty seven and then I finished my degree in eighty nine, moved to Quebec and that's when I took my level one ⁓ with Andre.
speaker-0: So what was snowboarding like back in the late eighties, early nineties?
speaker-1: Well interesting because ⁓ you know when I when I did my level one ⁓ in Sutton ⁓ previous to that, obviously ⁓ I was writing, but to write you needed to get some ⁓ credential. So you needed to go to a resort where they actually accepted snowboarding, not of them. ⁓ not all of them, sorry. And then ⁓ They were ⁓ assigning you with a ski instructor on the the bunny hill and basically they were like we wanna see you turn right, turn left, and then ⁓ basically slow down break and then you got a what was called back then a competency ⁓ card with your picture and yeah yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah. Like a license. Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, and that's how you were able to buy a lift ticket, ⁓ going to a resort with your store. But that that's how it was. Very, very few of us, you know, obviously everybody looking at us and ⁓ what they they called us ⁓ scrapers or whatever, try to remember exactly, but were destroying the the trail and so on. But then it just started to be bigger and bigger. Yeah. That w that was fun.
speaker-2: Yeah. Did you from that first time there, did you w do you remember what your first board was that you ended up on after the gyrator?
speaker-1: Yes, and and ⁓ I mean it's not here right now, but I have my first board, it's in my garage. Was a Burton Air ⁓ one sixty and you know they were those thick it was a plank basically. Yeah. And then ⁓ remember I no longer have them, but we have the canned plate. ⁓ but yeah, it was my first board. One sixty, like a big part for me. Yeah.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that's so cool. And then ⁓ so from the from the level one, did your was your aim just to become an instructor? Did you do it just because you, you know, out of interest, or what was your plan there with becoming a a snowboard instructor?
speaker-0: You had to impress a girl, I think. That's what it was.
speaker-2: I know what I'm talking about.
speaker-1: Yeah. No. ⁓ I think I just wanted to become an instructor. b it was linked to my degree as f teacher. Right. And then I was getting into my master degree ⁓ in Sherbrooke, so that's why I was in in ⁓ Sutton, that area, Eastern Township. And ⁓ no, I was like, ⁓ level one done, let's see what's next, you know. And I try to remember, I'm not sure, but I think It was only two l two level back then. It was Canadian Snowboard Federation. That's how I got my level one. And then a couple years after I took my level two and I do remember I took my level two in Bromont on a hard loop setup. And I do remember my evaluator. Don't remember his name, but I do remember him. and then ⁓ I guess at that point I was at the highest ⁓ certification level because ⁓ nine ninety one would have been still not be Cassie. Yeah. Yeah. And then ⁓ you know, there's a few names I can throw out there, but ⁓ Daniel Lafive ⁓ was the coordinator back then. ⁓ and then ⁓ just heard of me I guess and was like hey you should come and join us and be an about where we need people and such.
speaker-2: That's right. Yeah.
speaker-1: with my background, 'cause ⁓ Danielle ⁓ and I had that summer gig, you know, we were a windsurfer, we were competing together. Right. Right. And basically that's how it all started. Yeah.
speaker-0: ⁓ cool. So just a few years later, Cassie comes around in ninety-four. this can be to Cassie or to the CSF days. what do you miss most about ⁓ snowboard instruction back from the early days?
speaker-1: ⁓ you're gonna find my my answer to this a bit interesting. I would say what's missing for me is the the French teaching. I was I mean obviously I was in Quebec. Most of everything, lesson or all my teaching was in French, a little bit in English. But that's what I miss the most. And it's interesting because ⁓ ⁓ through ⁓ a project that we have in twenty five twenty six with Cassie, which was to enhance the ⁓ the French teaching, especially out east. ⁓ I got invited by ⁓ Luc to teach a level one course in Quebec in in December and it was a it was a very, very good experience. I was I felt so good about it. It would have been ⁓ over twenty years for me.
speaker-2: That's what it's
speaker-1: Without teaching in French.
speaker-0: Hmm.
speaker-2: Wow, wild. Wild. Yeah, that's very
speaker-1: And and and people ask sometimes they were like, Well, what's the difference? ⁓ for me it's it's about being more precise. I can be more precise when I teach in French than when I teach in English. It's yeah, little things, but it is what it is. Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah, I can see that. Yeah. Yeah, that was cool. That was just this past winter, right? That you went ⁓ went back to do the level one. Where was that? What ⁓
speaker-1: It was at ⁓ Mont Lac Vert in ⁓ in Lac Saint Jean. And ⁓ it was it was cold, it was minus minus twenty five I believe, something like that. I didn't miss I didn't miss that. But but ⁓ we we had a blast. It was a good group, good people, you know, super keen, so it was fun.
speaker-2: Very cool.
speaker-0: You've kept your French accent, Bob. How long have you been at West? You've you're in Whistler based now or squamish?
speaker-1: Well we we now live in Squamish. We bought a house here, but ⁓ we moved in two thousand eight. So ⁓ it would be in it would be nineteen years, I believe, this year. ⁓ and and you know, ⁓ people are like, Well you still have an accent. Yes, and I'm proud of it.
speaker-2: Yeah. It should be. I was gonna say. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, that's very cool. Yeah. So your your time teaching there through ⁓ the early days of Cassie ⁓ extended ⁓ you know, right up until that two thousand eight period and then and then you made ⁓ you know, made some huge strides ⁓ also in the high performance side as well and the competitive side and just wondering if you wanted to to jump into that a little bit on your your time with Canada Snowboard and
speaker-1: Yeah, so so if we talk about the Cassie time, so ninety three, ninety four I guess first year, you know, I was involved s ⁓ since the beginning as everybody knows. And then in two thousand five ⁓ I got an opportunity to go with the the national program. ⁓ so two thousand five to two thousand fifteen, so actually two Olympics cycle. The the first one I was not involved because it was in prep to ⁓ Torino, so 2006. I was not really involved in that one. Okay. But then it became what they call ⁓ back then ⁓ with home the podium ⁓ next generation and all that it's they still use the ⁓ acronym I guess. ⁓ so anyway ⁓ yeah and I sp I spent ⁓ ten years with the ⁓ the national team program ⁓ been through two Olympic cycle. the ⁓ a lot of ⁓ at the beginning a lot of the ⁓ my involvement was more with ⁓ developing ⁓ the ⁓ junior programme so ⁓ I've been I've been to like ⁓ I think six junior world championships some university game and all that so ⁓ many many world championship and ⁓ World Cup as well. So that was my involvement with the with the national team and then you mentioned Jeff ⁓ high performance director. So basically what ⁓ what it is is that I was in charge of ⁓ the ⁓ national team program leading to the second ⁓ cycle which was Sochi. So it's for people to understand without getting into all the details basically, you know, looking like ⁓ being the head coach. there was twenty five people ⁓ reporting to me, coaches, assistant coach, ⁓ physio, doctor, and so on. So tech, ⁓ a lot a lot of a lot of good stuff. It was ⁓ it was a good time. It was ⁓ you know, learned a lot. But yeah. Met and met a lot of people obviously.
speaker-2: I can imagine. Yeah. And I mean those early years, I mean, between about nineteen ninety five to two thousand five, there was a there was definitely a link between what was the Canada Snowboard Federation and Cassie when Cassie started. As you said, I mean, I was the same when I took my level one. It was a CSF course and not a Cassie course. It was like ninety three or ninety two and ⁓ what eventually became Cassie. But you know, a lot of people probably don't realize that the Canada Snowboard Federation originally ran the instructor programs in Canada and then that turned into more of a competitive focus as as the years went on, right?
speaker-1: Yeah, exactly. And ⁓ there I mean th we will need hours to talk ⁓ a little bit more about this, but you know, and then you will have we will have to bring names into this, but there's so many people involved, you know, you don't wanna miss anyone. But yeah and and you we know the people, some of them that are ⁓ with me on the ⁓ Hall of Fame. ⁓ but ⁓ great people. ⁓ he was ⁓ you know from the beginning to where we are right now, it's it's so interesting because you you know we touch ⁓ about much about almo almost everything on the ⁓ from the instructor side to the competitive side.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, it's been cool to see. Speaking of the Hall of Fame, you were ⁓ among I think was the among the first inductees to into the Cassie Hall of Fame. what was ⁓ you know, and this is quite this is going back quite a few years now. I mean your involvement since your Hall of Fame induction has been hasn't slowed down, but what ⁓ what were some of your ⁓ when when that Hall of Fame induction happened, what were some of the the things that you looked back on as being kind of the most proud of? ⁓
speaker-1: I would say that ⁓ it's ⁓ the little thing that we've done ⁓ leading to you know my induction in twenty fourteen because there's been that gap, you know, 2005 to ⁓ 2015, I was not I was no longer involved. I was still paying my due. I was like this is why I'm here. Yeah. Very supportive, always looking at what was going on on the Cassie side. But ⁓ it's the little thing that we've done previous to that, you know. ⁓ you mentioned ⁓ Jeff ⁓ being part of the ⁓ technical committee, being the ⁓ technical director for the program, whatever it was back then. I try to remember what was on my contract with Cassie back then. Yeah. And then ⁓ it's the program we we created, you know. ⁓ I do remember ⁓ working with ⁓ thread on ⁓ the ⁓ kids training as an example and then ⁓ you know building the new or let me say more ⁓ to be more ⁓ politically correct ⁓ making the reference guy reference guide evolving the way it should be. Yeah. And then ⁓ you know I'm gonna use the word which is not good, but creating the people as well, you know. We ⁓ we I I was going like you've done Jeff and what J Jen is doing right now, going across the country, east to west, west to east, making sure that we had the the standard were there and then that we had good people in place and then that that's I believe that's what I I brought or that's what I'm proud of ⁓ as ⁓ you know being inducted to the alternative.
speaker-0: Hmm.
speaker-2: Yeah, I mean I can I can ⁓ definitely vouch for that. I was ⁓ you know, ⁓ an you know, probably not even I was probably about twenty, I think, when I first started on the technical committee and, you know, was first exposed to what ha what goes on in behind the scenes in terms of creating these technical programs. And, you know, And Andy McLean, who we've mentioned, I think was the tech chairman there at that point, but you were already involved in the tech committee and ⁓ you know, your your impact on those early years of all the technical programs is It's still there, right? Like it's ⁓ it's pretty cool to see.
speaker-1: It it is and then you know we ⁓ when I go back to ⁓ to ⁓ Sunshine Village ⁓ memories are just yeah, you know, of like I spent so much time in in in ⁓ sunshine. ⁓ I I remember I was there at the I don't even remember the name of the hotel there, but I stayed once, I stayed eighteen days in May there.
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah. I remember that. Yeah, I remember that.
speaker-1: And then ⁓ listening to Trooper or April Wine, you know, on the last day or so. But but mostly what I remember was is really the people and I get there and you know and sometime I just Hey so and so and I'm like, What, they're still here or you know it's it's that's that's what I like about, you know, the memory of all that.
speaker-2: That's right.
speaker-0: Speaking of still being here, what I I think is really cool and admirable about your story is how involved you still are as an instructor at a resort, as an evaluator, and also having served on the board for so long, just kinda wondering if you can speak to like the balance of those three roles over the years.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, so first of all, pe people always ask me ⁓ in the winter, so ⁓ yeah the usual question that I've been asked for ⁓ s I s I believe since I I I wasn't I started to be an instructor. What do you do in in the summer? ⁓ I I do have a ⁓ full time job, you know, I'm the executive director for Sport F B C ⁓ based in North Van and then my my ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: employers ⁓ give me ⁓ you know a little bit of more freedom in my winter time. We are more in ⁓ quiet time so I I can spend let's say a little bit time of time on snow. So ⁓ people see me here and there like I I'm I can arrange my schedule at work so I can do work at night or early in the morning and you know jet job ⁓ the job gets done. That being said I ⁓ yes, I'm a I'm a part-time instructor with Sur Black Home. ⁓ I do ⁓ get on the ⁓ magic carpet, beginners, beginners and and so on. And I I also ⁓ started working for Extremely Canadian ⁓ four years ago, which is a great gig, you know, ⁓ it's more of a guiding gig for people looking for checking ⁓ the box on their bucket list, you know, bringing them to some very good ⁓ area ⁓ along either Whistler or Black home. ⁓ and and usually black front, double black run, ⁓ good stuff. So ⁓ it's it's a good gig. I I was doing a little bit of training ⁓ still at Cyprus ⁓ grouse and Seymour, but that was a bit too much. ⁓ started to let it go, especially with the fact that I got able to train some people to do that training. So you know, and then ⁓ they also got more people getting certified at higher level, which were able to do the job. So you know it gave me more time to focus on ⁓ doing some cassy stuff. And and I was very surprised at the last ⁓ in person meeting in in ⁓ Canmore because ⁓ Andrew McCraney presented the board with the ⁓ you know, the evaluator and the amount of of ⁓ work that's been done and I I could see my name there and I'm like, ⁓ I've done more than I ⁓ thought I was to do. But but ⁓ still, you know, I'm ⁓ I I like to do level one, level two, level three, not so much because you know what?
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: It's something we need to talk about. You know, I am getting old. And then am I writing at the level? Yeah, maybe. But you know, am I the best person to demonstrate? And no, I'm not. So, you know, ⁓ it's also something that we need to realize, thinking about, you know, moving on, passing the torch and so on. But as long as I will be able to write ⁓ I will I think I will continue because it's ⁓ it's passion, it's very passionate. I like to meet people, I like to help people, I like to see their ⁓ evolvement as ⁓ instructor or writer or teacher and ⁓ you know if I can help them with their development, ⁓ I'm gonna do that. Now to be a director on the board, it's it's a funny one because ⁓ A lot of people know, ⁓ but there most of the people don't know. And then I sometime introduce myself by saying, I'm s I'm Bob, you know, I'm the your evaluator, and by the way, I'm a board member. And then sometimes some discussion started and I like to listen because you know that's how we get I get feedback to bring to the table when we meet with the board. Sometime ⁓ question are ⁓ or discussion are a little bit more intense because people know, people like to talk and I like to talk about, you know, the more the political side of it. But it's a good opportunity for me, ⁓ like you said, being ⁓ an instructor and ⁓ an evaluator, knowing that I'm I'm also involved with the board of
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah, I think that's so important to maintain that that connection, right? And y it keeps you keeps you connected to the members, I think, as well is the is the big one, right?
speaker-0: Hey, quick break from the show to tell you about one of our ProDale suppliers, Scabbard board sleeves. This is a company based in Whistler, BC, and they've been making these neoprene board sleeves for a few years now with the purpose of protecting your board while it's in transit. These things are awesome. If you're chucking your board into a Thule box or into the back of the car, just slides on there super easy, protects the base and the edges from getting dinged up. Or maybe you're the type to throw your board in the car. So not only is it protecting your board, it's protecting your seats from getting cut by the edges. It comes in multiple sizes so you can fit any board. So if you're tired of your board getting all messed up on the way to the mountain, check out Scabbard. Chuck it in the tuli box and don't worry about your equipment ever.
speaker-2: I mean over the last few years, it's been a I would say the last five or so years has been a kind of a big big change period for Cassie as an association and and I think we've kind of really focused our efforts on, you know, planning and we're working on ⁓ we've worked through this twenty twenty three to twenty twenty six strategic plan. But what looking back on the last few years, w what kind of what were maybe the goals going back going into that? plan three, four years ago. ⁓ you know, right around the time that I started as the ex executive director was around twenty twenty two, twenty twenty three. But back in that time you were on the board at that time. And what were some of the maybe the big picture sort of goals you were hoping to see for from the board level for the for the you know, your everyday Cassie member?
speaker-1: I think it goes back to my little last comment. It was the connection with the member. Yeah. ⁓ not that we felt like there was a disconnection, but I think we wanted to get the member involved. We wanted to hear more from them. ⁓ we wanted to consult them as well, which we did. And I think that was ⁓ probably the big ⁓ the big picture change that the board was was looking for. And then ⁓ to this point I think I think that ⁓ we did a really, really good job. ⁓ there's more and more people ⁓ who now understand the strat plan. Not that they didn't understand in the past, but you know, they were and they felt like they were part of the ⁓ process. ⁓ I think that was the big thing.
speaker-2: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I mean, I think it's important ⁓ talking about strat plans in general, because i this whole world for me, I mean, I ⁓ i it was new for me when I started in my role. And I'll I'll I've said this to a few people, but I was always a little bit ⁓ I was a bit ⁓ I had sort of mixed feelings about the the thought of a strat plan, and and so I think it's probably worth just to spending a minute or so just discussing for everybody to sort of know like the The Strad plan d it's really it I've come to view it as a like a really good roadmap and it sort of charts out the the next few years and where we want to go. And I I was sort of always viewing it as a bit of ⁓ a a limiting sort of thing that it would sort of force us to to sort of stick to some things that maybe weren't weren't relevant at the time. But I've I've really changed my opinion about it over the last few years working through it and it it's good to have ⁓ you know, from a communication side for members, it's good to have a plan that sort of shows where we're trying to take things. F obviously for me as the the person who's in charge of kind of carrying those things out, it's good to have a roadmap rather than just kind of aimlessly driving in circles. But yeah, I it's been a bit a bit of a a a big lesson for me in terms of the the usefulness of that whole process and and ⁓ I would agree I think from a big picture perspective getting getting members involved in setting that plan and and having a voice, either through informal discussions on a course or at an event or even or you know, through something more formal like a survey. That was always that was sort of a goal right from the start, I think.
speaker-1: Yeah and and obviously the the me as a director I'm representing members. But ⁓ you know, it's more than my say, it's the say of the members and and ⁓ you know we didn't create a plan to put it on a tablet, you know. We create a plan because we wanted to use it as you said as your ⁓ the roadmap and I'm I'm very proud of of what's been accomplished ⁓ with that specific ⁓ shred plan over the last few years. It's it's very good.
speaker-2: Yeah, I mean we as we've said, we're kind of coming to the end of this ex this existing one. It I I can't believe it's already been three years working with that plan and we put some time last month into ⁓ the board met together last month to do some planning on what the next three years is gonna look like. ⁓ you know, the big the big ⁓ sort of structure of this plan sort of follows these three trails and the three trails of excellence, which we've really been working towards the on the courses side, the the member side and the industry side. And we're gonna keep that structure in place because I think that that that really sums up why we exist, right? We need to sort of keep those three plates spinning on the on the obviously on the courses and the program side. That's ⁓ you know, one of the reasons w the probably the main reason we exist is to deliver these courses and deliver this training. ⁓ when you look back on this the last few years, what what sort of stands out in your mind around around courses and programs and And I always sort of comment how it's it's funny when I t you know, when we took our level one back in the in the nineties, there's things in the level one that are still in the level one that you're sort of tried and true things, but there's a whole bunch of stuff that wasn't in there back in those days. But what sticks out in your head as far as improving or evolving on our courses?
speaker-1: I think it's well I'm obviously it's the we always work we always let me say let me put it that way. We always look at best way to make it to keep it simple, right? Right. So so ⁓ you know the evolution of the level one from back then, like you said, Jeff, there's not much that has changed honestly. ⁓ few little things, you know, exercise that we tried that are better and such and you know, ⁓ but ⁓ it's probably more the ⁓ the delivery, the way we deliver it. it's I would say a bit smoother. ⁓ the ⁓ the quick write system as an example is a very good example. It's so you know, sequency you just follow. Yeah. If I mean if you follow it, it should work. Right. So and then y you go back, it's it's a building block. That's how we we ⁓ met but and then looking at the other ⁓ course, obviously two, three, four and so on, the evolution, the evol the ⁓ yeah, the evolution of going from one course to another is probably, you know, quite probably a bit better. And don't forget, you know, if you remember going back, I I talked about it earlier, ⁓ eighty nine. Two to level. Level one? Yeah. Basic level two top.
speaker-2: Right.
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: And then it went to level three and then we add we added the level four. So obviously there's a a pathway. And then I usually ⁓ split it in two. I I put level one, level two, which is more intro to, and then level three, level four. If you wanted to make a career, become an evaluator, that's your pathway. So I think this is this has become more clearer and ⁓ way better, especially in the past. What I want to add is is ⁓ the delivery ⁓ in in the way of ⁓ training, evaluating all that. I think we like in e with every b business, we ⁓ we've bat we've been impacted by the the the pandemic. And and then ⁓ I do remember, you know, we started to do the ⁓ course following the pandemic, like Don't touch me, I won't touch you, and then ⁓ don't talk to me and I may talk to you and then ⁓ and all that. Fairness. But this changed the way that we deliver course as well. Yeah, you know, we became ⁓ more digital, we became less paper as well, right? Yeah. So so ⁓ remember sitting down writing the the evaluation in rush to deliver to the ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah.
speaker-1: The people because ⁓ the cafeteria was shutting down or the or the lodge was shutting down. ⁓ but yeah, things have changed for sure. that's where we are right now.
speaker-2: Yeah, it's interesting how ⁓ you know, in my previous role in the on the technical side, it w you know, prior to say 2020, 2019, 2020, I always we always had these discussions on the technical side about how, you know, ⁓ improving the the digital delivery of some of our content would allow us to deal with the theory info separate from the practical. And we could spend our time on hill d dealing with the practical and practicing our writing, practicing our teaching and those those couple of years there during especially during COVID was it was sort of like the kick that we needed to make that happen. And ever since then we've been in essentially pap like you said, paperless in our delivery of courses, our ⁓ our online training, the the level that we're using online training now and e learning and all that stuff has just steadily increased. And that was all really fast forwarded during that that twelve month period there. And it's left us, I think, in a better spot.
speaker-1: We did a good job, like they said ⁓ adapt or think outside the box and I think that Cassie did a good job in that way 'cause we were like, Okay, we're gonna adapt, we're gonna think outside the box and we did.
speaker-2: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You mentioned as well the the over the last couple of years the evolution we've the ⁓ the improvements we've made and how we train our evaluators and you know and it you know, it's no question Cassie's busy. We've never been busier, we've never certified more people and so with that comes a need to have more evaluators and so ⁓ I think we've made some good strides there as well in terms of you know, consistency among evaluators. It y volume is always a big thing for Cassie. We do we do a lot of courses across a big country. And ⁓ you know, I know you've been to events like InterSki before and trying to communicate, ⁓ I had a discussion at the last Interski that I went to, ⁓ trying to communicate to ⁓ someone in another country that we have two hundred and fifty or two hundred and sixty evaluators in a c and you know, in this person I was speaking to, they may have a dozen. And so the question of consistency among evaluators is a much bigger challenge for us than it is for a lot of other countries. So I think we've made some im i improvements there as well.
speaker-1: And and and and to that, Jeff, it's a good problem.
speaker-2: Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. It's great. Yeah. what are some things that maybe stick out in your head as far as ⁓ you know, course and program innovations or or changes that have been maybe tougher to tougher to s to to tackle? Is there anything that sort of sticks out in your head that ⁓ you know we could still be we could still do a better job on?
speaker-0: ⁓
speaker-1: I think that the the biggest challenge is always the ⁓ the speed and let me express that. It's the speed of how we wanna to expand or deliver. Yes. ⁓ and then I think at some point ⁓ I will go back, Jeff, to when we decide to send I think it was you and Andy to China for a pilot project. And then you got back, you guys like, ⁓ that was great, you know, there's ⁓ definitely lot of opportunity there and it just went on and then it was just like just like this. Yeah. And then at some point I think it went maybe it was a bit too fast. We were looking at it we're like, ⁓ my God. And then you know, ⁓ the demand was big and then we were using some of our top evaluator over there that we couldn't use here. And then you know it it was probably one of of a challenge that we have. Yeah. And and we still can have. But but but it link also linked to the fact that, you know, there's a d big demand and we need more evaluator and we are where we are right now. So I think that was ⁓ probably one of ⁓ our biggest challenge ⁓ in implementing, you know, ⁓ the program and and so on. But again, I'm gonna repeat You it's it's still a good problem.
speaker-2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah, that ⁓ balancing that, you know, expansion and meeting demand and whether it's international or or domestic, it's it's I would say the same. That's been our biggest challenge in in carrying out this this latest version of the Strat plan. I mean, we've done we've done some great things in terms of providing resources in other languages and and all these things and it's ⁓ it's ⁓ it's an ongoing challenge for sure and we're we're always looking for the best way to to deal with that stuff. So ⁓ and like you said, I would say the same. It's a it's a good challenge to have because it just reflects the the demand for our programs and the the quality of the programs. So I'm pretty proud of that. Yeah. Rob, do you want to get us into our so Bob, we have these ⁓ what we call palette cleansing questions that we usually do on the these episodes. They're kind of like quick, quick, ⁓ lighter sort of questions. So I'll let Rob tackle these ones. Okay.
speaker-0: Sweet. I wasn't sure if we were wrapping up that previous section yet or not. But ⁓ here we here we go with the palette cleansers. This is fun. ⁓ and Bob, I gotta ask, as I don't know the story, how did you get your nickname Le Bub?
speaker-1: ⁓ good question. when I when I joined ⁓ Canada Snowboard, ⁓ the the ⁓ I needed an email address and then ⁓ they couldn't give me ⁓ Bob at what was it back then? CSF I believe. Bob at CSF dot C A, something like that. ⁓ and I try to remember who was in charge of IT. I can't remember, no big deal, but the guy re reached out to me and was like, ⁓ I cannot put like should I put Rob? And I'm like, Well there would be too much confusion, email will go. So I said, Why don't you just put La Bob? And ⁓ that's how it was, sorry. So so la bob it was and it was funny because ⁓ obviously that's how I communicate with people and then I was traveling the world for some work up and Olympics and such and they were hello. So here we go.
speaker-2: Yeah, yeah. That's the story. That's great.
speaker-0: That's hilarious. That's that's the second episode in a row here where we've ⁓ the answer has been because I needed an email address.
speaker-2: Right. Yeah.
speaker-1: Exactly, yeah. Right? Yeah.
speaker-2: Yeah, that's right. Lars said the same thing on the last one, right? Yeah.
speaker-0: Exactly. ⁓ so you've got a lot of Cassie memories. ⁓ what's the best one?
speaker-1: I I think I I touched a little bit on earlier and again like I said we ⁓ we were at the in-person ⁓ board meeting last month, month ago in ⁓ Canmore and ⁓ Sunshine Village is is one of my favorite resorts. ⁓ because of the ⁓ good memory that I had there. I met so many people there. ⁓ and then we had those ⁓ how do they call ⁓ how did we call them? ⁓ the ⁓ session we had, spring session. Supercourse, here we go. We had the supercourse, so people were coming from everywhere. When I say everywhere, ⁓ Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, ⁓ Ontario a lot, and then people even from BC coming to the supercourse.
speaker-2: ⁓ the super course.
speaker-1: ⁓ we were doing everything. One level one, level two, level three, level four, ⁓ part one and carving at ⁓ as well. So ⁓ those are ⁓ definitely some good cassie memory. As long as a lot of those ⁓ board of director meeting ⁓ you know ⁓ we always had ⁓ some some fun event were either mountain biking or stuff like that. So ⁓ it was good. And and I also have some not so good ⁓ memory in the way that I let me explain, you know, the story with with Fred ⁓ at ⁓ at ⁓ Lake ⁓ sorry at Sunshine when she broke her leg. So
speaker-2: ⁓ Shredd Allison Church, yeah.
speaker-1: So I was following her and then I lost her in the dust of of snow and then I stopped. I'm like, Are you okay? She's like, I think I broke my leg. And I wasn't the the end of the story was not fun, but it's part of the memory. You know? ⁓ another another Shred story is is when we ⁓ we got to ⁓ Penn and we unload the ⁓ the van and Shred was like, Where's my bag? And we're like so we had a van with one of those ⁓ roofed rooftop ⁓ big rack open. Yeah, and then we we drove from Kyrie to ⁓ to Belve. And then ⁓ a big truck passed us and with the draft the b the back the back went on the highway, we didn't realize.
speaker-2: Open rack. Okay.
speaker-1: Alright. And then and then I'm gonna finish the story 'cause it's interesting. We were there for ⁓ the meeting tech meeting. And then schedule was super tight. So the morning after, ⁓ we had to go back to ⁓ to ⁓ basically to ⁓ Calgary to because the the the board what's the next exit ⁓ Jeff After Calgary?
speaker-2: ⁓ Cochrane or something. Cochrane. Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1: The the the bag was at the R C ⁓ P in Cochrane. So so we drove back on the on the van, the t all the tech, with Dan driving, and we did our tech meeting in the van back and forth. Nice.
speaker-2: Yeah, no joke. That's multi task multitask.
speaker-0: That's good multitasking. That's like ⁓ using the lift line to talk about what you're gonna do on the next run.
speaker-1: But Rob Rob, I actually I'm gonna write a book on Cassie memory story. There's too many
speaker-2: ⁓ Yeah.
speaker-0: Well, funny enough, you mentioned Shred and her and I have talked over the years about doing a a coffee table book. So we'll have to hit you up for ⁓ some entries 'cause it would be that would be a pretty epic project. ⁓ okay, changing gears here. favorite snowboard you ever rode?
speaker-2: Right. Yeah. ⁓
speaker-1: That's a very good question. It goes back many years ago, plus twenty plus I believe. ⁓ I was because of my status with Cassie, with snowboard and all that, you know, I was getting offered to write this board and that board sometime for free, sometime ⁓ you know, just ⁓ take it, bring it back. And then ⁓ I got a an Ellen Ellen element. That was the best board I ever ride in my life. It was for some reason, I don't don't ask me why. It was pretty the good the best land, the best width, the best stiffness, and then I just felt ⁓ my god, look at that. But that was the best board ever.
speaker-2: Well, cool. ⁓
speaker-0: I don't Yeah, me neither. I don't think they're making boards anymore.
speaker-1: I don't know. ⁓ but they are probably making still making a lot of board for other brands.
speaker-2: Yeah, that's true. Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-0: Okay, you already answered this one, I think, but maybe you have a different answer w ⁓ when you really think about it. Where's your favorite place to ride?
speaker-1: The ⁓ I okay, so I get that question ten thousand times this season. Yeah. And then and then I don't wanna be biased, but my best place to ride obviously Worcester Blackcomb. Because it's in my backyard. This is my resort, this is where I go. I know the resort more and more and I would say that I've probably ridden I don't know, maybe sixty percent of it. There's places that I still haven't
speaker-0: Yeah.
speaker-1: bin or or ⁓ trail, maybe over sixty, seventy, seventy five. But ⁓ Sunshine has a special place.
speaker-2: Yeah, for sure. Yeah.
speaker-1: And I've been I've been everywhere in the world. I've been to some nice place, you know, ⁓ talking about Interski ⁓ earlier, when we went to Interski, ⁓ it was in Kramontana in Switzerland. And then ⁓ on that trip we went to ⁓ Sarvinia, so Zarbat. ⁓ it's really nice out there. But I mean Sochi in Russia. It's crazy that place. Unbelievable. But is it my best place? And I'm not gonna go there tomorrow. So you know. So that's why
speaker-2: Really? Like you, I get that question all the time too. What's your where's your favorite place to snowboard? And it it's it it really just depends on the day, like what what the what the snow's like on the day, what the group is like that you're with and what happens to be happening. I mean it could be it could it doesn't have to be the biggest, most impressive place, right?
speaker-1: Yeah, and then and then if you if you think about what you just said, Jeff, then Whistler has a lot to offer and Sunsh Sunshine had a lot to offer in that way.
speaker-2: Right. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. Cool.
speaker-0: I think a lot of it comes down to the experience that you have at a particular place. It's not necessarily the mountain itself, you know, it's the people you get to ride with and it's pretty cool. So the strat plan has these three pillars that we kind of keep referencing back to. And the second one, which is one that I I kind of use as my roadmap and my kind of communications and member engagement role. ⁓ and it's all around member experience and governance. ⁓
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: Just wondering, Bob, if you can comment on how the association has changed like in the members' eyes over the past decade or so.
speaker-1: That that's the the word I'm gonna use is link going back I don't know maybe six seven years ago and people ⁓ Cassie this and Cassidy and you know well what what do you have any feedback you know do you want to be involved? Do you wanna do so ⁓ I think that's and and also you know we've talked about creating that new strat plan and and so on. ⁓ the perception ⁓ right now is from the member is probably better than it was ⁓ years ago. And then I still can see that the perception is getting better and better, not only to the member, but you know, to the stakeholder, to the ⁓ the partner that we have, to the ⁓ industry as well. So ⁓ I would say that the big the big thing is the ⁓ the perception.
speaker-0: Yeah, that's really interesting. And ⁓ having been in Cassie for a long time I would I would tend to agree. what do you think are some of the things that helped change the perception in a positive way? It's
speaker-1: Probably the ⁓ the openness that we had to the members. I I started earlier by saying ⁓ we consulted them so it was ⁓ it was not la you know us and them, it's us all together, right? so ⁓ the ⁓ the member had the an opportunity to to talk, they had an opportunity to ⁓ express themselves, to give us some feedback, we listen to them and then ⁓ I think they feel more like they've been heard and they're still being been hearing. You know, when I have discussion with ⁓ a member about something, I can bring it to ⁓ our board of director meeting and then suddenly ⁓ a director from another re area, region or province would say, ⁓ I got the same ⁓ question or the same feedback and then we build down or we you know we We look at how we c we could make an improvement. So ⁓ yeah, that's how I I basically that's how I see it.
speaker-2: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. trail three of the the existing plan is all around industry development and we recognize you know, recognizing our role. We even changed our our vision statement a few years ago to recognize that, you know, we're ⁓ we have a key ⁓ role to play in building a ⁓ overall you know, quality snow sports industry. But what What have been some of the changes that you've seen over the last few years when it comes to resorts or snow schools or kind of our industry focus that stand out for you?
speaker-1: I'm gonna go further back, Jeff. ⁓ because ⁓ and I think it's it's started there because ⁓ Cassie has always been in the past, ⁓ linked to C SIA. And then it's not a again a bashing with C SIA, it's like yeah, Cassie is Cassie, CSI is C SIA. Ski is ski, snow war, snowboard. we I shouldn't say we Cassie. ⁓ build his own reputation, his own ⁓ credibility, and then it got better and better. And nowadays, I can tell you, ⁓ you know, nowadays when ⁓ we show up with a Cassie jacket at the resort, I feel like there's more respect. That's how I feel. And then it's not only me, you know. ⁓ in the past it would have been ⁓ bunch of Yao here doing a course. No. Cassie's in the house. ⁓ welcome guys. Do you need anything? You know? And then I'm talking about the the snow school or sorry the resort. But it's it's not only there, you know. I know for sure Jeff and the crew are ⁓ going to all of those ⁓ meeting and I think you were at the ASSQ ⁓ lately, Jeff. And then ⁓ there's always you know, people coming to Cassie for for either, you know, ⁓ telling us that we're doing a good job and then if there's any ⁓ project ongoing or whatsoever. So ⁓ I think that's the big ch shift. ⁓ we became independent l many years ago, but we're no longer a child. We're ⁓ actually we're no longer a teenager. I think we're more into the adult ⁓ mode right now and people respect us ⁓ more. That's how I see it.
speaker-2: Yeah, no, I would agree. I think ⁓ you know, part of it is the sport of snowboarding has been around long enough that it's maturing and growing. But Cassie in general, I mean thirty th going into our thirty third year, thirty three ⁓ years of building building these relationships and I I feel the same way. I think, you know, it we're no longer the ⁓ you know, the the ⁓ that like you said, the ya the Yahoo's showing up at the at the hill on doing a course. Yeah.
speaker-1: Yeah, and even more, Jeff, you can tell 'cause I I mean you will correct me if I'm wrong, but even you as ⁓ the ⁓ executive director of the organization, you get ⁓ you're getting asked to make presentation, which was not in the the case in the past and not you know that we 'cause i it is what it that's how it was in the past. ⁓ snowboarder. It's and then ⁓ yeah, so we're getting there I guess. Yeah.
speaker-2: ⁓ Yeah, for sure. Yeah, we're making making progress. And I think it it it all stems from our our, you know, recognizing our our role there. We're we're a supporter of the industry, right? We provide we provide the instructors that are hopefully well trained to do the job and and ⁓ just recognizing that we that's the reason we exist, right? Is to support the the industry as a whole. So you've done ⁓ quite a few terms now on the board and you're ⁓ you're coming towards the end of your ⁓ your third three year term here. So that that represents a long time on the board. And ⁓ I'm sure you've learned I know you have a lot of experience on other boards, not just on the Cassie board as well. But you know the the idea of kind of passing the passing the torch over to new bo board members is kind of ⁓ probably on your on on your mind. So what's what's some kind of ⁓ maybe a piece of advice that you would give to a a new board Cassie board member on you know keeping Cassie healthy over the long term?
speaker-1: It it's w it's what I've been ⁓ exchanging with the actual board f since I got there. We need to be ⁓ cautious. We need to think big for sure, but we also need to think about ⁓ the growth and then ⁓ you know, making sure that there's ⁓ good balance and and discipline.
speaker-0: So I think we're rounding out the episode here with a few more questions and just kind of some looking forward type stuff as we conclude here. where do you see Cassie going in the future?
speaker-1: Touch base a little bit on it. ⁓ it's still growing, It's we still have ⁓ the ban is still big. I I'm concerned by the ⁓ the global warming, the the lack of snow. We had we had an experience actually, you know what, whistler black home in January this year. That was not the greatest place to ride. So if it happened here, imagine, you know, when ⁓ we look at s smaller resort and then ⁓ again ⁓ Grouse ⁓ of the three ⁓ on the North Shore was the one who was the most impacted this past season. They didn't have a good season, it was horrible and I felt bad for them. And then we look at what happened in the East, you guys ⁓ Rob had a probably one of the best seasons over the last I don't know many years.
speaker-0: I don't remember a better season. Yeah, it's weird.
speaker-1: See so so it goes like this and then ⁓ you know, what does it mean? Are we gonna I don't know, in in twenty years from now, are we gonna teach on dry slope? I I'm just I'm just thinking out loud right now. But ⁓ you know, it's ⁓ this is ⁓ where I see things going. We need to be aware of that and ⁓ you know, be proactive. ⁓ I think that's the the the way to look at it. Always think ahead. A w
speaker-0: Yeah. So you've talked a lot about members and it's not we're not an association kind of being directive. You know, we we include the the membership in in our discussions and in where things are going, ⁓ which I think is a a big strength of ours. ⁓ where what role do you want to see members taking on as we move into the future?
speaker-2: Yeah, smart. Yeah.
speaker-1: ⁓ take take their ⁓ their membership as ⁓ talking right as a vo voting right you know they they're there ⁓ they're member they should communicate and ⁓ let us know and ⁓ reach out to to us and ⁓ be maybe more involved you know ⁓ I I something I didn't say ⁓ to start ⁓ Rob and Jeff is ⁓ I was at the first ⁓ meeting when they created Cassie. And ⁓ I'll I'll I'll put it that way. He was a gong show. He didn't he didn't go well. And I I'm not gonna put names and I'm not gonna say much. And then there was a lot of of ⁓ not so positive thing going on. And I got home and I said to my wife, ⁓ it's depressing almost, you know. And she said, Well, stop bashing. And she said, if you can beat them, join them. And that's how I got involved. The following year, ⁓ I think I ran for the ⁓ technical committee because that's how it was back then. And that's how I got involved. So I would say to the member, you know, get involved, you know. Be the next board director or you know, put your name on being part of the the national tech team. Or ⁓ you know, there's we have a lot of a program and then you can all name them ⁓ Rob. I know you're you're leading one of them, but get involved in some
speaker-0: Absolutely. Yeah, we've got the diversity advisory group. We have the instruction mentorship program. and we often call out asking, you know, questions in Instagram stories that we're looking for input for. Jeff sends out a lot of surveys asking members' opinions and yeah, I think that's that's a really important take home. You know, don't just sit there and do nothing when you you see an opportunity to help out where we need you.
speaker-1: Especially if you keep ⁓ how can I say whining. Because I was a whiner. I was one of them.
speaker-0: Yeah. Yeah.
speaker-1: My wife was like, I hate to hear you did it doing this. Get involved. Just throw your name. Change it exactly.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-0: So all that experience you have, ⁓ being a Hall of Famer, being ⁓ on the board, your experience with Canada snowboard and so on, ⁓ what is ultimate the ultimate success ⁓ for Cassie look like? ⁓
speaker-1: think that ⁓ we should be proud of where we are right now. and then ⁓ that might be redundant but ⁓ Cassie's now an adult and then ⁓ we should be proud of that. You know it's in very good ⁓ financial position right now. The program are running smoothly You know, there's a demand, ⁓ people are looking at us, you know. ⁓ we look good. So ⁓ yeah, I think that it's it's basically where we are right now and and how ⁓ recon well recognized ⁓ the organization is that everybody should be proud of
speaker-0: Well, we should be proud. thank you for that. ⁓ I think that's a really good place to end the episode. thank you, Bob, for coming on the show. Thank you for all of your years of service to the association and the snow sport of snowboarding in general. It's been ⁓ you know, you have a you've had your hand in a lot of different places to help us get to where we're at. So so really ⁓ the membership thanks you for that. To the listeners, thank you so much for tuning in to another episode of Dropping Next. Be sure to give us a review, hit that five star, and send us an email if you have any guest suggestions, anything you want us to talk about on the show, ⁓ or you just want to send us some flowers, podcast at cassie dash acms.com. And we'll see you on the next episode in two weeks. Thanks again.
speaker-2: Yeah.
speaker-1: Thank you.
