Education Task Force Highlight:

Denes Balazs

The Education Task Force Highlight Series spotlights education leaders working to create new Certification Standards, education resources, and communication strategies that will benefit all members.

In this highlight, we sit down with Cross Country Task Force member Denes Balazs.

What task force are you on?  

The Cross Country Technical Skills Task Force.

What’s your current snowsports job title? 

Northwest Divisional Cross Country clinician, and Head Alpine Ski School Trainer for Timberline in Oregon.

Share a brief bio of your professional snowsports instruction history. 

I started teaching snowsports five years ago at Mt. Hood in Oregon, became a trainer in cross country three years ago, and moved into the alpine trainer and divisional clinician roles last winter.

What is your current role on the task force?

I am on the Cross Country Performance Guide subcommittee.

What are the task force’s main goals and how are you working to accomplish them?

To provide an easy-to-use guide for members seeking certification.

How will this benefit members? 
These documents will provide clearly defined learning outcomes, assessment criteria, and descriptions of what contributes to successful and unsuccessful execution. These guidelines will help the educational and certification processes in all the divisions.

Why is it important to you to be involved/work for the benefit of other members?

I want to be involved in creating the new certification standards; I want to contribute to the process.

What’s the fun factor? 

Working together with such an experienced, talented, diverse group of snowsports educators is awesome.

Best part of being an instructor?

Seeing people’s reaction to improving/learning snowsports skills.