Byline: Craig McNeil
I first met Harald Harb seven years ago when he was a member of the Professional Ski Instructors of America Demo team and director of training at Winter Park Resort.
In the course of one run he improved my skiing and captured my attention on his vision of skiing.
He had some unique and different ideas to improve the ski teaching industry, which eventually would become his Direct Parallel System and Primary Movements Teaching System.
In his quest to let people know they can learn to ski easier and better than by the traditional methods, Harb has written a best-selling book (Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier) with a video and created an organization to certify instructors in this new method of skiing (PMTS.org). A second book (Anyone Can Be An Expert Skier II) is scheduled to be released within the week.
All this was born out of his vision for what skiing could be. And now others in the industry are beginning to take notice.
A recent survey by the National Ski Areas Association showed that 85 of 100 skiers who try the sport for the first time would never try it again. The survey also points out that skiers who take lessons but don't improve are likely to give up the sport out of frustration.
The NSAA survey indicated that proficient skiers are more likely to stay in the sport. First-time skiers not only need to have a good first experience but need their first experience to lead directly to skiing proficiency.
``This is where traditional ski instruction has failed because, as many of my clients and readers tell me, the movements that they have been taught in regular PSIA lessons are not effective at producing the skiing results that they want,'' Harb said.
Harb's Primary Movements Teaching System offers many advantages over traditional systems. Not only is it the first truly effective system, it teaches the same movements all the way through to the expert level.
``Ski teaching has to be responsible for why ski instruction isn't growing,'' Harb said. ``Advanced skiers generally don't take lessons because they know they don't work.''
``PSIA has been slow in responding to the needs of skiers, especially given the phenomenal equipment improvements over the last five years, and therefore has had a negative impact on skier retention. The NSAA survey clearly points the finger at PSIA for dismal skier retention.''
With more than 300,000 documented lessons in Harb's Direct Parallel system, the ski industry has begun to take notice: Skiers want what works and not the latest fad or marketing gimmick.
Harb first made his mark in the sport as a World Cup ski racer and later as a coach of world-class skiers.
``The techniques I used to coach and teach these athletes are the same techniques we use to teach anyone to ski,'' Harb said. ``With these techniques, a skier learns the same movements as a beginner that you use at the expert level. There is no other ski teaching system in the world that can make this claim.''
Harb was the first to present the concept that beginners, using the new shaped skis, could learn to ski parallel the first run of their first day on skis. Initially his ideas were met with skepticism; the idea that there could be a simpler way to learn to ski was ignored by the ski industry - until Harb was proved right.
Now, however, when Harb speaks, the industry listens. Industry officials now know that skiers want what works and are ready to embrace a faster, easier, more fun way to learn to ski.
Harb's PMTS Direct Parallel guarantees that skiers will learn quickly and correctly.
``I believe skiing will continue to change for the better,'' Harb said, ``but ski growth will only increase if it is faster, easier and more fun to learn.''
Harb currently is spreading word of his system through Skiing magazine, for which he serves as a technical editor and writes the Private Lessons series.
``Every time we survey our readers Harald's Private Lesson series are at the top,'' said Rick Kahl, editor of Skiing magazine. ``His Primary Movements Teaching System was the first simple explanation on how to use shape skis.''
In addition, Harb recently signed on with Head Skis to help develop the ``Big Easy'' Direct Parallel learning ski. ``We wanted to align ourselves with a teaching methodology that would exploit the extraordinary opportunities that shape skis present,'' Head spokesman Jackson Hogen said.
``His methodology is so well developed that it teaches first-timers the rewards of parallel skiing on the first day. It's a complete revolution in ski instruction.''
