CASI level 2 questions

What do you need to be able to do to pass CASI level 2? I don’t want to spend 500 dollars and fail the exam.

From what I gather from their video

regular turns (and use of the lower body)
basic carving
flexion and extension

not sure how well you have to be able to ride switch and bumps

I’m in training for my level 2’s at the moment and i’ve got the test booked for next month. So i don’t know from my own experience but from what my trainers have been informing me it includes;

sliding turns (demonstrating the use of steering with the lower body)
Basic carving
Switch riding on blues

You get a total of 4 lessons in which you must teach;
Beginner lesson (changed the level 2 to include that for the first time this season)
Basic carving lesson
2 lessons in which might be any of the 5 skills (edging, pivoting, pressure, stance & balance, timing & coordination)

My trainer (who is a level 2 CASI evaluator) reckons you need to find a drill you are good at which includes all of the 5 skills in which when it becomes your turn to teach regardless of which skill you are asked to teach you can successfully use to challenge your group.

I still haven’t decided what drill i am going to with & i’m open to suggestions!

When are you thinking of doing the level 2 course?

CASI level 2 can be more challenging than it appears on paper. Personally I think the hardest part is the riding. If you have a good lesson plan and execute it well, you shouldn’t have too much of a problem with the teaching. Your riding needs to be really consistent. Strong edging with solid lower body steering and pressure control. Expect them to ask you to turn/carve on somewhat bumpy terrain. They do this to check your pressure control skills. When you carve, they want to see a thin pencil line in the snow. Set the edge strong but stay agile/loose to absorb terrain changes.

In my experience they don’t really get you to ride switch all that much, which I found disappointing (but they might so be ready). I guess this depends on your evaluator as they all have their own techniques for testing. The might also ask you to press/butter around to check your pressure control skills. Expect to ride medium boxes/rails, but again this depends on the evaluator.

The most important aspect is your riding technique: consistency, alignment, solid edging / steering / pressure control.

Feel free to post videos for us to evaluate.

@kyle: I was thinking maybe sometime in spring but still not sure if I wanna take it or not. Seems really hard right now. Can’t ride switch on blue runs too (really mellow might be possible). Let me know how your test goes!

@jeremy: That’s surprising, I thought the teaching component will be harder. If they ask me to ride rails, then I’m dead haha, I am the most anti rail guy as anyone you can find lol. I’m still thinking whether to take it or not.

My advice: don’t take it until you’re ready. Some people might find the teaching harder but it was the other way around for me. I know others who passed the teaching and failed the riding component as well. The riding standards are pretty strict and they will fail you if you’re not up to standard.

Work on riding small and medium boxes. Just 50-50s to start with (that’s all they would ask you to do). If you struggle with small and medium boxes, that suggests your riding isn’t quite at standard yet and little things like this would make it very obvious to your evaluator. Just keep working on it and you’ll get there.

Yeah, definitely will not take it until I’m ready. I’m fine with 50/50 on small boxes no problem (no rails though haha), never tried medium boxes though. Is the turning/carving on bumpy terrain meaning moguls or just kindy bumpy, chopped up snow?

Just bumps, not moguls. Same principles apply when going from boxes to rails. Flat base, balanced stance, look to the end of the rail.

Surely you can bang a few boxes 50/50 if you have to? I hate the things but i’d do it to pass a test!

How does the CASA system work anyway? I don’t really know much about the instructor side of things. I have wondered a few times if I should do a course though because it seems like I am forever teaching someone how to snowboard. How much does it cost to do the test though?

Do they ever ask you to hit kickers switch? Thats a big weakness of mine, ill do a whole black run switch but always chicken out on hitting anything other than a small kicker switch. Same applies though, id give it a crack to pass a test….

*edit : ah 500 bucks! you a right, its a fair bit to risk.

@crackers: the level 1 is only 300 bucks. I think Jeremy is better at explaining how the CASI system works than me.

Definitely no switch kickers in level 1 or 2, and I would be surprised if it was even used as an evaluation technique in level 3. But how cool would that be! haha There is a pretty decent freestyle component in level 3 however.

CRACKERS, here is the CASI website if you’re interested: http://www.casi-acms.com/

If you have an interest in teaching and improving your technique, I would definitely recommend doing a course.

This thread pretty much covers everything in the CASI 1 course (up to and including basic turns). To pass level 1 you are expected to be able to demonstrate and teach that material. https://www.boardworld.com.au/forums/viewthread/2596/

Hey Skip
Good to see you moving onward and upward!
So have you been working as an instructor? If so, can u tell me where?

I really recommend teaching for at least 1 season preferably 2 before taking you’re 2s. CASI recommends this as well. The website says a certain number of hours teaching but most examiners will recommend at least a season.

I found the Riding and the Teaching both challenging when I took the exam 2 years ago. Probably harder than the park 1 test (though that depends on the rider).

The teaching can be passed with preparation. Like Jez said, have a lesson planed out for every possibility they could ask you to teach before the last 2 days and you won’t get caught out.

The riding on the other hand you will need to have down before you start the course. The examiner can only do so much in the short time he has with you.
If you are currently teaching then GET LEVEL 2 TRAINING! As much as possible.
For the riding you need to have your short turns (skidded) and your carving on greens and blues down pat.

In my test they failed everyone but me, and I got the feeling I only just scraped through lol.
So if you don’t think the risk is worth the gain, then maybe don’t do it.

If you think you are close to ready, or you are okay with failing and spending an extra $100 (and some pride) to resit, then go for it bro!
The choice is yours mate.

I’ll doing my 3s course soon and will be in the same situation as you. Very unsure of myself. But for me, the knowledge and riding skill I will gain will be enough for me even if I fail (highly likely in 3s exams). But I know I will persist with it until that pin is firmly on my jacket.

Everyone is different bro, so I guess ask yourself what it’s worth to you.

Hey Andy thanks for the advice. No I haven’t been teaching this season. As of right now I feel like I’m not ready yet and my riding is probably not up to par. I also don’t know any drills for specific movements/riding skills.

Okay bro, well it’s not impossible to pass if you are really driven.
But myself personally in that position I would just enjoy snowboarding for a while you know?
And definitely try and get a job teaching somewhere for a season.

But like I said, if you want it really bad and don’t mind the the possibility of resitting once or twice, then go for it.

If you aren’t teaching then having your level 2s doesn’t really mean anything anyway.
Best to get some practice teaching what you have learned in your level 1s first. Then do your 2s later I reckon.

hey andy how are you champ ? how is hakuba treating you ?

Hey Lanox, Hakuba is rad!!

Sorry I haven’t been on BW in so long. I don’t get a lot of net time over here. That and well… many powder days. I’m sure you understand.

I’m really liking it in Japan. If they paid me better I would probably be here every year lol.

Are u still coming over here mate?

sorry for coming late to the party on this one.

as mentioned the exam is split into two parts, riding and teaching.

Teaching: I think if you concentrate and work your ass off planning your lessons and talking to the examiner/other candidates then you should be able to plan solid lesson. Then you just have to relax and deliver them.  A wee look at a homemade crib sheet on the chairlift before you teach usually works out if you’ve done your homework before hand.

Riding: I agree with Jeremy that you don’t have a lot of time to work on your riding during the course.  Fine tuning yes but not big changes.  It’s been a while since I did my level 2 but I would recommend focusing on short turns down hard blue terrain.  Try not to rush your movements, instead try to coordinate your upperbody (hip and shoulder) movements with your lower body steering.  The other hard part is carving on more moderate blue terrain, I’m found this portion really hard on the whistler ice on my soft park board….like Jez said, try and create lots of edge angles with your lower body but avoid stiffening up…

Hope some of that helped.  Also don’t be put off from doing the course if you feel close to ready, resitting isn’t a big deal, I’ve done a few in my time eh!