What PSIA - AASI does

PSIA-AASI (Professional Ski Instructors of America – American Association of Snowboard Instructors), doing business as The Snow Pros, is a U.S. nonprofit membership organization founded in 1960 that certifies and educates snowsports instructors across alpine, snowboard, cross country, telemark, and adaptive disciplines. Headquartered in Lakewood, Colorado with a national office staff of 11-50 employees, the organization operates a federated structure of 8 regional divisions covering the entire United States and serves as the U.S. member of the International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA), which spans 40 nations. PSIA-AASI's core products are tiered Level I–III certification pathways and specialty credentials (Freestyle Specialist, Children's Specialist, Adaptive), delivered through a combination of in-person national academies (National Academy, Women's Summit, Freestyle Academy, Adaptive Academy, Rider Rally, Cross Country Academy, Telemark Academy) and digital infrastructure including an LMS (lms.thesnowpros.org), The Matrix video library, digital technical manuals, the 32 Degrees member magazine, and the First Chair podcast.

The organization's business model is member-dues-driven, supplemented by event registration fees (e.g., Women's Summit at $675, Freestyle Academy $345-$375, ISIA Speed Test $65), digital/manual sales, e-learning course fees, and a 50+ partner pro-offers program. Members gain access to continuing education units, scholarships (149 awarded totaling $64,000 in 2024-25), and international credentials (ISIA Stamp/Card). Distribution occurs through the thesnowpros.org member portal, online store, eight regional entities, and partnerships with 300+ ski area member schools across 37 states. Premier partners include Mammut, FALKE, and Elevations Credit Union, with Nordica as an Official Supplier.

PSIA-AASI is governed by a volunteer board and operated by a small national staff under CEO Jeff Lifgren, who was introduced in the Spring 2025 issue of 32 Degrees magazine. The organization rebranded to use "The Snow Pros" as its consumer-facing identity in 2024, expanded DEI and veteran-focused scholarship partnerships (Women of Winter, National Brotherhood of Snowsports, Coaching HER, 10th Mountain Division Foundation), and is positioning for participation in Interski 2027 in Vail. No revenue is publicly disclosed and there are no funding rounds, M&A activity, or parent-company ownership; the Education Foundation supplements member-funded operations through donations.

Name

PSIA - AASI

Legal name

Professional Ski Instructors of America – American Association of Snowboard Instructors

Website

https://thesnowpros.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1960

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PSIA-AASI (The Snow Pros) is a U.S. nonprofit membership organization founded in 1960 that certifies and educates snowsports instructors across alpine, snowboard, cross country, telemark, and adaptive disciplines through Level I–III credentials, national academies, and digital learning platforms serving 8 U.S. regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Snowsports Education and Certification

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Educational Support Services (611710), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Referee, Umpire & Coach Education/Certification Academies (MPAKAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

National/Institutional Accreditors (Career, Faith-Based, Distance, etc.) (EDADACAB), Adaptive & Para-Sport Training Programs (MPAKAJAK)

Keywords

• Snowsports certification
• Ski instructor training
• Snowboard education
• Professional development
• Adaptive snowsports

Headquarters

HQ city

Causeway Bay

HQ country

Hong Kong SAR China

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual Membership Dues: PSIA-AASI generates primary revenue through annual individual membership dues, which include both national and regional components. Members pay separate national and regional fees, with the national office and regions each setting their respective rates. Membership renewal deadline is June 30 annually.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for national academies and events including National Academy (Alpine), Women's Summit ($675), Freestyle Academy ($345-$375), ISIA Speed Test ($65), and various regional certification clinics and training events.
3. Digital and Print Publications: Sales of digital and print technical manuals, including Alpine, Snowboard, Cross Country, Telemark, Adaptive, and Freestyle discipline manuals. Members receive three free digital manuals; additional purchases available through the PSIA-AASI online store.
4. E-Learning Courses: Revenue from e-learning courses including Level I e-learning courses, continuing education webinars, and specialist track courses (Freestyle skiing track, Freestyle snowboarding track, Children's Specialist, etc.).
5. Pro Offers Program: More than 50 partner companies provide pro deals and discounts to members. While not directly revenue-generating, this membership benefit drives retention and attracts new members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

PSIA-AASI is a membership-driven nonprofit that delivers standardized professional certification programs for snowsports instructors across Alpine, Snowboard, Cross Country, Telemark, Adaptive, Freestyle Specialist, and Children's Specialist disciplines (Levels I-III). Members receive supporting educational resources including an e-learning platform, a video library (The Matrix), digital technical manuals, a quarterly magazine (32 Degrees), and a podcast, and access to continuing education events and national academies held across eight U.S. regions.

Product overview

PSIA-AASI is a membership-driven nonprofit offering a comprehensive certification ecosystem for snowsports instructors. The core offering consists of discipline-specific certification programs (Alpine, Snowboard, Cross Country, Telemark, Adaptive) with three proficiency levels each, plus specialty credentials for Children's and Freestyle instruction. Supporting the certification pathway are digital products including an E-Learning Platform (LMS) for prerequisite coursework and CEUs, The Matrix video library for technique reference, and digital technical manuals. Members also receive access to the 32 Degrees Magazine, First Chair podcast, job board, scholarship programs, and international credentials (ISIA Passbook/Card). The organization hosts annual national academy events for continued professional development across all disciplines.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Snow Pros: Consumer-facing brand for PSIA-AASI membership and certification services
• 32 Degrees Magazine
• First Chair
• The Matrix
• Learning Connection Model

Products and services

• PSIA-AASI Alpine Certification Three-level professional certification program for alpine ski instructors, validating teaching, technical, and people skills. Certifications range from Level I (beginner terrain) to Level III (all terrain including expert black diamond).
• PSIA-AASI Snowboard Certification Three-level professional certification program for snowboard instructors, with credentials recognized by ski areas nationwide. Includes AASI Level I, II, and III pins.
• PSIA-AASI Cross Country Certification Three-level certification for cross country ski instructors covering classic and skate skiing techniques, teaching methodologies, and movement analysis.
• PSIA-AASI Telemark Certification Three-level certification for telemark (free-heel) skiing instructors covering alpine free-heel technique and tactics.
• PSIA-AASI Adaptive Certification Professional certification for instructors teaching students with disabilities, including five adaptive disciplines: cognitive, visual impairment, stand-up physical diagnoses, bi-ski, and mono-ski.
• Freestyle Specialist Certificate Assessment-based certificate program for instructors working with terrain park features, ranging from FS 1 (small features) to FS 3 (all terrain park features).

Quantifiable outcome

• 150 scholarships awarded, totaling $64,000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core partner, premier partner, official supplier, key partner and supporting partner.

• International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA)core partnerOthers · 1 January 1971International governing body upholding standards for professional instructors recognized by most nations. PSIA-AASI is the U.S. member, enabling American instructors to obtain ISIA Passbook/Stamp and Card for international employment.
• Mammutpremier partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier partner of PSIA-AASI. Mammut partners with the organization to support the work of member instructors nationwide, providing high-performance gear and equipment through pro offers.
• FALKEpremier partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier partner providing high-performance ski apparel to PSIA-AASI instructors. FALKE and PSIA-AASI co-brand the FALKE x PSIA-AASI Education Scholarship to empower emerging snowsports educators.
• Elevations Credit Unionpremier partnerGTM or Marketing PartnerPremier partner of PSIA-AASI, providing financial services and support to the snowsports instructor community.
• Nordicaofficial supplierGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Supplier that partnered with alpine members of the PSIA-AASI National Team to produce instructional videos showcasing technical skiing fundamentals needed to pass each exam level.
• 10th Mountain Division Foundationkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Veteran Workforce Scholarship program, which provides veterans and active military personnel with education opportunities supporting transition to outdoor industry careers. PSIA-AASI membership not required to apply.
• Coaching HERkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch-backed resource helping sport coaches of girls challenge gender bias. PSIA-AASI partners with Coaching HER to provide educational resources that help coaches minimize gender inequalities and coach differently.
• Women of Winterkey partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS) and PSIA-AASI in a scholarship program offering 12 scholarships for members to obtain Alpine or Snowboard Level I Certification.
• National Brotherhood of Snowsports (NBS)key partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization working with Women of Winter and PSIA-AASI to provide BIPOC women scholarships to pursue snowsports teaching opportunities.
• chill foundationsupporting partnerOthersOrganization building a more inclusive snowsports industry. Listed among partner organizations PSIA-AASI recognizes for DEI efforts.
• Share Winter Foundationsupporting partnerOthersOrganization building a more inclusive snowsports industry through winter sports access programs.
• Move Unitedsupporting partnerOthersAdaptive sports organization providing inclusive playbook for pre-K to 6th grade and resources for adaptive snowsports instruction.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• United States Tennis Association (USTA): The national governing body for tennis that also runs a robust coach certification pathway. Relevant as a comparable national sports membership/certification organization with regional structure, educational content offerings, and member-service benefits.
• U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS): The U.S. national governing body for competitive snowsports. While not a direct certification peer, USSS shares overlapping stakeholder relationships with ski areas, instructors, and the broader snowsports pipeline, and is a relevant contextual incumbent.
• Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA of America): A much larger membership-driven professional association that certifies golf instructors and club professionals. While in a different sport, PGA shares the same fundamental business model—membership dues, tiered certification, continuing education, and member benefits—that PSIA-AASI operates at smaller scale.
• National Ski Patrol (NSP): The nonprofit membership organization that certifies ski patrollers across the U.S. Uses a comparable tiered certification, regional structure, and continuing-education model, making it the closest domestic analogue for instructor-adjacent safety credentials.
• International Ski Instructors Association (ISIA): The 40-nation umbrella federation that PSIA-AASI helped found in 1971 and through which PSIA-AASI members access international credentials (ISIA Stamp/Card). ISIA is the broader-incumbent governing layer above PSIA-AASI rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance (NZSIA): The ISIA-affiliated certification body for New Zealand and an active exchange partner for PSIA-AASI members seeking Southern Hemisphere employment. Comparable discipline coverage, certification levels, and instructor-development pathway.
• Canadian Ski Instructors' Alliance (CSIA): The national body certifying ski instructors in Canada, operating a near-identical Level I–IV certification model across Alpine and other disciplines. CSIA is PSIA-AASI's most direct international counterpart, and both organizations collaborate through ISIA.
• Professional Ski Instructors of Canada – Canadian Snowboard Federation (CASI): The Canadian counterpart to AASI, certifying snowboard instructors through a tiered Level I–IV system and operating in close coordination with CSIA. Directly comparable in scope, methodology, and ISIA integration to PSIA-AASI's snowboard division.
• British Association of Snowsport Instructors (BASI): The UK national governing body for snowsport instruction, offering tiered certification across Alpine, Snowboard, Telemark, and Adaptive disciplines. BASI is a fellow ISIA member and the closest European structural analogue to PSIA-AASI.

Emerging players

• American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA): A nonprofit membership association certifying rock, alpine, and ski mountaineering guides through a tiered certification system. Operates a similar instructor-development framework in an adjacent outdoor-discipline category, sharing structural DNA with PSIA-AASI.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheSnowPros
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/TheSnowPros?&ab_channel=PSIA-AASI
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheSnowPros
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/psia-aasi
• Instagraminstagram.com/thesnowpros

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PSIA - AASI