The members of our ski school were invited to the participation in the CONGRESS OF IE IVSI IN ZAKOPANE 2001. Our DEMO-TEAM counted 38 persons + 5 The skiers from Jelenia Góra presented themselves excellently on the slopes of Szymoszkowa (where this meeting of ski instructors from the whole world took place). On Sunday, the Polish day of the event also other DEMO-TEAMS from Poland were present. Namely: the hosts - instructors from the ski school Tatry-Ski, besides them the team from Malta-Ski from Poznań, Le-Ski from Wrocław and ATOMIC Funcarving Demo Team Poland.

The opening of the congress took place near the Hotel Kasprowy. All groups participating in the shows as well as the guests and publicity took part in the opening. The foreign guests were having their performances in the next days of the congress. Beside the shows also workshops for instructors were organized - during them the experience in the teaching of skiing were exchanged, also the international competitions of ski instructors were organized. But the most important, were the every day lectures about skiing theory, mountain safety, organization of skiing, methodology, modern audio-visual techniques in teaching. Polish lecturers played important role in this congress. For example Ms Ewa Powolny-Wyszkowska (with the cooperation of Mr Maciej Powolny) presented the lecture entitled: "Ski instructor as a teacher of not only movement activities".

Mr Tadeusz Gospodarek presented analytically his "Multimedia in the teaching of skiing" with humour, and fluency. Mr Jacek Gracz had an interesting lecture entitled "Psychical amplifications in the teaching of skiing" and the senior of Polish skiing Mr Andrzej Ziemilski in his work "Certainties, which ceased to be certainties" humorously reported the process of ski techniques and modes passing by.

According to the newest trends of skiing a lot was spoken about carving. The Austrian delegation brought for the congress a new film. "Carving emotions" presenting this technique; The presentation took place in the hotel Kasprowy. It was presented by its author: Mr Fritz Waldherr. Now a few words about this congress of skiing (I cite the words of an Instructor - lecturer of PZN - professor Kazimierz Chojnacki). "...The INTERSKI Congresses constitute the most authoritative forum of thought exchange and presentation the skills connected with the skiing. The technical and methodical aspects were discussed, aiming at unification of skiing style, which was not easy task, due to the difficulties in reaching consensus on it of individual national schools, which prefer their own teaching solutions. Organizer of the Congresses of Ski Teaching was in the past and is nowadays the International Association of Ski Instructors (AIES), and they were held every two or three years..." (end of citation).

So far 16 congresses have been held by now. In various countries: at the beginning mainly in the Alps, later on also in Scandinavia (Sweden, Norway) and also in Japan, Canada and USA. No everyone knows that the International World of SKI visited Poland once. It happened in 1959 - in Zakopane. This was the 5'th congress of INTERSKI. In the years 1967-2000 ( following further professor Chojnacki) "... the development of sport skiing was always bringing about its wide spreading among the amateurs and the need for teaching. There was no difference this time, which is proven by lively activity of the Interski Congresses. For example the VIII Congress of INTERSKI in the USA (Aspen) in1968 enriched the traditional forms of performance by synchronic run, in which also women took part. The Austrians suggested then a long training course for the children, youth and adults, in the uniform methodical scheme on shortened skis.

Also the "snow gardens" for children were demonstrated. Aiming at uniformity of the style of skiing, the typical features for the two dominating schools: Austrian and French were defined... "(end of citation). At the end of the 70's and in the 80's a great deal of time of the congresses was devoted to the teaching of children and invalids, just then also the joyful skiing was born -a style which did not pay much attention to the technical requirements of skiing. Still popular was the synchronic run and various forms of high-mountain and sport skiing. Lately its renaissance is surviving the Scandinavian technique TELEMARK. But the hit of the last successive seasons has been of course the carving style. On the XVI Congress in Beitostollen in Norway the majority of performances was dominated by this new style and equipment. This year in Zakopane the carving ski were indivisibly dominating the on the slopes of Szymoszkowa. There was also a carving route arranged. All participants of the congress were able to try it.

Michał Rażniewski

I've made use of some excerpts of a new book (Brochure 1 - Library of Ski Instructor) by Kazimierz Chojnackie entitled. "Selected problems from the history of skiing "

Translation from Polish: Mirosław Ludorowski