Jenifer Glagowski

About

Professional Info:

• M.A. in Education - Comprehensive Special Education K-12 - University of Connecticut - 1999
• Sugarbush Resort, Warren, VT - Instructor - 2017/2018 to Present
• Wachusett Mountain, Princeton, MA - Instructor - 2004/2005 to 2013/2014
  • 2004-2005 Alpine Rookie of the Year
  • 2004-2005 Extra Miler Award
  • 2005-2006 Technical Director Award
  • 2006-2007 Supervisor's Award
  • 2008-2009 Extra Miler Award
  • 2008-2009 5 Year Longevity Award
  • 2013-2014 10 Year Longevity Award
  • Clinician for I.T.C. specializing in "How to Teach Children"
  • Women's Clinic Instructor
    • Frequently partnered with Lisa Densmore Ballard during Head Women's Clinics when she visited
• Mountainside Ski and Ride, Princeton, MA 2008-2009 to 2010-2011
  • Shop technician/demo center representative
  • Frequent speaker at annual Wine, Cheese, Chicks and Skis event
• I am currently working towards earning P.S.I.A.. Alpine Level III.
• I've had the privilege of teaching people from the age two to 80+ who've hailed from all over the world.

What to expect during a lesson with me:

• In all of my lessons, I emphasize safety. I know the code, adhere to the code and teach the code. I've also been known to shout "Woo Hoo!" or occasionally bust out into song.

• If you are a first-timer, I will introduce you to your equipment and the environment. We will then work together to get you sliding on the slopes in a way that is safe and fun for you. Our goal is to have you learn the basics of balancing, sliding, turning and stopping. All people learn at different rates and snow and weather conditions are always changing. Some things may come easier or harder than you expect. Regardless of how far you get in your lesson, I will review what you have accomplished, leave you with a practice plan and make suggestions for what your next steps could be. 

• If you are not a first timer but haven't been on the snow in years and have only skied on straight skis...OH MY GOSH...we are gonna have fun learning how to use this new equipment! Welcome back and get ready to enjoy how much less work it can be to hit the slopes again!

• If you've been around the slopes but feel like it's time to take some aspect of your skiing to the next level I would love to help you do that. We will work together to define your goals. A quick free run will help me see how you are currently moving on your skis and give me a better idea of what is achievable during the time we have. Often, I will lead you through a progression of tasks that will move you towards your goal. I will watch how you apply these tasks and give you feedback on what is working vs. what you may want to do differently. I will be happy to provide you with as much or as little feedback as you would like. I typically teach lessons and provide tasks on terrain that is within your current comfort zone. I then help you understand how you can apply what you learned to expand your comfort zone and move to more challenging terrain if that is your desire. 

Examples of goals former clients have had: 

• I want to try skiing for the first time.
• I would like to have more knowledge and confidence skiing in different snow conditions.
• I want to ski blues/blacks for the first time.
• I want to increase my speed but stay in control.
• I can ski on blacks but sometimes feel like I get out of control.
• My skis chatter at times and I feel out of control. 
• I catch my edge a lot and really don't like falling like that. 
• I would love to learn how to really carve.
• I'd like to try moguls but I'm not even sure how to get started. I don't want to zip line them, I'd rather just like to get through them smoothly.
• I want to learn to ski but my typically loving family member gets too impatient when they try to teach me. I've decided a professional is the way to go. 
• I'm afraid of riding the chairlift.
• I'm afraid that if I fall I will slide down the whole mountain. 
• I would like to be able to keep up with my kids/spouse/friends.
• I have no idea how to use my poles.
• My thighs/calves/back/wrists get so tired/sore after I ski.
• I want to ski more gracefully. 

My snowsports story:

When I was 11, my dad took me to Wolfeboro, NH to visit my grandparents. There I tried cross-country skiing for the first time at The Nordic Skier and really enjoyed it. A few years later, I joined my high school ski club. Nothing fancy...just a club run by two science teachers at West Haven High who were patient enough to take a bunch of teens on bus trips to local mountains in CT (shout out to Ski Sundown and Mount Southington) and the occasional trip up north to the bigger mountains (shout out to Smuggs and Sunday River). 

In college I met some friends who liked to ski and one of them* was into coordinating ski trips to northern New England and out west. I joined in and kept my ski adventures going...with my first trip out west being to Keystone, Copper and Breckenridge. 

The same friend* who coordinated all the ski trips also took me backpacking for the first time. We camped overnight at Sages Ravine along the Appalachian Trail near the border of CT and MA. I had never heard of the A.T. and decided to find out more about it. Apparently, there are crazy people called "thru-hikers" who attempt to hike the entire trail in one shot. I figured it was something I could do. On March 16, 2000, I flew to Georgia and started hiking north to Maine. 2,167.1 miles, 6 months, 3 weeks and 2 days later and 20 pounds lighter I finished the A.T.

I originally planned to become a teacher within the public school system but my outdoor experience altered my course. It took a few years for things to come together but a friend of mine happened to go to an event at Wachusett where he picked up a brochure on the instructor-training course. I attended a job fair there, met a bunch of the friendly staff and got excited about combining my love of the outdoors with my love of teaching. I started teaching snowsports in 2004 and I'm still enjoying it! 

*Yeah...he's my husband now. 

What I use to shred:

• Skis: Kastle MX83 163cm 15.5m
• Ski Boots: Salomon Instinct 90 CS 
• Poles: Scott Division S2 aluminum (with pirate flag attached that I unfurl for fun)
• Helmet: Giro Nine 9 (with pirate stickers on the back)
• Board: Ride Vista 152cm with Ride bindings

Places I've shredded:

• United States
  • Alta, Ascutney, Attitash, Beaver Creek, Big Sky, Breckenridge, Bretton Woods, Cannon, Copper, Deer Valley, Gore, Haystack, Heavenly, Jay Peak, Keystone, Killington, Kirkwood, Loon, Mad River Glen, Mount Snow, Mount Southington, Nordic Skier Sports, Okemo, Park City, Ragged Mountain, Ski Santa Fe, Ski Sundown, Ski Ward, Smuggler’s Notch, Snowbasin, Snowbird, Squaw Valley, Steamboat, Stratton, Sugarbush, Sun Valley, Sunday River, Taos, Telluride, The Canyons, Vail, Wachusett, Waterville Valley, Winter Park
• Canada
  • Lake Louise, Revelstoke, Whistler Blackcomb
• Europe
  • Brevent, Grands Montets

Fun Facts about Jen:

• Yes...my name really is spelled Jenifer with one "n".
• When teaching I usually have smilely face stickers in one pocket and a tiny penguin in another. 
• I won 2nd place in a dairy show at UCONN. My cows name was Hannah.
• I used to race Nastar and went from barely making it around the correct side of the gates to obtaining Platinum medals while wearing regular ski clothing.
• Of course I know who Parry Gripp is and my favorite song is "Space Unicorn"
• My nickname in 6th grade was Viking...because I was one of three girls who could beat all the boys in arm wrestling. 
• Not only do I know where the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame is...I've actually been there!
• I am a graduate of Improv Boston's Comedy School. (I'm supposedly funny now).
• Lo siento. Hablo español solo muy poco. Ten cuidado, soy bonita y loca.
• In 2017, I discovered the first documented breeding pair of yellow-bellied sapsuckers in Rhode Island.