The Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) and the American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) extended  their partnership with Patagonia as exclusive official supplier of outerwear through 2015.


Building on their roots as a small climbing company 30 years ago, Patagonia has grown to be one of the largest and most respected alpine outerwear companies in the U.S. Through the partnership that was initially forged in 2003, Patagonia supports the education initiatives of PSIA-AASI, provides the PSIA-AASI Teams with uniforms, and solicits feedback for product development.

 

Patagonia outerwear is a cornerstone of the PSIA-AASI Accessories Catalog, which provides access to products and educational materials that support an instructor's work.


“PSIA-AASI has been a great partner for Patagonia, and we applaud their efforts to get more people involved in snowsports,” said John Collins, VP of North American sales for Patagonia. “We are excited to continue as the association's outerwear official supplier and support the work of their instructors.”


The partnership is promoted by a mutual commitment to the power of grassroots influence and communication. Patagonia, through its commitment to the environment and outdoor sports, and PSIA-AASI, through its commitment to grow participation in snowsports, provide complementary messaging and initiatives. Patagonia's environmental efforts include 1% For The Planet which contributes one percent of total sales to over 2,000 environmental organizations each year, and the Patagonia Common Threads Recycling program, a partnership with Patagonia and their customers in an effort to make, buy, and use clothes sustainably.


“Few partnerships provide such a clear and focused long-term opportunity,” said PSIA-AASI Marketing Director Andy Hawk. “This is about more than snowsports and outerwear – this is about commitment to and support of the outdoor lifestyle that is so important to us all.”


PSIA and AASI are educational organizations of the nonprofit American Snowsports Education Association (ASEA), with a combined membership of more than 30,000 men and women who are dedicated to promoting snowsports through instruction. The organizations establish certification standards for ski and snowboard instructors and develop education materials to be used as the core components of most ski and snowboard school training. PSIA and AASI support the membership through research and development of instructional programs in alpine and nordic skiing, snowboarding, adaptive skiing and riding, and children's skiing and riding.