SAJ: Badge Test
Written on February 16th, 2024 by Eliot Cochrane
Badge Test
Practical Examinations to Test Ski Abilities
As we all seek to get better and progress our skiing abilities, it becomes hard to gauge what we need to improve and how we can become better skiers. Japan is one of the leading countries when it comes to their demonstration skiing prowess. It leads to a country of relatively good skiers from a country without a long history of success on the World Cup for ski racing.
This comes from the directive of the Ski Association of Japan (SAJ). SAJ has been seeking out its best skiers within the country, studying their skiing, comparing it to the European styles, and creating themes or programs to encourage people to get out and learn something new about skiing. Many times this is a trickle-down effect starting from the national demonstration team, to the instructors, and then to the individuals within the sport.
We’ll take a look at a level of the skiing practicals that is a healthy base to which skiers can choose their own adventure of going the instructor route or taking the demonstration competition route.
Levels & Beyond!
Photo: Flowchart from the Ski Association of Japan (SAJ) showing the progression of levels. Bottom being the beginning, left being the demonstration route, and the right being the instructors route.
The levels start from 5 and continue to 1.
| Level | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Level 5 - 5級 | - Snowplow in a controlled manner |
| Level 4 - 4級 | - Snowplow in a controlled manner (w/ rhythm changes) |
| Level 3 - 3級 | - Basic parallel ski turn - Stem turn (easy terrain) |
| Level 2- 2級 | - Parallel long turns - Parallel short turns - Stem turn (natural terrain) |
| Level 1 - 1級 | - Parallel long turns - Parallel short turns - General skiing (varied radii turns) - Parallel short turns (uneven terrain, bumps/moguls) |
From this stage, once skiers passed the 1st Level Exam (1級), they may branch out into two differing paths. One being the instructor route where skiers will work and study to become proficient in what to teach, how to teach, and build a love for skiing within students.
Or skiers can continue down the demonstration skiing rabbit hole and go for the Technical Prize and the Crown Prize levels of skiing. The test is nearly identical to the 1st Level Exam (1級) but the points required to pass are much higher. For each event, examinees are given a max of 100 points.
| Level | Requirements |
|---|---|
| Technical Prize | - Score over 300 points over 4 events |
| Crown Prize | - Score over 320 points over 4 events |
Taking The Test (1級)
Photo: Examinees gathering at the top of the first stage for the SAJ Badge exam.
Day 1 - Lesson (Required)
The day starts by checking in to the ski school. The examiners will verify the examinees identity, check current badge (2nd Level), and receive payment for today’s lesson about the test for tomorrow. This is a mandatory lesson required for the 1st Level Exam. Anything prior did not need a lesson. From here, examinees gather at the bottom of the lift, break up into groups, and go to the top of the mountain to see where we would go and what we would do.
Upon arriving at the top, examinees were herded down to the starting point for the long turns and general skiing course, each of the participants going down one by one for direct advice from one of the instructors. Following this, the group moved further down to a steep part which consisted of the short turns. Here too examinees went down one by one getting advice on what is expected and how we can improve. Followed by the moguls a little further down the mountain. The moguls seemed a bane to most examinees as instead of the slightly smaller bumps in the example videos from SAJ, the moguls were deep, icy, and roughed up.
Photo: Fellow examinee on their mogul run during the SAJ 1級 Badge test.
Once the two hours from 10:00 to 12:00 were finished, examinees were free to practice or go home.
Day 2 - Exam
Just like the day before, all examinees herded around the lift at 10:00 and went up the lift together in their respective groups. This time there were no practice or inspections of the snow, and no fore-runner to show the level of skiing required. To make it that little more difficult, the night before we had just received a nice 10cm of snow and the course to be used was not groomed.
Let the test begin…
Photo: Example of a great short turn performed during the SAJ Badge test.
- Long Parallel Turns
- General Skiing Technique
- Short Parallel Turns
- Short Parallel Turns (Uneven Terrain)
One by one, examinees went down the flagged course with a start and finish banner. All the while being judged by three ski school instructors. To keep everyone’s spirits bright, the starter official started some banter that slowly spread throughout the top groups. By the end of it, everyone was cheering on each other at the start and congratulating each other as they finished.
Once all the stages were completed, a debrief is given at the bottom of the last stage. Comments from the examiners for those that maybe didn’t pass are given first. These are some advice and tips when looking to pass the exam the next time. The most common advice is to get forward regardless of the situation and be more dynamic between turns. These are common problems throughout the world of skiing and are not special to any single group of skier.
The exams end around 12:30 for the regular levels and the results would be posted around 2:30 in front of the ski school. At Amihari Onsen Ski Resort, the pass percentage is typically lower than other areas due to the strict nature of the ski school. Everyone had a feeling that other participants would not pass the exam, but we were not imagining that even some former racers with good results during high school would struggle and fail the exam. I feel glad to have been one of two to pass even though I was so nonchalant in front of obviously nervous examinees.
Photo: Printout of the results for the SAJ 1級 Badge exam.
Value
It’s hard to gauge the impact of the badge system on the majority of the skiing population. Starting in the 1970s, the skiing population placed a lot of credibility on the badge test. While in America there are skiing certifications for those seeking them out, most of these are geared towards future instructors. Yet talking to any older skier in Japan and the first thing they ask is “Do you have a license?”
Nowadays, though, the badge test is relegated to those that want to join the National Demonstration Competition Qualifier. Often times the main audience are ski racers that finally said “It’s time to hang up the race suit” and then turn the page on a new style of skiing in their life.
Does it create a carrot-on-a-stick for some people to improve? Yes.
Does the regular person really care that much? No.
We each have our own way of skiing that suits our body. There are certainly some key aspects to take away like outside ski pressuring, center of mass management, and edge control. These are things that make skiing unique to each of us and influences why or why not we may choose some equipment over another. When skiing, no two turns are the exact same. So too are our bodies along with our connections to the skis and snow.
The regular weekend warrior that goes out for fun will probably not even think twice about not taking these exams. That few is very common throughout the world. They are out there for fun and not grinding for a silly pin and a piece of paper. The exam and its intricacies have purpose but never let it take the fun out of skiing. Don’t let a pass or fail determine what kind of skier you are. Get out there and shred in the ways that you know how!
Photo: Pins from completing the 1級 and 2級 exams over the 1級 certificate.
