Season prep starts now. The OEC Refresher has two required parts. The online portion needs to be completed before you attend an OEC Refresher Skills Session.
1. Online Refresher — do this first
Complete the NSP online OEC refresher in the Center for Learning at nsp.org before October 3.
Plan on about 5 hours. This is not something to knock out the night before.
Tip from Lee Ann Heim, who has already taken it: “I would strongly encourage people to increase the voice speed.” Keep in mind the voice speed has to be adjusted on each video and each module — the setting doesn’t carry over.
Your five elective modules — you choose them
The refresher requires five elective modules: one from each of the five categories. The patrol is not assigning these. Each of you picks the module in each category that you feel would be most beneficial to you.
Choose the topics you want the most practice with, or the ones that come up most in your own patrolling. The point is to make the refresher genuinely useful to you.
2. Skills Refresher — Saturday, October 3 at Ski Brule
Hands-on skills day at Ski Brule.
The courses are now available on the NSP Center for Learning — you can enroll today.
NO WALK-INS — YOU MUST PRE-REGISTER
Every patroller attending the skills refresher must be enrolled through the NSP Center for Learning ahead of time. If you are not pre-registered, you cannot participate on October 3.
How to enroll — two separate steps
Enrolling in the online refresher does not sign you up for the skills day. They are two different steps, and you need to do both. NSP has published a full walkthrough:
How to Enroll in the OEC Refresher →
Prefer video? Watch NSP’s enrollment walkthrough.
Step 1 — Enroll in the online refresher
- Log in to nsp.org.
- Select Center for Learning at the top of the screen.
- Click Browse Catalog.
- Under Featured Learning, find OEC Refresher, select Choose Path, then Enroll.
- You’ll land on your Certifications page — find OEC Refresher and select Continue.
- The course appears under Current Courses. Click Enroll, then Launch.
Step 2 — Enroll in your skills session
- Return to the Learning Center home page and select Go to Your Learning Center.
- Under Your Certifications, find OEC Refresher and click Choose Session.
- Use the dropdown or scroll to find the Ski Brule session (look for “Brule”).
- Select the correct session and complete your enrollment. It will then show under Current Courses.
Which session do I pick?
- Saturday, October 3, 2026 — OEC Skills Refresher. Open to all Ski Brule patrollers — and patrollers from other areas are welcome. This is the one most of you want.
- Friday, October 2, 2026 — Instructor Refresher. ONLY for instructors teaching this year’s refresher.
Only enroll in the session assigned by your Instructor of Record. If you don’t see the Ski Brule session, or you’re not sure which one to pick, email Mike Krein before enrolling.
Before you start: you must be current on your NSP dues to get into the Center for Learning. If you haven’t renewed, you’ll lose access — renew first, then enroll.
Can’t make October 3?
Check your calendar now. Refreshers are generally held in September and October, so if October 3 doesn’t work you need to plan ahead and get into another area’s session before they fill up. Nearby dates:
- Saturday, September 12 — Mt. Ripley
- Sunday, September 27 — Marquette
- Saturday, October 3 — Powderhorn
- Saturday, October 3 — Pine Mt.
- Saturday, October 10 — Granite
What to bring on October 3
- Your online refresher completion certificate
- Your OEC card
- Your CPR card
- A snack to share
- Ski Brule patrol dues — $10. Bring it with you, or pay ahead by Venmo to @Ski-Brule-Ski-Patrol.
Visiting patrollers: that $10 is Ski Brule’s local dues, so it doesn’t apply to you — but patrollers from other areas who are not instructing pay $10 for lunch.
Instructors needed — no certification required
Mike Krein is looking for instructors for this year’s refresher. You do not need to be a certified instructor — just willing to run a station and cover the material.
Contact Mike directly at [email protected].
If you instruct, the Instructor Refresher on Friday evening, October 2 is required.
See you on the hill,
Paul Eident
Patrol Director, Ski Brule Ski Patrol