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January, 2025

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RANT: Ski Instructors

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Phantom
Posts: 908 - Karma: 180

Everyone hates on patrollers for everything, but what about the instructors? I can't even begin to count the number of times I've been stopped  by the ski patrol, and have their lecture start with "that ski instructor up there told me" not "I saw you". I haven't taken a beneficial lesson in forever from them, all they do is bitch me and my friends out. WTF? go back to teaching your gaper students and don't worry about me.

Feb 24 2008 10:20PM
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Pee_and_Ski
Posts: 1869 - Karma: 57
i only care if its going to get me in trouble, other than that go do whataver
Apr 16 2010 1:29PM
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
what do you need slalom skis for?
Apr 16 2010 1:43PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Taking my next instructor certifications. They aren't supposed to take points off your score for having twintips, but they profile you anyway.
Apr 16 2010 11:04PM
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Chaka
Posts: 424 - Karma: 79
Sooo true... I think my first time they yelled at me for having twintips and for wearing pants that where to baggy. And then proceeded to tell me I skied too much like a racer. I hate getting your certification because it is always some douche clinician who thinks that they are the shit because they ski like they are 50 years old. And all other skiing is wrong.
Apr 17 2010 2:42AM
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Aaaron.
Posts: 11817 - Karma: 903
borrow them?

Apr 17 2010 6:33PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Bingo.

I bet I could borrow some skis, but I still want a pair.
Apr 25 2010 11:49AM
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popadonna
Posts: 212 - Karma: 1,770
dont know how it is in north america, but here in europe, the ski instructors still havent learned any park manners...  they constantly cruise through the park, so they can have their kids think that they are cool.  not a problem if the kids (or the instructor, for that matter) would hit the jumps, try the rails/boxes, or at least make an effort in the pipe.  but, over here (mind you), they stop on the knuckles/landings, make slalom turns in the pipe, and generally disrupt the flow of the park.  when i go over to talk to them about how they "should" ride, they give me this "oh, your the baggy clothed, park god" attitude, and dont listen to a word i say...  not only does that suck, but it is also very dangerous, not just to them, but real riders, trying to boost and go big!!!!  that is my problem with them, hopefully, they will learn that we would respect them more, if they took the time to respect us...
Apr 25 2010 12:10PM
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ChadThundercock
Posts: 3071 - Karma: 831
its not ski instructors in general, its just people who are complete dicks that happen to be ski instructors
Apr 25 2010 2:41PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
If you do that at Keystone, and you get caught you will get in big trouble. That even includes the instructors that are actually good at park. You have to have your park pass, and you have to be in a lesson.

I can totally see Europe being like that which is why I'm getting my certifications here, and then I can take it over seas.
Apr 25 2010 7:15PM
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SirClancelot
Posts: 162 - Karma: 49
Nastar doesn't count for anything... that's still kinda sick though.
Apr 25 2010 7:31PM
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popadonna
Posts: 212 - Karma: 1,770
wish that was the way it was here too...  i dont hate on instructors (my brother is one at the yellow$tone club)  but they are total toolbags out here!!!!
Apr 26 2010 4:49AM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Yeah, now thinkin' that maybe I should just apply to AUS and NZ.
Apr 26 2010 10:46AM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Very hard to get jobs in Europe with PSIA quals anyway, best get experience elsewhere first.
Apr 26 2010 10:52AM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Well I would like to try and get a good rep in VRI, but in a couple season I would like to go to NZ. I already know some supervisors there.
Apr 26 2010 3:10PM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Yeah, NZ is sick, that's what I meant, NZ before trying to go to Europe. Where do your supervisors work?
Apr 26 2010 4:06PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Well there's Mt. Hutt, Wanaka and Ruapehu. Mt. Hutt is probably be easier since my friends own a hostel in Methven.
Apr 26 2010 4:30PM
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DHogg
Posts: 3462 - Karma: 239
Wanaka.... Do it.

Awesome town and skiing.
Apr 26 2010 4:32PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
Well then that makes sense since my best Kiwi friend is from there :)
Apr 26 2010 5:03PM
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galenism
Posts: 30 - Karma: 10
i hate the ones who are supposed to be ''freestyle'' coaches. and they dont even know how to hit a jump.
Aug 5 2010 11:04AM
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sack
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 147
hah, a few coworkers of mine go back and forth between ruapehu and seymour every year.
Aug 5 2010 11:53AM
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P_Steezy
Posts: 323 - Karma: 11
I used to be a snowboard instructor and I noticed that at my home mountain most instructors are older and a lot more traditional so when they see some skier fly by their class going switch they totally flip out because they see it as a potentially dangerous situation. personally, I didn't give a shit because I was teaching never evers on the bunny slope and never ran into any problems
Aug 5 2010 11:57AM
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Yung_Gnarley
Posts: 9095 - Karma: 3,073
Yeah but shitloads of instructors still do it there
Aug 5 2010 6:02PM
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nickyp
Posts: 5673 - Karma: 215
The problem with most Euro resorts is that there is no separate park pass. So instructors see the park as an extension of their training area.

It's amazing what damage a train of 15 5 year-old can do to a lip
Aug 5 2010 7:15PM
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SkiFreshPow
Posts: 233 - Karma: 335
I got a job easily.  actually there were no cuts.  but it wasnt really worth it, i had to buy the company jacket and pay for training and a discounted pass.  my net earnings after i'd worked off what i'd paid was 3 dollars.  the only benefit was the free lodging at the Chalet so if you wanted you could live at the mountain for free 5 days a week.
Aug 5 2010 7:22PM
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mega.
Posts: 495 - Karma: 16
I'm an instructor, and I will say that some of my fellow instructors are douchebags, some of them are clueless but for the most part they're pretty legit.

I guess it depends on where you ski and how big their egos are.
Aug 5 2010 7:29PM
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BryanGallant
Posts: 689 - Karma: 142
this.
Aug 5 2010 7:37PM
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Skarvle
Posts: 28 - Karma: 13
I instruct over at a small mountain in NY called 'Thunder Ridge'. We have like 30+ trails supposedly, but it feels more like 10 most of the time.

I have no problem with other skiers/boarders having a good time as long as their safe about it... that being said if you're going to huck a 720 do it in the park/advanced trails, and not on the beginner trails where I'm trying to teach five or more 6 year olds how to go down a mountain without hitting things.

-skarv
Aug 5 2010 9:34PM
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Ducky.
Posts: 5811 - Karma: 1,420
Wow your an idiot
Aug 5 2010 9:36PM
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BenWhit
Posts: 4654 - Karma: 3,257
ski patrol hate is fucking dumb. i got towed down in the sled when i got hurt and the ski patrollers were the chillest people ever. theyre like 40 year old dudes who just love to ski and want to help everyone and keep people safe. i realize its standard procedure but they sent me a get well card the next day. i really respect them, even when they yell at me or tell me i cant ski with my pants at my ankles regardless of how warm it is out.
Aug 5 2010 10:59PM
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Profpimpcain
Posts: 395 - Karma: 62
PSIA BLOWS!


seriously... they are so out of step with where skiing is going its not even funny.

I had to travel 10 hours to get my freestyle certification because they only offer it twice a year.

none of the three levels on ski side require any knowledge of park.


one of my supervisors last year came up to me and said one of the people wanted a "lesson on jibbing" then he chuckled like the person didnt know what they were talking about and asked "whats jibbing?"

seriously, you've got to be kidding me.
Aug 5 2010 11:05PM
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mega.
Posts: 495 - Karma: 16
I'm actually a big fan of PSIA. I just started skiing again two seasons ago (after snowboarding since I was 10,) and as far as trying to instruct skiing, it helped me a lot. they might not cater to freestyle yet, but for what I needed it seemed they had their shit together.
besides, there's still the whole argument that teaching freestyle defeats the purpose of it.
Aug 5 2010 11:12PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15953 - Karma: 9,497
yeah a lot of instructors at smuggs just go right through the park with their group of 20 + kids. then they get super insulted when you ask them to move their kids. there are a few really legit ones though. like they wait for you to go and even tell their kids that you have to take your turn, stay out of the landings and stuff.
Aug 5 2010 11:26PM
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Profpimpcain
Posts: 395 - Karma: 62
you can teach people how to use the park... you cant teach it after a certain point, but as far as building a foundation i've had students progress more in a couple hour lesson then they had in a half a season of screwing around in the park.

and yeah, PSIA teaches you how to teach a basic lesson, but there are allot of things they teach that are useless now that we have shaped skis.
Aug 5 2010 11:35PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
I fucking love PSIA. What I don't love about PSIA is the annual fee.
Aug 6 2010 12:01AM
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Profpimpcain
Posts: 395 - Karma: 62
when i said i hated PSIA i expected all the instructors to be like "yeah, screw them!"


guess i am alone.
Aug 6 2010 12:43AM
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Fischer-Addicted
Posts: 1064 - Karma: 30
Don't bitch about us. you probably are fucking around and being a total dumbass.
Aug 6 2010 1:20AM
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Ducky.
Posts: 5811 - Karma: 1,420
People like you piss me off more than trolls do. Get out you ignorant idiot.
Aug 6 2010 1:31AM
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SweatyBallShack
Posts: 2857 - Karma: 58
I dont really have anything agains ski instructors. When I started skiing (7 years old at the time) I got one or two lessons and was fine. I know for a fact that I would have started snowboarding if it wasnt for that instructor. (I was going to try both, but my aunt talked me into trying skiing first and I ended up skiing for the intire trip. never snowboarded in my life)
Although theres this one really shitty mtn that I saw an instructor being taught how to ski while he was trying to teach his lesson. Rental equipment and all, he got to the bottom of the "hill" (more of a 10ft, pretty much flat area) and fell. As for ski patrollers, theyve helped me out before and no doubt saved my uncle's life. I dont think I've ever had an awkward ride up the lift with one... well maybe once... but that was after he kicked my friend out...
Aug 6 2010 2:06AM
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sack
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 147
where I worked, you didn't have to pay for training, you got a free seasons pass, you had to pay a deposit on your jacket but you get that back obviously, and you can get a job easily as long as you're certified. also free unlimited coffee, discounts all across the mountain, and secure ski storage.

Aug 6 2010 2:36AM
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TijmenDal
Posts: 4849 - Karma: 1,296
I'm a ski-instructor (in Austria (Europe)) and we don't even háve ski-patrol. I never bitch to anyone. Maybe skiing in Europe and the US is different. How reckless are the skiers or whiny the patrol?
Aug 6 2010 9:02AM
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mega.
Posts: 495 - Karma: 16
alright so I agree with the first part of what you're saying.
as for the second part, I'd have to disagree. yes, some parts of skiing is just getting out there and doing it. a lot of it is refined technique though. my personal experience are that I cannot be taught to ski in the moguls, because its just raw repetition. on the other hand, skiing on your average black/double black groomed trail to me is a lot harder to learn on your own, because there's so many little subtle things your body is "supposed" to be doing. oh and also, pole plants? what the fuck. I'm always fucking that shit up.

*disclaimer; I am a snowboarder by nature and so relearning how to ski these past two seasons has been a PSIA fueled adventure. maybe they're making it harder than it is?
Aug 6 2010 9:57AM
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sKKier523
Posts: 17 - Karma: 10
we're just trying to get done with our brats so we can make good on our free pass. we don't give a shit about what you do, if anything we're just jealous
Aug 8 2010 4:26PM
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Yossarian
Posts: 1078 - Karma: 56

Learn to bea ski tech dude! You have to work mornings and evenings but you get the whole middle of the day off and if your lucky your boss might just let you go if theres no work to be done.

Most of the stuff is pretty basic and easy to do and some shops are really awesome and give you hefty discounts on gear and free lift passes. Also I've worked in a few that have allowed me to buy ski gear for wholesale prices knocking off at least a coupla hundred bucks from new gear.

The only downside is that your not on the hill all day every day, but you still get to ride loads and you get paid. Another plus is that you'll get regular hours so you'll get money no matter if the mountain is open or not.

Aug 8 2010 6:57PM
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PeterWojnar
Posts: 3937 - Karma: 678
Don't call Thunder Ridge a mountain... that thing is a molehill. And I hiked to the top faster than my buddy rode the lift the one and only time I ever wasted the time it took to get there instead of driving a little longer to a slightly larger ice-covered mole hill.

Damn I'm so lucky I live in California now...
Aug 8 2010 7:14PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 85
No, I think it's great for ski instructors. If you are what is considered a "freeskier" then probably not so much.

You have to be able to conform to PSIA. Not everyone can do it.
Aug 8 2010 7:29PM
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sack
Posts: 4881 - Karma: 147
ya, ski instructing was a really rewarding job for me but it's only good if you are patient and like working with kids, seriously if you get an FAS kid or a fat kid it can be torture. some of my coworkers were stuck teaching all-day camps tooo... good hours but not a lot of break time.. and I usually had 7.5 hour shifts on weekends too. that being said, his parents probably want him to get a job to help finance his skiing addiction so it would be good to get a job on hill in any case
in a nutshell i think customer service at the ticket office, or rental shop would allow you to ski a lot during the day
Aug 9 2010 4:49AM
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Msully
Posts: 575 - Karma: 21
breck wanted a "freestyle" instructor this year, went to the clinics and it was being able to 180 a 6ft half pipe and 360 a 10 ft jump. It was quite commical
Aug 9 2010 12:01PM
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Profpimpcain
Posts: 395 - Karma: 62
if you are certed in freestyle (which is really easy) you are goldent when it comes to getting a job for a resort.

I have a job waiting for me anytime i want it at NorthStar.
Aug 9 2010 1:50PM
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snowflexzone
Posts: 200 - Karma: 18
Most instructors i know, along with me being one, usually and pricks like that.  Most of us are pretty chill, not a bunch of up tight jerks who pull people over. I've never known an instructor who is like your rant.  As for ski patrol.... wellll.....
Aug 9 2010 2:05PM
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Skarvle
Posts: 28 - Karma: 13
As an Instructor that primarily teaches groups of children there are really only two things that get on my nerves.

1. Blasting down a beginner trail. If I have my train of new guys coming down, DO NOT GO FLYING RIGHT NEXT TO THEM AT FULL SPEED. You're a great skiier and you know you're not going to hit them, hell you actually passed them with 5 feet of space in between you, thats fine and dandy but when my 5 year old starts crying because he thinks he almost just got hit, or worse panics and falls/hits someone else its just unacceptable. If you want to go that fast please stick to more advanced trails, I promise that we keep the new guys on the beginner ones.

2. Being a bad role model. No, they're not your kids or your responsibility, but don't be screaming obscenities at your friends across the trail when you're in earshot of the little guys. Also please don't be going off-piste / making your own jumps etc in front of them. I once had a guy come down through the woods (not allowed at my mountain), hit a little kicker and come flying up and go OVER my student. If the kid had been half a foot taller, or the skier hadn't been going fast enough my kid would have gotten a ski in the head/neck. The skier then had the gall to try to chew me out for 'not keeping the landing clear'. I calmly asked my co-instructor to take the class down the hill and wait at a landmark for me, and then preceded to rip this particular skier apart. That was the only time I've felt the need to report a particular skier/boarder to a patroller.


Nov 14 2011 12:17PM
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