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Want to work in the ski industry?

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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8

I've noticed a few career path threds popping up and thought I would let everybody know about this. There is a school in Michigans upper penninsula called Gogebic College. They offer an associates degree in Ski Area Management, (yes thats the real degree) with a transfer option to NMU for a Bachelor in the same. It works like this: 2.5 semesters on campus, 1.5 semester on internship at the resort of your choice anywhere coast to coast. Classes include grooming, ski instruction, board instruction, ski repair and tuning, snowmaking, ski area mapping, lift maintenance, and a few business and business management classes like accounting, and economics.  I went there 4 years ago and it was the best decision of my life. Most of the guys from my class went into grooming, working their way up to building park and cutting pipe. I went into ski school, some of the guys went into retail, lift maintenance etc etc.... A few of them go to New Zealand, and Chile in the summer, and havent had a summer in over 4 years!

So if you are passionate about the ski industry and confused about what you want to do check it out! PM me if you have questions.

www.gogebic.edu

Jan 16 2009 2:06PM
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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
sounds pretty sick.
is there good many in the ski industry though?
like even being a groomer or a park designer.

+++karma for you this thread is sick
Jan 16 2009 2:10PM
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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8

It's tough to make a ton of money, 6 figures would definately require a bachelors, and a few years to work into it. SAM degrees are in extremely high demand in the ski area though. Most people that work in the industry didnt go to college, and if they did chances are that it was for something completely unrelated, so having the degree puts you in high demand at any ski area.

As far as the money goes, you just have to ask yourself if you want to "be rich" or "live rich".

Jan 16 2009 2:25PM
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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8
Nail on the head!
Jan 16 2009 2:27PM
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Z_rob
Posts: 3076 - Karma: 152
ya dude word to that.

so if you were a groomer considering that you only groom in the morning and at night then you could probably ski all day every day that you work.

or in between shifts you could ski too?

for any of you guys that work at a ski resort how much do you guys get to ski?
Jan 16 2009 2:32PM
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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8
I ski everyday. My roomates operate cats at night and ski all day too. They work 12:00 am - 10:00 am, ski from 10 til 3 or 4, go get a few hours sleep, and go groom again. We all work 4 ten hour shifts and have 3 days off for shreddin (but you ski on days you work too) last year I got 115 days, and thats working full time!
Jan 16 2009 2:38PM
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Oli_jgb
Posts: 985 - Karma: 95
This is a really interesting thread, if I could spend the rest of my life doing ski seasons I would. But at the same time what ever career I choose I don't wanna be bumming it out for the rest of my life, living in a shit flat and never being able to afford a few luxuries besides skiing!

I feel I have a choice in skiing, either I become a businessman and pay for my expensive hobby or I get a job that basically is my expensive hobby.

There are other ways besides working in resort that get you these jobs too. Think about tour operators and holiday companies etc. that might be a good route too.
Jan 16 2009 2:39PM
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Ski..4..Life
Posts: 1347 - Karma: 97
im planning to go to university and getting a degree in tourism management, not the exact same thing
but close to it. Nothing around here offers the ski area management, well atleast nowhere that i want to go. (Ontario)

hopefully the tourism will also give me a wider range of choices to choose from and not just skiing
for the summer or if i decide to go down a different road.

right now my passion is skiing, and i believe it always will be so do you think that with a degree
in tourims management i will still be able to land a decent job at a resort, that allows me to ski alot as well.

if so. do you have any ideas?
Jan 16 2009 3:38PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124

The people at ski resorts that ski all day are ski bums. The people who manage resorts or departments get paid more but they don't ski that much. that six figure ski all day gig is a pipe dream. 

Fuck the degree. If you wan't to ski all the time bust ass in the summer and /or find a sugga momma

Jan 16 2009 4:33PM
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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8

Youre sort of right..... but the degree does make for a nice comfortable balance between bummin it and making a living. But ya if youre making six figures you arent going to do a lot of skiing,

Jan 16 2009 4:59PM
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line1260skier
Posts: 1570 - Karma: 16
I go to LSC for ski resort management as well, definitely want a job i will love.
Jan 16 2009 6:04PM
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inactive
Posts: 4772 - Karma: 97
LSC=?
Jan 16 2009 6:28PM
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kris.....
Posts: 759 - Karma: 43

yea for you canadian kids there is one in bc at selkirk college (ski resort operations managment and in ontairo at georgain college barrie campus (ski resort operations) there both pritty much the same i attended the barrie campus

Jan 16 2009 6:37PM
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kris.....
Posts: 759 - Karma: 43

when im grooming im ither on the 300 pm to 1230 am shift fro two weeks or the 1230 am to 9 am shift and i allways make shure i get out on the hills every day

Jan 16 2009 6:41PM
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Malcolm
Posts: 15951 - Karma: 9,451
is there one in quebec?
Jan 16 2009 6:45PM
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powderhound100
Posts: 2510 - Karma: 144
you can get that degree at the college in Incline Nevada. Sierra college or something.
Jan 16 2009 7:42PM
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Shpadoinkle
Posts: 10437 - Karma: 84
You don't save money in the ski industry... you live off it.

I work at Keystone Ski & Ride. I get paid $10 an hour, plus $4 for every kid I teach for 6.25 hours. I don't work everyday. On average I probably get 4 lessons a week.
Jan 16 2009 8:39PM
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Flarestrike
Posts: 437 - Karma: 18

ski tuning and repairs  ect.? why do you need a degree for that, unless it's for saying you're qualified to fit bindigns on skis..
At the shop i work at we just basically learn on the job how to do that, ptexting, working the wintersteiger machines, waxing, metal grip, ect.
don't really think it's all that hard to do so why need a degree?

Jan 16 2009 8:40PM
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Ski311
Posts: 595 - Karma: 8
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_YK9wVK6IQ&feature=related
Jan 16 2009 9:31PM
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grams.
Posts: 7406 - Karma: 186
Cool thread. The only college that I've heard of is Selkirk in the Kootenay area of British Columbia until now. PM nomensteven if you wanna know more, pretty sure he goes there.
Jan 16 2009 10:18PM
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ski420patrol
Posts: 87 - Karma: 8
Tuning and repair are just small labs. You learn the ins and outs of ALL departments.  Mounting is part of it, as well as base repair (not ptex), and edge replacement, and boot repair. But its only a very small part of the program.
Jan 17 2009 10:21AM
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Inbred_Redneck
Posts: 2776 - Karma: 28
That doesnt sound too bad.
Jan 17 2009 10:25AM
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Silence
Posts: 16030 - Karma: 150
that is retarded

The only guy making 7 figures is the person that owns the resort and MAYYYYYYYYBE the CEO, but that is unlikely.

A million doll hairs is a lot.
Jan 17 2009 3:57PM
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emopoppins
Posts: 3996 - Karma: 269
Farmington in Maine has a Business/management major with a Ski Industries Certificate. 2 years at college/ 2 years interning.
Jan 17 2009 7:46PM
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Chronic_
Posts: 1730 - Karma: 1,602
really? thats awesome and its only an hour from where i live. if you have any more info PM please. i still have a couple years to go before collage but any info would be appreciated
Jan 17 2009 8:22PM
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K2skipunk
Posts: 2837 - Karma: 111
I`m doing the same thing in Nelson, BC. Super sick, love it.
Jan 17 2009 8:33PM
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J.DUKE
Posts: 1233 - Karma: 38
yea, i actually go to school at GCC and im on my internship right now at keystone. sick, sick program. im gonna be at NMU finishing this summer. lots of money to be made in the industry other than grooming
Jan 17 2009 10:43PM
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