Becoming a ski patrol..

oil. · 2011-02-01 21:45:17

whats it like? requirements, training, stuff like that... im a 15 year old kid looking for a fun job on the mountain and some work experience, then some money. definitely gonna take an emt course soon. thanks in advance.

array.

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yes a very good question, have been pondering on this thought as well

Feb 1 2011 9:46PM

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Wheaty214

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I heard that you can get free passes to mountains if you're part of the ski patrol?

Feb 1 2011 9:49PM

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[evan]

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Just don't be a douchy one, some ski patrollers just bust balls and don't actually DO anything.

Feb 1 2011 9:50PM

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b-ladd

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Talk to the patrollers at your local mountain, see if they have a jr patrollers program. If your 15 you won't be old enough to run accidents, but you will be able to help out. You need to be OEC and CPR certified, as well as do lots of on-hill training. The stuff you learn getting certified is really helpful, especially if you plan on venturing into the backcountry. It's a great job to have later in life too. I spent a year as a patroller at Okemo, and it was great.

Feb 1 2011 9:50PM

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array.

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yes, discounts for your family as well. Also, when my mom was a patroller I got to sleep in the lodge :)

Feb 1 2011 9:50PM

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monkatizer

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yea, thats cool, but dont be a dick one and get kids introuble for "speeding" and shit like that

Feb 1 2011 10:09PM

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Legoman

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I know in Canada you need OFA3 and the on-hill training. That's the minimum requirement, OFA3 you can get from St Johns Ambulance and costs about $850 but is also good for getting pretty good money from doing other first aid jobs. Get some experience from Volunteer patrolling first and then look into applying for a paid position at a mountain.

Feb 1 2011 10:16PM

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.jersey

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threads, i've always thought about it

Feb 1 2011 10:17PM

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J.DUKE

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TGR has a really great thread about this. just search ski patrol and you should find it. its like 20 pages long

Feb 1 2011 10:58PM

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windhamskibum

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Iv been on the Windham Mountain patrol for 4 years now, as well as a EMT, and Athletic Trainer.

Becoming a Patroller takes on average 2 years from joining to getting your cross. you need to take OEC which is outdoor emergency care, similar to a EMT class however more specific to working outside away from a ambulance. you also need CPR. During your two years you will be trained on medical assessment, tobbagan training, lift evacuation, ice rescue, rope rescue, trail maintenance, and other aspects that are different for every patrol. your best bet is contacting the patrol director at your local mountain and asking to shadow a patroller for a day to see what its really like.

we aren't out there to be buzz kills and pull tickets all day, we all have the same love for the sport of skiing as you do.

Feb 1 2011 11:21PM

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Bi-ShredinalGuy

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dont be the douchy patroller ho goes arround acting like a police. and yeah you can get discounts at pretty much any hill if you are nationally certified. i think its like 50% off any hill.. at least that what it is for instructors..

Feb 1 2011 11:40PM

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B4NE1

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Don'e be a ski patrol at sunshine you will get fired for doing your job.

Feb 1 2011 11:42PM

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emilyskis

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crazy, i had this exact same thought today, i'm in need of a job.

bumpbump.

Feb 1 2011 11:44PM

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AB.Zee

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Ridiculous

I worked with quite a few patrollers this summer and this is basically what I got out of them:

-a shitoad of training that you have to pay for yourself

-terrible pay

-amazing job

Feb 1 2011 11:50PM

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OMGimDADDY

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Over half my family is ski patrol... 2 brothers, my mom and my dad. My dad has been on ski patrol for around 40 years now and he says it was one of the best choices of his life. Soo i know a lot about the program.

1. There are the ski patrol in red vests. These are the nationals. They do not get paid any money however they do get benefits for working. The minimum age you can start at is 16 im pretty sure. You get in contact with your local hill ski patrol and they start you out on the program. Each program differs in ways but they are mainly all the same concept. You start in the summer and get OEC/CPR certified. Then one winter comes you have mandatory days that you have to attend no matter what. These days include ski and tobogan training, in the aid room day, and ski with a senior (someone who has patrolled longer than 10 years), and on the hill scenarios. They check off that you are a good enough skier and that you know how to save someone when needed. After the season is over you are done with your training and the next season you can patrol for real.

You get some benefits every day you patrol, once again, differs between each mountain. But my parents get 2 teen ticket vouchers or 1 adult ticket voucher, 3 dollar food voucher, and an 11 dollar food voucher. And of course, a free day of skiing. You have to get 12 days a year but if you are attending school you only need 6. Also, you can travel mountains and patrol as long as they have national ski patrol (some mountains dont)

2. There are the ski patrol in black vests. I dont know much about these ones but i know it is not nearly as intense as the national program... kinda weird right. Since you get paid in actual checks for this one.

If ya have any questions, just let me know. I know all about this stuff.

Feb 2 2011 12:05AM

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come_at_me_bro

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At my mountain, ski patrol gets unlimited skiing at the major resorts in Colorado, vail keystone, breck, aspen, etc greatest gig ever

Feb 2 2011 12:44AM

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ganja_enthusiast

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dude dont be a ski patrol be a park staff

Feb 2 2011 9:25PM

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ButterItOut

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Yah man go for park staff its more fun but you do not really do alot of work during a day other than grooming

Feb 2 2011 11:11PM

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Karma_Police

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this is a stupid post

Feb 2 2011 11:42PM

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skichicky3

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Being a ski patroller is sick. Most likely, depending on your mountain, you are probably too young to be a patroller right now. At my mountain there was a rule that minors couldn't respond to accidents alone, but I think its a state by state law. Definitely a fun job though

Feb 3 2011 9:57AM

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Madd_maxxrowe

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Being a patroller isnt that bad. the requirements kinda suck but its worth it because you do get discounted tickets at different mountains, sometimes even free tickets. requirements to work at any ski are include (1) taking a ski test (which can be done by that mountains patrol), (2) taking the OEC, Outdoor Emergency Care, class (which is a pain and takes about 4 months meeting twice a wee), and (3) passing a CPR and AED class. IF you want more info you can go to www.nsp.org

Feb 3 2011 10:44AM

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tall_t

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you also can get the save life ski from surface

Feb 3 2011 11:02AM

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gnarles.

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my threads very interested and anyoneno the pay

Feb 3 2011 12:36PM

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noparking

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depending on where you live and ski you'll need at very least your WFR, most places are now requiring both your WFR and EMT-B.

Feb 3 2011 12:45PM

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DroppinTheDub

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hate to burst your bubble, but 15 isnt old enought o ski patrol. And unless you get your workers permit (im using my knowledge from Maine laws,) you wont be able to work without it. Also even if you do get a workers permit, ski patrol isnt allowed for to many work hours and high danger to you or some bullshit, check your states laws

Feb 3 2011 12:58PM

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KLovelace

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do your OEC when you get older.

Feb 3 2011 1:04PM

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oil.

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if ski patrol isnt possible, what other mountain jobs would there be? anything really.. i just want an excuse to be on the mountain haha. what would be the requirements on something like park safety?

Feb 3 2011 1:48PM

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ContaminatedBeef

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Most likely nothing. The majority of patrollers at big resorts are volunteer

Feb 3 2011 4:10PM

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igotbanned

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they wont hire you at 15, but you can definetly start training

Feb 3 2011 4:13PM

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Bi-ShredinalGuy

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that was a stupid post

Feb 3 2011 6:42PM

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ganja_enthusiast

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how is it stupid

id rather work on parks and ride them all day and night then go take care of a little kid with a broken arm on a bunny hill

Feb 3 2011 6:48PM

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corona

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in Canada all the ski patrollers (with the possible exception of a private hill or two) are part of CSPS.
they offer a course that costs i think about 130 bucks (or 180 i forget exactly) and gets you fully certified. It is 60 hours of in class first aid and another 20 hours of on hill training.

most people in their first year won't get a paid job at a hill, and volunteer every second weekend I think it normally is.
myself I have a paid patrol job and it's about the best job you can get (besides it being close to minimum wage where I am). but the pay varies depending on what hill you work for.

I highly recommend it, great way to meet awesome people (there really are very very few dicks) and you get some incredibly useful skills in first aid.

Feb 3 2011 6:50PM

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monkatizer

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just dont blow anything up, ok?

Feb 3 2011 6:51PM

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powderdrunkie

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my buddy took a week or two long training class called "Wilderness First Response/rescue" or something like that. He was hired on pro patrol immediately afterward and gets to blow up explosives and shit now.

Feb 3 2011 7:14PM

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Wes-Side

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Very clever... I wonder how many people caught that... Not many of the new members I'd guess.

Feb 3 2011 8:45PM

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b-ladd

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Most of the patrollers that work weekends are volunteers. Every big resort has full-time patrollers. The pay usually isn't that great, but the way I look at it, some people work their asses off all week long so they have money to go skiing on weekends, whereas if your a full time patroller you're on the hill every day.

And OP, like I said before, check to see if your mountain has a Jr. Patroller program. It will prepare you to go online when you're old enough. If you want to make money at your age, look into instructing. You'll basically just be babysitting kids at the mountain, but you'll get a free seasons pass, most likely discounts on food and stuff, as well as pro-form deals.

Feb 3 2011 9:08PM

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Elmo.

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this... my friend is a jr patroler and he has a great time. u make some good money and learn awesome things as well

Feb 3 2011 9:16PM

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Karma_Police

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I could say "I don't want to be raking out the bomb holes off the end of a rail all day every day rather than ski fresh tracks and put a poll down where there might be a rock"

Shit goes both ways.

Being a park guy at a huge park such as keystone would suck imo because of the work but at the same time you would get to hit shit before people. In the end it becomes a matter of what is more important to you. Skiing powder or hitting a freshly raked jump/rail.

Its pretty obvious what you like more and vice versa.

Feb 4 2011 1:46PM

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.nasty

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anyone know how much (in a dollar amount) they usually make a season?

Feb 4 2011 1:53PM

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corona

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starting wages are usually about 500 000/season plus all expenses paid summer in New Zealand or Chile for skiing.

once you've done a year or two they bump you up to about 700 000 and a private jet.

some patrollers who have been on a while are making in the 1.2 million a year and they usually will be given their own ski resort. that or a small country.

Feb 4 2011 2:09PM

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