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Secrets the Ski Industry People Won't Tell You

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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
I googlebarred and didn't find much

but...like the reader's digest articles http://www.rd.com/slideshows/50-secrets-your-nurse-wont-tell-you/#slideshow=slide2

post your job title
       and SEEEEECRET

me: ski instructor
we make $6.00/hr, tips are sweet and really help me buy food that week.
we can tell how good/familiar you are at skiing almost immediately, no need to ego boost yourself and say you rode for 100 years straight when you were a kid


I realize that we are all skiers/boarders and this may not benefit anyone, but there could be funzies.




Feb 11 2012 10:55AM
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NSwidow
Posts: 888 - Karma: 3,223
Wow, posted that ^ before readng the actual direction in which this thread went. Easy up on monsterskier! It's not THAT bad..Someone annoyed her and she reacted..people have bad days.

In an attempt to get this thread back on track-
-(not all instrcutors) but most instructors will try and end your lesson as soon as possible.
-If an instructor tells you to 'ski ahead', it's probably not so they can watch you from behind, it's coz there's something they want to hit.
-lessons are so amazingly overpriced and you'd do much better to approach an instructor for an under the table lesson, you'll pay a third as much and they'll get paid triple and you'll get a private with a better standard of teaching coz they'll be stoked on the cash.
-Don't tell instructors what your parent told you to do, they're wrong, and your dad definitely isn't the best skier on the mountain.
-MANY instructors have vomited off a chairlift while teaching a lesson hung over.

In saying this, i am capable of giving a good lesson! And most instructors take pride in their teaching standard, but for the younger and party inclined instructors, that's the sort of lesson you can expect on a day after partying.

I wanna hear more non-food related secrets!
Feb 12 2012 12:04PM
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Brenone
Posts: 4944 - Karma: 296
This thread is hilarious
Click for larger image
Feb 12 2012 12:12PM
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Bill.Nye
Posts: 4060 - Karma: 2,109
I know it's unsafe. I called mtn ops like every 10 minutes saying we should probably close it but they said top just keep it going. I don't take my job way too seriously, I just don't hate it and don't complain about it because it's easy.
Feb 12 2012 1:05PM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
+one million
the majority of the rest of you are bad kids, go to bed! ruining my thread...

park crew gets too much hate, it takes a long time to change up park features (at least in MN) and can't be expected 3 times a week. park crew needs sleep too.


Feb 12 2012 9:01PM
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El.Guapo
Posts: 2139 - Karma: 3,173
i work at the biggest meat factory in the US and everyday i shit in the meat grinder. we supply most fastfood chains
Feb 12 2012 9:16PM
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C-Weezy
Posts: 786 - Karma: 50
Terrain Park Crew
and my secret is...I fucking love my job
Feb 12 2012 9:20PM
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ChillTeenDad420
Posts: 1858 - Karma: 5,512
truer words have never been said
Feb 12 2012 9:51PM
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ChillTeenDad420
Posts: 1858 - Karma: 5,512
not 100% true, but as a generalization:

the higher the post count on ns, the worse the skier
the more jiberish you own, the fewer friends you have

a secret from my job as an instructor:

you should be an instructor. not for the money though, i used to work every weekend and i got payed for 3.5 hours despite showing up at 8 and leaving at 5. straight bullshit. So I decided to milk the ski resort because the corporate heads are stingy as shit. This year i worked one night a week for 2 hours, and i worked a single program, meaning i only worked for 5 weeks straight. made like 100 bucks but got a free pass worth 600 bucks and half off lodge food.

So basically if you play it right, you can work 10 hours, and make 700+ dollars as a ski instructor.
Feb 12 2012 9:59PM
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maynaiseman
Posts: 1088 - Karma: 129
I don't have a job. But if I beat off late at night it helps me sleep.
Feb 12 2012 10:47PM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
Good deal, but that obviously only works if you have another job.

I'm an instructor too, it definitely pays if you put a bit of effort into it. If you are a high school kid working the weekends, you are not going to be getting paid all that much, but if you put the time into getting your certs, it pays really well, plus you get to go and work in sick places, I've taught on 5 different continents, not many jobs let you do that.

In terms of secrets, there's not really many that you couldn't guess.

In many resorts it doesn't matter how much you pay for a private, you could still end up with a first year instructor who doesn't have a clue how to instruct.

Never book lessons on the 1st of January, everyone will probably still be blackout drunk. Ditto for after payday/australia day/any other holiday of note.


Feb 13 2012 6:24AM
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shea.
Posts: 1606 - Karma: 193
Like wise... the best job i have ever had/will have.
Feb 13 2012 7:33AM
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Trawltopilot
Posts: 545 - Karma: 95
who is tom wallish-----ill never let it die
Feb 13 2012 9:45AM
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.RYAN66
Posts: 5381 - Karma: 231
this thread is full of win.
Feb 13 2012 12:01PM
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.RYAN66
Posts: 5381 - Karma: 231
forgot to claim 3000 post.



FACK!!!!!
Feb 13 2012 12:02PM
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californiagrown
Posts: 9794 - Karma: 2,014
where was the abortionator when you were born?
Feb 13 2012 12:29PM
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[~_~]
Posts: 20239 - Karma: 1,273
What does that have to do with being a gear head?
Feb 13 2012 12:36PM
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JordanButtfart
Posts: 1013 - Karma: 3,027

I'm an instructor and I make $9.75 and hour /claim.

Also, get rid of kids and it makes your job worthwhile (they have a place to get rid of kids in Steamboat for instructors).

Feb 13 2012 1:14PM
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joshua
Posts: 5046 - Karma: 1,280
Where? I would be so pumped to make that doing something I enjoy, thats more than some "real" jobs that people go to school for....
Feb 13 2012 1:25PM
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disastertourism
Posts: 2402 - Karma: 135
When I find 'the right ski boot for you from the back' I go in the store room, read the catalogue, and then tell you almost word for word what was written in it.

And we all fucking despise women who want specific ski boots because they look nice
Feb 13 2012 3:31PM
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B.Aussie
Posts: 5852 - Karma: 4,531
This thread is awesome.

Never get a private lesson on a Thursday or a Sunday if you can avoid it because over half the instructors will be hungover.

Feb 13 2012 3:32PM
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GypsyLovin
Posts: 656 - Karma: 109
LOVELY THREAD SIR
Feb 18 2012 2:27AM
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iffe
Posts: 984 - Karma: 120
As a gear whore I can confirm this.
Feb 18 2012 6:15AM
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stokedelic
Posts: 1542 - Karma: 4,371
i work at an EXTREMELY high society beach club during the summer (75,000 a year not including food.)

a couple secrets of the staff:
we drink all your alcohol
were all high when we host parties
all the musicians try to sell us weed at parties

secrets of rich people:
80% are hoarders
5% know anything about their car
they actually dont give a shit about money, last year alone we collected probably 3,000 dollars worth of lost sunglasses and a surfboard no one ever collected.
they all drive home completely wasted after parties (think at least 150 cars leaving one area at the same time. ill never drive on the roads again after midnight.
Feb 18 2012 9:36AM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
basically it's like caddyshack on the beach?
Feb 18 2012 6:46PM
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vincentlee223
Posts: 1571 - Karma: 382
I'm asian too. My parents owned 3 restaurants in a Caucasian filled city, many of them being hicks. They were racist and obviously my parents didn't enjoy that but they we're assholes and fucked up their food. Your actions weren't justified, that's it.
Feb 18 2012 7:29PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
how is it racist to ask for one star or not spicy?
Feb 18 2012 7:37PM
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Joebin
Posts: 1664 - Karma: 867
Crow bars are a hot item in the ski shop that I work at so I dont get them at cost. Boss man tacks on a lil' extra so hes not loosing as much profit as he would get from a regular customer.
Feb 18 2012 7:38PM
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vincentlee223
Posts: 1571 - Karma: 382
I think she was saying that the customers were not only just annoying (omg annoying? sadface) but also racist.
Feb 18 2012 7:40PM
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geteducated
Posts: 6410 - Karma: 86
yes, but i was also hoping to make her realize that if she mentioned that in her initial response, no one would have cared if she fucked with a racists food.
Feb 18 2012 7:51PM
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elliotness
Posts: 106 - Karma: 13
Lift Maintenance
The haul rope is not razor sharp unlike what the movie Frozen portrays
I get the the best lines right after ski patrol
Don't jump off chairlifts it could derail the lift and ruin my day
Feb 18 2012 10:12PM
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DyeExplode
Posts: 400 - Karma: 8
^
Feb 18 2012 10:37PM
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andybob
Posts: 474 - Karma: 35
Auto Tech (glorified name for a mechanic).

$11/hr with no benefits.

-Between school costs and tool costs I'm in the hole over 40k and like I said, with an $11 wage.

-Your car interior is fucking atrocious, we always tell people we have seen worse, but some cars are just terrible.

-We hate it if you are the type of person that wants to "come out in the shop" and watch what we are doing. No one likes being watched over their shoulder.

-There is an absurd mark up for parts. We pay $30 for a part, you pay close to $60. You could probably go to a parts store and get it for $40.

-If a job pays for 2 hours (brake job for instance) and we get it done in 1 hour, you still get charged 2 hours, that's how shops make money.

-The majority of people are late for their appointments.
Feb 18 2012 10:41PM
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MRoden
Posts: 753 - Karma: 211
so from your logic I can smack you over the head with a hammer and it will do the same amount of damage to your head if you were not wearing one compared to wearing one. Same thing must go for seat belts and air bags. You are stupid.
Feb 18 2012 11:04PM
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stokedelic
Posts: 1542 - Karma: 4,371
more or less.
Feb 19 2012 12:00AM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
ARE YOU FLIRTING WITH ME (please be flirting with me)
and since this thread is now about non-related items and debates, I melted cheese on doritos and it was the bomb dig. licking the plate as i type. awfully messy stuff thougH OH SHIT THE FAUNT GOT BIGGER!!!!
Feb 19 2012 12:52AM
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lexich
Posts: 92 - Karma: 83
I've worked at a ski resort for five years (year round) now and it's pretty funny..
1. The $4.25 bud light draft you just bought can buy you a $5 pitcher at the bar down the road
2. Since you're paying extremely high prices, you assume we make a lot, but in reality almost all winter employees make minimum wage (or under if they're minors), so tip well!
3. The instructors (who usually make the most tips in winter, atleast at my resort) are big whigs from DC and therefore this is their weekend "i'm-bored" job.
4. The $180 a night hotel room is a joke, you can get the same room for $50 15 minutes away
5. There is no difference in the food between the foodcourt and the outside grill and the two taverns, except it costs more to sit down and eat in a tavern, and you have to tip. So that exact same $15 dollar burger and fries that you just bought in the tavern, plus the $2-3 tip, could be bought for $10 in the foodcourt. It's the same thing.

it's really a joke with what we get away with..both ski and golf season
Feb 19 2012 12:59AM
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ShredMasterPlus
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 807

O and Employee's get drinks for free, But if you just walk in with a mug and fill it up and walk out like a boss nobody will say anything. Also if you fill said mug with soup of the day or chili and walk out like a boss nobody will say anything. Just make sure theres nobody over 40 in uniform and ur good if anyone says anything just say you saw other people doing it and thought it was the norm.

When going up the lift if ur a hot girl and hear a loud beeping noise after you get on, im waking up the top op so he can check you out to, JK nobody ever sleeps while working. Best jobs for skiing are probably ski patrol and trail crew. Both usually get first tracks down all the knewly opened runs and in the morning on pow days. Lift Maitenance is probably the best for your future because u also get alot of first tracks and its basically a millwright aprenticeship. when your on the pomas or t bars don't be a dickwad and ski way to the left or right again it derails the lift and fucks everyone over for 45mintues or longer so damn anoying not being able to ride the top of my mountain on a pow day cause some idiot was doing that.

Don't really have to much more dirt then that for now

Feb 19 2012 1:30AM
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iSmokeweed
Posts: 4793 - Karma: 1,370
ok dick.

we dont get mad for when they order an extra drink.

we get mad, when:

they order something, take a bite, and then demand a new thing because they didnt like it. most high end restaurants will have to comp that meal.

a party of 9 women show up separately, and everytime a new member of the party arrives all of them get up and stand on the floor where food runners and waiter are trying to carry food to tables.

a group of college students or europeans, or bad tips come in, spend $250 while staying at a table for 3 hours and tip 10 bucks.

when people make a reservation for 10 people and cancel last minute. the server who was going to get that table had leave those tables open for 1.5 hours before the reservation time. now they will be leaving with 20 fewer covers.

ESPECIALLY when someone orders a burger or a steak medium rare (and they always feel cool ordering medium rare for some reason) and its cooked perfectly, but they dont know what the fuck medium rare is, and complain there is too much pink and send it back.






Feb 19 2012 1:47AM
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Randy_Quench
Posts: 5447 - Karma: 4,343
I can understand some of those things. but honestly, how hard is your job.. im sure its hardly an inconvenience to walk a plate from a table to a cook to throw on the grill for another minute..

but i hear where you are coming from. my job is the easiest thing in the world, but i still have to deal with annoying customers and complain about them.
Feb 19 2012 1:52AM
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Rosbif
Posts: 2543 - Karma: 930
From her profile she's Aussie, so probably there. I hear the pay is good and you get a lot of hours.

I get about $35-60 p/h (depending on whether I am requested) in Niseko, and $40 plus food and accom in Chile. The best pay for instructing (within a school) is probably France, $65 an hour, for all lessons.

/claim?
Feb 19 2012 2:34AM
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ShredMasterPlus
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 807

I agree with all that besides the steak. I order medium rare everywhere I go for steak. Medium rare has anice line in the middle of pink maybe a little more. I usually don't even mind it a little more rare then that but so many times its either all cooked so well done, or more often totally pink and bloody which isn't medium rare but actually very rare and extra chewy and shitty so I will send it back.

Feb 19 2012 2:39AM
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ShredMasterPlus
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 807
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Feb 19 2012 2:42AM
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Fucktown
Posts: 474 - Karma: 22

You don't know what medium rare is... and therefore, you're the kind of person he is talking about lol.

Also, people who don't have ski industry jobs... why the shit are you in this thread telling us things? Make your own thread

Feb 19 2012 2:21PM
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NSwidow
Posts: 888 - Karma: 3,223
Perisher in New South Wales, Australia. I've been there for 3 years and have a high qualification hence the high rate of pay, but unqualified rookies are on like 18.50. :) still really good! And request privates get an extra $10 an hour! Ca-ching!
Feb 19 2012 2:34PM
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KravtZ
Posts: 6637 - Karma: 2,627
Fish market

I can tell you anything I want and 99% of people beleive everything i tell them

If you ask me how to cook dinner, chances are i dont know and make some recipe up and hope it comes out good

Sometimes if i drop something, ill just wash it off even though the floor is pretty knarly, though usually i get the person a knew one and clean it real nice adn put it back

we mark up everything 75%
Feb 19 2012 3:01PM
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ShredMasterPlus
Posts: 1159 - Karma: 807
 Medium rare isnt entirely pink the whole way through, its a line well a thick line aross the middle like 50% cooked thats the way I like it I don't send it back unless its blue or on the verge of blue rare :)
Feb 19 2012 8:04PM
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SSteezle
Posts: 9338 - Karma: 6,666
if it's a pow day and the line and single line is packed, shout out SINGLE or look for a 3-some about to get on- must be on the outside of the line for easy snakeage.


if looking for freshest tracks late day on a pow day, find where ropes end and wrap around them and follow them for awhile getting where no one else has that day.

when most of the mountain is tracked out, go to the gaper lifts that most people don't think would still be good

Feb 19 2012 8:11PM
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cubber
Posts: 1933 - Karma: 638
we did this while i was living in PC, we'd hike (east face, jupiter) for a couple hours, and then once trail was broken it would get flooded with gapers and the lazy folk who like to sideslip the pow, and we'd head down to mid mountain and ride through the thickest trees
it seems like only 3% of the skiers on a hill dare go into thick wooded runs, so find them (the kind woods that are almost TOO thick, but still ski-able with a bag of skills over your shoulder), and you'll find TONS of nip-deep even at the end of a sunny weekend
Feb 19 2012 8:18PM
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udr1v3m3cr4zy
Posts: 132 - Karma: 20
I work at a place that does take out/ delivery

if you call in an order, know what you want already, the cooks hate people generally
if you pay with a debit/ credit card, consider that we have all of your information and your food before you get it, don't fuck with us.....

if your food is cold, its because its february and you live 234234 miles away from the store, live with it.
Feb 19 2012 8:35PM
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