What is it like being a ski patrol?

Patrolling requires long days and physically demanding work so you need to be in decent shape and always ready, willing and able to respond. The Ski Patrol is about having fun and being outdoors on a ski hill. Start a conversation with a Ski Patroller the next time you are at your favorite resort.

Can you make a living as a ski patroller?

Ski patrolling is tough to define. Part first responder, part ski bum and part mountain rescue specialist, it’s about as varied and challenging a job as any. And make no mistake, it’s a real job; one which many hardy souls have made a career of. While the pay is meager, the perks are unrivaled.

How do ski patrol get paid?

Requirements

1. You must first contact a local patrol, or the patrol you wish to work for.
2. Pass a Ski/Ride evaluation (some patrols require this).
3. Once the Patrol Director approves your application, you must join the NSP as a Candidate via the NSP Member website.
4. Successfully complete the OCE Course.

Can you snowboard ski patrol?

Ski patrollers can be snowboarders in addition to alpine, telemark, or Nordic skiers. Many patrols also have non-skiing positions whereby patrollers provide assistance in first aid rooms. Joining the Ski Patrol is very much about the fun and the challenge.

What do you need to be ski patrol?

Typically, ski patrollers are trained to the National Ski Patrol’s (NSP) Outdoor Emergency Care certification or have Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) licenses. A CPR certification is essential. Many EMT or Outdoor Emergency Care courses include this training within their course curriculum.

Can you work at a ski resort and ride a snowboard?

Many work schedules accommodate riding before or after work, or on lunch breaks. With some positions such as ski/snowboard instructors, terrain park attendants, and ski patrol, riding is mandatory on the job. Seeking that 100+ day season? Short of not working at all, to maximize your on-snow days, working at a ski resort is the gig for you.

Where can you work as a ski instructor?

You can work in some of the most amazing places and best ski resorts in the world as a ski instructor. That said, as a newly qualified instructor it will be hard to land the most sought-after jobs in these resorts.

What are the benefits of working at a ski resort?

Free lessons, discounted rentals, gear deals, pass vouchers for friends & family, all add up to providing more value for your ski resort employment experience. Some resorts offer employee housing, which is a great benefit as housing has become more difficult to find in mountain towns. Free skiing .

What is it like to be a ski patroller at Stowe?

At Stowe, would-be patrollers need to make it down one of the hardest trails on the mountain, known as National. However, you’re not going down alone. You need to make it down while pulling a sled with an “injured” person in the back.