After 20+ years of skibum preofesions I am finally working my way towards what here is considered a real and sensible profession (My 3 winters in Japan was consided a very real and highly profesional job there, but the way it was run would not be allowed whatsoever in Europe).
Over the years I've skied a bit, probably 2000+ days, Since first learning on plastic artificial slopes (a bit like whte astroturf) in '78. I made it as far as Junior national squad in ski racing in the late '80's and raced a bit at University. I qualified as an Electronic and Electrical engineer but became a skibum. I've done most skibum jobs over the years and mad a few 100mpais of skis (For my own company and others). In Canada I have worked alongside patrol in Sunshine Village allthough never officially (Didn't have the time or qualifications back then).
I passed my WFR more than a decade ago, along with AAIRE Avie 2 while working my way through the American Guides Scheme (That came to nothing in the End) . Here I am an International Mountain Leader - Middle mountain guide/Trekking guide.
BUT in France I have to start form square 1. There is also no Voly patrol system, pro patrol only. I have done a few days shadowing friends on Patrol here, which the resort couldn't understan why I wanted to, bt they were happy with an extra pair of hands.
Pre requesit
First aid - Premiere Securist 1 + 2. This is run by the Fire department and is the defacto first, first aid scheme for anyone becoming a Firefighter, Ambulance service, Lifeguard, Police, Mountain Rescue and others. A tough two week course that is more about procedures than first aid, although there is a fair bit of first aid in it. The reason for all of the procedures and rules is, France is a very integrated country when it comes to Emergency Services and everyone read form the same book. Yes it can be a PIA, but in many ways it means a Patroller get the same profesional respect as Firefighter. This also means that in a large imergency there are more Securist (first responders) who can be called upon who know how the system works.
Ski Test - 2 parts - First speed - you need to get a Vermillion level in a Ski school race - sounds easy, but if you don't bash gates it will take you many goes to get near enough to the instructor (most be an ex FIS racer) s time to pass.....Most of the weekend amateur races were not posting times fast enough. Took me 2 goes, 2nd time on borrowed race skis, not just piste carvers.....25 years since I'd raced.
The Technical test - 400m vertical of mixed off piste, don't look like a numpty, juged.... Need to get 12 out of possible 20, Speed, Control, Choice of line, Technique. Sounds easy - Took me 4 attempts. All but 1 of my tests were just bump fields on a black run. "nd go the guy in front was ex FIS the guy following was ex FRWT, we all got 9.75! To pass I did a weeks preparation course. Turns out I had been doing 2 things wrong. 1st I was skiing the terrain in a normal fashion. Instead of making it look like there were almost no bumps out there. And making GS turns, just resturning to short radius turns at the change of slope to re-asses my line. 2nd I was skiing too slow - Requied speed 20-50kph (12-30mph).
I finaly passed on the last but one 1 before they shut down France! I got lucky, not only had I practiced (I say practiced, I mean I was beasted for a week) on the same ski hill. We had fresh snow overnight and no freeze - Upper part 20cm (8") Fresh on not frozen, middle just soft, lower section had been rained on, so 1m (3') bumps but soft enough that I was going in 50cm (1'6") on 100+ underfoot. 30% or more coudn't stand up, less than 10% passed (some tests have sub 5% pass rate).
I was supposed to start a 6 week patrol course the next weekend but as the world has become a bit of a mess I have to wait until November
. But at least I am allowed to do the course.
Form friends whove done the course and from the literature it's all the things you would learn as through the volly system in other parts of the world. Difference being this is a goverment run course to a very specific silabus. And unlike other parts of the world most people starting the course have never touched a snowmobile let alone a rescue taboggan!. In that respect I am lucky, procedures I will have to learn, radio calls in French I will struggle with, but the rest, I've nit just done, I've taught!
Over the years I've skied a bit, probably 2000+ days, Since first learning on plastic artificial slopes (a bit like whte astroturf) in '78. I made it as far as Junior national squad in ski racing in the late '80's and raced a bit at University. I qualified as an Electronic and Electrical engineer but became a skibum. I've done most skibum jobs over the years and mad a few 100mpais of skis (For my own company and others). In Canada I have worked alongside patrol in Sunshine Village allthough never officially (Didn't have the time or qualifications back then).
I passed my WFR more than a decade ago, along with AAIRE Avie 2 while working my way through the American Guides Scheme (That came to nothing in the End) . Here I am an International Mountain Leader - Middle mountain guide/Trekking guide.
BUT in France I have to start form square 1. There is also no Voly patrol system, pro patrol only. I have done a few days shadowing friends on Patrol here, which the resort couldn't understan why I wanted to, bt they were happy with an extra pair of hands.
Pre requesit
First aid - Premiere Securist 1 + 2. This is run by the Fire department and is the defacto first, first aid scheme for anyone becoming a Firefighter, Ambulance service, Lifeguard, Police, Mountain Rescue and others. A tough two week course that is more about procedures than first aid, although there is a fair bit of first aid in it. The reason for all of the procedures and rules is, France is a very integrated country when it comes to Emergency Services and everyone read form the same book. Yes it can be a PIA, but in many ways it means a Patroller get the same profesional respect as Firefighter. This also means that in a large imergency there are more Securist (first responders) who can be called upon who know how the system works.
Ski Test - 2 parts - First speed - you need to get a Vermillion level in a Ski school race - sounds easy, but if you don't bash gates it will take you many goes to get near enough to the instructor (most be an ex FIS racer) s time to pass.....Most of the weekend amateur races were not posting times fast enough. Took me 2 goes, 2nd time on borrowed race skis, not just piste carvers.....25 years since I'd raced.
The Technical test - 400m vertical of mixed off piste, don't look like a numpty, juged.... Need to get 12 out of possible 20, Speed, Control, Choice of line, Technique. Sounds easy - Took me 4 attempts. All but 1 of my tests were just bump fields on a black run. "nd go the guy in front was ex FIS the guy following was ex FRWT, we all got 9.75! To pass I did a weeks preparation course. Turns out I had been doing 2 things wrong. 1st I was skiing the terrain in a normal fashion. Instead of making it look like there were almost no bumps out there. And making GS turns, just resturning to short radius turns at the change of slope to re-asses my line. 2nd I was skiing too slow - Requied speed 20-50kph (12-30mph).
I finaly passed on the last but one 1 before they shut down France! I got lucky, not only had I practiced (I say practiced, I mean I was beasted for a week) on the same ski hill. We had fresh snow overnight and no freeze - Upper part 20cm (8") Fresh on not frozen, middle just soft, lower section had been rained on, so 1m (3') bumps but soft enough that I was going in 50cm (1'6") on 100+ underfoot. 30% or more coudn't stand up, less than 10% passed (some tests have sub 5% pass rate).
I was supposed to start a 6 week patrol course the next weekend but as the world has become a bit of a mess I have to wait until November
. But at least I am allowed to do the course.Form friends whove done the course and from the literature it's all the things you would learn as through the volly system in other parts of the world. Difference being this is a goverment run course to a very specific silabus. And unlike other parts of the world most people starting the course have never touched a snowmobile let alone a rescue taboggan!. In that respect I am lucky, procedures I will have to learn, radio calls in French I will struggle with, but the rest, I've nit just done, I've taught!
