This self-aggrandizing harangue isn’t worth a detailed response. You know nothing about my background in professional, competitive skiing, any more than I have any clue about yours, and neither is relevant to the points I and others have brought up in this thread.
Thank you for saying that, its the sign of a gentlemen.
This speaks for itself. Are you really a ski school director at a significant resort?
Many European resorts are on private land and most of the big ones have multiple ski schools and restaurant operators. The USFS can and should do the same on publically owned land in light of Joe Biden’s view that capitalism without competition is exploitation and the concept that public land should bebefit the masses rather than a few.
Is there a single plumber working as a hobby in the entire country? I don't think so. "Hey Joe, want to go golfing?" "No, I'd rather go work on my neighbor's leaky toilet on a sunny Saturday for $15", said no one ever. Never compete with a hobbyist and expect to make decent money. That doesn't mean you shouldn't do it and arrange your life to accommodate that desire if that's what you want to do. Lots of talented and motivated artists and musicians out there making low wages too. Just go in recognizing you are competing with a large number of hobbyists who are interested in reducing the cost of their hobby, they are not interested in making money from their hobby. Not only is it a hobby, it is a hobby in a discretionary activity. No one has to ski. We all need to flush toilets and wash dishes in the sink.
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Since you asked…I manage a staff of a couple hundred hobbyists, many with full certs, several former collegiate racers, one X-Games (Hobbyist coach) & many seasoned pros with lots of hobby-hours on the clock plus all the low skilled non-certed newbie hobbyists that I foist on the unsuspecting public as I pick their pockets.
I'm not talking about quality of instruction, dedication, or even licensing/credentials. (Obviously those can vary) It's not personal. And it affects not just hobbyists (Hobbyist meaning anyone who is not in it for a meaningful profit) but it affects professionals too trying to compete in the same marketplace.
Yeah. Hopes for significant instructor wage increases are doomed. I don't like the work "hobby" applied to ski instructing. Surprisingly it does fit when looking at it this way.
You’re burning a straw man with this hobbyist insult thing. Mistermoose laid it out. I do agree with your points on that though. European instructors aren’t necessarily better. I’ve seen some weird stuff, like things from straight skis still taught.
Vail and Beaver Creek ski schools continue to sell out many days...I woke up to half a dozen lesson requests in my inbox. I know a number of former instructors who have decided to sit things out.
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Although it’s probably futile this deliberate misrepresentation should not go unanswered. No one is bashing the profession. What is being bashed are the iniquitous employment and compensation practices of ski schools, in the implementation of which you, as a senior manager, are complicit, practices which have destroyed any prospects of ski instruction remaining a viable profession in the US. You are to be congratulated on hiring talented young instructors in your ski school. Unfortunately you are not likely to retain them unless they have independent financial means or can make their way into one of the few management positions associated with a secure, stable income, as you have done. Of course when they move onto something more viable you can bring in the next wave of cannon fodder. This is a disgraceful way to run a business and I make no apologies for pointing it out however offensive you may find that.
