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Ski Patrol Membership Way Down At Ski Areas?

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In the parking lot (formerly "At the base lodge")
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At both the ski areas that I volunteer at, we are now down to approximately 30 members at each one, compared to having 60-70 patrollers at each one. A majority of the patrollers are ages 50-70 (and up) years old and many of those remaining, will be retiring from patrol in less than 5 years. It feels very strange to once see huge numbers of ski patrollers at the beginning of each winter season standing for an annual group photo, but now we all look at each other and say; "where is everyone?". It's sad :-(

Anyone else experiencing this with their ski patrol?
 

Jwrags

Aka pwdrhnd
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I’m curious, are you talking paid, professional patrol or volunteers like you or a combination? Where are you located?
 

Dwight

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Our local hill gets 3-5 new trained a year all different ages.
 

kayco53

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Here in BC our numbers of new recruits has come up a lot in the last few years with most being younger instead of out group of 50+++. Good see very go for it crowd. It could it be lift tickets are so pricey everybody is taking a look at Patrolling? I know I put a lot of hours in besides skiing so like my first instructor said. The most expensive free skiing you will ever get. Had a great day patrolling today!
 

DanoT

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I think the low cost multi resort season passes have become more of a viable alternative for budget minded skiers who previously volunteered on patrol in order to get inexpensive access to the mountain.
 

martyg

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While I bitch about instructor pay ( I am an instructor), what patrollers earn is even more egregious.

As I tell people, instructing is like being in a relationship where the sex is great, but you are treated like shit. I wonder if that metaphor vibes with patrollers?

Being a former Military SAR guy I can see how it would be appealing to be a patroller. However with pay what it is, why would you?
 

pais alto

me encanta el país alto
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Being a former Military SAR guy I can see how it would be appealing to be a patroller. However with pay what it is, why would you?
One doesn’t do it for the money. I was fortunate to have my firefighter career behind me and its pension. Back in the wildfire days I was talking with an Army LTC I was working with and he asked about my career choice and when I explained it wasn’t about the money, he understood and said “It’s a calling.”

Otherwise, for me it was being in the mountains (no.1), the satisfaction of meeting the challenges of the hard work and medical calls, some good/great camaraderie, the quiet mornings before opening and evenings after closing, avy mitigation, the views, and being in a helpful occupation. Surprise benefits included things like super-improving my skiing skills in conditions (and while carrying heavy shit) I would have turned my back on if it wasn’t part of the job, getting to really learn a lot about snowpack conditions, learning ski area operations, and getting to hoon around on snowmobiles. :ogbiggrin:

Also, when I retired, my wife had to deal with half the money and twice the husband so I got busy. ogwink
 

crgildart

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In other words, it's more about living the life and the benefits of a job on the mountain and free access, gear discounts, etc than it is about the economic security/pay.. True for both instructors and patrol folks..
 

martyg

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In other words, it's more about living the life and the benefits of a job on the mountain and free access, gear discounts, etc than it is about the economic security/pay.. True for both instructors and patrol folks..

I get that. I have far more money than time, so money isn't a motivator for me in anything that I do. It is about quality of life for me. I just don't like to feel like I am being taken advantage of by an entity that makes huge margin off of my work, and offers little in return. With the exception of SkiCo and Telluride, I am much happier as a guest at resorts.
 

François Pugh

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Volunteer numbers are down where I patrol.
I can see why. It's a big time commitment, not just the days you could be free skiing, but instead are patrolling, also the time spent taking the first aid course and re-certifying exams in first aid and on-snow. If people want to give something as a means of charity, it's a lot easier to just write a checque out to whatever charitable organization they prefer than to donate their time.

There may be a very limited number of folk who can't afford a ski pass who do it so they can ski, but I'm sure that number is very low.

I do it because I find that means of charity agrees with my abilities and the fact that I like helping people. I remember when I was first asked to join patrol quite a few years ago, I thought, "Well if I come across someone wrapped around a tree, I'll be stopping to help him anyway, so I may as well learn how to do it right."

I see two main sources of ski patrollers, those who came into it due to them being skiers, and those who came into it due to them being medics of one sort or another.

The City I patrol for has a relatively good deal for patrollers, but it's still not worth giving up my time for what they offer.

People who haven't done it think it's all about free skiing, but it's not; it's work, with responsibility, stress and risk.
 

Joshua S

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In talking to patrollers who have patrolled for over 20-years, a few observations:
1. OEC is much more difficult and much more intensive and extensive than it was as little as 20 years ago.
2. Professional courtesy as some minor compensation for volunteering has pretty much disappeared.
3. Certain Corporate multi-area owners don't want volunteers. While they are not "firing" the volunteers, year-by-year, they have winnowed the benefits. While this may not phase the old timers who patrol out of love, it is a dis-incentive for new people to get involved
4. YAP programs to bring sub-18-year-olds into the brotherhood have been discontinued at many of the big corporate areas.
 

scott43

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It seems wrong to me that resorts can rely on volunteer patrollers. Patrol is such a necessary function and a very difficult job. Seems like patrol positions should be paid.
My dad didn't give much advice, and when he did he was very terse. One day he said, never work for free.. cuz that's not work, is it..
 

Dave Marshak

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It seems wrong to me that resorts can rely on volunteer patrollers. Patrol is such a necessary function and a very difficult job. Seems like patrol positions should be paid.
This ^^^^^

dm
 

François Pugh

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It seems wrong to me that resorts can rely on volunteer patrollers. Patrol is such a necessary function and a very difficult job. Seems like patrol positions should be paid.
I do feel a little guilty, taking a job from a paid patroller. However, when I consider that I patrol at a city-run hill, and the cost of skiing at that hill compared to skiing at resorts makes skiing affordable to more families, I feel better.
 

pchewn

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I'd volunteer for ski patrol if only they had positions that did not require extensive medical training. I hate all things medical care. But ski patrol is so much more than medical. I just wish they would separate the jobs so that the medical people could do X and the others could do Y.

Y jobs: Roping, padding, sweeping, avy, lift evac, driving the sled, moving equipment around, communications center, snowmobile , crowd control, safety training, etc. etc, etc.

X jobs: Touching patients, coordinating with doctors
 

bitflogger

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Volunteering is a challenge all over but a lot of volunteer patrol organizations also seem to be their own worst enemy via too rigid and grumpy.

Our ski club where I'm a retired board member and decades of volunteering has aided things with term limits, reviews of volunteer positions, and concentrating on getting young families involved. We have some new life and spark in the patrol group.
 

pais alto

me encanta el país alto
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I'd volunteer for ski patrol if only they had positions that did not require extensive medical training. I hate all things medical care. But ski patrol is so much more than medical. I just wish they would separate the jobs so that the medical people could do X and the others could do Y.

Y jobs: Roping, padding, sweeping, avy, lift evac, driving the sled, moving equipment around, communications center, snowmobile , crowd control, safety training, etc. etc, etc.

X jobs: Touching patients, coordinating with doctors
All this is from Where I Worked, so factor that in.

Patrolling might be more than medical care, but it’s the most important by a fair shot.

For most of your Y jobs the mountain where I worked had mountain safety team (patrol organization but not medically qualified). AKA yellow jackets. Trollers did that stuff too, but they’d drop it in an instant if they were assigned a medical call.

Please post your picture when you get a yellow jacket. ;)
 

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