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On the Wire | Skiing
Great Ski Bum Jobs By Steve Hoenisch Last updated on January 3, 2005 Copyright 1996-2006 www.Criticism.Com This article was published in the October 1993 issue of Snow Country magazine. Table of Contents 1 Introduction 2 Live Ski Reporter, Killington 3 Snowboard Patrol, Snowbird 4 Snowmaker, Sunday River 5 Ski Instructor, Deer Valley or Park City 6 Ski Patrol, Squaw Valley 7 Lift Operator, Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood 8 Night Crew, Mammoth Mountain 9 Children's Instructor, Crested Butte 10 On-Mountain Restaurant Worker, Alta 11 Skier Services, Vail 12 Waitress or Waiter, Just About Anywhere 13 More Information 14 Related 1 Introduction
Here's a list of eleven great jobs
that are reasonably obtainable
for the well-prepared, well-seasoned or enterprising ski bum.
Reasonably obtainable, however, means that the list ignores such
great but scarce or specialized jobs as full-time freestyle
coach, snowboard operations coordinator and helicopter skiing
guide.
2 Live Ski Reporter, KillingtonReporters ski Killington's terrain and then staff the resort's
900 number--the Live Ski Connection--answering skiers' questions
about the best runs for their ability level and where the best
conditions can be found.
3 Snowboard Patrol, Snowbird
These patrollers board all day while making sure their
single-planking comrades are ripping with a conscience. But you'd
probably have to work at the 'Bird for at least a season or two
to land one of these newly formed, coveted jobs.
4 Snowmaker, Sunday River
Some hate it, others love it. If you don't like hard work,
snowmaking won't strike you as a great job. But those who don't
mind physical work will reap this job's fine rewards:
independence, a lot of ski time, an abundance of early season
work and plenty of miles spent riding snowmobiles. Sunday River
has three shifts for its 50 snowmakers, day, night and swing. Of
course, snowmaking jobs, like many others, are available at
various resorts and are not all that hard to get. Last winter, I
landed one at Park City, Utah, with a single phone call.
5 Ski Instructor, Deer Valley or Park City
The town of Park City is rife with rumors of ski instructors
being tipped very generously--word has it one instructor received
a new four-wheel-drive vehicle after teaching a client for a
season. Solid skiers with the potential to teach well may obtain
ski instructor jobs at Deer Valley or Park City Ski Area by going
through the ski schools' clinics, both of which are usually held
in November. Although the job doesn't pay well the first year,
good money and rewarding times await those willing to stick
around.
6 Ski Patrol, Squaw Valley
What better job tha
n throwing bombs over the edge of the
Palisades and then skiing down after a storm dumped two feet of
Sierra powder. The job has special requirements, such as EMT or
advanced life-saving certification, but the positions are
obtainable for the persistent, especially if you have experience.
7 Lift Operator, Timberline Lodge, Mt. Hood
OK, so lift operator isn't the best job in ski country. But what
if it offered the possibility of year-round employment,
year-round skiing and plenty of ski time. Some Timberline lifties
work
night-skiing shifts during the winter so they can ski days, but
if you have to work days, you can always ski nights. And the
Cascades deliver a season-end bonus: killer backcountry skiing in
spring and summer.
8 Night Crew, Mammoth Mountain
There's about 50 positions available at Mammoth Mountain
performing janitorial duties from 4 or 5 pm till midnight, giving
night crew workers all day--everyday--for skiing.
9 Children's Instructor, Crested Butte
This ski area seeks skiers who have an understanding of
children
to teach them how to ski. The job does not require certification;
Crested Butte provides training. A great job in a great place for
skiers who like working with kids.
10 On-Mountain Restaurant Worker, Alta
Food service jobs at the independently owned Watson Cafe come
with a built-in perk: You can live on the mountain, giving you an
advantage on getting first tracks after the storms that dump more
than 400 inches annually at Alta. Watson Cafe--formerly called
Watson Shelter--hires 32 people, 16 of whom live on the mountain,
to work as waiters, waitresses, bussers, cooks, dishwashers and
food servers. However, if you want one of these jobs, which
include a ski pass, you'll need to apply early.
11 Skier Services, Vail
Aspiring flacks will be attracted to this on-the-mountain public
relations job in which the workers wear ski clothes instead of
dress suits. The position entails answering questions for skiers, helping set up for special events and helping the ski patrol.
Vail, which has a Skier Services staff of 30, usually hires
several new people for the job each year.
12 Waitress or Waiter, Just About Anywhere
For many ski bums, waiting tables nights at a ski resort or town
epitomizes the ultimate job. Having just quit their real jobs to
work at a resort for a season, many skiers image themselves as
waiters or waitresses during their preseason daydreams. And for
good reason: What ski bum could ask for more than good tips, free
food at night and days free for skiing.
13 More Information
For more information about working at North American and European ski resorts, purchase the following
book, which can serve as an excellent job-hunting guide:
Working in Ski Resorts:
Europe & North America
See also Ski
Bummin' in the Rockies: A Profile of Twenty Western Resorts and the Ski Bum Lifestyle,
by Gary J. Peterson.
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Copyright © 1996-2006
Steve Hoenisch and Criticism.Com. All rights reserved.
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