Ski town suicides

[Edd]

Yeah, this is a full on bummer topic but relevant to the forum. Interesting stuff.

http://adventureblog.nationalgeogra...-such-an-alarming-rate/#.V0M1e54scII.linkedin

 

[steamboat1]

Morbid topic. Other sites have been conversing about this for weeks already. Have a ball talking about it.

 

[Edd]

Morbid topic. Other sites have been conversing about this for weeks already. Have a ball talking about it.

Thank you.

 

[deadheadskier]

Years ago, I had a ski bum friend in Stowe take his life. 30 years old, smart, funny, outgoing, but he also was taking anti-depresants. As is the case with most ski bums, he did not have health insurance. His old man helped with the cost of the medication. He and his dad had a falling out and he went off the meds, and within months his girlfriend left him and he said goodbye.

I bring this up because I imagine the high incidence of suicide with ski bums probably has a lot to do with lack of access to medical resources by people who can often tend to be searching for themselves and vulnerable.

If you've ever lived full time in a ski bum town, living the ski bum life, you know the type of transient soul searching people I'm talking about.

The reason I left Stowe and the ski bum lifestyle was the recognition that it's really hard to "make it" in the sense of having stable income, benefits and housing. To make it work you either need to not care about such things, carve out a small niche with the talents you have or have other sources of financial resources outside of your seasonal employment.

Looking back, I'd say 60% of my friends that remain in Stowe now 15 years later fall in the latter category with family money, 25% found a niche with their talents and 15% struggle nightly and could be heading down the life taking path whether intentionally and violently or unintentionally by chemical abuse.

Skibummin ain't easy and rarely is as glamorous as some would expect it to be.

 

[darent]

suicide is the dark side to resort town living, whether a ski town or tourist town. high cost of living , and all the things DHS mentions.The Cape and Islands have their share of suicides .

 

[SIKSKIER]

I dont know about this one.You could probably find that these same towns have a way lower murder rate compared to the suicide rate also.Is that more comforting to ski town residents?I think I'd take living in a lower crime area and not worry so much about whos going to take his own life.Does a couple suicides in some of these areas,which calculate into a higher rate,really have that much meaning?Not trying to be cold about this but I wonder about how relevent these numbers really are.

 

[dlague]

I dont know about this one.You could probably find that these same towns have a way lower murder rate compared to the suicide rate also.Is that more comforting to ski town residents?I think I'd take living in a lower crime area and not worry so much about whos going to take his own life.Does a couple suicides in some of these areas,which calculate into a higher rate,really have that much meaning?Not trying to be cold about this but I wonder about how relevent these numbers really are.

It would be interesting to see what the crime rates are. You do have a point to some degree. With suicide it is that person's life with murder/homicide it is the other persons life that definitely did not want it to end that way.

 

[tumbler]

I dont know about this one.You could probably find that these same towns have a way lower murder rate compared to the suicide rate also.Is that more comforting to ski town residents?I think I'd take living in a lower crime area and not worry so much about whos going to take his own life.Does a couple suicides in some of these areas,which calculate into a higher rate,really have that much meaning?Not trying to be cold about this but I wonder about how relevent these numbers really are.

Crime rates are actually pretty high. This is to fuel the drug (herion) problem that is out of control.

 

[steamboat1]

Crime rates are actually pretty high. This is to fuel the drug (herion) problem that is out of control.

What the heck is herion?

 

[Not Sure]

Years ago, I had a ski bum friend in Stowe take his life. 30 years old, smart, funny, outgoing, but he also was taking anti-depresants. As is the case with most ski bums, he did not have health insurance. His old man helped with the cost of the medication. He and his dad had a falling out and he went off the meds, and within months his girlfriend left him and he said goodbye.

I bring this up because I imagine the high incidence of suicide with ski bums probably has a lot to do with lack of access to medical resources by people who can often tend to be searching for themselves and vulnerable.

If you've ever lived full time in a ski bum town, living the ski bum life, you know the type of transient soul searching people I'm talking about.

The reason I left Stowe and the ski bum lifestyle was the recognition that it's really hard to "make it" in the sense of having stable income, benefits and housing. To make it work you either need to not care about such things, carve out a small niche with the talents you have or have other sources of financial resources outside of your seasonal employment.

Looking back, I'd say 60% of my friends that remain in Stowe now 15 years later fall in the latter category with family money, 25% found a niche with their talents and 15% struggle nightly and could be heading down the life taking path whether intentionally and violently or unintentionally by chemical abuse.

Skibummin ain't easy and rarely is as glamorous as some would expect it to be.

I had a young relative head to Vermont years ago with an illusions and certain expectations . It only lasted a year before he broke up with his girlfriend and ended up coming home broke and disillusioned , if he didn't have a parental safety net I think things may have been a lot worse .
Being in management did you meet a lot of unprepared people in you experience ?

 

[deadheadskier]

Unprepared in what regard? Financial reality?

 

[Not Sure]

Unprepared in what regard? Financial reality?

Yes that would be number one but also goals , short term long term , not sure how in depth your job interview process was.

 

[deadheadskier]

Most of the time you're looking for warm bodies for the seasonal jobs. It got a bit better with improvements in technology and being able to shut off someone's pass when they wanted to ditch work on powder days. The reality was at most places was from Xmas week through Presidents week, the staff kind of has management by the balls. If you fire someone, there's not going to be anyone to replace them. So, the strategy becomes identifying the most reliable talent who is willing to work lots of OT when needed and pay them a bit better.

Most didn't prepare well for off seasons with saving. The reality is even in a place like Stowe, you're basically out of work April 1st until Memorial day. The ones that saved money and could live off that and a tax return made it to summer. (And became supervisors) :lol: The rest moved on.

 

[witch hobble]

Sad when someone who no doubt moved to "paradise" to "live the dream" winds up thinking there is no way out.