Ski Area Employment

I have been teaching ski lessons at my local hill for many years. I don't have my PSIA level 1(i probably should) but I'm a decent instructor and skier. They like me because I can fill some holes in the schedule and help out during school vacations. In exchange for my work I get a pass, my family gets discounted passes and race team for my son. I also get a discount on food too!

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Lots of good information in this thread so far.

Many moons ago I taught for a season at Ski Roundtop in Pennsylvania. I enjoyed the work; when a student "got it", it was really fun. The free season's pass and other discounts were nice.

The downside for me was that I was effectively working seven days a week December through March. By the end of the ski season, I was just exhausted. i.e., going skiing wasn't fun, it was "going to my other job". "Hey, want to ski Mt. XXX" this weekend? "Can't, I have to work". Stuff like that; it wears on you, or at least it did for me.

The lure of "free skiing" is a big one, and a lot of people find the work rewarding. But like with everything else, there is no "money for nothing".

I'm a volunteer coach, and I get a free season pass. I also get most of one of my kids ski programs paid for. I'm fortunate in that I coach a group of young kids who are really solid skiers, so my time on the hill is still really fun.

I have a friend who instructs at Sunapee, and I believe that they offer passes to additional family members for each year of service.


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wtcobb said:

I volunteer with the adaptive program at Cannon. I volunteer for the whole season, 8 weeks of lessons. In addition to it being an *awesome* program with a great group of people, I get a free season pass. Single day volunteers get a ticket for the rest of the day if they can't make the commitment for the full day/full season.

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Ahh..then you know my friends Tom Norcott and Jacque Dube.

I worked at Stowe for 6 years selling tickets on Saturdays so that I could get a free season pass (which I couldn't then afford).

Selling lift tickets was the best job because you got to stay warm inside, and the key thing is, after 1pm the hills didn't need to keep the same number of agents selling tix as they do at 9am, so to save money they'd ask for volunteers to "leave" for the day. Most people needed the money and wanted to stay on, but this wasn't my full-time job, so I'd leave at 1pm or 2pm and ski for free for a few hours. Other perks included 50% off food, wax/tune discount, and free lessons (which I wasn't smart enough to take much advantage).

I dont recall the details as it didnt apply to me, but I recall Stowe offered additional passes for family members, based on years you worked there as part of their retention-ploy, which was a smart move on their part.

Not sure if this is a factor for you but I know at Stowe you have to piss in the cup and pass to work there....

tumbler said:

Not sure if this is a factor for you but I know at Stowe you have to piss in the cup and pass to work there....

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Narcs!

I was a part-time instructor at Wachusett for a season in high school (the super-low-snow 2011-12). It was pretty fun and I had a decent of time to ski by myself and screw around. However the pay was pretty bad (8 an hour but only for hours you were actually in a lesson) and factoring in the cost of gas I ended up losing money. The free season pass was pretty cool, but the next year I got a job with a shorter commute and just bought a Bronze pass and had way more flexibility.

I worked as manager of the retail shop at a mtn for 6 years. I did not actually work for the mtn, but a outside vendor, however we got all the employee benefits as everyone else.

All employees were issued a free season pass their first year. As years went on you got passes for dependent family members(kids, spouse) based off how many years you worked. If a person did not have a family, they could get a friend a discounted pass. The exact amount varried based on your years worked, but by 3rd or 4th year it was 70% off of the early season rate.

Employees got 30% off of food in the lodge, and a discount in the retail store based off of there level of employment(PT, FT, Manager...)

Discounts on passes to other mtns. Industry rate as it is called.

There is practically NO MONEY to be made as a part time instructor. I forget the amount of hours you worked per week but other than the holiday weeks it was low. A part time instructor was required to be there when assigned, but was only paid while actually teaching a class. Full time instructors were paid the amount of hours they worked, plus a amount based on # of lessons taught. The lessons were ALWAYS given to the full time people first, so often the part timers would spend the entire day at the mtn, and make $0(but get to ski between lineups for lessons)

tumbler said:

Not sure if this is a factor for you but I know at Stowe you have to piss in the cup and pass to work there....

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The Horror.

BenedictGomez said:

The Horror.

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Some people see it as an invasion of privacy.

It's also telling a little of your employer and the environment of the workplace.

Generally it's the companies liability insurance provider that requires the testing.

If you are a regular pot smoker it's probably a bit of a bummer too. Most hard charging regular local skiers toke a little while skiing.

But in the end, it is kind of a "stupid" test. I mean, if you can't stop smoking weed for a couple of weeks or figure out a way to pass a pee test you aren't that bright.

If it's your only way to score a seasons pass I guess you gotta do what you gotta do but if you are really into skiing than working for a mountain is not advised. Working and watching others rip up a powder day is kind of blowing it imo.

raisingarizona said:

But in the end, it is kind of a "stupid" test. I mean, if you can't stop smoking weed for a couple of weeks or figure out a way to pass a pee test you aren't that bright.

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Yes, I agree it's a wonderful, "you're too stupid to work here" litmus test, but it's also to catch drug use as well. Nobody wants a coke-head or heroin junky working for them, especially not while using heavy machinery and safety equipment, and there are plenty of those jobs at ski resorts.

BenedictGomez said:

Yes, I agree it's a wonderful, "you're too stupid to work here" litmus test, but it's also to catch drug use as well. Nobody wants a coke-head or heroin junky working for them, especially not while using heavy machinery and safety equipment, and there are plenty of those jobs at ski resorts.

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That what freek annoying about drug testing. You can due coke and smack a few days before test and not be detected. Smoke herb a few weeks before test and fail.

Just wanted to thank everyone very much for their comments. I really, really appreciate it. There's a ton of great info here that hopefully can continue to serve as a resource for others in the future...

Los said:

Just wanted to thank everyone very much for their comments. I really, really appreciate it. There's a ton of great info here that hopefully can continue to serve as a resource for others in the future...

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You can't leave us hanging like that. Did you decide not to work at a mtn, or get a job already? And if so doing what? We want details!

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