Career In the industry

[Sparky]

Anyone out there that actually makes a real living in the ski industry and still gets to ski?
If so what type of job do you have or would recommend?

 

[Terry]

I don't but my son works in the garage at Sunday River doing groomer repair, and when the garage is slow, does grooming. He didn't ski a lot this year, but I got him off to Sugarloaf for a couple of days in march. Had a great time and was nice to ski with him again.

 

[nelsapbm]

Give Chris Bradford at Crotched a call or email. He recently jumped from a tech job to a ski resort job. He should be able to give you a bunch of pointers/advice.

 

[deadheadskier]

I managed restaurants / food outlets at ski areas for three years. Those three years represented the least amount of skiing I've ever done. Managers of other departments didn't ski all that much either. Its a grind and the time commitment is enormous.

Now, I've also been a bartender in a ski town and have skied 100 days in a season doing that.


If you want to work in the ski business and ski a lot, you'll have to settle for being a line level employee. If you choose to be a manager, getting more than 1 day a week on the hill, probably isn't going to happen.

If your goal is just to live in a ski town so that you have the option of skiing frequently, I'd pursue other professional options - nursing offers numerous job opportunitiies anywhere in the country, another option would be real estate. Off the top of my head, those two specific careers have demand in ski towns.

 

[NYDrew]

I'm moving to smuggs in december, I was invited to work full time there. If you can live simply, you can live well. Apx paycheck is about $400 after taxes but you can only free ski for an hour at the end of the day and on your days off.

In the past, I have generated plenty of spending money working part time at other mountains. If your dedicated, an instructor can survive financially so long as you have off season work.

 

[skibum1321]

I'm moving to smuggs in december, I was invited to work full time there. If you can live simply, you can live well. Apx paycheck is about $400 after taxes but you can only free ski for an hour at the end of the day and on your days off.

In the past, I have generated plenty of spending money working part time at other mountains. If your dedicated, an instructor can survive financially so long as you have off season work.

I don't think I could handle living around Smuggs. The Jeffersonville area doesn't have a whole lot to offer other than numerous outdoor activities. On a shitty day or at night I would be bored out of my mind. But that's just me.

 

[NHpowderhound]

I have spent many nights trying to figure out this problem of working in the industry and still be able to ski. In my opinion, it just doesnt work in most situations. Lots of sacrifices have to be made to be able to ski.
But I think I have a plan that may work. Unfortunately for you guys I'm not giving it up :wink: .
((*
*))NHPH

 

[ski_resort_observer]

The reality of it is that except for a few on snow jobs like ski patrol, instructor, ambassadors(no pay), event staff, your gonna mostly ski on your day off just like common folk..lol

Problem is that for many resort employees during the best skiing times your working 6/7 days a week and when you do get a day off, especially if your job deals with lots of customers all day long, you want to be somewhere else than at the resort.

In the 22 years that I worked at 2 resorts many of the groomers and snowmakers I knew were locals who had no interest in skiing, they preferred snowmobiling. Great people! I remember one guy had this t-shirt that said..."the toughest decision I will make today" then below it had about 20 beer logos...that always cracked me up.

Years ago you didn't have to work for the resort to get a season pass, many employees of local motels/hotels, bars and restaurants got them as well. I think that has totally changed these days. Bummer

 

[riverc0il]

i will echo what other people have said. most people that work in the industry except those who's job actually involves skiing on a day to day basis don't seem to log a huge amount of days unless you count one or two runs per day during breaks or something. i considered it and discarded the idea almost immediately. most ski area jobs are seasonal, the year round jobs are tough to find and you'll likely need to do seasonal jobs first before being considered for a full time position. if you are interested in skiing a LOT, my advice would be relocate to ski country and find a job that is flexible with vacation day schedule so that when it dumps, you take a vaca day. the other problem with working at a ski areas if you REALLY love to ski, is you watch everyone else skiing when you can't, you have to work AND watch other people ski. that would kill me.

 

[AdironRider]

I plan on working my ass off like 70 hours a week the summer I get out of college. Save up enough dough so I can just move out west, buy a pass, and say screw it, Im skiing everyday. No job for as long as possible for this guy.

I looked at it this way, any time spent working is less time spent skiing, and for a guy fresh out of college, that just isnt going to cut it next year.

I couldnt stand working full time in the ski industry as Id never really get to see the fruits of my efforts, and Id probably kill myself by the second pow day spent in an office at the base of a mt.

 

[ski_resort_observer]

For many ski towns out west getting decent housing is the toughest nut to crack. Your plan sounds workable cause when you run out of cash there is plenty of work available. Check the recent job listings for Jackson Hole, for example. As a result of the constant labor shortage you might be surprised at what they are paying out there.

http://www.jacksonholenews.com/ click on the classified link

 

[NHpowderhound]

I knew a guy who sealed driveways 8 days a week during spring, summer and early fall and took the entire winter off to ski all over North America. But that involved tons of planning and lots of sacrifices during the off months..
((*
*))NHPH

 

[AdironRider]

IMO it would be worth it for the best ski season of my life. Ideally Id be working from the middle of May when I graduate till the end of Sep. Id pack it in after that and then just go out west. Right now its a debate between Tahoe and Jackson, but Id jsut go out there and sleep in my car, etc till I found a cheap place. Hopefully Ill be able to find a studio or soemthing for cheap and then Ill just rip. I think around 10-12k would be doable if I slummed it down with ramen noodles for dinner.

 

[dmc]

If I was going to do a ski bum thing... I'd drag a drumset and a guitar out to Summit Co. or Tahoe, and play music at night and ski all day...

 

[deadheadskier]

I plan on working my ass off like 70 hours a week the summer I get out of college. Save up enough dough so I can just move out west, buy a pass, and say screw it, Im skiing everyday. No job for as long as possible for this guy.

I looked at it this way, any time spent working is less time spent skiing, and for a guy fresh out of college, that just isnt going to cut it next year.

I couldnt stand working full time in the ski industry as Id never really get to see the fruits of my efforts, and Id probably kill myself by the second pow day spent in an office at the base of a mt.

I've told this story before on here

I did this one winter. Though it was after dropping out of college, not graduating . I did later go back to graduate.

Best winter of my life. 95-96 ski season at Stowe. Me and five other guys who played music together paid upfront for a three bedroom classic A-frame house for six months. It was a great deal - $1200 a piece. We all worked a week at Stowe, quit and kept or passes - this was back when they didn't care, these days they scan and cancel your pass when you or they terminate your employment. EPIC winter. 335 inches with no real thaws - snow got to 137 inches deep at the stake. I worked a couple of odd jobs for a week here or there to save up some extra spending money, but probably only worked 50 days out of that six months and got 120+ days on the hill.

I had one more major ski bum winter after I graduated - the 2000-2001 season only this time I managed a bar in town at night and got in 100+ days. That winter most recall saw 350+ inches at Stowe and 590 at Jay which I skied many times.

In all honesty I truly lucked out. The two winters that I happened to cast either school or career responsibility aside were perhaps the two best in the past twenty years in terms of snowfall.

So, I say go after that dream of yours and stick to your plan. You only live once and ya gotta take advantage of your opportunities when your young before other life responsibilities come into play - career, mortgage, kids etc

 

[DJAK]

Most major eastern resorts have a seasonal role of "snow reporter".

Your job is to tell everyone why to come skiing via phone, web, fax, and hard copies on a multiple times daily basis. If you can write well and like/know about skiing it'll get you on snow every day you want to be. First chairs are a must on pow days because the snow reporter needs to take photos when the snow is at its best/looks the deepest. The eastern office jockeys are clicking away waiting for pics for snow total proof and to get psyched for the weekend. Watch the resort job web pages in October/November.

You'll also learn a ton about running ski area very quickly.

Out west this role doesn't exist in the same fashion, Western skiers don't crave minute by minute stats and comparisons on trails, grooming, or snow totals nor do they shop around for the sweetest smell prior to the weekend in a manner that eastern skiers do.

I know a recent snow reporter and while not the best person to be around when it rains, overall she seemed to enjoy the gig this past season. And she skied A TON.

 

[AdironRider]

What the pay? Just a free pass Im assuming.

 

[meat]

Most major eastern resorts have a seasonal role of "snow reporter".

Your job is to tell everyone why to come skiing via phone, web, fax, and hard copies on a multiple times daily basis. If you can write well and like/know about skiing it'll get you on snow every day you want to be. First chairs are a must on pow days because the snow reporter needs to take photos when the snow is at its best/looks the deepest. The eastern office jockeys are clicking away waiting for pics for snow total proof and to get psyched for the weekend. Watch the resort job web pages in October/November.

You'll also learn a ton about running ski area very quickly.

Out west this role doesn't exist in the same fashion, Western skiers don't crave minute by minute stats and comparisons on trails, grooming, or snow totals nor do they shop around for the sweetest smell prior to the weekend in a manner that eastern skiers do.

I know a recent snow reporter and while not the best person to be around when it rains, overall she seemed to enjoy the gig this past season. And she skied A TON.

I've never heard of a snow reporter to just be a snow reporter. I know at Jay and other places the snow reporter/potd taker have other "real jobs" on top of just reporting. I know Brian at Jay who takes the potd, goes out and takes a run or two when he can (usually morning) takes photos then goes back to the office for the day.

sounds like a cool job of just snow reporting, sounds like it exists somewhere, sounds like a damn sweet job.

a great way to ski everyday and make money is to bartend or serve tables. usually don't have to work til the afternoon, can ski most of the day and bring home some nice $$$.

 

[snowmonster]

Another alternative is to take a teaching job at one of the colleges or universities in the Northeast (if you can swing it). Your class meets twice or thrice a week and you can schedule your office hours during the week so you have a free day built in midweek. Since your weekends are free, there's a possibility of skiing weekends and at least one weekday. Plus, you get all school vacations and spring break off. The pay is enough to keep you alive and a teaching stint always looks good on a resume for future use. It's not a ski industry job but it's a good way to get your turns and make a living. Perhaps that college near Pats Peak needs a new history lecturer!

 

[Vortex]

I worked in the marketing Dept of a ski area in the 80's. I made a decent living for a single guy. I got the pink slip 3 days before my wedding. That was the end of the ski industry for me. I enjoy skiing know more than I did when I could go 100 days without even thinking about it. I never had seperation between working and skiing. Good luck its good for some and hard for others.