VAIL SUCKS

[BenedictGomez]

Trauma surgeons?

 

[BenedictGomez]

Applicants per open position is kind of a useless argument.

Okay, lets say 75% of them are unqualified (which is ridiculous in this particular case).

They'd still have a 250% covered pool instead of 1000%. Seriously, don't be like ABC just arguing for the sake of arguing.

 

[BenedictGomez]

And the CPI is a hedonically adjusted, goalseeked joke that's not funny.

Ehhhh, I dont know what "hedonically adjusted" means, but if you wanna' toss aside CPI and use whichever version other permutation of inflation metric you want it's still not very good really.

 

[deadheadskier]

Dropping knowledge nukes all over the place in here BG. DAMN!

 

[BenedictGomez]

4th grade division isn't hard.

 

[deadheadskier]

No, but self awareness is for some. Even pro armchair ski patrol directors

 

[2Planker]

Trauma surgeons?

You bet. We also had an orthopedic surgeon, an Oral Maxilofacial surgeon and 2 ER docs.
All working 25+ day per year for free

 

[kingslug]

Standing around with about 10 instructors on high meadow..
Guy comes flying by...jacket wide open...one of those guys...
Yells...now your all rich...
Who..are these people?

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i chuckled at the thought of every nerdy south asian medical student/pre-med in nyc clamoring at the opportunity to be a ... ski patroller.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

You bet. We also had an orthopedic surgeon, an Oral Maxilofacial surgeon and 2 ER docs.
All working 25+ day per year for free

retired/semi-retired?

 

[drjeff]

retired/semi-retired?

You'd probably be surprised at the number actively practicing physicians/surgeons/dentists/etc, let alone white collar professionals, who are involved in patrol, ski school, race team coaching, other ski area "jobs" and it rarely has anything to do with the $$ side as much as it is a chance to combine a bit of what professionally they do with a sport they love being a part of. Kind of a carryover from being in a profession where one of the core tennants is helping others

 

[KustyTheKlown]

i understand why they would want to do it. i dont really understand how most have the the time, unless they are in the backside of their careers and have earned the time. my peers in medicine do not have time to moonlight as ski patrollers. my best ski friend is a hospitalist in denver, 40 years old. his free time is too precious for a 'job'. that said, i do recall a period where his schedule was 10-on, 10-off, so i suppose a motivated 35 year old doctor COULD do that. he chose to ski for fun and have a family life instead lol

i do not see how any 25 year old med student has the time or financial cushion without indepndent wealth

 

[eatskisleep]

Yes, today. F U Vail.

 

[deadheadskier]

I have never seen a more piss poor performance for snowmaking anywhere than what's going on Cat given the weather we have had. Even the year the system had a catastrophic failure resulting in Peak investing heavily the following summer. That year was awful and I almost jumped ship because of it, but they still had more terrain available.

I would be absolutely furious if I still called Cat home. I still am angry watching from a distance. It's comparable to an old mill town that has a new company come in and shutdown the mill and watching the town wither away to nothing.

And there's absolutely zero accountability being taken by Vail. No apologies. Not even lame excuses. It's all good as far as they are concerned. I hope Katz, Lynch and any other major shareholder loses their shirts from this. They deserve to be financially ruined for what they have done.

 

[jimmywilson69]

Its so bizarre. They have to be so far in the red. Cut it loose and focus on Attitash. How many Wildcat Specific Season passes would they loose?

 

[jimmywilson69]

I'd love to make a trip to NH to ski both of those places on my Epic Pass, but its seems like a waste of time unless there is a 4 foot snow storm

 

[AdironRider]

i understand why they would want to do it. i dont really understand how most have the the time, unless they are in the backside of their careers and have earned the time. my peers in medicine do not have time to moonlight as ski patrollers. my best ski friend is a hospitalist in denver, 40 years old. his free time is too precious for a 'job'. that said, i do recall a period where his schedule was 10-on, 10-off, so i suppose a motivated 35 year old doctor COULD do that. he chose to ski for fun and have a family life instead lol

i do not see how any 25 year old med student has the time or financial cushion without indepndent wealth

Practically the entire ski patrol at Dartmouth for example is made up of medical students or practicing doctors and surgeons from DHMC, and they have a line out the door for limited spots. Most do it a couple days a week when they would be skiing anyway. The same applies to almost any other patrol, and out west, they get to throw bombs (those are mostly full timers that get to do that). I don't know many people who don't think that is freaking cool.

I understand this whole convo is basically a proxy fight over distribution of wealth, but at the end of the day, people need to realize that ski patrol is the most desirable position in the ski industry by a long margin. It isn't close. There is high demand for the limited slots. Like it or not, that is going to have an effect on what that position is paid. You aren't going to absolve basic principles of supply and demand because you don't like Vail.

 

[deadheadskier]

Conversely, I have ridden the chair at Whaleback in the past with Patrol when operations were limited and they have said it's due to lack of willing patrol volunteers. Now Dartmouth is a bigger operation and perhaps more desirable to patrol at than WB and PCMR is a different animal all together. The point being, not everywhere has people jumping at the chance to volunteer to patrol.

The biggest thing isn't available talent pool though, it was the timing, size and complexity of the operation. If the strike was November 1st, maybe Vail could have said screw you and moved on. But at the 11th hour, their hands were tied quite a bit.

 

[2Planker]

retired/semi-retired?

Nope. Several started early in their careers, and have been doing it for 25-30 years now.
When I retire from clinical practice, after 35 years, my annual number patrol days will definitely go up.

 

[AdironRider]

Well yeah, having to staff 300 new employees in any role would be a challenge no doubt. That doesn't change that ski patrol is a desirable position.

In terms of Whaleback, they have several operational issues outside of patrol that preclude them from having really many staff at all and only continues to operate due to the generosity of one local benefactor. It certainly isn't due to a lack of patrol. More like their chairlift didn't pass inspection, or their complete and utter lack of snowmaking, or a lack of a functional groomer, or a myriad of other issues before you would need to staff a patrol that keep them from opening. I think they opened for two days so far this year. That isn't due to a lack of patrol.