F Vail

Campgottagopee said:
It's a lifestyle and not a career. Some willingly choose lifestyle over career, they kknow what they're getting into. Ski bums are kings at living off of no money.
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Ramen, gas station hot dogs and PBR for the win!
 
www.koreaherald.com

Instant noodle prices up 11%, sharpest gain since 2009

Prices of instant noodle products rose 11 percent from a year ago in October, the largest jump since 2009, leading an overall increase in food prices, government data showed Sunday. According to the state-run Statistics Korea, ramen prices reached the highest on record last month, growing by...
www.koreaherald.com

I'm getting a sodium hangover just thinking about your ski bumming diet.
 
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I don't think ski bums should expect to make enough to raise a family on either. I think the difference here is that the patrollers theoretically have a better bargaining position than other mountain employees because of the training required. You can't just hire somebody off the street and make them a patroller overnight. I don't know what lift mechanics make at Vail resorts but hopefully its closer to 20 than 14. Thats about where patrollers should be.
 
Brownski said:
I don't think ski bums should expect to make enough to raise a family on either. I think the difference here is that the patrollers theoretically have a better bargaining position than other mountain employees because of the training required. You can't just hire somebody off the street and make them a patroller overnight. I don't know what lift mechanics make at Vail resorts but hopefully its closer to 20 than 14. Thats about where patrollers should be.
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I was tight with the patrollers at Smuggs. None of them had family's and were ski bums. They too chose the lifestyle.
 
I’ve said it before…..the ski industry sold people the “dream” for 3 whole generations….the trope of the dude with the phd washing dishes at night so he can ski every day. The fact that we went along with it has helped suppress wages.

I was a pro patroller for 11 seasons. Started at $7.50/hr……finished at $11.80/hr.

Most seasoned pro patrollers, ime, have support in one of a few ways:

A more lucrative summer season job

A spouse or partner with a better wage/benefit package

Some family money/“unearned” income

Which isn’t to say that there aren’t a few people passing thru the lifestyle for a year or two between college and “real world” who live close to the bone, eating ramen with 16 housemates and what not.

But if you have the mix of hard and soft skills that a good patroller should have (first aid, accident scene command, EMS interface, ability to ski loaded sled in all terrain/conditions, run dispatch during the witching hour, write up sweep, lift evac protocols, knots/ropes, a front line personality with guests,etc, etc), to say nothing of avy work out west…….you have a skill set that could suit you in some more profitable career choice outside of ski town USA. So yes, I agree a choice has been made. But the old ski bum trope is powerful. It still would seem that the “pay” could be more “comensurate” with the skill set.
 
witch hobble said:
I’ve said it before…..the ski industry sold people the “dream” for 3 whole generations….the trope of the dude with the phd washing dishes at night so he can ski every day. The fact that we went along with it has helped suppress wages.

I was a pro patroller for 11 seasons. Started at $7.50/hr……finished at $11.80/hr.

Most seasoned pro patrollers, ime, have support in one of a few ways:

A more lucrative summer season job

A spouse or partner with a better wage/benefit package

Some family money/“unearned” income

Which isn’t to say that there aren’t a few people passing thru the lifestyle for a year or two between college and “real world” who live close to the bone, eating ramen with 16 housemates and what not.

But if you have the mix of hard and soft skills that a good patroller should have (first aid, accident scene command, EMS interface, ability to ski loaded sled in all terrain/conditions, run dispatch during the witching hour, write up sweep, lift evac protocols, knots/ropes, a front line personality with guests,etc, etc), to say nothing of avy work out west…….you have a skill set that could suit you in some more profitable career choice outside of ski town USA. So yes, I agree a choice has been made. But the old ski bum trope is powerful. It still would seem that the “pay” could be more “comensurate” with the skill set.
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Very spot on take from my perspective, clearly spoken from a place of personal knowledge. Everyone I know still working on hill either has a trust fund, or works construction building $2-5 million dollar second homes all summer. Not really a sustainable pool of potential employees if ya ask me.
 
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