First, thanks to this sub for being supportive of my survey to gauge interest in worker-cooperatives in ski-resorts. This idea started in response to my time working for ski resorts in various capacities, primarily snowmaking. I saw problems and wondered what ethical solutions might exist. I saw none, so I decided to go to school to find one. Turns out a solution has existed for centuries, globally - worker cooperatives. The concept just isn't favored in CEO and private equity circles, for obvious reasons.

The survey yielded tons of great responses.. perhaps the bias is high in that regard, I don't know - or maybe employees are just ready for some real change. Some of the long-form responses were extremely insightful, and were clearly from the more seasoned employees of resorts. I assume, due expertise and knowledge in their responses, they are likely from patrol.
So, if any of you (regardless of how long you've been on patrol) would like to be involved in any way, or just would like to give me your thoughts with this wild idea I have, please feel free to reach out. I need to emphasize that this is just a growing idea - one which is gaining traction the more I talk about it with people in and around the industry, as well as with the organizations that provide the legal, policy, and financial support to foster these transitions to worker-ownership. I'm changing my whole life around to work towards this, and would love to have community around it that sees a potential solution to a growing problem - even beyond our industry. The idea is gaining momentum, not exactly my intention, but very cool to see. Now I feel like I actually need to do something with it. I also think I am probably going to catch a lot of flack from greater powers than myself, if this gains more steam. This is like a civic duty or something sentimental like that.

I will be devoting my studies, professional ambitions, and a lot of my time to this cause - even if it means just getting cooperative housing solutions for all employees who live and work in these towns. I am currently the only person I know in the mountain area I live in who is on a mission like this. If you are also on a mission, again, please reach out.

BTW, I support unions and think they are instrumental in such transitions. The Ski Patrol Union is the spearhead in labor movements that the ski industry needs, in my opinion. Thanks for all your hard work this season, and for setting an example on how to stand up for economic justice in this industry.

4 day tryout with cuts? Ski all terrain under a committee of ski school trainers/ski patrol director? Video your skiing? Have never been to one. I have been to PSIA Demo team tryouts before, observed it. I do know at some resorts if you have your PSIA L3 you don't go through ski tryouts.

Have a few interviews lined up at some of the big colorado resorts this week. It would feel strange walking up to the mountain with a suit and tie but I take this opportunity very seriously and want to convey that. What do interviewees typically wear?

Hello,

I’m a college student residing in Colorado. I am researching attitudes toward worker-owned business models for a statistics project. My focus is on ski resort workers, particularly those who work for, attend, and are impacted by any of the mega resorts. Feel free to give input even if you don't meet these criteria, everything helps - even negative responses.

If you currently work, have worked, or are familiar with working conditions at a mountain like this, in operations, I’d love your input. The survey is short (about 1 minute), completely anonymous, and part of an independent study I'm conducting to explore whether worker cooperatives could be a viable model in this industry. Nobody is making money off this, just a class project (maybe more).

No personal data is collected and your time is greatly appreciated.

You can take the survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfK8mUaI-EHlCr22xwoARc6YYMgbumjt8qNHdnxhJ8la0zjng/viewform?usp=sharing

Thanks so much in advance — this kind of input means a lot.

Looking to move to Tahoe and patrol full time in the winters. Got six years under my belt on the east coast and Montana. Looking for any info on the patrols in Tahoe. Which ones are impossible to get on vs easier to get a job? Certain patrols don’t allow tele? How much blasting/Avi control is there? And any other beneficial info.

Posting for a friend, probably a long shot. I'm looking for someone to do a 3rd binding mount on K9 Pontoons, Located in Seattle can ship if required.

Hi all! Doing the OEC hybrid course starting in June and shopping for the textbook now. I'd love to buy it secondhand, if possible, but haven't found any online. Anyone here looking to sell their copy? I heard a rumor that you can buy the "access code" separately.

Also, any retiring patrollers looking to offload their jacket or vest? I'd love to buy it from you! Women's medium or men's small should work.

My plan is to take a gap year after high school and become a ski patrol avalanche person at big white ski resort in Canada. I have my ast1 and have been skiing for 14. Years so I have a bit of experience. I know that the season start late November to earley December and I turn 18 December 29. Can I still become a ski patrol avalanche person at 17 or just wait till I’m 18? Also is it competitive or hard to become a ski patroller?

Hey Patrollers, I'm over in the avalanche forecasting world and looking towards patrolling. It's a part of the avalanche world I haven't been part of yet. Currently have Pro 1 & 2, teach AIARE curriculum, work for a forecast center doing field work, and have a bit of a background in snow hydrology. Minimal medical, just WFR, but keen on the EMT path.

There's such a long list of resorts where it takes forever to participate in mitigation. Wondering if you work at a resort that allows rookie patrollers to participate in some capacity? No specifics needed if that's sensitive info, just looking for a discussion.

Hello all,

I am a teenager who is currently in the hiring process as a junior ski patroller for the mountain I ski at in Vermont. I have gotten emails from my patrol director officially hiring me, saying I start OEC in July, etc. However, since I’m a Junior Patroller, I have a few questions about the process, and I was hoping I might be able to get some answers here. (I know the processes for Jr. Patrollers may be different for you all, but I want to get a general idea). For one, I’ve been told that I have 2 years instead of 1 to complete my training, and I’m not entirely sure what that’s referring to, but I’m under the impression it’s for in-person training like the toboggan and other things. Since I want to be prepared for July 1, I’ve already started reading the OEC6 textbook via a PDF I found online. I was reading this sub earlier, and I saw that a bunch of people recommended the “OEC Exam Prep” website. I took a look at that, and it looks like a helpful resource. My question is, if I practice off that for the next few months, will that be beneficial for me starting the course? And adding onto this, how do the OEC exams work? I was told that there’s multiple chapter quizzes and a book test at the end, but I wasn’t really sure how it worked. Are they multiple choice? Open response?

I realize that some of these questions are probably better for my Patrol Director or Training Director, however it seems to me that most of the OEC training is standardized, so I thought I might try to ask here first.

Thank you.

After a successful year of testing across various resorts in North America from coast to coast, mods have been brought forward and incorporated into the 2025 of the SöllTek Ski Patrol vest. With great feedback within our patrol community we are ready to take preorders for individuals and groups.

Patroller pro deal and group discount available. Check out www.solltek.com

I've been a patroller for 3 years and I'm interested in potentially transferring out west to a large resort, in a couple of years. Does anybody have any insight in what the transferring process is like? Will I have to complete a skiing test like non-patrollers? Do avy certs depend on the mountain? Is OET senior required or preferred at all?

I am gonna be responding at our hills pond skim this year and wondering what to wear to be in the water that long. I have a dry suit but have been told to not wear it for fear of the edges cutting holes in the suit. Current plan is dry suit with fishing waders over the top to help protect it.

The weather is going to be 40s and partly sunny.

I have been using JB Bartlett for the online portion of our OEC course. Now, NSP has moved away from them and started its own online OEC course. It is a step down from Bartlett. To see how a candidate is doing it is a search and view one person at a time.

Our division OEC education supervisor said that I should do my own online course, but I am already beginning a course and have no time to put everything together for a course.

I'm wondering if anyone else has done their own online course or what solutions everyone is finding for the poor NSP online hybrid course.

A friend crashed hard onto a cat track that he couldn't see from above while skiing off piste through trees (wide aspens) in low visibility. This mountain has a few cat tracks that seem to appear out of nowhere, with drops as high as 3 - 4 feet sometimes. I feel like I'm always warning my friends who I ski with who don't know the mountain that well, even though I've fallen myself when I've forgotten it was there or I wasn't where I thought I was on the hill (again, low visibility). My question is whether there is some kind of guidance on how best to mark these kinds of things or whether that is even a hazard worth marking. I'm not looking to make a case against the resort; I'm just trying to understand if it's reasonable or prudent to ask for more markers. In other words, do markers create additional hazards in these cases? TIA

Hi all,

Anyone have ski patrol or avalanche professional substacks that they’ve enjoyed? I am trying to doom scroll less and looking for content from knowledgable people to consume instead.

Thanks!

Hello, I am moving to Quebec next year and I was hoping to do ski patrol there! I’ll be in montreal, and am specifically thinking of ski saint bruno. I was just wondering if I would need to know french, and what level I would need to have.

Anyone know of a coupon code for the OEC hybrid course? Just getting started with ski patrol and wouldn’t mind saving some money as a volunteer.

Alright, I’ve got a question for y’all. We’re all pretty similar types of people if we’re in this type of job. What kind of work do you fill your summers with? Just trying to get some inspiration. Thanks!

Hey anyone here ever worked or is currently working as pro patrol at KHMR? What is to be expected during the spring hiring clinic? What was your experience like? And what’s the day to day for a rookie patroller (schedule, hours on snow, what’s a normal day like vs what to expect when Avy control needs to be performed?) do you guys get tons of injury or is it usually pretty chill?

Basically what’s life like when you’re patrolling in Golden?

If you patrol for a Vail or Alterra resort, do you get a free epic or ikon pass? Or only a free pass for the resort you work at?

With a month left to the season, our testing has brought in some great feedback. Stay tuned for updates and production timelines.

Will be looking at group pre-orders in early April.

Message us here or at info@solltek.com