 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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| areynolds10 wrote: |
| ... working for a heli ski company which gives you the opportunity of taking empty seats in the helicopter when available (5-6 trips a season by the sounds of it) but the downside of this is that you're in the middle of nowhere so there aren't many other opportunists to ski.... |
I've seen this one "from the other side" over the years. Early this season I rode with an Olympian mogul skier who'd actually ridden more free days (7) than she'd worked, but I'm sure she was exceptional. Probably well connected.
Over a lot of vertical I've ridden with a handful of "staff", all of whom were very pleased to be out, but none of whom I ever rode with twice. And I ride a lot.
I guess I'd just do as much research as you can on what you're actually likely to get, and how you get it. Definitely the people who try harder do better.
Some heli places are very isolated, and guides are significantly higher up the food chain if you're competing for members of the opposite sex. Or the same, I suppose.
Lodges with highway access would be good if you have a vehicle. Then there's scope to do something other than wait for rich people to knacker their knees.
The down side is that those places may also have more "standby" people to pay for any spare seats.
You're more likely to find spare seats at off-peak periods.
I have met... maybe a handful of UK people working at heli operators, so it definitely happens. They've almost all been in none-operational roles - front-of-house etc.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Do some remoter heli ops not rotate staff in and out? So you do a week on, 3 days off etc, I'm sure I skied with someone in Revy or Golden who was on that kind of dealio.
Personally I'd probably look for a resort job because it would drive me nuts to be effectlively trapped in a remote place with lots of people stoked on the great powder etc every day and none available to me. & If I really valued skiing over all else I'd look for evening/night jobs. Competition for waiters/barstaff is high but night porters/auditors and dishpgs not so much.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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If it was me I'd go to a resort as well. Probably one of the smaller / cheaper ones and then plan for the next year.
I was in Nelson / Whitewater the last two years and there were many people who'd "graduated" from whistler and loved the small town thing.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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If your goal is to ski as much as possible it's an easy choice - work in resort. 3 days a week + ski breaks vs 5-6 days per season.
Jobs in bars or restaurants are a good choice. Mostly evening work so all day to ski, plus can make decent money with tips. Usually doesn't include a lift pass though.
One of the big things to look into is accomodation which can be particularly hard to find in some ski towns. Some mountains offer staff accomodation.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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If your just going to be working in resort without the free lift pass buy your season pass as soon as you can.
Resorts staff accommodation differs a lot.
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On the flipside of the smaller place check out public transport/hitching situation to the hill if you don't plan on buying a car. While there is no strict need for a car anywhere - bus schedules do vary.
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Thanks your replies! Sounds like resort work is the way to go! I would definitely be worried about getting cabin fever working for one of the heli skiing companies.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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With CMH the staff work two weeks on and one off throughout the season. They are pretty strict with taking it in turns to pick up a skiers place in the heli and it can happen at any time during the day for anything from one to three or even four runs. I would guess they ski about three to four times a week each. You would need to get yourself organised with somewhere to stay for your weeks off. You would probably be better off in a resort and as others have said maybe a smaller town would suit rather than the biggies like Whistler.
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FAQ
so i'm starting to look at potential ski season jobs in BC. My number one goal is to ski as much as possible! So far i've looked at :
