 Poster: A snowHead
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I will confess I haven't read all the historical postings on this subject so I don't know how strong feeling is about whether reps are worth the membership fee. My view has always been that they are, even if you don't use any other club facilities. I've skied with a few, all have increased my enjoyment of my holiday. However, I've just spent two weeks in Whistler where the Ski Club rep was outstanding. The first week there was just me and Mr. Scream ski-ing with him; we're fairly boring intermediate skiers and I would certainly not have blamed the rep for wanting to go off and do some exciting stuff on his own - especially as he'd only just arrived in the resort and hadn't been there before. However, he insisted on sticking with us, he was a brilliant companion and stretched us just the right amount. The following week there were a few more people, and it was a great mix. Apart from all this, there is a lovely man in Whistler (I hope you're reading this Colin!) who puts the ski club rep. up under what sounds like luxurious conditions, and provides a guiding service a couple of days a week. Apart from making it much more comfortable for the rep, presumably this also saves club members the cost of the rep's accommodation. But the piece de resistance was when he accompanied us said mediocre skiers and gave us an unofficial tuition session - some of the best and most inspiring instruction I've had for a long time.
The two of them transformed a great holiday into an outstanding one. Thanks to both of you if you see this.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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scream, Bravo & Well done! Great post. I can only add that all of my experiences with Ski Club Reps have been similar to yours!
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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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scream, off to Whistler next week. Hopefully they can find us the best snow.
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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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scream, nice to have something positive about the SCGB and their Reps. But I think the resort pays accommodation costs and not the club itself. That is why some of the snow reports sometimes tend to be on the blandish side - best conditions are on the upper slopes. Difficult for a rep to tell the whole truth about the hand that feeds him.
Helen Beaumont, have a good trip. 
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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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kuwait_ian, thanks!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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scream, ditto praise - I've never had a bad day with a SCGB rep thus far. They seem to be able to judge difficulty very well and put together an itinerary and options that ensure everyone feels like they've had a hard workout without being terrified.
Must say that when I've skied with SCGB guides I've always felt completely happy with their choices and service (never once worried that they would leave me stranded, lost, or out of my depth, which other guides have done to me). 
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Just spent 6 days with Siobhan Duffy the ski club rep in Banff and had a great time and did lots of tough runs I wouldn't normally do. Siobhan adjusted the day as to suit the skiers with her well to ensure all were happy. Siobhan does not have the luxury of nice accommodation she is in the staff accommodation for the hotel where she hold her meetings.
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scream,
Colin from Whistler here, blushing furiously!  Glad you enjoyed your time here and that the rep, Mike Valentine was up to scratch, I watched his skiing improve markedly over his 3 weeks. Sometimes having the same conditions day after day (as in the hardpack we had here) actually gives folk a chance to hone their skills much faster than when the conditions change every day.
Since this is about reps, I'll say that I've been a member for about 45 years(!)  and have only met one 'bad' rep. I have been taking the rep and their members out once a week for nearly every winter week in the last 20+ years and am always most impressed with their attitude and love of the mountains/skiing. Besides their enjoyment of skiing with members of all levels of skiing, they invariably want to learn more about the mountains and snow safety, which is my speciality. I'd be happy to go skiing with any of them.
kuwait_ian,
The cost of the rep is sometimes paid for by the resort (mainly the old traditional ones where the club is 'understood') and sometimes by the Club.
Geting a rep respected and accepted here in Whistler has been a hard battle, and although the area provide a lift pass, the Ski Club pays for the reps accomodation. My partner Frankie Rees (ex rep, I stole her from the Ski Club the winter she repped here  ) and I try to charge at 'cost' and I hope that the members who ski with the rep here appreciate the time and effort Simon, Caroline and others at the Club put in, against strong resistance from companies like THOMPSO*S (who repeatedly object to there being a rep here) to keep the reps in place.
On a totally different subject, it is finally snowing here, dumping for the last 4 days, so anyone heading this way for Easter should have fun. 
Aloha!
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