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Working/snowboarding holiday - where to go, Nelson, Whistler, Banff, other?

 Poster: A snowHead
Poster: A snowHead
Hey all,

I need some help! I want to do a working snowboarding holiday 2010/2011 Winter. I'm from Australia and I'm finishing a university exchange in mid-December and am looking to go to the mountain straight after that and staying til the end of season.

Budget is a concern for me! I need to at least break even after rent, food etc. I hear that the minimum was is $10 an hour so wherever I go needs to be affordable!

Currently a friend and I are looking at either Whistler, Nelson or Banff. I'm leaning towards Nelson, looks like a pretty cool town and reasonably priced. But my friend is set on Whistler, because of the size of the mountain and infrastructure. I'm a beginner so doubt I'd get bored at Nelson (do people get bored there?) but she's not convinced....

Any help would be much appreciated, particularly around costs of any options and availability of jobs after the season starts.

THANKS
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 Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
G'day and welcome to Snowheads.

Firstly you'd fit right in at Whistler, there are plenty of Aussies that can't ski or board there either. Whistler is a poo-poo show but I'm sure you'd find it fun. In terms of expense it's probably the most expensive on your list but then again I have no information about Banff.

Nelson is the complete opposite to Whistler. It's a very cool little town with a seriously hippy feel to it. The skiing can be awesome but it's real draw is the touring. At the moment they only have a couple - as in two - chair lifts that serve a very small ski area. Would you get bored? I think so. I spent 5 weeks there recently and would easily spend 5 months / live there but I am happy to hike everyday for my turns.

I'm guessing but I think you would find it hard to get work in Nelson, although there were lots of your country folk working there last year, so who knows?

In all honesty if you are looking for good time and learn to board probably head for Whistler or Banff. If you want to knit your own yogurt, wear tie dye and smoke god's greenest then go to Nelson but your boarding will suffer...
ski holidays
 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?
Not sure about job prospects, but why limit it to those three?

Not that I'm looking to do the same, but if I were, I'd include KH (Golden) and FAR (Fernie). Both served by towns, so cheaper than a pure resort, and two cool places. Probably Fernie first choice.

Maybe even Revy (not been) or Castle (ditto), but obviously can't offer info on those.

Personally I don't like Banff town, and it's expensive. Whistler is great if you've the folding to party, and can skip the collar, but it ain't cheap, and it ain't Canada.

My $0.02

Oh yeah, welcome to snowHead
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Thanks for your quick replies, I'm glad to be a newbie snowhead!

I hear you can't swing a stick in Whistler without hitting Aussies! I love fellow Aussies, but wouldn't mind meeting a few Canadians as well! The party scene in Whistler sounds hectic, but if I need to work 20+ hours just to pay for rent (I hear it's pretty exxy) then I wouldn't be able to enjoy it much.

Fernie was originally on the list, but I thought because it was a smaller town it might be hard to find work there? I'll put it back on the list and check it out! Haven't heard to Castle or Golden, but I hear that Revy is not a place for beginner snowboarders... Although I'm hoping after a few months I'll be alright at least!

Thanks for your input, already gives me something to think about! Cheers fellow snowheads snowHead
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 Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Advice from a friend of mine who seasoned in alberta, if you're considering Banff, look at staying/working in Canmore instead. Much cheaper as you're outside the national park, plus you're only 15/20 minutes or so from Banff itself. Buy a cheap van or truck for the season and you're away.
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 You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
I wouldn't put Revelstoke on your list for the reasons you mention.

Have a look on http://www.powderhighway.com/
ski holidays
 Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Then you can post your own questions or snow reports...
Go to Whistler with half the population of Oz, as parlor sez its a total s**t show and a money pit but you'll still have a good time. Revy & Kicking Horse aren't really for beginners and unless you're used to very small town nightlife could be a bit of a culture shock.
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 After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
After all it is free Go on u know u want to!
fatbob wrote:
Go to Whistler with half the population of Oz, as parlor sez its a total s**t show and a money pit but you'll still have a good time. Revy & Kicking Horse aren't really for beginners and unless you're used to very small town nightlife could be a bit of a culture shock.


I like the idea of keeping them all in one place rather than spreading them around Canada. How about they leave Whistler though, it's too busy as it is...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
Whistler may have half the population but Europe may get its share, as Aussi dollar buys more euros than ever at pres.
Lots to be said for out of the way places for snowheads while they exist uncrowded

Nelson, think I could diet well on some knitted yogurt and couple of lifts !
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 Ski the Net with snowHeads
Ski the Net with snowHeads
ekaus, good for you for taking the plunge!

I think your odds of finding a job are best if you go to Whistler. It also has tons of green terrain, and if you get a job on the ski hill, you can take tons of lessons for free. Yes, the resort is expensive, but you're only young once. People somehow manage it. (A shared room is generally $400/mo+ in Whistler. Food may cost you $100/week if you don't go out much. Bars, clubs and restaurants can eat as much of your money as you care to spend.) And yes, it's a gong show, and a tourist trap, but it's fun. I'm moving back there myself this winter to teach. The public transit's decent for a Canadian resort, and you're a couple of hours away by bus from Vancouver, which is a must-visit. And there's terrain for all levels--you can always challenge yourself or find an easy run no matter how new or experienced you are. Check out this terrain comparison with other Canadian and American resorts: http://media.intrawest.com/whistler/flash/trailmap/compare.html

If you want to meet more Canadians (...though, as a Canadian, I'm not sure why this is more appealing than meeting Aussies--we're more alike than different) and you want a resort with a decent amount of beginner/intermediate terrain, consider Silver Star or Big White. They are Australian-owned, and I think they offer an easy job process for Aussies. Yes, you'll work with lots of Aussies, but more of the guests are Canadian. Silver Star in particular has a great snowsports school, and it's closer to a town: Vernon. Big White is in some ways larger, but nearly an hour away from the nearest city: Kelowna. And both of these resorts have a couple of bars and clubs. Though nothing on the scale of Whistler, which is a giant resort town.

As a beginner, I would not spend an entire season at Castle, Kicking Horse, Red Mountain, Whitewater (Nelson), or Revelstoke. I'd be wary of Panorama as it doesn't get as much snow and the temperatures get more extreme, leading to more often poorer ski conditions. And I can't speak to Fernie/Lake Louise/Sunshine or the other Alberta hills. I had a friend who worked at Lake Louise for the season--he was quite happy there.

Avoid anything east of Alberta with the possible exception of Quebec in the event that you want an interesting French Canadian experience. Our terrain east of Alberta is generally a lot flatter, smaller, and gets too many warm days which destroy the snowpack leading to short seasons and poor conditions. But Mont Tremblant and Mont. Ste. Anne are neat. Definitely the most "exotic" experience you can have in a relatively unforeign country. (Maybe a trip to Quebec would be in order at the end of your vacation--though it's still around a $600 round trip flight when on sale. And the terrain out there arguably doesn't compare to Western terrain.)

You can see a list of Canadian ski hills here: http://www.goski.ca

Good luck!
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