Anyone who calls ski patrollers “fun police” haven’t spent enough time at ski resorts and don’t know what they’re talking about. Will they be the ones to punish you if you’re skiing too fast in a slow skiing area, duck a rope, or enter a closed area? Yeah, but that’s seriously for your safety and the safety of others, and getting to ski in terrain that they patrol and mitigate should be considered a privilege. Ski patroller Xander Hawes is working to dispel any possible “fun police” stereotypes while working at Sun Peaks Resort.
So what does a ski patroller really do? The first and most obvious is helping injured people on the mountain. Whether the injuries are minor or major, ski patrol will be the ones that respond to calls and help skiers and snowboarders down the mountain, in whatever way necessary. Many ski patrollers have a basic EMT certification, and almost all are required to have a Outdoor Emergency Care certification or related medical experience.
They also manage the mountain’s terrain, determining what’s safe to open and what needs to remain closed. This might include anything from putting up closure signs to avalanche mitigation on the resort, making sure everyone can access the most safe terrain possible. They aren’t keeping trails closed just because they want to. If a trail is closed, it’s because it isn’t considered safe for the public, and patrollers are often the ones that figure that out.
There’s a host of other tasks a patroller might be in charge of, from putting up “slow” signs to acting as ambassadors on the mountain. Yes, from time to time they might act as the cop on the mountain. But they’re not doing it because they think it’s fun. They do it because people act recklessly in a way that could hurt themselves or others, and that needs to be stopped.
Becoming a patroller isn’t easy, either. Safety and emergency training is always required, whether that’s First Aid, EMT certifications, or something else. It’s usually pretty rigorous training, and requires a good amount of time and effort. Also, most resorts require potential patrollers to partake in a rather intense ski/snowboard skill test, to ensure they’re actually able to keep up with the work all day.
Many ski patrollers are volunteers, too, or they’re at least not making the big bucks. The fact of the matter is, they’re often the coolest people on the mountain. If they’re taking your pass or punishing you in one way or another, there’s a very, very good chance you brought it upon yourself. Ski patrollers are not the “fun police”, they’re the safety crew.