Do you have what it takes to be on ski patrol?

What does it take to be on the ski patrol? A lot more than knowing how to ski or ride.

A couple of years ago I went to an orientation meeting for would-be ski patrollers. I wasn’t seriously interested in joining up, since I was already an instructor, but I did want to see what being on the patrol entailed.

To answer one obvious question, yes, the ski patrol includes snowboarders.

Being on the patrol doesn’t require that you be the most outstanding skier or rider around, but you do have to be able to navigate all terrain, and pull someone on a sled at the same time. While you do need to have on-snow skills, that’s not enough.

Though the patrol generally has the power to eject people from the ski area, its main job is not enforcing the responsibility code. (In fact, some ski areas have another group of people with that mission.) The major responsibility of the ski patrol is to administer first aid.

The requirements to become a member of the patrol are rather steep, including extensive book learning, classroom workshops, and on-the-hill training.

To get an idea of what’s required, see the ski patrol page for Devil’s Head, Wisconsin, a small area in the American Midwest. Candidates for the ski patrol there must:

– Attend a 4-hour class each week for 16 weeks, reading 20-50 pages a week and taking quizzes about the material, plus a final exam;
– Take an 8-hour class on CPR;
– Attend 4-hour, on-the-hill training meetings once a week for 12 weeks;
– Take a 4-hour class in how to evacuate people from a chair lift in case of emergency;
– Sign up for a weekly shift during the season;
– Shell out close to $500 for books, materials and supplies;
– Attend refresher training each year.

In exchange for all this work, most members of the patrol receive a season pass, some camaraderie, and the chance to do something they enjoy.