Misinformation Claims Dominate Negotiations Between Keystone, CO, Ski Patrol Union and Vail Resorts KEYSTONE, CO—On Wednesday, January 22, the Keystone Ski Patrol Union (KSPU) bargaining team met again with Vail Resorts for contract negotiations. The day focused on the company’s first counter to the union’s wage proposal, one day after the company announced a new “mountain complexity” pay incentive for its large non-unionized patrols. The new incentive was presented in the company’s wage […] Industry News SnowBrains | January 26, 2025 1 Comment
Park City Mountain, UT, Cited and Fined $2,500 for Serious Violations Resulting in Death of Ski Patroller On Duty An investigation by FOX 13 News has revealed that Park City Mountain Resort, UT, violated safety standards resulting in an accident that killed Christian Helger, a ski patroller on duty. A Utah Occupational Safety and Health (UOSH) citation rated the violation as “serious.” The 29-year-old was riding the Short Cut chair on January 2nd, 2023, when “a large pine tree […] Industry News SnowBrains | May 22, 2023 1 Comment
Avalanche Buries Patroller at Steamboat Resort, CO A patroller at Steamboat Resort, CO, was caught and buried in an avalanche while performing mitigation work in a closed area on Tuesday, the resort has shared on Facebook. Related: Should We Pay Ski Patrollers More? The patroller was quickly located and dug out by his colleagues, Loryn Duke, director of communications for Steamboat Ski & Resort Corp, told the Steamboat Pilot. […] Avalanche AvyBrains | December 8, 2022 1 Comment
Who Are The Unsung Heroes of Ski Resorts? Who are the unrecognized heroes of ski resorts? The votes are in! According to 183 Facebook comments on the SnowBrains Facebook page in response to the question: “Who are the unsung heroes at a ski resort?” there are three close finishers. The top three unsung heroes all finished within a couple of points of each other: Lift Maintenance, Lift Ops, […] Industry News Riley McDonald | November 21, 2022 1 Comment
Fundraiser Set Up for Mammoth Mountain, CA Ski Patroller Seriously Injured While Working A GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up for a Mammoth Mountain, CA, ski patroller who suffered a severe leg injury while working last week. Scott Wheeler will spend the next few weeks in hospital after suffering the injury while working hard to ensure the mountain was as safe as possible for guests following last week’s storm that dumped over five feet […] Industry News SnowBrains | December 23, 2021 0 Comments
VIDEO: What it Means to be a Ski Patroller at Eldora Mountain Resort, CO [arve url="https://youtu.be/7qnDQSXxIrA"] SnowBrains | April 7, 2021 Likes Tweets 0 Comments
Heavenly Ski Patroller to Swim, Bike, and Run Perimeter of Tahoe Athlete, Heavenly ski patroller, and certified badass, Andi Bertolina, is embarking on an epic Tahoe endurance trifecta- to run, bike, and swim the 73-mile circumference of Lake Tahoe. After learning that a 50-mile ultra-marathon she signed up for was canceled due to Covid, Bertolina sought to create her own endurance challenge instead. Originally, Andi had decided she was only going […] Spencer Cox | September 17, 2020 1 Comment
Sun Valley Resort, Idaho Ski Patroller Set to Retire After 52-Years Service After 52 years on the Sun Valley Ski Patrol, Rich Bingham is set to retire after this season. A farewell party is being held for him at the River Run Day Lodge on April 18 from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm to honor of one of Sun Valley’s most celebrated ski patrollers who spent each winter helping to ensure the […] Industry News SnowBrains | April 12, 2019 0 Comments
Ski Patroller who Fleeced His Colleagues of $5.4-Million Faces Years in Jail after Failing to Repay Them in Full A stockbroker who worked as a part-time member of the ski patrol at Windham Mountain, NY faces a decade in prison after failing to repay $1.2 million he stole in an elaborate scam that targeted other members of the ski patrol, according to Times Union. Marone carried out the scam between 1998 and 2004, prosecutors said. Franklin S. Marone, 55, of […] Industry News Steven Agar | June 25, 2018 0 Comments
Mount Hood, OR Patroller Survives After Being Buried in an Avalanche Whilst Working A Mount Hood ski patroller was buried and seriously injured in an avalanche Wednesday afternoon while working in a closed area of the resort, reports OregonLive.com. A trio of patrollers were working in the area when the avalanche occurred, according to a resort spokesman. The patrollers were boot packing in a closed area of the resort, known as God’s Wall, in […] Avalanche Steven Agar | January 26, 2018 0 Comments
Ski Patrol: One of America’s Worst Paying Jobs According to a study by SkiPatrol.net, Ski Patrollers are among the lowest paying workers in America. Along with Lifeguards, Recreational Protective Services (RPS) workers make less than 97% of US professions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. From SkiPatrol.net: It’s important to note that 90%+ of ski patrollers that are also National Ski Patrol members in the US take no compensation for their work, and do not appear in this category of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. ameliatraynor | March 25, 2015 5 Comments
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