Whitewater is Recruiting Volunteer Patrollers for the 2019/20 Season

Martin Kuprianowicz | | Post Tag for Industry NewsIndustry News
Volunteer to be a Whitewater patroller. On average, 40 feet of snow falls on Whitewater every year. Credit: Whitewater Ski Resort

Whitewater Ski Resort is searching for volunteer patrollers who are willing to work a couple of weeks out of the season in exchange for a season pass and staff benefits. Hereโ€™s everything you need to know about Whitewater and this sweet opportunity to become an important part of its community.

Whitewater Ski Resort trail map. Credit: Whitewater Ski Resort

Nestled deep in the heart of the Kootenay Mountains of British Columbia lies Whitewater Ski Resort โ€“ a powder playground that receives upwards of 40 feet of snow every year! The ski area is situated just outside of the lovely, die-hard ski town of Nelson, where everyone and their mother are ripping righteously deep powder on any given day of the season.

Nelson is a winter wonderland.
Nelson, British Columbia โ€“ where powder skiers die and go to heaven. Credit: Selkirk Eyecare

On top of ungodly amounts of pow, Whitewater is known for its endless terrain consisting of fun, flowy steeps as well as its absence of crowds. On a midwinterโ€™s pow day you can make fresh turns in zones thatโ€™ll have you feeling like youโ€™re skiing in the backcountry rather than a resort, with no other rippers in sight. The good news is, Whitewater is looking for ski patrollers right nowโ€“ especially new ones.

Whitewater is recruiting volunteer patrollers that will work 14 days out of the season in exchange for a season pass and staff benefits. Itโ€™s a pretty killer way to score a season pass and get to know one of Western Canadaโ€™s best, deepest ski areas. Hereโ€™s what the position entails:

Whitewater has awesome powder skiing.
Steep and deep. Credit: OnTheSnow

The volunteer patroller position at Whitewater is a mentorship opportunityNew patrollers will shadow an experienced Whitewater patroller for 2 days and work a total of 14 days throughout the ski season in exchange for a season pass and staff benefits. Their responsibilities include:

  • Being responsible for providing first aid to injured guests and staff
  • Assisting in risk management and general mountain safety to reduce or eliminate hazards
  • Participating in avalanche safety procedures such as blasting and ski cuts.
  • Lift evacuations
  • Search and rescue operations

Requirements for the volunteer patroller position are:

  • Avalanche skills training level I
  • Either occupational first aid level III or an 80-hour advanced first aid certificate
Ski patrol blasting for avalanches.
A patroller blasting for avalanches. Credit: Alamy

Returning volunteers will also receive additional staff benefits.  If you are interested in volunteering for a season at Whitewater, click here for more details on how to apply for the position.

Ski patrollers save lives. Every day. They make the big decisions on whatโ€™s safe to ski each day and whatโ€™s not. They are the unsung heroes of ski areas everywhere. Yet, the job is not easy nor for everyone.

Being a ski patroller can be high-stress and incredibly physically demanding. However, it is also extremely rewarding, especially when you get to ski chest-deep powder all season long in a place like Whitewater. That gap year youโ€™ve been meaning to take? Well, that may just end up being what you do with the rest of your years.

A ski happy ski patroller.
Got what it takes to be a Whitewater patroller?. Credit: wilmotskipatrol.org

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