Alright, so I didn't really read all the posts in this thread, but I figure I know what they are generally talking about. anyways... there are many misconceptions about what being a fully dedicated skier involves. I am a ski bum, I have been since I graduated from high school in 2002 and here's a little reality for ya.
First - if you work for the ski resort, you are nowhere close to free. Working in the winter in general is super lame, the only excuse to work in the winter is if you're on night shift all the time. If you happen to miss one powder day because of prior arrangements then you fucked up. Straight up. What I do is plant trees in the summer/fall (from late april to mid october) which allows me to not work for 7 months a year. I do volly work in the terrain park for the last two months or so of the season to get my pass paid for.
Second - Finding (and holding <-- that's the kicker, now isn't it?) a relationship in a ski town is very much doable. I managed to find a chick in Whistler or all places and had a very fulfilling relationship for 4 years while being a dirtbag skier across the province and running away to plant trees in the summer. That relationship ended about a year and a half ago, and since then I have managed to find yet another chick to be with... and yes, I also found her in a ski town (Rossland), we have now been together for a year and things are good.
Third - Being a ski bum isn't a world full of glamor, it's living a life that society looks down upon, it's living a life where some dude from Australia comes to some Canadian ski hill for the winter, gets a job as a full time lifty, claims ski bum status and starts claiming that he was dropping 20 - 30 ft cliffs in an area that has nothing bigger than 10 ft drops at the most. People talk a lot of shit saying they're ski bums who rip, they make being a legit ski bum hard sometimes because well, they're not really in it for the core skiing, but more "taking a year off" and wanting to experience the lifestyle. With that in mind I usually end up with my in town friends and on the hill friends. I have some in town friends that know not to talk skiing talk with me because I will get mad at them and put them in their place....
Fourth - being a "ski bum" doesn't mean you gotta live in a shit hole full of dirtbags. I live in nice houses with one or two room mates, who half the time don't even ski. That article about the staff housing in Alta is not a healthy way to live in my eyes. Having your own room is key to life, skier or no. If you're going to be a ski bum, dorm living should be your last resort, and while living with shredders is good for motivation in the morning to get up the hill, they may not be the best to actually live with... shit will never get done around the house, and the whole house could get into a bad vibe.
Fifth - If I didn't party or eat out as much, I could easily be saving money while living my ski bum lifestyle. Since I do enjoy the party and eating out I usually end up with no money at the end of the ski season and go into tree planting with my tail between my legs. That being said: if you have the will power to not party 4 nights a week and eat out just as much, there is nothing that separates being a ski bum and living a "normal" life in society. "They" say go to school, get a job and work it for 30 or 40 years, retire, then have fun. You don't have to enjoy your job, you just have to do it. That is what is wrong with your society right now and why everyone in cities hates each other. Based on how our economy is doing right now, by the time most of us hit retirement age, pensions will be obsolete, benefits are gone... in other words: our generation will not be able to retire. So, if you can base your life around not working in the winter so you can ski everyday while still saving money to eventually buy a house one day and after that have enough cash to raise a kid... there is literally nothing that separates you from those that go the socially accepted route... except of course when you both hit 60 you've probably got about 1000X more good memories of having fun doing what you love while they've got stress issues and are probably over weight.
spark notes: you don't have to give up shit to ski. I'd say it's almost the opposite, it's what you're giving up if you don't follow your passion to ski.
