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Working at a ski shop

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Lou.
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 3,876
So I got a job working at a ski shop. I start next monday. Any tips for how to get skiing a lot this season, because I'm worried that they are going to want me on the weekends and I won't be able to ski on the weekends. I am still in HS so I can't ski during the week, and the mountains are to far away so I can't go to work and ski al in one day. How do I still get days in?
Aug 8 2013 9:19AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,397
offer to demo skis and give reviews?
Aug 8 2013 9:20AM
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VD.
Posts: 4054 - Karma: 4,564
Say thanks but no thanks to the offer and get a job at the shop up the mountain. It would be a bit of a dick move though if you start on Monday. Alternatively you could offer to work late after school.
Aug 8 2013 9:30AM
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Pipe_Munky
Posts: 10887 - Karma: 2,165
hate to break it to you but you wont be skiing most weekends. most people think that working in the ski industry means you get to do a lot of skiing. this couldn't be further from the truth especially if you're a high school student.

most shops do the majority of their business on weekends and your job will basically be dealing with families with little kids. that's why you were hired. don't expect to be dealing with freeskiers all day either. that's a treat and might happen once a day during the busy times. you will learn to love little racer kids, beginners, and anyone else your boss tells you to love.

once you've been in the shop long enough and you've carved out a small niche for yourself will you start to get to do the fun stuff like booking personal appointments with families that know you for boots, skis, etc...

not to scare you off of it but don't expect to ski alot this winter if you decide to stay
Aug 8 2013 10:15AM
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-SnowSnoli-
Posts: 756 - Karma: 1,703
if you're in H/S for sure you will get stuck working weekends... So although ski shops are awesome places to work... Weekends are busiest times.

as said above, try a shop on the mountain.. that way you could at least ski on your breaks...

Or get an after school job doing something else and keep your weekends for shredding.
Aug 8 2013 10:29AM
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WVskiing
Posts: 3007 - Karma: 1,948
Just take off weekends or find another job.
Aug 8 2013 11:58AM
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Kretzschmar
Posts: 6691 - Karma: 97,873
honestly, find another job or go work at the mountain shop.

i work at my local shop, luckily I'm in college so free time is not as much of an issue and i live 5 minutes from the hill, but I probably work 3 out of 4 weekends each month and the other weekend I will work saturday 9-5 and sunday our hill is open only till 3.
Aug 8 2013 12:01PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7098 - Karma: 17,027
Yeah you won't get many weekends off but it's an awsome job. You will have to work hard but once you have a few years experience you will be getting all sorts of deals. By then you will be out of school so will have chance to ski a lot and by then you will have load of free kit. Yeah you may not ski much now but that's how life is with a job. See it as a way to an end. You get good at say boot fitting you can go get a job at any resort in the world and ski as much as you want.
Aug 8 2013 1:13PM
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I_Am_Mod
Posts: 13214 - Karma: 3,753
well, if you want to ski in the weekends, working at a skishop is probably not such a good idea...

i've worked in one for 2 years now and weekends and holidays are by far the busiest days ....

i still managed to get in a lot of days because i worked as interim and pretty much picked my own hours and helped them out when they needed an extra hand, this was imho the most ideal schedule i could ask for :)

but for you since your still at school, you can't really be so flexible with your hours ... so just realize that nobody is going to pay you to ski... so you either get out of there and get skiing or work your ass off and make money ....

/hard reality
Aug 8 2013 1:17PM
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JRyder
Posts: 461 - Karma: 29
TO MR. OP:

I am in the same boat as you good sir. I am a highschool student that works at a ski shop 30 minutes in the opposite direction of our nearest ski area. Luckily, my boss is super chill and he asks me what days I want to work in order for me to ski. I tend put in most of my hours after school on the week days in order to only work one day on the weekend and ski the other day. And also I'm lucky enough that my nearest ski area is only 25 min away so I can night ski after school on Tuesdays :p As far as my suggestion to you goes... be honest with your boss and let him know that you want one day off on the weekend to ski. Chances are, he'll give you that day off because you all are working there because you love skiing/boarding. Hopefully s/he'll be chill and let you ski. That's just my advice, Cheers.
Aug 8 2013 1:30PM
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WestonCarrot
Posts: 197 - Karma: 124
My friend worked at a ski shop last season and he was also in high school and during the month of December when the shop was the busiest he only got to ski 4 days. He now says he would never work at a ski shop again.
Aug 8 2013 1:32PM
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dilla_says_go
Posts: 5333 - Karma: 168
get a job instructing or working park crew. that's really the only way you'll be able to get paid to ski. otherwise work a job that you can do at night like deliver pizzas or wash dishes.
Aug 8 2013 2:38PM
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Kretzschmar
Posts: 6691 - Karma: 97,873
if you can get a job instructing, thats probably your best bet. one of my co workers at the shop does that so he can pretty much come and go as he wants
Aug 8 2013 2:41PM
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Balto
Posts: 25985 - Karma: 4,398
Working at a ski shop sucks but can be fun some times. I did all last fall/winter/spring as a boot fitter/normal sales. You deal largely with gapers, and parents who just want to buy something cheep. You will work most weekends if it is a busy shop, I only ever skied mid week really but I'm 20 and not in high school. You can get some nice perks again if it is a good shop. I got one of my season passes for $50 and the other for $200 (normal 300/500), and lots of hook ups on gear.

Honestly I wouldnt do it if you really want to ski, find a job at your local hill and you will have more chances then in a shop. Talking skiing all days sucks when you never get to ski. And when people come in after a killer pow day to get something and tell you about it you want to kill your self.
Aug 8 2013 3:06PM
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Kretzschmar
Posts: 6691 - Karma: 97,873
the worst is when its a bluebird day and 30, WI doesn't get a whole lot of them in winter, and all your buddies are texting you at work saying how awesome it is.
Aug 8 2013 3:16PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7098 - Karma: 17,027
^ yeah it sucks to miss a few pow days but if you work in a resort you can minimise the days you miss. And the days you go to development meetings and come home with a whole new setup of next years gear make it for the few days you miss.
Aug 8 2013 3:56PM
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Kretzschmar
Posts: 6691 - Karma: 97,873
the last part is very true, at least for me at my shop. I got hooked up with this years Domains after my 2 year old ones got core rotted out because my shop hooked it up with the rep. Also, employee deals out the ying yang are a really nice plus
Aug 8 2013 4:04PM
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tomPietrowski
Posts: 7098 - Karma: 17,027
Yeah once you have done it a few years and got your connections you don't need to buy gear and your always on the newest stuff. That also means you can help out development riders by passing on your old gear to them. I always love helping out younger skiers they are always so stoked to get there hands on stuff for free. I would not change my 10 year working as a boot fitter at all.
Aug 8 2013 4:16PM
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Thawg
Posts: 360 - Karma: 542
Getting a job in park crew would be the best bet for skiing everyday. My friend does it and he gets paid to ski all day everyday and occasionally rake the kickers and other small things.
Aug 8 2013 4:18PM
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Peter.
Posts: 23796 - Karma: 13,012
you could try telling them you can't work during the weekends due to some prior commitment, which might work if they have enough staff members and all that
Aug 8 2013 5:07PM
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SterlingArcher
Posts: 2200 - Karma: 2,456
^ there are handfuls of days when you won't get to ski... Or the skiing you do is only to get from A to B and not for fun. Common misconception is park crew just skis/rides all day. False.. those dude bust their asses. Plenty of days when we had rebuilds or a big snow and the next 12-24 hours was spent digging and dozing.
Aug 8 2013 7:58PM
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Titus69
Posts: 9327 - Karma: 17,742
what shop are you gonna be at OP?
Aug 9 2013 2:12AM
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last_tango
Posts: 2635 - Karma: 2,665
Your are going to be working weekends but who wants to ski weekends anyway? Is night skiing a option for you OP?
Aug 9 2013 8:51AM
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Lou.
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 3,876
No :(
Aug 9 2013 10:38AM
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Lou.
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 3,876
Just a local shop

Aug 9 2013 10:39AM
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Lou.
Posts: 1787 - Karma: 3,876
I'm just going to say I cant work sundays because of prior commitment, then just ski every sunday.
Thanks :)
Aug 9 2013 10:40AM
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Thawg
Posts: 360 - Karma: 542
not at my local hill, they might have to work hard 2 days of the week, the rest of the days they just hang out at the hill and have fun. we have less than 40 features at our hill too, so there is not too much that they have to fix up
Aug 9 2013 4:22PM
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SterlingArcher
Posts: 2200 - Karma: 2,456
And that's the difference between living in the rockies and in MI
Aug 9 2013 11:29PM
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Avifarer
Posts: 5926 - Karma: 598
at our shop the part time guys just have to work 1 weekend day. so you should be fine
Aug 10 2013 12:17AM
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