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Ski Bumming or Weekend Warrior?

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vinnypaz
Posts: 146 - Karma: 540
Ski bumming allows you to ski every fucking day but poor as a crackhead,
a weekend warrior will miss some crazy pow day but can afford new gear.
What do you guys think is the best?
Nov 20 2013 9:10PM
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TheLastMohican
Posts: 26 - Karma: 135
all the ot i collect is accumulated and used as sickday pay.

powder day comes im suddenly ill
Nov 20 2013 9:13PM
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MartianMan
Posts: 1101 - Karma: 2,098
And a home that includes a bathroom.
Nov 20 2013 9:16PM
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DaewonS
Posts: 717 - Karma: 104
part time work is kinda the best of both worlds. work like 3-4 days a week ski the rest. have decent gear
Nov 20 2013 9:21PM
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MAWman
Posts: 142 - Karma: 49
Ski bum all the way!
Id rather ride every pow storm on ok gear,
then ride when its packed and theres no snow on ill gear!
Nov 20 2013 9:22PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
I'll never get over the misconception that ski bums are poor. Maybe your first or second year of ski bumming you're poor 'cause you don't know any better, but trust me when I say that almost all ski bums I know have plenty of money for rent, food, partying, travelling, new gear, etc... it's not like we're actual bums living on the streets.

Sure, you CAN be a dirtbag living in a car, eating ramen noddles 3 meals a day, clipping tickets off tourists to get up the hill in the afternoon, but that doesn't really sound like fun, does it?

It's not like 'us' ski bums don't work, we just organized our lives so that we can ski as much as possible, besides that, we're normal people who contribute to society like everyone else.
Nov 20 2013 9:28PM
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fghtoffyrdmns
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 6,812
i live in summit county and i work 40 hours a week and can ski 4 days a week so im not exactly homeless.  there is a middle ground dude.
Nov 20 2013 9:33PM
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galardogod
Posts: 1693 - Karma: 5,115
I hit ski once a week due to school
Nov 20 2013 9:44PM
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walterson
Posts: 450 - Karma: 2,373
i like this guy
Nov 20 2013 9:48PM
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Ray.
Posts: 426 - Karma: 443
work all summer, ski all winter
Nov 20 2013 9:49PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,956
What? how?

Unless you are counting night skiing which would be dope. Work in the mornings, ski keystone afternoons and night, and ski full days on weekends.
Nov 20 2013 9:52PM
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vinnypaz
Posts: 146 - Karma: 540
What's your work schedule?
i'm interest to know how your closing your month if you ski 5+ days a week
Nov 20 2013 10:21PM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
I work from mid April to mid November, take winters off.
Nov 20 2013 10:34PM
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BomTurns
Posts: 24 - Karma: 86
Ive been living in the bushes above the park at my hill for the last two years....  not quite sure what i am
Nov 20 2013 10:41PM
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STAUSS
Posts: 8232 - Karma: 3,311
whatever you're doing make sure you're loving life.
Nov 20 2013 10:42PM
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Static
Posts: 8484 - Karma: 4,033
bum life
Nov 20 2013 10:44PM
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fghtoffyrdmns
Posts: 2987 - Karma: 6,812
i work ten to 11 hours teusday through thursday and can't ski, but the next two days i work 4 hours from 2 til 6 and get four hours each day, then i have the next two days off so i can get almost a full day 4 days out of the week.  when nightskiing opens ill definetly ski a bit more which is dope.
Nov 20 2013 10:46PM
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RoofDaRoofieDogg
Posts: 3090 - Karma: 1,989
I skied your mom's bum with my warrior on the weekend OP
Nov 20 2013 10:47PM
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bigbromskier
Posts: 1175 - Karma: 330
I'm a ski bum I suppose. Slept on the floor behind a couch in our upstairs hall for two months last winter, now I have a room though. Skied 5+ days a week usually working 40-50 hours, but this summer I averaged 30 hours. I also took two separate week-long trips to oregon in the spring, put a new timing belt in my car, and got new boots and jacket and went to Colombia for 2 weeks this fall, plus a few trips to SF/SC and obvious living expenses.

If you have a job in mind that you really want to do and/or you feel the need to make a lot of money, which won't come at first for most jobs, then go for the 'weekend warrior' route.

But as a 'ski bum,' working in the service industry is great! I rarely have to grocery shop cause I get meals at work, and a lot of times I'll get free drinks/food from other people in food service. I golfed free all summer and worked in a beautiful place and didn't have to be up early every day. This winter I work at two resorts, mostly nights, and my passes work at 10 other resorts throughout CA, UT, CO, not to mention all the discounted tickets at whatever other resorts. Plus discounted food and retail. But the best part is the flexibility; I usually make enough $ to do fun trips etc in the spring/fall dead season when there isn't much work and it's usually not difficult to get time off to do fun things that a 'real job' may not deem reasonable for time off.

I have a degree and want to go to grad school and make a solid career out of it eventually, but there's plenty of time for that. Choose your passion; it's not always easy, but as said above you're only poor if you're doing it wrong.
Nov 21 2013 12:58AM
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nutz.
Posts: 3150 - Karma: 6,712
you work for vail huh
Nov 21 2013 1:14AM
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Nieds
Posts: 832 - Karma: 1,926
What is your occupation in that time?
Nov 21 2013 1:45AM
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TRASHTALK
Posts: 324 - Karma: 493
this is real talk! and I actually read it all!!! hooray!
Nov 21 2013 1:52AM
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gagerandall
Posts: 3 - Karma: 12
ski bumming is way better you will be poor but you can do odd jobs and it would definitly be worth it

Nov 21 2013 9:56AM
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MattL_RG
Posts: 51 - Karma: 515
I guess I would say I'm in between. I don't ever ski on the weekends but I would say I'm a weekend warrior in the sense that I only go once or twice a week.

My system is that I work all year-round at an insurance company and my agreement with them is that I get 1 weekday off per week to go hit the slopes. They're cool with that. I've had 3 jobs since I've been a skier and all 3 have allowed me to have 1 weekday off every single week. Skiing once a week is plenty for me. I think if I skiied every single day, I would take it for granted anyway. Plus, I live 3 hours from my resort. Skiing every day would put WAY too many miles on my car and would cost a fortune in gas.
Nov 21 2013 10:53AM
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Drail
Posts: 14011 - Karma: 10,001
Silviculture. Meaning tree planting, brushing (cutting trees down), and burning slash piles
Nov 21 2013 12:33PM
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billtro11
Posts: 304 - Karma: 49
i live on snowmass mountain and have 2 jobs that pay the bills and allow me to ski 5 days a week
Nov 21 2013 12:48PM
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lukaturtle
Posts: 98 - Karma: 103
It's definitely possible to ski everyday and not be broke ass. I've lived in some old ass places but they've never been that bad. Ive done the night job thing and that was sweet, got to actually ski every day. Most seasons I teach skiing or coach. This means skiing everyday but sometimes that's only on the beginner area. to some people that's not worth it but I would still prefer that to not skiing at all. I think what enticed me to post the most was the idea that ski bums can't afford new gear. This last year I skied 196 days (so close to 200 damnit) worked pretty hard and could afford some new Bibbys this season. I guess my point is that don't let the misconceptions of ski bums being broke stop you from skiing everyday. Just ski everyday and you'll figure out the money part after. Once you start breaking 100 days a season you won't even worry about money.
Nov 21 2013 1:01PM
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Woodhouse
Posts: 390 - Karma: 160
I have been thinking about it and considering taking a year off after university.

The way I see it, is if you get some decent, durable gear to start off with, it shouldn't be too bad, and all your money goes to food and rent after your season's pass.

If you ski literally every day, you really don't have anywhere else to spend your money, especially if you use public transportation (some mountains offer it) or staff housing. Cut your drinking to a night or two a week, buy bud in bulk with other people, and make friends.

I think there can be somewhat of a happy medium, as long as you work your ass off in the summer and are prepared to take night shifts etc.

Nov 21 2013 1:16PM
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UncleGerry
Posts: 1291 - Karma: 1,377
Ski bummed for 4 years out of college, it was cool and all since I got to ski a shit ton but it definitely gets to suck after awhile because you either add up a whole bunch of debt or you are not making enough to pay off any debt you have. Not to mention you just begin to feel like a waste of life because you've been partying every day for years on end.

I guess you could consider me a "weekend warrior" now. However, I was lucky enough to land a job that enables me to work from home as much as I want. So home can be a condo at the base of the mountain for weeks at a time in the winter. I win.
Nov 21 2013 1:20PM
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SFBv420.0
Posts: 2539 - Karma: 3,124
ya wanna b a skibum
make your life revolve around gearin up and going skiing
wanna b poor as a crack head
don't do much else
wanna have shitty gear
don't make an effort to acquire better gear
do i need to post a picture of my quiver in the mancave of the 7 bedroom 3700 sq ft 3 shitter mormon manshion fixer upper at the mouth of the lcc to further prove this silly misconception that
skibums are skilless ramen eating unmotivated poor slacker fucks?

Nov 21 2013 1:28PM
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slav_slayer
Posts: 476 - Karma: 1,821
Weekend Warrior.

I like getting up at 4 in the morning to drive to PA and ski from opening to close than drive back home and sleep in my bed :^)
Nov 21 2013 1:30PM
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Se7en
Posts: 467 - Karma: 41
Start a business, get people you trust to run it for you in the winter, fix everything that breaks when theres no snow, go skiing everyday.

Or at least that's what I do.
Nov 21 2013 3:39PM
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RoofDaRoofieDogg
Posts: 3090 - Karma: 1,989
You're living the life man.

Click for larger image
Nov 21 2013 3:41PM
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Se7en
Posts: 467 - Karma: 41
I'll never own a Ferrari but living in Breck and having your winters off isn't all bad.
Nov 21 2013 3:53PM
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coling
Posts: 1086 - Karma: -3
Im society's worst enemy tho
Nov 21 2013 4:13PM
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rach
Posts: 917 - Karma: 507
I think it depends on where you're at in your life. I personally plan to ski bum this winter, and more winter's down the road. However, if you are nearly 30 and have NO financial security due to your ski bumming, I'd say its time to reconsider.

That said, I think there are ways (if you play yours cards right) to ski very frequently and make decent money. By decent, I mean you are not living paycheck-to-paycheck and you have good benefits.

Usually, that'll require having some sort of education, and likely working in the ski industry, or in an industry that provides some leniency.

But more generally, do whatever the fuck makes you happy.
Nov 21 2013 5:07PM
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mski
Posts: 4791 - Karma: 3,803
I ski for work, what would that be?

Nov 21 2013 5:14PM
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,028
GI bill paying rent and school and a part time job I'm hopingfor 3 days a week with night skiing. Plus every pow day in NY
Nov 21 2013 5:21PM
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mowglii
Posts: 545 - Karma: 339
stay with mommy and work full time in vancouver may-october and bank every cent except car insurance and gas. Then live in whistler 6 months nov-may skiing every single day. Just turned 20 so I have atleast a couple years of this before I get a real job and shit. Couldn't be happier
 
Nov 21 2013 5:35PM
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MartianMan
Posts: 1101 - Karma: 2,098
Heaven
Nov 21 2013 6:44PM
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