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Ski Patrol Stories

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elm.
Posts: 1475 - Karma: 13,338
Starting a thread to share your ski patrol stories. I'll start

I was riding crystal mtn with a couple of friends and we decided to build a jump, in bounds, very close to the lift (high Campbell), but somewhat well hidden near some trees. It was a really crappy jump, but we were young and dumb. We hit it and hiked it for a bit. I decided to do a backy, caught my tips, and landed straight on my face. I was fine for the most part, but got a bloody nose and felt light headed. A ski patroller came down and saw that I had a bloody nose and tried to give me "first aid." I explained that I commonly get bloody noses and know how to handle them. My friends could really care less about the entire situation. The patroller had me follow her to a ski patrol but to get it cleaned up. I'm not a great storyteller, but the best part of this story is the photo to come out of it, which I think explains the mood perfectly.


Oct 1 2021 10:35AM
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junior1derful
Posts: 260 - Karma: 3,094
smoked a doob on the chairlift with a patroller. i don't think he blazed much because he was super zoinked by the time we got to the top. i may have forgot to mention i put some hash in it
Oct 1 2021 12:14PM
57 5
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Celery
Posts: 1963 - Karma: 23,763
bro ski patrol is wack bro. they didn't even know what jet skis are and they tried to pull my pass because i was hiding a 12 pack of blue ribbon in my solider pants bro. not core bro
Oct 1 2021 12:42PM
72 0
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Michigan_Sucks
Posts: 466 - Karma: 6,791
Little context beforehand: The college I went to owns a ski area. They offer ski patrol training as a physical education class. This results in the ski patrol at a tiny midwest ski area acting like they are big shots out west instead of just volunteers. I worked at the ski area all 4 years of school on park crew. Ski patrol was hated by all the employees due to a lot of things. The ski area has a cool bowl with a ridge running right under our main lift. That ridge had a fence line separating two bowls pretty much. Late season it gets real nicely formed so you can boost over the fenceline. Was sending it massive all day long, was getting cheers from the lift from ski patrollers (college aged taking the class). Well, some crotchety boomer patroller got pissed off and said he would take my pass if I did it again. This was my 3rd year as an employee. Boss loved me, general manager loved me, mtn ops manager loved me, etc. So I waited at the top till I say the boomer patroller, made eye contact with him, and dropped in. Sent it huuuuge, skied on down to the park. Patroller catches up to me, jabs his ski pole between my legs.

Boomer Patroller Screaming: "Give me your fucking pass."

Me: "Chill out, I work here."

Boomer Patroller: "Lets go see the manager then and pull your pass."

Me (knowing I am a loved employee): "Fucking bet."


We both ski down and run into the mtn ops manager. Boomer patroller explains the situation and mtn ops manager asks me if this is true. I say yeah, tell him about the patroller jabbing his ski pole at me and generally being a dick. Mtn ops manager tells the patroller to fuck off. Tells me afterwards to chill out on jumping the ridge for now. I was on the clock for the entire thing so later that day I go into the groomer barn to clock out. All the operation employees in the barn start laughing when I walked in. As I said earlier, the employees hate ski patrol there. They were dying from how pissed off the boomer patroller was and wanted me to keep jumping the fence. All in all great day and cemented my feelings towards Midwest ski patrollers.

The jump in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3m8vEnO32/?utm_medium=copy_link


My thoughts on midwest ski patrol:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_wTSF870/?utm_medium=copy_link

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:09pm

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:58pm
Oct 1 2021 2:22PM
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theabortionator
Posts: 51489 - Karma: 160,483
I used to smoke weed with a 70 year old patroller back east sometimes when i worked there. I was like 17/18.

Also same mtn the head patroller needed pictures of all the features. He wanted us to soit on this rail and make it shiny. Me and my buddy were pretty high and did because it was hillarious.

Ski patrol can be dicks some times but a lot of them are cool, at least at bigger mtns.
Oct 1 2021 2:33PM
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ToddlerBodyBag
Posts: 283 - Karma: 2,089
At north star I had a yellow jacket get pissed at me for trying to ride the lift with him on an 11" powder day.
Oct 1 2021 3:38PM
28 0
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37011 - Karma: 114,272
My favorites are the ones when you roll up to one of your favorite runs/bowls/stashes and the patroller is standing right there dropping the rope as you're the only one approaching either solo or with friends. The most glorious thumbs up I've ever received from someone.
Oct 1 2021 3:40PM
43 0
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6734 - Karma: 58,151
One time in Mt Ste Anne, I was skiing the trees (there was a sign or something saying not to). This patroller caught me right as I exited the trees and clipped my pass. Still had the Receipt so went and told cashier I lost my ticket. Got a new one and skied rest of the day.

The patrollers at the resort I worked at in australia were the biggest fuckarounds ever. Always skiing for fun. Took forever to respond to calls. Head patroller was really cool though. He was like 60ish and had a Canadian/Aussie accent and like a super ski bro. Was always fun to talk to him and hang out with. Didn’t make him any faster responding to calls though ha
Oct 1 2021 5:58PM
25 0
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r00kie
Posts: 5238 - Karma: 59,559
Michigan_SucksLittle context beforehand: The college I went to owns a ski area. They offer ski patrol training as a physical education class. This results in the ski patrol at a tiny midwest ski area acting like they are big shots out west instead of just volunteers. I worked at the ski area all 4 years of school on park crew. Ski patrol was hated by all the employees due to a lot of things. The ski area has a cool bowl with a ridge running right under our main lift. That ridge had a fence line separating two bowls pretty much. Late season it gets real nicely formed so you can boost over the fenceline. Was sending it massive all day long, was getting cheers from the lift from ski patrollers (college aged taking the class). Well, some crotchety boomer patroller got pissed off and said he would take my pass if I did it again. This was my 3rd year as an employee. Boss loved me, general manager loved me, mtn ops manager loved me, etc. So I waited at the top till I say the boomer patroller, made eye contact with him, and dropped in. Sent it huuuuge, skied on down to the park. Patroller catches up to me, jabs his ski pole between my legs.

Boomer Patroller Screaming: "Give me your fucking pass."

Me: "Chill out, I work here."

Boomer Patroller: "Lets go see the manager then and pull your pass."

Me (knowing I am a loved employee): "Fucking bet."


We both ski down and run into the mtn ops manager. Boomer patroller explains the situation and mtn ops manager asks me if this is true. I say yeah, tell him about the patroller jabbing his ski pole at me and generally being a dick. Mtn ops manager tells the patroller to fuck off. Tells me afterwards to chill out on jumping the ridge for now. I was on the clock for the entire thing so later that day I go into the groomer barn to clock out. All the operation employees in the barn start laughing when I walked in. As I said earlier, the employees hate ski patrol there. They were dying from how pissed off the boomer patroller was and wanted me to keep jumping the fence. All in all great day and cemented my feelings towards Midwest ski patrollers.

The jump in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3m8vEnO32/?utm_medium=copy_link


My thoughts on midwest ski patrol:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_wTSF870/?utm_medium=copy_link

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:09pm

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:58pm


Boomer patrols just mad his knees can't land in the parking lot like you.
Oct 1 2021 6:00PM
20 0
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partyandBS
Posts: 3656 - Karma: 56,476
Michigan_SucksLittle context beforehand: The college I went to owns a ski area. They offer ski patrol training as a physical education class. This results in the ski patrol at a tiny midwest ski area acting like they are big shots out west instead of just volunteers. I worked at the ski area all 4 years of school on park crew. Ski patrol was hated by all the employees due to a lot of things. The ski area has a cool bowl with a ridge running right under our main lift. That ridge had a fence line separating two bowls pretty much. Late season it gets real nicely formed so you can boost over the fenceline. Was sending it massive all day long, was getting cheers from the lift from ski patrollers (college aged taking the class). Well, some crotchety boomer patroller got pissed off and said he would take my pass if I did it again. This was my 3rd year as an employee. Boss loved me, general manager loved me, mtn ops manager loved me, etc. So I waited at the top till I say the boomer patroller, made eye contact with him, and dropped in. Sent it huuuuge, skied on down to the park. Patroller catches up to me, jabs his ski pole between my legs.

Boomer Patroller Screaming: "Give me your fucking pass."

Me: "Chill out, I work here."

Boomer Patroller: "Lets go see the manager then and pull your pass."

Me (knowing I am a loved employee): "Fucking bet."


We both ski down and run into the mtn ops manager. Boomer patroller explains the situation and mtn ops manager asks me if this is true. I say yeah, tell him about the patroller jabbing his ski pole at me and generally being a dick. Mtn ops manager tells the patroller to fuck off. Tells me afterwards to chill out on jumping the ridge for now. I was on the clock for the entire thing so later that day I go into the groomer barn to clock out. All the operation employees in the barn start laughing when I walked in. As I said earlier, the employees hate ski patrol there. They were dying from how pissed off the boomer patroller was and wanted me to keep jumping the fence. All in all great day and cemented my feelings towards Midwest ski patrollers.

The jump in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3m8vEnO32/?utm_medium=copy_link


My thoughts on midwest ski patrol:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_wTSF870/?utm_medium=copy_link

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:09pm

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:58pm


Idk why he was so mad. You clearly didnt duck the rope.
Oct 1 2021 6:22PM
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warm_diet_coke
Posts: 179 - Karma: 1,834
BradFiAusNzCoCaOne time in Mt Ste Anne, I was skiing the trees (there was a sign or something saying not to). This patroller caught me right as I exited the trees and clipped my pass. Still had the Receipt so went and told cashier I lost my ticket. Got a new one and skied rest of the day.

The patrollers at the resort I worked at in australia were the biggest fuckarounds ever. Always skiing for fun. Took forever to respond to calls. Head patroller was really cool though. He was like 60ish and had a Canadian/Aussie accent and like a super ski bro. Was always fun to talk to him and hang out with. Didn’t make him any faster responding to calls though ha

lol which aussie resort 👀 peri?
Oct 1 2021 6:23PM
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BradFiAusNzCoCa
Posts: 6734 - Karma: 58,151
No but about as close as you can be without being peri…
greatalpineroadlol which aussie resort 👀 peri?
Oct 1 2021 6:32PM
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Thegenericskier
Posts: 2396 - Karma: 26,619
5 years ago I did a 3 on a side hit. Ski patrol proceeded to yell at me saying it was wreck less about got my pass taken. He marked a note on it in sharpie saying take pass next incident. I rubbed it off the next lap up.


story 2: skied under the lift 2 years ago, got yelled at. Pass taken. 100% worth it. Best pow lap I’ve taken hit a homie nose butter 3 off a drop under the lift too.

i am not a fan of ski patrol

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 7:15:36pm
Oct 1 2021 7:14PM
13 0
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ReturnToMonkey
Posts: 6269 - Karma: 67,626
People like to give patrollers shit for their freestyle abilities bc if they go thru the park, it's either to yell at someone or they just straight air or do pencil 3s, but one time I was chatting with a friendly patroller about how frickin busy the resorts were (christmas break) and then when it was clear, he dropped and did a flawless cork 7 blunt. It was awesome.
Oct 1 2021 7:15PM
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partyandBS
Posts: 3656 - Karma: 56,476
Idk about you guys but i think mountains that have yellow jackets tend to have way chiller patrol. The yellow jackets take all the hassling out of the job except for those people who obviously have earned their attention for something way unsafe. So then they focus on their rope lines and avy control and injuries and of course literally saving lives.

Speaking of yellow jackets, im friends with one and he will go and stand in front of the no jumping signs, check the landing for us and signal when to huck our meat. He prides himself on not taking anyones pass for 3 years now as a yellow jacket but still makes the contacts with guests.

a word of advice from my yellow jacket friend “don’t be a douche when your stopped and they will 9/10 times give you a warning. If your real cool ill even give you a hot chocolate voucher”
Oct 1 2021 7:28PM
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9162 - Karma: 65,908
I know the Midwest has its scene and all that, but if you go out west you will be mind blown by the terrain. Keep shredding it up!
Michigan_SucksLittle context beforehand: The college I went to owns a ski area. They offer ski patrol training as a physical education class. This results in the ski patrol at a tiny midwest ski area acting like they are big shots out west instead of just volunteers. I worked at the ski area all 4 years of school on park crew. Ski patrol was hated by all the employees due to a lot of things. The ski area has a cool bowl with a ridge running right under our main lift. That ridge had a fence line separating two bowls pretty much. Late season it gets real nicely formed so you can boost over the fenceline. Was sending it massive all day long, was getting cheers from the lift from ski patrollers (college aged taking the class). Well, some crotchety boomer patroller got pissed off and said he would take my pass if I did it again. This was my 3rd year as an employee. Boss loved me, general manager loved me, mtn ops manager loved me, etc. So I waited at the top till I say the boomer patroller, made eye contact with him, and dropped in. Sent it huuuuge, skied on down to the park. Patroller catches up to me, jabs his ski pole between my legs.

Boomer Patroller Screaming: "Give me your fucking pass."

Me: "Chill out, I work here."

Boomer Patroller: "Lets go see the manager then and pull your pass."

Me (knowing I am a loved employee): "Fucking bet."


We both ski down and run into the mtn ops manager. Boomer patroller explains the situation and mtn ops manager asks me if this is true. I say yeah, tell him about the patroller jabbing his ski pole at me and generally being a dick. Mtn ops manager tells the patroller to fuck off. Tells me afterwards to chill out on jumping the ridge for now. I was on the clock for the entire thing so later that day I go into the groomer barn to clock out. All the operation employees in the barn start laughing when I walked in. As I said earlier, the employees hate ski patrol there. They were dying from how pissed off the boomer patroller was and wanted me to keep jumping the fence. All in all great day and cemented my feelings towards Midwest ski patrollers.

The jump in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3m8vEnO32/?utm_medium=copy_link


My thoughts on midwest ski patrol:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_wTSF870/?utm_medium=copy_link

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:09pm

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:58pm
Oct 1 2021 8:57PM
1 0
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9162 - Karma: 65,908
Yeah, there are people who patrol who are just ridiculous skiers out here. Safety patrol are the not as nice people but they seem to have disappeared from the bird, now we just have mountain hosts. The only 'run in I remember with patrol was hot lapping with my friend. We got to the bottom after boosting every sidehit down chips at the bird and going fast around tourists and he said, "I can tell you guys know what you're doing, but just for my sake step off the gas a little around the tourists on the chokepoints" in general if youre nice to patrol and not a dickhead, they won't pull your pass unless you did something really uniquely stupid. Out here, these are the guys who will rope you out of no fall zones when you have a compound femur fracture and get you to safety so its best to show them respect. Also, they're often the guys who will get called if someone is buried in the backcountry.
ReturnToMonkeyPeople like to give patrollers shit for their freestyle abilities bc if they go thru the park, it's either to yell at someone or they just straight air or do pencil 3s, but one time I was chatting with a friendly patroller about how frickin busy the resorts were (christmas break) and then when it was clear, he dropped and did a flawless cork 7 blunt. It was awesome.
Oct 1 2021 9:05PM
17 0
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Michigan_Sucks
Posts: 466 - Karma: 6,791
BigPurpleSkiSuitI know the Midwest has its scene and all that, but if you go out west you will be mind blown by the terrain. Keep shredding it up!


Been out west plenty of times and now currently live in Reno. Stoked for the snow to start.
Oct 1 2021 9:23PM
6 0
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bakemaster
Posts: 127 - Karma: 2,699
U went to MTU? I’m a first year and I’m gonna work park crew at Ripley haha
Michigan_SucksLittle context beforehand: The college I went to owns a ski area. They offer ski patrol training as a physical education class. This results in the ski patrol at a tiny midwest ski area acting like they are big shots out west instead of just volunteers. I worked at the ski area all 4 years of school on park crew. Ski patrol was hated by all the employees due to a lot of things. The ski area has a cool bowl with a ridge running right under our main lift. That ridge had a fence line separating two bowls pretty much. Late season it gets real nicely formed so you can boost over the fenceline. Was sending it massive all day long, was getting cheers from the lift from ski patrollers (college aged taking the class). Well, some crotchety boomer patroller got pissed off and said he would take my pass if I did it again. This was my 3rd year as an employee. Boss loved me, general manager loved me, mtn ops manager loved me, etc. So I waited at the top till I say the boomer patroller, made eye contact with him, and dropped in. Sent it huuuuge, skied on down to the park. Patroller catches up to me, jabs his ski pole between my legs.

Boomer Patroller Screaming: "Give me your fucking pass."

Me: "Chill out, I work here."

Boomer Patroller: "Lets go see the manager then and pull your pass."

Me (knowing I am a loved employee): "Fucking bet."


We both ski down and run into the mtn ops manager. Boomer patroller explains the situation and mtn ops manager asks me if this is true. I say yeah, tell him about the patroller jabbing his ski pole at me and generally being a dick. Mtn ops manager tells the patroller to fuck off. Tells me afterwards to chill out on jumping the ridge for now. I was on the clock for the entire thing so later that day I go into the groomer barn to clock out. All the operation employees in the barn start laughing when I walked in. As I said earlier, the employees hate ski patrol there. They were dying from how pissed off the boomer patroller was and wanted me to keep jumping the fence. All in all great day and cemented my feelings towards Midwest ski patrollers.

The jump in question:

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs3m8vEnO32/?utm_medium=copy_link


My thoughts on midwest ski patrol:

https://www.instagram.com/p/B9y_wTSF870/?utm_medium=copy_link

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:09pm

**This post was edited on Oct 1st 2021 at 2:24:58pm
Oct 1 2021 9:43PM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 11,723
My favorite interaction with a patroller was smashing one in the locker room.
Oct 1 2021 9:49PM
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BrightFrog
Posts: 593 - Karma: 1,676
I dm one of the Tyrol basin patrollers pure hate speech pretty much every day just for fun
Oct 1 2021 11:43PM
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goatmaster
Posts: 373 - Karma: 2,393
Me and some friends built this jump just out of bounds. Right before we got to finish it a ski patrol guy followed out tracks over there. He was super pissed for some reason. He calls his ski patrol friends to come help. Wie all stayed dry respectful. The new ski patroller says he is going to have to pull our passes. He then goes "do you even know anything about avalanches. Really stupid to be over here". Keep in mind that the terrain is less steep than your average blue, trees, and the snow conditions were end of season slush. I then listed the avalanche certification and classes I have took and he responds with "You should be a ski patroller, you know more than me". I told him that I didn't want to ruin kids days by pulling there pass for making a little jump. He then asked "what would your parents think of this". I told him "My dad build jumps with me. He would say that it is too small" (honestly true. The jump was kinda small for. the stuff we wanted to try). The other ski patroller eventually talked him out of pulling our passes and just called my parents and gave a strike.
Oct 2 2021 9:36AM
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PimpChimpin
Posts: 1287 - Karma: 12,570
I’ve had by FAR the worst experience with ski patrol! They CUT my Vishnu pants!!!! Who cares about my broken leg just save the pants 😡😡🙄
Oct 2 2021 10:39AM
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Oldmanripper
Posts: 82 - Karma: 469
Was in GTarghee and watched a patroller full fighter jet rip out of the forest on tele skis, hit this huge booter and laid out the most badass, drawn out 360 double daffy in history. It was face melting but yeah, ski patrollers are not fuckin core enough…

**This post was edited on Oct 2nd 2021 at 11:43:26am
Oct 2 2021 11:41AM
21 1
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ReturnToMonkey
Posts: 6269 - Karma: 67,626
Not much of a story but my gma was a patroller at Loveland until she was 70. I have her free.99 tickets to thank for providing me the opportunity to fall in love with skiing.
Oct 2 2021 8:38PM
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steeze_louise
Posts: 548 - Karma: 2,093
I pretty much grew up in the ski patrol at sunday river, my dad was a volunteer patroler and we would boot up in patrol whenever we went skiing. was pretty awesome. Saw a-lot of gnarly injuries at a young age that most kids never really see. Just like with anything there are some awesome patrollers and some shitty ones but most of them are great people.
Oct 3 2021 8:40AM
3 0
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dogfartstaint
Posts: 342 - Karma: 1,991
You sure you weren’t dreaming?
ReturnToMonkeyPeople like to give patrollers shit for their freestyle abilities bc if they go thru the park, it's either to yell at someone or they just straight air or do pencil 3s, but one time I was chatting with a friendly patroller about how frickin busy the resorts were (christmas break) and then when it was clear, he dropped and did a flawless cork 7 blunt. It was awesome.
Oct 3 2021 11:37AM
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donotreply
Posts: 256 - Karma: 2,230
I don’t think Ive felt as ashamed as the time where I lost my ski in powder and dig for around 3h patrol guy shows up and finds it in less than 30 seconds
Oct 3 2021 12:44PM
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donotreply
Posts: 256 - Karma: 2,230
Also kinda feel bad this winter I got overconfident by the end of the day my acl fully torn legs tired decided to hit as many side hits and my leg gave up on me tried to ski down but it wouldn’t stand anymore the guy had to sled me down pretty much from the less accessible part of the mountain. I was back next day if I ever come across this patroller I owe him lol
Oct 3 2021 12:55PM
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Session
Posts: 5336 - Karma: 21,603
BrightFrogI dm one of the Tyrol basin patrollers pure hate speech pretty much every day just for fun


Why am I not surprised?
Oct 3 2021 2:14PM
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johnblaze
Posts: 1442 - Karma: 2,482
"don't jib my bamboo"
Oct 4 2021 10:37AM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 11,723
DeebieSkeebiesMy favorites are the ones when you roll up to one of your favorite runs/bowls/stashes and the patroller is standing right there dropping the rope as you're the only one approaching either solo or with friends. The most glorious thumbs up I've ever received from someone.


Even better is when you're sitting top shack as they're finishing up control work in the morning and they motion to you to come with them.
Oct 4 2021 2:28PM
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9162 - Karma: 65,908
SkibumsmithEven better is when you're sitting top shack as they're finishing up control work in the morning and they motion to you to come with them.

It's shit like this that really makes me want to quit working a full time job, and just go be a liftie or try to get on patrol somewhere.
Oct 4 2021 4:40PM
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RIP_leos_shack
Posts: 710 - Karma: 3,200
Me and my crew were seshing this sweet gap in the Alta backcountry and then some dickhead patrollers rolled up and threw like 50 sticks of dynamite at it. Said it was for avalanche control or some bullshit.
Oct 4 2021 5:06PM
14 0
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hoodratz47
Posts: 11995 - Karma: 9,241
How did yu get there thou.????
RIP_leos_shackMe and my crew were seshing this sweet gap in the Alta backcountry and then some dickhead patrollers rolled up and threw like 50 sticks of dynamite at it. Said it was for avalanche control or some bullshit.
Oct 4 2021 6:32PM
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hoodratz47
Posts: 11995 - Karma: 9,241
Ok like 12 years old on snowblades. Got stopped by four patrollers in the family area at mt hood Meadows. For....



Turning too much........ It was the crime of the fucking century. Dear god
Oct 4 2021 6:34PM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 11,723
BigPurpleSkiSuitIt's shit like this that really makes me want to quit working a full time job, and just go be a liftie or try to get on patrol somewhere.


Do it while you can. Once you're older and more tied down you'll wish you had.
Oct 5 2021 12:16PM
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partyandBS
Posts: 3656 - Karma: 56,476
hoodratz47on snowblades. Got stopped by four patrollers

It was the crime of the fucking century. Dear god


Seems justified
Oct 5 2021 12:21PM
1 0
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BigPurpleSkiSuit
Posts: 9162 - Karma: 65,908
Im already there at 24
SkibumsmithDo it while you can. Once you're older and more tied down you'll wish you had.
Oct 5 2021 12:47PM
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jompcock
Posts: 1482 - Karma: 10,772
Winter Park patrollers closed a trail as I was already skiing down it. At the bottom I'm met with a screaming patroller who clotheslines a snowboarder who did the same thing as me. I explain I saw patrollers stopped at the top but there was no line up. He yells at me about avalanche danger and that my incompetence to read a situation is no excuse for reckless skiing. Wasn't much of an issue cause I just had to watch a safety video and got my pass back the next day but I was still pissed my pow day got cut short at 11am.
Oct 5 2021 12:48PM
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donotreply
Posts: 256 - Karma: 2,230
BigPurpleSkiSuitIt's shit like this that really makes me want to quit working a full time job, and just go be a liftie or try to get on patrol somewhere.


I feel you it takes me all my strength to not take a spontaneous decision and actually do something like that 😣
Oct 5 2021 1:23PM
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GrandThings
Posts: 3018 - Karma: 29,904
steeze_louiseI pretty much grew up in the ski patrol at sunday river, my dad was a volunteer patroler and we would boot up in patrol whenever we went skiing. was pretty awesome. Saw a-lot of gnarly injuries at a young age that most kids never really see. Just like with anything there are some awesome patrollers and some shitty ones but most of them are great people.


Ya I've had generally pretty good interactions with SR patrollers and have a lot of respect for them after they took care of my best friend who knocked himself unconscious while I was freaking tf out.

Not really an "interaction" but my fav story... One time I'd just walked out of the woods, clearly having just smoked a joint. Ski patroller comes ripping down the trail and I was a little worried, not knowing if he'd care or not, but then as he gets closer I realize he has a fully grown Golden Retriever slung over his shoulders. Dude rides over to me, gives me a fist bump without stopping, and keeps riding down the trail MUCH quicker than I would be comfortable doing with a 50-pound dog on my back.

To this day, still don't know if I was tripping or not... but it was cool af and I'm down with ski patrol dogs
Oct 5 2021 3:16PM
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SofaKingSick
Posts: 9071 - Karma: 58,830
GrandThingsYa I've had generally pretty good interactions with SR patrollers and have a lot of respect for them after they took care of my best friend who knocked himself unconscious while I was freaking tf out.

Not really an "interaction" but my fav story... One time I'd just walked out of the woods, clearly having just smoked a joint. Ski patroller comes ripping down the trail and I was a little worried, not knowing if he'd care or not, but then as he gets closer I realize he has a fully grown Golden Retriever slung over his shoulders. Dude rides over to me, gives me a fist bump without stopping, and keeps riding down the trail MUCH quicker than I would be comfortable doing with a 50-pound dog on my back.

To this day, still don't know if I was tripping or not... but it was cool af and I'm down with ski patrol dogs


i love ones like this. once we were hitting this mellow roller coaster rail, like 2.5 small rainbows in one kind of deal, nothing crazy but not a gimme

ski patroller comes down near us holding a rake in each hand, someone goes "slide the rail!" and he cuts over to it, greases it, and skis away with a look back that my imagination remembers looking like this:

Oct 5 2021 3:32PM
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IcantSki42069
Posts: 32 - Karma: 193
GrandThingsYa I've had generally pretty good interactions with SR patrollers and have a lot of respect for them after they took care of my best friend who knocked himself unconscious while I was freaking tf out.

Not really an "interaction" but my fav story... One time I'd just walked out of the woods, clearly having just smoked a joint. Ski patroller comes ripping down the trail and I was a little worried, not knowing if he'd care or not, but then as he gets closer I realize he has a fully grown Golden Retriever slung over his shoulders. Dude rides over to me, gives me a fist bump without stopping, and keeps riding down the trail MUCH quicker than I would be comfortable doing with a 50-pound dog on my back.

To this day, still don't know if I was tripping or not... but it was cool af and I'm down with ski patrol dogs


Handlers are usually always chill.
Oct 5 2021 3:47PM
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No.Quarter
Posts: 5257 - Karma: 16,956
Bridger Bowl Ski Patrol gets bad respect from me, they shred, they save lives, they toss bombs, they will shuttle your skis up the patrol-only T Bar while you do the Bridger hike if you are lucky. I've scored a couple of liftline skips over the years by chatting with a patroller before getting on the lift.

My freshman year of college on 80's day I cracked a PBR right after getting on the PK Lift. I got to the top and there was a patroller waiting for me after I tossed the can in the recycling. He pulled me to the side to chat and said he knew I was underage and could have my pass pulled. I tried to convince him that it was a redbull and I would never ski drunk and I was just having a very responsible day of skiing with my friends. I was slurring my words. But I convinced him that I was being safe and only cruising mellow terrain. He wrote down my pass number and said he would decide later if I was going to have a ski pass or not. I made sure to say a very respectful goodbye and headed toward the blue groomer in a very controlled manor. I then traversed over to below the lift line and fucking launched myself off the center, tapped the tree, landed on a firm bump and 'sploded into a mogulfield with an enthusiastic audience of my drunken friends on the lift. I should also mention that my buddy who was also only 19 was wearing a beer helmet that he was drinking from as he got onto the lift, but he had a full beard and I looked like I could pass as a 15 year old.
Oct 5 2021 4:36PM
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steeze_louise
Posts: 548 - Karma: 2,093
GrandThingsYa I've had generally pretty good interactions with SR patrollers and have a lot of respect for them after they took care of my best friend who knocked himself unconscious while I was freaking tf out.

Not really an "interaction" but my fav story... One time I'd just walked out of the woods, clearly having just smoked a joint. Ski patroller comes ripping down the trail and I was a little worried, not knowing if he'd care or not, but then as he gets closer I realize he has a fully grown Golden Retriever slung over his shoulders. Dude rides over to me, gives me a fist bump without stopping, and keeps riding down the trail MUCH quicker than I would be comfortable doing with a 50-pound dog on my back.

To this day, still don't know if I was tripping or not... but it was cool af and I'm down with ski patrol dogs


hahahahahaha yeah that guy always has got his dog with him lol
Oct 5 2021 8:50PM
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GayWolf420
Posts: 37011 - Karma: 114,272
BigPurpleSkiSuitIm already there at 24

Look into an OEC course possibly, I think its a req for most patrol jobs, or an EMT Basic cert w/ an OEC Modified challenger thing (someone correct me if I'm wrong). And other outdoor first responder courses are just really cool to learn in general if you like to play outside. I'm doing my EMT right now and would like to explore that maybe one day beyond coaching. EMT is a little extra but still good cuz it could open up some doors to other jobs too besides patrol, not even working on an ambulance rig too.

**This post was edited on Oct 5th 2021 at 9:20:39pm
Oct 5 2021 9:19PM
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WoFIowz
Posts: 9788 - Karma: 72,394
BradFiAusNzCoCaThis patroller caught me right as I exited the trees and clipped my pass. Still had the Receipt so went and told cashier I lost my ticket. Got a new one and skied rest of the day.

This is GENIUS
SkibumsmithMy favorite interaction with a patroller was smashing one in the locker room.

NO YOU DIDN'T.


OldmanripperWas in GTarghee and watched a patroller full fighter jet rip out of the forest on tele skis, hit this huge booter and laid out the most badass, drawn out 360 double daffy in history. It was face melting but yeah, ski patrollers are not fuckin core enough…

**This post was edited on Oct 2nd 2021 at 11:43:26am

They have the coolest patrol dudes I've ever ridden a lift with and are the definition of chill ski patrol.
Oct 6 2021 8:51AM
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Oldmanripper
Posts: 82 - Karma: 469
HypeBeastThis is GENIUS

NO YOU DIDN'T.



They have the coolest patrol dudes I've ever ridden a lift with and are the definition of chill ski patrol.

Great vibe at that hill. Red in BC is similar.
Oct 6 2021 9:55AM
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MastePoleWhacker
Posts: 600 - Karma: 5,405
elm.Starting a thread to share your ski patrol stories. I'll start

I was riding crystal mtn with a couple of friends and we decided to build a jump, in bounds, very close to the lift (high Campbell), but somewhat well hidden near some trees. It was a really crappy jump, but we were young and dumb. We hit it and hiked it for a bit. I decided to do a backy, caught my tips, and landed straight on my face. I was fine for the most part, but got a bloody nose and felt light headed. A ski patroller came down and saw that I had a bloody nose and tried to give me "first aid." I explained that I commonly get bloody noses and know how to handle them. My friends could really care less about the entire situation. The patroller had me follow her to a ski patrol but to get it cleaned up. I'm not a great storyteller, but the best part of this story is the photo to come out of it, which I think explains the mood perfectly.



Select few people who still know it as high Campbell
Oct 6 2021 7:16PM
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Skibumsmith
Posts: 5422 - Karma: 11,723
HypeBeastNO YOU DIDN'T.

She was great. I probably should have married her.
Oct 6 2021 7:29PM
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