Best jobs in a ski resort

I worked at a hotel doing "Turndown Service" (would knock on the door, offer them chocolate if they answered, If not, would make their bed and leave chocolates on the pillow) in Big Sky Montana my freshman year of college. I got a free pass worth ~$1200 plus $12.50 an hour under the table for 2 hours of work a night, three days a week. I was in the dorms so I didn't look into housing.
Perhaps a job off the beaten path but with a free pass depending on where you're looking to ski as to potentially save money? Employee housing is a thing if you're ballin' on a budget, but the rent in mountain towns is usually expensive so bring a buddy or two!

**This post was edited on Feb 13th 2022 at 4:22:16am

General manager. Go for the top!

Do you want to stay warm? If so maybe try to get one of the retail jobs?

The best job's for free time to ski are night jobs. Kitchen staff in town is probably one of the best as alot of time you might not start until 3 and you usually get a free meal, and some tips to go home with.

On mountain for riding i would say terrain park and ski patrol.

Work at a restaurant/bar, make way more money than you would at the resort, only downside is you have to buy your pass.

Working for the mountain can be fun, but it gets old watching people ski while you work, working in the evenings gives you so much more ski time.

thought this thread said blowjobs in a ski resort

Jemsthought this thread said blowjobs in a ski resort

that would probably be one of the better paid job options in a ski town

Would anyone recommend working snowmaking?

freestyler540General manager. Go for the top!

Lol. Fr being any kind of manager at a ski resort is the worst. You're so close to the skiing but you have to deal with bullshit instead of doing it.

TreeJamWould anyone recommend working snowmaking?

Definitely a good plan because you get a pile of hours early season, then it's chill when conditions are good. You're mostly working nights so afternoons are open for skiing. Most places have trouble finding reliable snowmaking staff so you're almost guaranteed to get hired and you can usually transition to park crew or part time instructing, or maybe take a layoff and cruise on E.I.

skiP.E.I.Definitely a good plan because you get a pile of hours early season, then it's chill when conditions are good. You're mostly working nights so afternoons are open for skiing. Most places have trouble finding reliable snowmaking staff so you're almost guaranteed to get hired and you can usually transition to park crew or part time instructing, or maybe take a layoff and cruise on E.I.

Sweet! Thanks for the input. I think I’m going to apply for snowmaking next year at Targhee.

Bartender

Nighttime server and it’s no debate. Cash is nice too

during winter break I just worked nights and went easily 5 days a week, until I hurt myself

Some restaurants even give free passes. McKenzie river pizza in Bozeman had some hiring thing going on for employees

eheathWork at a restaurant/bar, make way more money than you would at the resort, only downside is you have to buy your pass.

Working for the mountain can be fun, but it gets old watching people ski while you work, working in the evenings gives you so much more ski time.

i know some skibums that have worked in maintenance at the hill. free pass and all they do is fix small lift issues, make sure the piste is looking good before opening and some spring/ fall work getting the lift ready for offseason. on mellow days they just rip around the mountain with a walkie talkie and step in when they are needed. sorta like ski patrol but more on maintenance side

I’ve been in lift ops for 3 seasons now and they promoted me so I get to give out the breaks to 2-3 chairlifts. The more breaks I give out, the more I get to ski. I manage to get about 7 runs a day on the clock. Today is 67 days of skiing in a row and 84 total on the season. Work at a mountain with night skiing too.

copied this from another thread. but yea, unless you absolutely want to ski every single day , i would get a job off the resort.

https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/925643/Ski-school-or-Liftie-fo-dis-season

From my experience at Lake Louise Ski Resort

Lifty:
+Great for someone who has high energy and can feed off the stoke of the guests.
+Easy job with little thinking required
+Consistent pay
+Get to lol at the jerries
+Listen to music and be baked most of the day
+Long ride breaks because of long rotations
-Gets fucking cold on long rotations
-Sometimes have to give "bad news" to guests who dont take it easy on you.
-Kind of mindnumbing
-Not much room for growth in terms of career

Ski-School:
+Whole Day on Skis
+Early Access to the hill
+Spend Time and learn from those who possibly do the most skiing on the resort
+Kids can be fun
+With adult lessons, youre more of a trail guide and just get to ski and show guests around
+Opportunities in coaching open up as you get more certifications
+Getting tips from deep pocketed guests (sometimes you make more money in tips than in wages)
+If there are no lessons for you, you get to go ski
+You get to eat kids lunches if they are on lesson the whole day (depends on the resort)
+Gear Hook Ups when you get to higher levels (Mostly carving skis, helmets, boots)
+In the higher levels of certification, you can make up to $60/hr as a course conductor.
-Taking responsibility when guests/kids get hurt (I had some one get impaled on a tree during a lesson; almost got fired)
-Kids can be aweful
-Guests can be aweful
-Everyone else working on the hill generally dislikes ski instructors
-Hardly ever in the park during lessons, even with your park cert
-The courses are such BS. Kind of ruin the fun in skiing if you take it seriously.
-Teaching toddlers who quite frankly belong in a day care and are crying NON-STOP.
---YOU ONLY GET PAID FOR THE TIME YOU ARE INSTRUCTING. Even though you are present at work, ready and on call, you dont actually get paid unless you are with a guest. Because of this, youll bank roughly 12 hours a week. Most ski instructors double as heli/cat/sled guides, race coaches and so on.

Ski Patrol
+Ski all day long everyday
+Decent pay as far as resort jobs go
-First couple of years are jerry patrol
-Guests can throw shit fits if you have to pull their pass (aggressive in many of the cases)
-Super early mornings and long after everyone else in the pm
-actually having to respond to a complete disaster
-filling in for mountain ops

Mountain ops (snowmaking, avy control, grooming, maintenance)
+this is where most long term resort employees end up
+working with legends
+these guys know the resort the best out of everyone
+blowing shit up
+riding lines before everyone else
+riding sleds
+driving groomers (harder than you might think)
+Sometimes get a heli ride (very rarely)
+Decent pay
+Short term work is usually available during the start of the season just to get a pass (boot packing, setting up snow fences, putting up signs, moving water supply hoses and snow guns etc.)
-Long days and early mornings (groomers work through the night)
-Physically demanding job (heavy lifting, digging endless amount of snow etc.)

Bar-Tending, Cooks and Waiters
+Free food and drinks sometimes
+Tips or decent pay
- no time on the mountain through out the work day
- often work overtime depending on how busy the resort is
- shitty management always

Rentals
+ get to try out new equipment (demos) for free
+ Prety chill job
+ consistent pay
+ decent ski breaks through out the day (busiest time is morining and afternoon)
- handle nasty boots and helmets and so on
- take complaints on how everything is uncomfortable or does not work well

did i miss anything?

ajbskicopied this from another thread. but yea, unless you absolutely want to ski every single day , i would get a job off the resort.

https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/925643/Ski-school-or-Liftie-fo-dis-season

From my experience at Lake Louise Ski Resort

Lifty:
+Great for someone who has high energy and can feed off the stoke of the guests.
+Easy job with little thinking required
+Consistent pay
+Get to lol at the jerries
+Listen to music and be baked most of the day
+Long ride breaks because of long rotations
-Gets fucking cold on long rotations
-Sometimes have to give "bad news" to guests who dont take it easy on you.
-Kind of mindnumbing
-Not much room for growth in terms of career

Ski-School:
+Whole Day on Skis
+Early Access to the hill
+Spend Time and learn from those who possibly do the most skiing on the resort
+Kids can be fun
+With adult lessons, youre more of a trail guide and just get to ski and show guests around
+Opportunities in coaching open up as you get more certifications
+Getting tips from deep pocketed guests (sometimes you make more money in tips than in wages)
+If there are no lessons for you, you get to go ski
+You get to eat kids lunches if they are on lesson the whole day (depends on the resort)
+Gear Hook Ups when you get to higher levels (Mostly carving skis, helmets, boots)
+In the higher levels of certification, you can make up to $60/hr as a course conductor.
-Taking responsibility when guests/kids get hurt (I had some one get impaled on a tree during a lesson; almost got fired)
-Kids can be aweful
-Guests can be aweful
-Everyone else working on the hill generally dislikes ski instructors
-Hardly ever in the park during lessons, even with your park cert
-The courses are such BS. Kind of ruin the fun in skiing if you take it seriously.
-Teaching toddlers who quite frankly belong in a day care and are crying NON-STOP.
---YOU ONLY GET PAID FOR THE TIME YOU ARE INSTRUCTING. Even though you are present at work, ready and on call, you dont actually get paid unless you are with a guest. Because of this, youll bank roughly 12 hours a week. Most ski instructors double as heli/cat/sled guides, race coaches and so on.

Ski Patrol
+Ski all day long everyday
+Decent pay as far as resort jobs go
-First couple of years are jerry patrol
-Guests can throw shit fits if you have to pull their pass (aggressive in many of the cases)
-Super early mornings and long after everyone else in the pm
-actually having to respond to a complete disaster
-filling in for mountain ops

Mountain ops (snowmaking, avy control, grooming, maintenance)
+this is where most long term resort employees end up
+working with legends
+these guys know the resort the best out of everyone
+blowing shit up
+riding lines before everyone else
+riding sleds
+driving groomers (harder than you might think)
+Sometimes get a heli ride (very rarely)
+Decent pay
+Short term work is usually available during the start of the season just to get a pass (boot packing, setting up snow fences, putting up signs, moving water supply hoses and snow guns etc.)
-Long days and early mornings (groomers work through the night)
-Physically demanding job (heavy lifting, digging endless amount of snow etc.)

Bar-Tending, Cooks and Waiters
+Free food and drinks sometimes
+Tips or decent pay
- no time on the mountain through out the work day
- often work overtime depending on how busy the resort is
- shitty management always

Rentals
+ get to try out new equipment (demos) for free
+ Prety chill job
+ consistent pay
+ decent ski breaks through out the day (busiest time is morining and afternoon)
- handle nasty boots and helmets and so on
- take complaints on how everything is uncomfortable or does not work well

did i miss anything?

professional jerry- good pay

CDR dishpit

ajbskiBar-Tending, Cooks and Waiters
+Free food and drinks sometimes
+Tips or decent pay
- no time on the mountain through out the work day
- often work overtime depending on how busy the resort is
- shitty management always

Working at a bar/restaurant away from the resort is the play, then you work evenings and ski all day.

Food and bev at the resort might be one of the worst jobs you could get, if youre working at the resort at least be shop guy or a lifty.