Behind the Scenes with the Ski Patrol
A few weeks ago we asked our Instagram friends what they wanted us to share during this time when there’s not a whole lot to share. One of those things was a peek behind the curtains of the ski patrol.
We’re not sure if you’re looking for drama and gore, but since patrolling is the bulk of at least one of our current winter seasons, we thought we’d share what that actually looks like. (We’ll save the drama and the gore for another time!)
So we’re breaking it down into five things you should know about the Whitetail Ski Patrol.
Patrollers go through extensive medical training. 160 hours of (mostly trauma based) medical training, to be exact. This training is called Outdoor Emergency Care, or OEC, and every candidate for the Whitetail Ski Patrol must go through it. It usually takes about 8 months to complete and hinges on passing two exams -- a written and a practical, hands-on exam.
Patrollers also go through training on essential equipment. Once the mountain opens, more training begins on the slopes, specifically Outdoor Emergency Transportation, or OET. This is what Scott’s in charge of this year! Candidate patrollers go through at least 8 weeks of learning how to safely, effectively, and efficiently use sleds or toboggans so they can eventually transport injured guests down the mountain. Even the seasoned pros do ongoing training and evaluation on both the medical and equipment front, including mock lift evacuations.
Patrollers can be paid or volunteer. It varies by mountain, but once training is completed, patrollers can work as either paid or volunteer staff. Some mountains hire a mix, like Whitetail, while others use all paid or all volunteer staff.
Patrollers aren’t the police of the mountain. They’re there to help prevent accidents and respond when they happen.
New patrollers are recruited every year. Recruitment really happens year-round, but culminates in an annual “ski-off” where ski patrol hopefuls have their skiing and snowboarding skills tested on a variety of the slopes. These wannabe patrollers are assessed on their skiability/rideability. We could write a whole post on what that entails. Instead, if you’re at Whitetail this Saturday the 20th, ski by the black diamonds (K Side) and watch it IRL!
Did you learn anything new about patrolling? Are there other aspects of the patrol that you want to learn more about? Let us know! In the meantime, head over to our Instagram where we’ll be sharing more patrol highlights this weekend!
