[Argo]

Wooah! Thanks everyone for your opinions!
How hard is it to get a Groomer Job having had no experience? I notice that a lot of places state a minimum amount of experience.

REASONS FOR WORKING FOR RESORT -
- Free Lift Pass
- Food Discounts
- Equipment Discounts (Going when im 18, i plan to buy a whole setup as ill be at the end of my growing)
- Employee Accommodation (Coming from Australia, having pre-arranged accommodation would be wonderful)

I know the guy that's in charge of the park crew and grooming here and he says they train their people and are happy when the can pass their drug tests getting hired. Some of the groomers get good full time gigs too cause they do tree clearing and run equipment in the summer too.

 

[Random Hero]

Technically that is true Argo. From a practical sense however, to get an instructor job at a destination resort, you had better be at least a cert 1 and if you want to actually have a chance to teach good lessons and privates, you had better be a cert 2.

Random Hero, yes AASI recognizes CASI and the CASI standards are actually a little higher. Typically, an AASI level 2 is considered CASI level 1. If you have a CASI 2 and come to work in the US you can pay your dues and may have to take an evaluation exam and you in.

Thanks, when you say evaluation do you mean like the chosen resort would just give me a couple of mock up lessons and see how I perform?

Lately I've been contemplating moving out to a resort just for the winter to get some real riding in. I would love to be able to do that and break even and then move back home in the summer to make money and be with fam/friends.

From what everyone seems to be saying it's very possible to do just that while having a blast. The resort I have worked at pays minimum wage for the morning session with the instructors and scheduled group lessons and any privates you get pays out about 20 an hour. Would most resorts work like this?

Also, when would be the best time to apply for spots like that, I think over here they do it in the summer, but I would hate to get offered a job only to have them say they don't think I would cut it after heading out there and being properly interviewed.

 

[wrathfuldeity]

If single and no responsibilities, a cat job would be awesome, grooming under stars and in white out, groomers are done by chair time...so then to riding...and here there is little grooming. Have had offers to go out on early cat runs but have been too damm lazy to get up that early. Maybe should inquire about doing fill-in...back in the day did probably 10,000 hours of heavy equip time.

Pro patrol is hard to get and I'd imagine they get worked. Apparently we have one of the youngest patrol team. Idk why, but I would think its a demanding job, have to know your stuff with the amount of snow, the inbounds terrain and bc access. I could see at this hill its a younger person's game.

 

[lockie]

It really depends on the resort. A big destination resort like Telluride Co or Jackson Wy it is going to be tough. They want very experienced, highly trained cat operators. Your smaller more out of the way resorts often will take a total cat noob in and train them if they think you will be committed to the job. In some places, the grooming department can be a bit of a good old boy club and can be hard to get an in. Where I work, our grooming manager will take on a total noob if it is the right person but it requires a full time commitment to justify the effort to train.

Sounds Perfect! I'm totally committed but have no experience with heavy machinery. I'd head over in the winter of 13/14 because thats when i'd be finished from school. By fulltime are you talking all year? or just 40 hours/ week seasonal?

Thanks for your help Snowolf.

EDIT: I am 100% drug free and 100% hardworking and motivated.

 

[lockie]

Full time for the season with the possibility of summer brush crew maybe but that might be a long shot.

Sounds perfect. What resort are you at? I might get in contact with you next year closer to winter because its still a while off :cheeky4:

EDIT: thanks for all the help again

 

[bebop_monk]

I'm not sure about other areas, but another perk of working at a resort in Utah is I get ten percent off at both of the main LBS' in the city.

 

[lockie]

Oh my.

Is that heaven? Are you god?

 

[2hipp4u]

Go for it, you only live once and it sucks looking back wishing you would of followed your heart when you had the chance.

Be smart and don't just be a bum. Get different jobs and learn new skills cause you never know when you might need them again.

 

[lockie]

This is making me ridiculously jealous.
Stuck in school for another 18 months and only snow reachable is australian mountains, if you call that snow.

 

[lockie]

18 more months. 18 more months. 18 months. deep breaths.

Thanks again Snowolf!

 

[lockie]

1 more question! I know im being a pain in the ass, but you seem like the hero of these forums and i have to know one more thing!
Can i do a season from the opening date til march. So i could come back to australia to study - this is in 2015! looking way ahead.
But what im asking is do ski resorts condone people leaving early or is it looked down upon?

 

[Random Hero]

Thanks for all the info Snowwolf, with my very limited knowledge of resorts I was thinking somewhere in Colorado would be where I'd want to go. Employee housing is definitely important, whatever costs of living I can avoid is a plus.

I've been seriously thinking about trying it out for at least one season, I'm not getting any younger and I would love to do it at least once before I'm too old to really progress my riding.

I think I'm going to do some digging this week and get an idea of which resorts would fit into what I would want to be doing (progressive park, glade runs and backcountry in that order). I will also have ti figure out how getting a visa works out as well. I guess once I do that I can come back here and bother you guys with more informed questions.

Those Alaska pictures look dope, but I'm pretty sure that place is way too cold for my liking.

 

[wrathfuldeity]

lockie, I read that lots of aussies work in whistler since ya'll are victims of queenie...but idk...maybe post in the canucks region

 

[Random Hero]

Funny thing is, Anchorge and Alyeska is actually a fairly mild climate thanks to the maritime influence. Interior Alaska (Fairbanks) is the true -40F icebox. Typically in mid winter Anchorage will see a high of 10-20 and a low of 0 to 10. Yes cold snaps happen, but -25 is a REALLY cold day in Anchorage. The US and Canadian midwest and east typically have much colder weather.

I did some asking around with a couple of of my managers at Mt. Hood Meadows and from what they told me typically, if you hold a CASI or a BASI certification, it is recognized by AASI as equivalent. So a level 2 CASI will equal to a level 2 AASI here. I think all you have to do is a new hire clinic and exam like any one else, citizen or not.

Not too sure how difficult a US work visa is but it can`t be too restrictive for seasonal work as I see so many people from the southern hemisphere work here in what is their summer. I think Colorado could be a good choice because you have a ton of options and typically you can make better money than here in the PNW. Salt Lake and Tahoe both are also very good options that you should explore. I understand that tips are really good in Tahoe because it attracts a lot more people from So California with gobs of money.

Here are some links to help you get started:

PSIA-AASI:

PSIA - AASI

American Association of Snowboard Instructors : AASI

PSIA-AASI Divisions:

Depending on where you want to work, AASI has divisions that cover that local region. While all under the national umbrella, each region has slightly different standards and protocols. Rocky Mountain (Colorado) for example has stricter test standards than Northwest. Contact the division to inquire about your CASI status.

PSIA - AASI



Lockie, this will apply to you as well.....

Work Visa and Immigration links:

These may help you get started:

US Immigration,United States Citizenship,Green Card,Visas,Forms

H1B Visa - Work USA Program - US Immigration - Green Card - Visa Sponsorship Jobs - Work Visa Permit for America - US Visa Sponsors Employment - Green Card Employment - H1 Base - H1B Visa 2011 - H1B Visa 2012 - H1Base.com - US Work Visa - Immigration

US H2B Visa Seasonal Work - Online Visa Services and Advice

Get a Temporary Work Visa for Unskilled Workers H2B Visa

Hire Seasonal Workers - Solutions for Seasonal Staffing - Post J1 Jobs for Free - Hiring for Summer, Winter & Spring Work And Travel USA 2012

US work visas - TN/H1-B - USA VISA Express

Well Snowolf, you've definitely gone above and beyond the call. I really do appreciate you taking the time to help us out and point us in the right direction. Gonna be busy these next couple of days checking all this out and figuring out how I want to go about this. The hardest part though is gonna be convincing my boss to not fire me for leaving all winter haha.

 

[hikeswithdogs]

Resort jobs generally pay shit, bust your ass and sacrifice to build up a fat savings over the summer, buy a season pass in fall(cheaper) and then find a serving job(waiter\waitress\bartender) where can actually make enough money to pay rent and live comfortably down in the village or nearby town.

good luck, no matter what you end up doing it'll be a great experience

 

[blondieyo]

One other job you could look into is waitering at fine-dining restaurants. One of the guys who i'm living with atm at big white in Canada has a job there and he makes more money here with tips than he does back home in Australia. He finishes work at about 10pm during the week which is plenty of time to get some good sleep in before fresh tracks the next morning. He got a discount on his season pass but still had to pay about 60% of the price, however he has more than tripled what everyone else is working as a liftie, in retail and in rentals. Food for thought!

Also on a tangeant, holy shit Snowolf is there nothing you can't do?!