I chit-chatted recently with a foreign student from Germany who mentioned in the course of conversation that she had an older brother who was a “professional skiier” back in the old country. Later, I began to wonder - just how does one get a job like that? Who pays you for skiing? How much do you make? Other than the obvious job as a ski instructor, just what does it take to become a ski bum?
I’d figure you’d have to start of doing some local races, NASTAR and all that. Maybe get some sponsors. Being a pretty good skier would probably help.
There are, of course, many different types of “ski bums,” as any of Warren Millers (or anyone else) videos will show you.
You’ve got the guys that pile in a van, drive all over the country from Jackson Hole to Valdez, either on mommy and daddy money or, more commonly, savings cribbed from a season of instructing and working at Taco Bell, just to make it to the season.
You’ve got the guys that, for one reason or another, have made a name and can get sponsorship for themselves and just go where ever, the lower slopes of Everest to the Andes, filming the whole thing with the occassional sponsor shot [sub]This post brought to you by: Dynastar![/sub]
I don’t really know, if I did, you wouldn’t see me here, I’d be out in the powder right now. If you ever find out, let me know, I’m in.
-ts
Well, all I can say is it beats driving a bread truck. I’m often amazed by people who get “jobs” like this. That would be an interesting thread - “what’s your dream job?” (I’d be a NYC restaurant critic in a heartbeat.)
You’ll have to develop a phenomenally strong technical skill set before anyone would want to sponsor you, be it race, free, extreme or whatever. The only way to do this is to put in huge amounts of time on the hill, so try to avoid day jobs.
Unless you have rich relatives willing to pay to keep you out of their hair, your best bet is to wait tables or scrub dishes at a resort, and bunk with buds. It will free up your days for skiing. Keep your embuggerances to a minimum – just your gear and a sleeping bag. Call about in the fall to see who is hiring when.
If you have other skills, see if they are applicable to a ski area – anything from paid ski patrol to night cat operator positions offer a bit of cash plus a pass. The key word here is “pass.” Any job which has a pass as a perk is something to go after.
If you are serious about making a permanent career in the ski industry, look at getting certified as a guide in Europe or an instructor in Europe or North America. You can take college courses and even university degrees in a number of related areas, ranging from ski area management to outdoor adventure leadership, but don’t automatically assume that this means you will have a life on skiis – watch out for the trap of ending up working inside rather than on the slopes.
Good luck, have heaps of fun, and ski till ya drop.
Muffin
Past-member, Canadian National Ski Team, Telemark Division