Ready to join Tahoe Ski Patrol?
by Pete Kimball, Outpost contributor
|
Injuries on the Hill |
But snowboarder Matt O'Rourke knows the true value of ski patrols.
"Ski patrols have saved my hide many times," said O'Rourke, a snowboarder for more than eight years. "I have had to be taken down the mountain by them eight or nine times."
Being a ski patrol member is now more important than ever, as the stress of being a ski patrol member increases with the responsibilities of the job, said Phil Caterino, a ski patrol instructor for more than 20 years. Ski patrol members must care for injured skiers, participate in avalanche control, be a policeman on the hill and go through constant training to do their job correctly.
In other words, it's not as glamorous a job as it appears on the surface.
"You have to be young and stupid to do that job for that pay," Caterino said
Caterino, who was also a ski patrol member off and on for 10 years before he became a ski patrol instructor, has been involved in about 400 rescue operations. He said the ski patrol now has more responsibility than any other worker on the mountain for the least amount of pay.
Help on the hill can come from two different sources, the professional ski patrol and the volunteer National Ski Patrol.
The professional ski patrol is the paid patrol of each ski area. They are hired and trained by each ski area and are found at every ski area. The National Ski Patrol is a volunteer group that is given free training and can be found at larger ski areas such as Heavenly Valley and Squaw Valley USA.
Members of the National Ski Patrol generally are used in conjunction with professional ski patrollers at larger resorts. Although many of the National Ski Patrol members volunteer to get some in some free skiing, more members are using it as a means to get the training needed to become a professional ski patrol member, Caterino said.
"The ski patrols are really necessary," said Sam Kiker of Reno, a snowboarder for three years. "They yell at you sometimes for taking jumps or going too fast, but safety on the mountain is the most important thing."
Reno resident O'Rourke concurred: "Safety on the mountain is key, the ski patrols have got to be there."
However, O'Rourke added: "There should be more professionals on the mountain and less (National Ski Patrol members). It is not fun to trust your life with National members because they are only on the mountain two days a week."
Posted Nov. 15, 1997
Copyright 1997 Nevada Outpost
|
Nevada Outpost is produced by
students at the |
|
