Freeskiing coaches should not work for less than $30 an hour.

NoTeefa

NoTeefa

Active member
Some of us have spent more than 25 years learning how to do the shit we can do on skis. Why the fuck would you be willing to teach for $10 an hour when you paid for your skills with blood, sweat and bruises? So some other fuckwad can make a premium charging for your services?? Fuck that, we all need to realize that we are worth a hell of a lot more than that.
 
for most, its because you're now getting paid to do the skiing that you spend 25 years doing for free
 
Simple. Its supply and demand. Thats what the market demands you get paid for your services. Don't like it? Get better, become a pro, sponsored, etc. Called capitalism. Don't like it? Than go flip burgers for $15 bucks an hour in Seattle.
 
13582219:Emma_Watson said:
Some of us should realize that capitalism is the bane of the human race.
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Are you one of the people who believes that communism should be Used so you can sit on your ass smoking blunts all day
 
Then start your own freestyle brand / coaching business. Brand it, purchase insurance, market it, coach it, sell it. Make money.

In all seriousness, do you know how much liability insurance would run?
 
pretty entitled post. just because you worked hard for something dosen't make it worth anything to other people. The world dosen't revolve around you. If coaches started charging $30 an hour no one would take freeski lessons which imho are a super over rated cash grab anyways.
 
13582309:KravtZ said:
Simple. Its supply and demand. Thats what the market demands you get paid for your services. Don't like it? Get better, become a pro, sponsored, etc. Called capitalism. Don't like it? Than go flip burgers for $15 bucks an hour in Seattle.
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Except it's not, as most mountains are run as monopolies which means there is no competition. If people could run independent schools the price for consumers would be lower and the wage for coaches higher. In France there are a lot more independent instructors and coaches and the wages are a lot better
 
13582797:Rosbif said:
Except it's not, as most mountains are run as monopolies which means there is no competition. If people could run independent schools the price for consumers would be lower and the wage for coaches higher. In France there are a lot more independent instructors and coaches and the wages are a lot better
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Do those instructors give a cut to the resorts whose infrastructure they use?
 
Newschool skiing is in the freaking olympics now. Frankly I don't even really feel right calling it newschool anymore. Let's stop pretending like our sport is still some underground shit. It's mainstream as fuck and there is a TON of money in the sport. Poor people don't fucking ski for the most part. There a plenty of parents out there willing to pay a premium for their kids to be able to learn this stuff and minimize the risk of them getting injured. Don't devalue yourself, don't teach for peanuts.
 
Dude...thats ridiculous, do you love skiing? Do you have something else youd rather get paid to do?
 
13582416:_salty_ said:
Are you one of the people who believes that communism should be Used so you can sit on your ass smoking blunts all day
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naw

go to school

or you can sit on your ass and smoke blunts all day
 
topic:NoTeefa said:
Some of us have spent more than 25 years learning how to do the shit we can do on skis. Why the fuck would you be willing to teach for $10 an hour when you paid for your skills with blood, sweat and bruises? So some other fuckwad can make a premium charging for your services?? Fuck that, we all need to realize that we are worth a hell of a lot more than that.
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Good post I totally agree.

Assuming you are experienced in teaching freestyle skiing of course and not a coach just beginning. And you are going to help kids do high end (inverted) tricks.

That kind of instruction should not be compensated at a minimum wage rate even though teaching level 1-6 children sort of is a low paying job. Big difference.

Good for you OP realizing the skills that you bring to the job are difficult, painful, and risky to cultivate.

I mean do you wanna go sky diving strapped to someone making 10 bucks an hour?
 
13582309:KravtZ said:
Simple. Its supply and demand. Thats what the market demands you get paid for your services. Don't like it? Get better, become a pro, sponsored, etc. Called capitalism. Don't like it? Than go flip burgers for $15 bucks an hour in Seattle.
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OMG THIS IS OVER THE TOP STUPID.

You think there is no demand for freeskiing coaches???? Seriously?

How many threads are there on newschoolers started by ski resort managers looking for lifties or regular ski instructors or even patrol? None.

There has never been a classified ad posted for 'Ski Patrol wanted' here or anywhere online they have 10-100 applicants for every patrol job. Supply exceeds demand for patrollers.

Not free ski coaches.

Now let me spend 5 minutes showing you all the ones looking for free ski instructors coaches.

This rant isn't directed only at KRavtZ its directed at all the dumb motherfuckers who responded to OP like he should be making minumum wage and be happy.

First page of NE regionals: (no replies)
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/816694/-Sugarbush-freeski-team-coaching-job

Second page of NE regionals. (1 reply)
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/787683/Looking-for-coaches-for-Loon-Freestyle

This one too
https://www.newschoolers.com/forum/thread/819441/WANTED--Seasonal-Freestyle-Coach-at-Bromley--VT-

Doesn't look like any of these jobs got filled through here and you can be assured they tried to fill them before coming on newschoolers. No demand eh???

Parents want their kids to be watched my a grown up so they can ski by themselves. When the kid hits middle school age and can shred they are too old for normal ski school. The only thing that the kid is going to agree to taking part in is probably high level free ski instruction by a bad ass coach. Not regular lessons.

Fuck off with your stupid ass advice telling another skiier to go flip burgers in Seattle to make 15 an hour while you brag about making 6 figures yet whine about not living near good skiing your a shitty role model and someone kids on NS should avoid trying to be like if they want to get turns in on real mountains and not be a crusty dude in a cubicle communting 4 hours a day and preaching on here.

Now personally I have lost my confidence on rails after a few bad falls and shin bruises that take 2 months to heal since I am 30. At some point in the next year or two I want to get my rail game back on the right sunny day in the right park. I would absolutely pay for high end instruction. Im someone who can ski moguls perfectly on 203 cm long pow skis and my overall skiing is better than its ever been but I feel like a gaper because I probably won't hit another rail anytime soon even on different skis since I don't want to get hurt and Im old. I don't want to completely lose my park skills and will spend to get the correct instruction on the right day and get my confidence back. Rails are fun as fuck.
 
13583204:PeppermillReno said:
I mean do you wanna go sky diving strapped to someone making 10 bucks an hour?
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Well that's not a very good comparison. And even if it was, I'm pretty sure skydive instructors/guides/whatever you call them aren't exactly rolling in dough...
 
13582243:californiagrown said:
Largely because no one gives a fuck about newschool skiing.
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13582306:SkiBum. said:
Haha, no one cares. This is skiing, you won't make over $30/hr in 95% of ski area jobs.
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COACH UNDER THE TABLE AT YOUR SKI RESORT AND MAKE LOOT.
 
13583442:Earl_Globz said:
COACH UNDER THE TABLE AT YOUR SKI RESORT AND MAKE LOOT.
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Doubtful you make $30/he doing that.

Also, lots of resorts will not allow that. Repercussions for bein cought are severe
 
13583491:SkiBum. said:
Doubtful you make $30/he doing that.

Also, lots of resorts will not allow that. Repercussions for bein cought are severe
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Dude im not bragging, I'm telling ya. I used to coach USSA. I networked with the parents of kids on the team. I charge no less than $50/hr, Usually tipped out to $80-$100/hr. I will not tell you my mountain, but i will tell you, having a park scene helps.
 
Who cares. If you find a job that you can make more than that, good for you. But at the same time, did it ever occur to you that a lot of people who work at ski resorts do the jobs they do simply because they love it?

Most people don't work at ski resorts to get rich. For the most part if your goal is $, you're going to have a bad time.

I'm not saying don't push for wages you feel are fair, or keep an eye out for the next thing, but if people want to coach for even $1 a lesson, what's it to you?
 
13583691:RAVAGE said:
false, if you are a heli-ski guide, you can make up to $250 an hour
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My guess would be that heli-ski guides fall in that 5% of ski jobs where you can make more than 30$ an hour...
 
13583698:Bogs said:
My guess would be that heli-ski guides fall in that 5% of ski jobs where you can make more than 30$ an hour...
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yea i guess you can say that.. That is exactly what I'm in college for haha
 
13583716:SkiBum. said:
You're in college for heli ski guide?!?!?
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fuck yea brah.. you gotta go for a minor of powder skiing and crap and then have some experience as a patroller and then just talk to people in the industry
 
13583751:RAVAGE said:
fuck yea brah.. you gotta go for a minor of powder skiing and crap and then have some experience as a patroller and then just talk to people in the industry
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Don't forget the minor in bowl packing and extra classes in good luck with life at 30 and poor.
 
You should make as much as a baby-sitter, since that's what you're doing. Freesking is not 'coached', Jamal the urban coach notwithstanding.
 
Everybody saying "you should be stoked you're getting paid to go skiing" needs to go try teaching for awhile. Even if you're teaching park skiing there is a huge difference between lapping the park with your buddies and taking a bunch of 12-15 year olds skiing when you're a 30+ year old man that's been teaching for 15 years.

Even if you LOVE what you are doing you still deserve to be compensated appropriately for providing a valuable service that very few people can actually provide.
 
Dude $30 an hour is more than my brother makes per hour, and he is an engineer with a master's degree. I don't understand why you think you're entitled to make more than an engineer, but it's absurd dude.
 
Realize that time is in fact money! If I were to volunteer my time to coach freeskiing it's not like I would be helping poor kids from the ghetto. These families are fucking loaded and I've got duct tape covering the holes in my ski pants.
 
13583815:NoTeefa said:
Everybody saying "you should be stoked you're getting paid to go skiing" needs to go try teaching for awhile. Even if you're teaching park skiing there is a huge difference between lapping the park with your buddies and taking a bunch of 12-15 year olds skiing when you're a 30+ year old man that's been teaching for 15 years.

Even if you LOVE what you are doing you still deserve to be compensated appropriately for providing a valuable service that very few people can actually provide.
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The problem is most people don't see your service as all that valuable. You could maybe argue that you are providing a niche, luxury service and then charge accordingly, but you are going to have to shift a lot of peoples perspectives.

I don't know what things are like in the States, but in most cases here in Canada, coaches for minor sports (hockey, football, soccer, basketball, etc) are volunteers and not paid at all, so to expect $30/hr is pretty lofty. That said, chances are the people who can afford to put their kid on a freestyle skiing team can probably afford to pay whatever you ask...
 
13583820:Spikes252 said:
Dude $30 an hour is more than my brother makes per hour, and he is an engineer with a master's degree. I don't understand why you think you're entitled to make more than an engineer, but it's absurd dude.
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That sucks, I'm sorry your brother is so underpaid, but that doesn't refute my argument.

13583840:saskskier said:
The problem is most people don't see your service as all that valuable. You could maybe argue that you are providing a niche, luxury service and then charge accordingly, but you are going to have to shift a lot of peoples perspectives.

I don't know what things are like in the States, but in most cases here in Canada, coaches for minor sports (hockey, football, soccer, basketball, etc) are volunteers and not paid at all, so to expect $30/hr is pretty lofty. That said, chances are the people who can afford to put their kid on a freestyle skiing team can probably afford to pay whatever you ask...
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Shifting perspectives is exactly what I am trying to do.
 
I teach the freeskiing lessons for my local hill and while I think the now 14 dollars an hour is decent for a normal lesson, it's not enough for the freeskiing lessons. It's a special skill we've worked at and developed. I don't agree with the $30 dollars however. It would be pretty cool to make $30 an hour, but for just an hour it's not worth it. Maybe out west for camps it is more feasible. $20 is more reasonable for the average freeskiing coach.
 
I don't know any coaches that get $10 an hour but in Canada the wages seem to be a bit higher. Resort freestyle instructors might make closer to $15 where as club coaches might be closer to $20.

The way Iook at it there are 3 ways to do this and its kinda pick your poison, and they all in the end seem to end up paying the same.

1. Work for the mountain and coach through them. Pays the lowest, but you are fully insured, get a stable and consistent paycheque. You might think your time is worth more money then they pay, but if you aren't willing to work for that wage, then someone else will.

2. Work for a non-profit club. Pays way better (normally not quite $30) and you dont have to deal with the BS of a ski school. The problem is its normally run by volunteers or board of directors. Which can be good, but often is not. You might be waiting a while for your paycheque.

3. Work for yourself, maybe under the table. Seems great. But can be sketchy as fuck. Sure you make 100% profit, and you walk home with cash. But then you have to deal with the bad stuff. Some people don't pay up or when someone gets hurt you are 100% liable and uninsured. You can't advertise and you will get irregular work.
 
13583856:NoTeefa said:
That sucks, I'm sorry your brother is so underpaid, but that doesn't refute my argument.

Shifting perspectives is exactly what I am trying to do.
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The service a new school ski coach provides is worth 10/hr. If it's worth more, charge more. Pretty simple. Good luck!
 
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