How do you guys do it?

Karl_Hungus

Karl_Hungus

Member
maybe im completely wrong but ive seen way to many unsponsored amateur unemployed skiers just traveling everywhere and partying and somehow managing so as a 17 year old im wondering how the hell do you guys survive? what happened to college and becoming an engineer? like how do guys like totally trevor and hood crew just wake up at some denver frat house, ski for 3 hours, then do it again? are you guys lying to me? do you have full time jobs? do your parents own a champagne company? but in all seriousness how do you guys do it i want your lives
 
I know back when I just skied and went to school, I worked like april-november to save money then didnt work all winter and skied, worked well.
 
Most of my fellow 'ski bums' and I work our ass's off all summer and go on EI in the winter. Sadly, I make more money on EI than my friends who are working 4 days a week as a lifty. Well, sad for them, awesome for me!

1. work from late April till mid October

2. get laid off

3. go on EI and get paid by the government

4. travel and ski all winter.

rinse and repeat.
 
For the school part, organize your classes, become an engineer during the summer, then work on your PHd on the chairlift. Its no problem, you got this.
 
not all of us are like that....when I was in high school, I had basically the whole last half of the day to ski. Sadly, when I got to college, I could no longer get to the mountain so easily due to homework/transportation/work......feels.jpg
 
All you see in edits are the skiing. You don't see them working because that would be a stupid edit. Do you think Totally Trevor made a edit of him selling patio furniture while he worked at a Christis sports in CO?
 
Its actually surprisingly easy once you're in college. I took 17 credits this past spring semester and was still able to get on the slopes about 4 days per week. It's nice having morning classes so that your afternoon is free, also having the ski resort only 30mins away is a plus.
 
There are many ways to do it. Basically everything said above is good. Work as much as humanly possible in the summer and don't spend a dime. You would be surprised how much money you can save if all you do is work.

Then when the season starts if you are going to college just shift some things around so that you can have plenty of time to get on hill. This may require going to class from 8am to 8pm two days a week but you have to make sacrifices somewhere.

And if you need a job theres always shitty dish washing or waiting tables jobs you can find at night in most mountain town areas. Or like was said above you can just go on unemployment and get food stamps and run that gig through the winter. Sure some people will call you out for it saying you don't really need it, and it's not meant for people like you but just do what you gotta do.

Bottom line unless you're one of the lucky ones with wealthy parents you're going to have to work or scheme.
 
Yeah but don't pretend as if your parents didn't help you out along the way. Lets be blunt, if you ski and go to college in THIS country right now, you come from a decent socioeconomic background and thus have parents that help you out. One doesn't simply perform unskilled/nonprofessional work full time for half of the year in order to pay for another six months of skiing and school, not even considering the plethora of other life expenses.
 
pretty sure Charley Ager works construction all summer to make it through winter if I'm not mistaken. I'm sure a lot of guys do that.

Also, not sure about other resorts, but at Crested Butte if you boot pack the mountain a certain amount of hours with ski patrol pre-season/early season you get a free pass.

there's always ways to work the system, our guys do what a lot of people were saying, stack your schedules two days a week if you're in school and ski the rest. just dont get a job at a ski shop! haha
 
I fucking hate people like you. But that is awesome, and I cant hate you for that, Winning. What do is work at my dads woodworking business in the summer and make all my money for winter then. Its not hard op
 
Realistically the amount of people that do this are 1/10th of 1%. Just because someone ski's a lot does not mean they aren't just an average Joe who works a regular job, and ski's as much as possible.

 
Yeah that. But I like to go to different mountains with the normal crew so I have to buy weekend passes a lot and gas money is a bitch, thats basically what summer work pays for. That and ski equipment.
 
just do it, you'll find a way to survive. If you have a car you're half way there. If not apply to some mountains you're interested in, they probably have employee housing.

Or be an OG and invest in a hammock and a good sleeping bag.
 
Precisely. Ski at least Friday, Sat, Sun, and Monday. And add on Wednesday if you're lucky. Get used to couch surfing and sleeping in your car and you'll be good to go.
 
No doubt big willy. But who actually skis and pays for college at the same time? I'd actually be curious to know who goes to college and pays out of their pocket for school. I feel like if you go to even a halfway decent school you still need loans unless your parents are paying. I'm insanely grateful my parents put me through school and for the past couple years I've supported myself and skiing a bunch (luckily my job is on the industry) but still you're right you cant ski 50+ days a year, go to school and have a job that pays for school.
 
Trevor is working as a counselor at Woodward this summer, living and eating for free (and skiing) and making a small salary taking care of campers (like myself and others). Other people probably have summer jobs, like other college students, and either take online school during ski season, or strategically arrange classes.

THC and Trevor and the rest don't make very much money (I think Trevor checked his bank account before pay day and had like 8 bucks total, haha) , but hell, neither do most college kids. They make it happen.
 
I often wonder the same question. When I went to college, the hill was 15 minutes away so I could park sesh in between classes (epic on a weekday because all the park rats in a non-ski town actually have jobs/school so park is empty). Now I have a real job and live in Denver. It sucks because people are packing the park all day every day. And sucks because I have to ski conservatively because if I get hurt, that's a lot of money I'm out
 
Living on a minimum budget, the whole year I'm saving everything for

1.) car insurance

2.) lift ticket (~600 bucks, way less expensive than in the US)

3.) fuel

Can't go out every weekend, don't really do much beside skiing and learning the whole winter... Don't get new skiing stuff every season.

And I'm becoming an electronics engineer btw. If you really want to, you'll find a way.
 
im no were near as old as most of the people that have posted in this thread but i work all summer, and im careful with my money. my parents dont support my skiing so i have to make good choices with my $$$
 
Ski instructing, don't get as much freeski time as bums, but I live in some rad places and never have to do any work apart from skiing.
 
Marry a good partner that will help alot.

Partner needs to love to ski too.

Both become self-employed so you set your own schedule

Live close to a Mt. like I do in Bend OR area or anyplace like that.

Fish Alaska. Screw school.

All the money you make won't prevent your death anyway. Ski now.

I aerifacate lawns. Hard work. Lots of customers. No work in winter.

You will find a way if you really want to. I got 130 day last season. I don't have money. Just enough to pay the bills. Don't get a big mortgage! Buy a small cheap home. I buy used stuff all the time. Learn to tune all your own stuff. Etc. Don't go out and waste any money. Save and pinch.

Or get rich quick! Then retire.

Become a major grower. Get into roofing, or any trade like that. Seasonal work.

These are just a few ideas. Good luck!
 
boot pack 20-30 days a year on the only days with fresh snow==not worth it. to OP work your ass off from may-october/november and get a job at a restaurant at night, thats what i do atleast.
 
Catering can be lucrative. Work two events a month and boom, you've got rent.

Seasonal labor is great too, but don't expect to make a lot of money right off the bat. Learn now while your young and living at home so that come college/ski bum time, your making more than 10 bucks an hour at your first roofing job.

Find some sort of freelancing job that either A) facilitates travel or B) allows you to telecommute.

get into judging park,pipe, and moguls. the governing bodies will pay your travel expenses, hook you up with lift-tickets day of (an usually a day or two after if you can sweet-talk the events manager), and a place to stay. Bring your own food so that your per-diem can be turned into fun-time money.

It all comes down to prioritizing. If you want to ski around 100 days a year and travel to some cool places, don't expect to live in a sick house, go out boozing with your buddies every week, and have basically any hobby outside of skiing.

Oh and expect to be dead broke in May. it'll happen. But it's pretty goddamn rewarding to look back on a season and realize you didn't really have a job past the end of december, saw some amazing new places, met some kickass people, and skied your heart out.

 
Chris Rubens and some other MSP guys are roofers and dig out septic tanks for a living in the summer and then film all winter, and those guys are all in their 30s
 
I also worked 7 years for a strawberry cooler. I was head shipping clerk. They would pay me unemployment with out being required to look for work because they always wanted me back. I skied quite a bit then, but I lived on the coast of CA so I had to drive a long way to Tahoe to ski. Now I live 22 miles from the chair lift. Seasonal work!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top