How to be come a liftie ?

nychka

nychka

Active member
I really want to work at key or breck this season. Anyone here been thorough the process and have advice?

 
Why are you so excited to work a job that only has hours when the mountain is open?

Wouldn't you rather work somewhere at night/early morning.....
 
^ yeah a restaurant job would be preferable, but liftie just seems like a job that anybody could get and you get a free pass
 
you apply. It helps if you know someone who works there to tell you when someone quits so you can conveniently slip in. Listen to everyone else though, look for a job with different hours. I worked as a liftee at a smaller ski area for a couple months and it was the second most miserable job I've had. Time will never move slower than when you are sitting in the top booth alone, and I could never get high enough to make it tolerable.
 
you really don't wanna be "that guy" operating a lift when there's a shit ton of fresh pow. "that guy" is always pissed, I mean look at the loveland lifties on pow days... (bunch of a-holes).
 
I honestly think liftie would be the worst winter job ever. And several lifties would agree with me. Free pass....but I went skiing more when I was at the Air Force Academy than some of my lift whore buddies.
 
Being a liftie is NOT the worst job ever, it was one of the easiest jobs and probably the most fun job (at times) i've ever had.

I was in your exact position last fall. I was moving from Wisconsin, and i thought working at the resort would be the best idea, because you get a free pass, and you can set a job up ahead of time. But like some people have said, finding a job with more flexible hours would be ideal. I don't regret working as a liftie, because I worked at the A-51 lift most of the time (which is why I thought it was a fun job, and i met a bunch of other park riders from around here) but having a job where you can work nights might be a better idea, depending on what you're looking for. Working as a liftie at keystone you get 2 days off every week, which wasn't enough for me. I still got to ski everyday (skiing to your lift, ride breaks, and lunch break) but that wasn't exactly what I was hoping for.

I'm still trying to become a resident, so I won't be going to school again next year, and I'm definitely going to find a night job, whether it's at the grocery store, or a restaurant because I want to ski more. OH and i just remembered i was planning on living in employee housing so I figured BAM I can live and work at the same place, but I ended up finding a place that was way better than employee housing.

anyways, PM me if you have more questions, cause all of last summer and fall i was trying to figure out what i was going to do for the upcoming ski season and I ended up working as a liftie at keystone

 
Please be aware that being a liftie sucks! it can become a mindless, boring job. That being said it does get you an all mountain pass. The manager at Keystone Chris Curry is a chill guy. Apply on skijob1.com in the fall
 
step 1: smoke a ton of weed.

step 2: dont give a fuck

step 4: apply. its one of the easiest jobs to get but you wont always get to ski the best days, but you do get to ski most every day for alittle while at least. keep in mind if you ski in uniform at most resorts you cant ski park or trees. so bring your normal gear to the shack w you.
 
skijobs1.com is a start, but honestly, make it your last resort to be a liftie. go with a ski tech, i had a full time job in keystone my first year here tuning skis from 8-12, skiing from 12-4, then setting people up for rentals from 4-close. you could ski 7 days a week if you wanted to
 
yah usually not till fall. but like everyone is saying, lifty isnt the best job to get. work in a rental shop at chisty sports or something. i did that my first year in vail. its a great way to meet people, the pay is probably a little better and you get to ski, usually for at least two hours every day. i work at a retail shop now and get a four hour ski break every single day. lifty is just good if you lack any sort of usable ski knowledge. i mean, a lot of the lifties out here can barely speak english
 
its all about who you know...i happened to know quite a bit about tuning skis from working on my own stuff, but all that mattered is that one of my friends worked there. read some stuff about how to size pple for boots and skis, how to wax and scrape, and do your best to sound like you know what you are doing. if you havent considered this, think about every person youve ever met that lives somewhere out west, and call them up, see what they might be able to do for you. even just dropping someones name "hey so-and-so told me he used to work here, hes a buddy of mine, do you guys need any help for the winter' will go a long way.
 
dont be a lifty, if you dont have any restaurant experience work as a night busser to start....you'll make decent money and get to ski everyday..then if youre not a complete idiot you can become a server and make bank...its the life bro..during winter i average about 250 a night and got 122 days this past year
 
yeah I'm trying to get a server job lined up... I've got 5 years of experience so shouldn't be too hard, so I hope... lol
 
that's my dream for next season, i really want to find a waiter job this summer/fall. skijobs didn't start adding winter jobs until august last year (at least most of them), and my ride breaks were usually a lap depending on the lift i was working, which kinda sucked, but it was a nice 20 minute break
 
don't do it. good way to meet people but if i had to work on the mtn during open hours i would rather be in ski school
 
dont rule out working at a front desk of your resort is big enough. If you are coming here to ski you might as well ski for yourself...
 
This guy was seriously the best liftie ever though. He gives you candy (which is usually filled with lsd), is sick at blading, and has fake gun fight with kids on the lift. Haha i seriously hope you keep working at key, that would be mad chill dude.
 
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