Ski Patrol: Friends or Enemies

It has a lot to do with where you are. The first kind you'll find out west, and the second kind you'll find in the midwest. That's my experience moving from MN to MT for what it's worth. I'm one of the goddamn redcoats and quite like it.
 
I work at a resort in Aus called Thredbo and I also live in Whistler during winter.

Patrollers in thredbo - about 4 of them who are legit 20+ year veteran patrollers who have worked everywhere and know everything, to be respected, but the rest are fucktards and how no concept of mountain smarts and so some really stupid shit.

Patrollers in Whistler - these are the guys who give the me the confidence to rip spanky's ladder on 40cm of fresh and not worry about dying in an avy. the burliest, manliest, mountain men on the hill.
 
It's my last name with the last two letters swapped, and a lifelong nickname, can't do it brother. Plus, that's sort of the joke. I'm neurotic, batshit crazy, and pretty intense. I also like the idea of never having changed my name or icon, ya dig?
 
This is the sort of thing I can't even wrap my head around. I know at Vail resorts they have the yellow jacket "safety patrol" or something who literally kick it at slow signs and fucking write tickets (!?) but, actual patrollers "pulling people over"? What the fuck. I try and picture that being SOP at Loveland and it makes me laugh. Every single day I watch people straight line the steeps and billy goat whilst throwing 3's and backies, and I yell at them...."GEEEEEEET SOOOOOOME" and pole clap and then I go do my best to do the same thing. Except with less athleticism and a smaller dick.

There's an ocean between skiing really, really fucking fast and aggressive, and skiing recklessly or unsafely. I would never stop someone to chastise them about skiing fast, especially because it takes all of one turn to know that someone gets after it. I don't care if they're skiing switch or not. Generally though, those kind of skiers know when to dump some speed coming into clusterfuck areas that have beginners and multiple mergers, etc. because they've been skiing long enough to know that they can be in total control and still get squeezed or blindsided/surprised by someone else.
 
the ski patrol at my hill encouraged me and my friends to ride without poles because it annoys the hell out of this old couple. we followed them around for a couple of times and got a lecture about not using poles after every run. the ski patrol just stood by us in the lift line and laughed. but other than that they can turn into real assholes sometime. opening day i came out of the trees right at the bottom of a closed run and they tried to kick me out.
 
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