Sunshine vs. Lake Louise

Ski..4..Life

Active member
So I have interviews with both of these companies next weekend and just wondering if people have worked for either company and can give some insight/recommendations. I will probably either be working in a lifty/trail crew/guest service position.

I will be coming from ontario and know no-one in the area if that means anything.

Better skiing?

Better accommodation?

Better nightlife?

Better people?

Anything else you think might me relevant.
 
Better skiing?

Depends what you like. Park is unquestionably a million times better at Louise and the runs are longer. Sunshine has a fuck load of hidden gems and generally gets a bit more snow. Most people who live here have a definite favourite but it's about evenly split so it's impossible to say which you will prefer.

Accomodation?

Very difficult to say, do you mean staff accom? I would strongly recommend not living up at Sunshine's staff accom if you get a job there - live in town and get the bus. I can't speak for Louise's staff accom.

Better Nightlife?

Lake Louise is a tiny community. I don't have personal experience but I would guess the night life is all staff accom based. Banff is a much bigger town (relatively speaking) with lots of pubs/bars/clubs so it will definitely be livelier.

People?

You will meet awesome people anywhere and everywhere in the Bow Valley.
 
^^ Pretty much that.

Lake Louise staff accommodation is alright. Sounds a lot better then Sunshine's. Its about 8 dollars a day for a shared room(small and shitty) or like 11 for a single. Night life in Louise can be fun but again it gets old after a while and is pretty much the same thing every night.

Bonus for Louise is now its on Staff reciprocal with Kicking horse, which is only an hour a way and is a fricken awesome ski hill.(You get to ski there for free) Also you get a free day at Revelstoke and half off all future visits. Definitely take advantage of the staff pass while you can.

Definitely a smaller town, which can be fun definitely meet a lot of great people that love skiing and the mountains in general. You will want to do most grocery shopping in Canmore(1 hour drive) when possible although there is a small store in the basement of the staff accoms that buys stuff from Canmore and stocks it at cost. It does get sold out off the good stuff pretty quick.

Skiing wise, you'll have a riot at either place.
 
Thanks for the info so far guys.

If I work at sunshine I will defnitely look for a place in Banff as their staff accommodation looks pretty shitty. Lake louise looks better so I could prob do it for one season.

Like you guys said, the skiing is pretty even between the two so that doesn't matter too much, but which is probably less crowded?

and as per nightlife and stuff obviously i want stuff to do but i am not really big into clubs and stuff, just hanging out with friends at a bar/pub is perfectly acceptable to me.

and that ski pass at lake louise sounds amazing, Ive always wanted to go to Revelstoke, and hopefully move there someday so that would awesome
 
Lake Louise is less crowded usually IMO, but there isn't a lot to separate on that front.

At LL it's fairly easy to access the gnar, Sunshine you have to work/explore for it. LL has a far superior park, especially in the last couple of years. Shines was brutal last year, like horrendous. No flow, awful jumps, dinky little rails.

Lake Louise townsite is very very small. VERY small. I don't really know but I'd assume the bar at the hostel is the place to go?
 
Personally, I prefer Louise. The runs are longer and steeper and the whole back bowl area keeps sweet snow for the whole year pretty much. Yes, sunshine gets more snow but I think the back bowls can match it with snowfall and whats blown in there combined.

Only The Dive and Wild West at the shine can match Louise for quality terrain but to go in them you need to have avy gear, plus they're closed a lot and the laps can take super long.

Parks aren't even a contest, Louise kills it.

All these things said, I've had some great days at sunshine but my ideal situation would be living in Banff and working at Louise.
 
Wait this is a thread about working for LL or SSV. How is there no mention of the Scurfields? Why would anyone want to work for that organization after the past couple of years?
 
The key for people who work there is to not give a shit about what really goes down. You have to be ok with having to work for a rediculous low wage, or cool with rich people having the ability to take your job away at a moment's notice.

I worked there and have tons of friends who still work there. They are awesome people who have to work for a shitty organization. The place and people are great. The organization, benefits, and wage are shit.
 
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