Working at whistler for the winter

DGski

DGski

Active member
I'm taking a gap year before college and was wondering if working at whis was a good idea .. I've heard some people say you should get a job somewhere off the mountain so that you can actually ski but having a free seasons pass and deals on food would be nice.

Any info would be appreciated. Also, how old are most of the employees? Ill be 18
 
Probably the best thing you could do is get a job at a restaurant at the base that is run by the mountain. You still get the discounts that way and will usually work at night.

I wouldn't recommend staff housing (too much riding on your job, and shitty accommodations), and I wouldn't work as a liftie or another job that will take up your precious riding time.
 
becoming a liftie or a server in a lodge shouldn't be too hard when you're 18. you're gonna work shitty hours though so don't expect to ski like every day or make bank
 
Depends if you what type of skiing you are into. Kicking horse, fernie, red, revelstoke are good for powder and touring. Whistler is still sick for powder and touring (not nearly as good as the others especially revelstoke) but is sick for park. Whistler also has a better party environment and if you're turning 19 this year, it has quite a few fun places to go.
 
big white or silverstar would be nice cause they've both got decent parks and good terrain and it's got kelowna near by. plus employee housing if you work for the mountain.
 
If you go to silverstar, try and find your own accommodations, the staff housing there was pretty bad when I saw it. Four people per room? Fuck that.
 
Yea I'm probably going for whistler then , I'm from the east coast so I'm not looking for all time terrain
 
There are piles of jobs off mountain and you can even get a spirit pass. That being said, moving to whistler with no experience or connections in November will get you fuck all. Working for the mountain has its perks. Staff accom is basically a college dorm with no home work and less rules. Fun for a bit im sure, but id never do it.
 
I have no experience or connections. I think I will stay in staff housing. I've heard you can't choose roommates but do they at least group you with kids your age? Anyone?
 
I don't know if it will be by age, but I'm pretty sure they wouldn't put an 18 year old lifty with 35 year old in marketing. I would say most 'mature' staff would have their own place off the mountain.
 
best way to go at whistler is to get your ski or board instructor certification and stay in staff housing.you get to ski for work, even if its with beginners, and you meet a lot of people. staff housing is an endless party too and if youre turning 19 that would be a good time.
 
Can't tell if this is serious. I have worked as an instructor for quite a while but I refuse to do it more than part-time. You get the perks of the pass, but skiing with beginners on every powday sucks.
 
My god..

I made the move from Montreal to Whistler this season and work as a lifty. It's nice. I live in Westside staff housing, which is in creekside (10 minute drive south of the village) and is much nicer than glacier. There are no rowdy parties or anything so if that's what you're after I wouldn't recommend it.

As far as skiing I work 4 days and ski 3, I could easily give away shifts if I wanted to ski more, but I'm pretty content with the rhythm I have now. The pay is shit, but that's not what I'm here for. The perks are nice, for instance I have a locker at creekside, which is really convenient.

Come out and give it a try, at worst you can quit and do something else. The rate of attrition in Whistler is actually ridiculous. Aussies are ridiculous.
 
Can I apply for jobs from far away? If I were applying to be a liftie do I have to be in whistler for an interview? Can't imagine there are too many qualifications ..
 
No you can apply online through Whistler's website. They host hiring fairs in a few Eastcoast cities, there's one in Montreal and Toronto.
 
ye I like the party vibe, always something to do

to be fair brio and westside are literally just bigger upgraded Glacier apartments.. also I get a single room, on the mountain, for $560 a week which is fucking awesome.

I work 4 days a week and ski 3 too, cept coz im a ski instructor, I make double what lifties make ;)

oh and lastly not all of us aussies are ridiculous, dick heads are.
 
Hahaha, It's funny because, yes, I do, and when I'm in Australia, i make almost triple. #candianwagelawssuck #makemad$$inaustralia
 
Wait what? I thought you used to be an instructor in Whistler? Like 70% of kids instructors are first season level 1s...
 
that's the way!

i'm planning on coming back for 2015 (spent this season just gone) but our crew has halved.. (we didn't work)

straya lol
 
i worked as a cook when i was there and had night shifts so I could ski every day i wanted to, also got a free pass... I think its probably the best way to go

you cant ski every day without burning out but you never have to sit out a midweek pow day, and free food 5 days a week cuts down costs of living quite a bit
 
You realize it's proportionate to your cost of living. For instance a video game that costs around $60 in Canada is about $100 in Australia.
 
12933438:Download-My-Apps said:
Can't tell if this is serious. I have worked as an instructor for quite a while but I refuse to do it more than part-time. You get the perks of the pass, but skiing with beginners on every powday sucks.
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Dont know what your talking about , I love instructig I work 3 or 4 days a week I have my own room in glacier staff , 2 of those teaching days my kids are local amd can rip the whole mountain in any condition . I also get paid 16.50 and just last week the end of club classes I cashed out 1100 in tips .,... its a great gig aside the odd beginner class
 
12945929:TZA. said:
Dont know what your talking about , I love instructig I work 3 or 4 days a week I have my own room in glacier staff , 2 of those teaching days my kids are local amd can rip the whole mountain in any condition . I also get paid 16.50 and just last week the end of club classes I cashed out 1100 in tips .,... its a great gig aside the odd beginner class
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To each their own, I agree in terms of an actual job its a great gig, and WB is a good employer.

Personally, the reason I moved to Whistler was to ski, not to teach. So I preferred doing it on a part-time basis. Had I wanted to simply work and enjoy myself I think I would be on the same page. I still instruct (well coach) now, and I love it. But by doing it part-time I am able to spend more time doing the other stuff I like too.
 
If you are looking for the most days on the mountain a night job in one of the hotels or restaurants would be best. Cooks, night cleaners, kitchen stewards, food runner etc get a lot of time to go up the mountain...... if you work overnight you will miss some parties though!

Working for the mountain has it's pros and cons. You will meet a huge amount of people, especially if you live in staff hosuing. You can get some nice discounts on gear and of course the free ski pass. The pay is lower than hotel work but the perks make up for that to a certain extend. Check out the Fairmont Hotel as well. They have the perks of staff housing, free medical etc and pay better than the mountain.

It all depends on what you are looking for. If you want to chase powder and nothing else you could look into a place like Revelstoke or Kicking Horse, though jobs are harder to come by in these places. If you are looking to do some partying and shredding Whistler offers both.

Whatever you choose you will have a great time :)
 
12942907:blindside said:
You realize it's proportionate to your cost of living. For instance a video game that costs around $60 in Canada is about $100 in Australia.
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I don't remember the last time i bought a video game, dont spend money on stupid shit lol, in Whistler i make 19.55 an hour which is almost double what lifties and F&B staff would be on, in Australia, i make $30 an hour, I assure you things in Australia don't cost triple, and Whistler is a fuckng expensive place to live as well
 
12958271:Skiingsnow said:
I don't remember the last time i bought a video game, dont spend money on stupid shit lol, in Whistler i make 19.55 an hour which is almost double what lifties and F&B staff would be on, in Australia, i make $30 an hour, I assure you things in Australia don't cost triple, and Whistler is a fuckng expensive place to live as well
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I wrote 'for instance'.. And 30 an hour isn't minimum wage in Australia, so comparing it to minimum wage in Canada is meaningless. Things in Australia don't cost triple, they cost about one and a half times more, which, surprise, is pretty much exactly how much more your minimum wage is than Canada.

I'm over this.
 
12958271:Skiingsnow said:
I don't remember the last time i bought a video game, dont spend money on stupid shit lol, in Whistler i make 19.55 an hour which is almost double what lifties and F&B staff would be on, in Australia, i make $30 an hour, I assure you things in Australia don't cost triple, and Whistler is a fuckng expensive place to live as well
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But to make that much I'm assuming you're a level 3, 'full-time' and experienced.

Where as a lifty making minimum wage like has no certs or experience. But thats dope you're enjoying the gig and happy with the cash.
 
12958844:Download-My-Apps said:
But to make that much I'm assuming you're a level 3, 'full-time' and experienced.

Where as a lifty making minimum wage like has no certs or experience. But thats dope you're enjoying the gig and happy with the cash.
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Very true, takes a while to get money that good, level 3 and currently on 8 back to back full time seasons.

First season was a bitch living on $11 an hours, i have no idea how lifties and other staff can afford to drink so much, though i guess they all come with savings specifically for having a good time haha
 
So I was at whistler this weekend talking to people and handing out resumes and shit.. Looks like getting a job isn't a problem but accomadation is pretty hard to find this winter..

Anyone need a roomate?
 
Staff housing is your best bet, we put a room up on Facebook and I got 150+ messages about it! people were even offering to pay double what we asked

If any of you guys are able to drink I work at tapleys so come by and say what up, I'll hook you up with drinks and stuff
 
13216257:.Roockley. said:
Staff housing is your best bet, we put a room up on Facebook and I got 150+ messages about it! people were even offering to pay double what we asked

If any of you guys are able to drink I work at tapleys so come by and say what up, I'll hook you up with drinks and stuff
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that danny kid working there is such a fucking dick though
 
13216257:.Roockley. said:
Staff housing is your best bet, we put a room up on Facebook and I got 150+ messages about it! people were even offering to pay double what we asked
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I was probably one of those people.. but yea I got staff housing and a job dishwashing at Dusty's. Staying in Brio but trying to switch to Glacier
 
13261805:unreal.shooter said:
Im in glacier staff housing. working for whistler kids.
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I got evicted from brio staff housing.. if anyone is looking for a roomate let me know
 
Whistler/Blackcomb runs half of the village so you don't need to work on the mountain to pick up a free season pass. Jobs are much easier to come by than housing and staff housing isn't actually that bad and you can literally ski to your front door. Plus it's super cheap compared to renting in the suburbs, you don't get paid an awful lot and rent will drain your bank balance the quickest.

Come at the start of November and apply at the rental stores or just keep checking on the WB website for job openings around October.
 
If you're looking to maximize your riding time and still want a job with the mountain, I would suggest trying to get a night cleaner job at one of the restaurants. I believe the hours are from 4-12, and from what I've heard it's pretty laid back.

Like others have said, you pretty much have to be here by October at the latest to secure a job and a place to live. Be prepared to pay more than you'd expect for rent just incase you don't get staff housing.
 
Hi, I´m from Chile and I´m thinking to apply for the next season to Whistler, I want to know most about the housing (is better the housing that they offer or not?) and the life style there I was working in a ski resort in USA but idk if the same. Thanks.
 
13403996:gabbyAR said:
Hi, I´m from Chile and I´m thinking to apply for the next season to Whistler, I want to know most about the housing (is better the housing that they offer or not?) and the life style there I was working in a ski resort in USA but idk if the same. Thanks.
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Staff housing is cheap and pretty sick, just don't do stupid shit and get kicked out /I had an awesome season
 
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