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live/work/ski in Whistler/other?

  • 03-06-2008 11:26AM
    #1
    breadmonkey
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,608 ✭✭✭


    Planning a RTW trip at the moment and would seriously love to get some skiing in.

    I know skiing holidays don't come cheap but is there a way to work at a resort so that you can basically break even over the stay? I've heard varying stories; some people working so much that they couldn't actually get out on the slopes and others simply worked cleaning gafs in the mornings and had the rest of the day to themselves.

    I mentioned Whistler specifically because I'd really love to go back to Canada and I've read many times that British Columbia is a really beautiful place. However, if anyone has any other places in mind I'm all ears.

    Also, what should I be googling to get me on the right track?


Comments

  • #2
    RATM
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,591 ✭✭✭RATM


    Im also looking into this at the moment but for Winter 2009-10. My first thought was Whistler and to get a Canadian Working Holiday Visa and work whilst there. Im dubious bout working as I worked a season in Queenstown, New Zealand before and some weeks got hardly any riding in at all. One thing was I worked for the mountain and we did have staff nights every 2 weeks where the mountain was lit up exclusively for staff so that was cool.

    Anyway from what I gathered on the small bit of research Ive done so far is that Whistler is v.expensive to live in. Also a season pass is around about $1500 which is quite a hit. So now me and a mate are leaning towards buying a campervan and driving to Vail, Colorado for the season instead. We wont be working but living on the cheap in the van. What attracted us to Vail is the availibility of their new Epic Pass see here www.epicpass.com Its only $579 at the early bird price which is an absolute bargain. For that you can ride Vail,Breckenridge, Beaver Creek, Keystone and Heavenly in Lake Tahoe all season long. The plan is to spend 4-6 wks at Vail then a week or so at the rest and then get up to Lake Tahoe in California/Nevada for spring boarding.Ive ridden Heavenly before and can recommend it highly. Friends have done a season in Vail and said its quite expensive but you'll survive. That said if you want to work there the best chance you have of a sponsored work visa is to work for the mountain itself and they always tend to pay the worst wages but they do make up for it by offering season passes and sometimes accomodation. They usually start recruiting about Sept/October every year, check the mountains websites for details.

    Hope this helps:)


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