PINE MOUNTAIN -- You see them on the mountain when skiing or snowboarding and they help keep you safe. So what's a typical day like for the ski patrol?
The ski patrol at Pine Mountain doesn't get paid. All 25 of them are volunteers. And they have one of the most important jobs on the mountain.
“Ski patrol is the first ones on the lift,” says Russ Reynolds. “We go up the hill, check out, make sure every thing's ok.”
Not to mention, if somebody gets hurt, they are the first ones on the scene.
That's not all they do here. This year they've incorporated something called the Moving Mountains Adaptive Program. It's designed to help disabled people, who may not have a chance to ski, experience what it's like to go down the hill.
“We knew that we had some expertise that could follow us and help us through,” says Bud Delano. “We decided to get the Professional Ski Instructors of America involved, and we called them up and asked their adaptive program if they would come and help us here to get it started.”
The program will start on January 15. The ski patrol here has had a lot of training to be able to handle this specialized ski-sled, and only a few of them can operate it. But at the end of the day, they are all good friends who share a common interest: skiing.
“It's all just fun, fun with good friends,” says Matt Sovey.
It's not a bad gig, either. They get to bunk at the resort, get discounts on meals, and ski for free.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC