Nearly 20 skiers are squeezed into a hut atop Eldora Mountain on March 27, but only a handful know what’s going on as the radios begin to squawk. I’m one of 15 candidates in the room who are trying out to fill the four or so openings on the resort’s ski patrol, and we’ve been taking a break to warm up after an hour of ski drills on icy slopes. Now, we watch as our judges don helmets, pull on goggles, and rush out the door.
Zach Ryan, a patrol supervisor, stays behind with us and listens to the radio traffic. There’s a mechanical failure on the Indian Peaks lift, leaving hundreds of people stranded on chairs. Patrollers must close part of the mountain to ensure other guests don’t ski down to the malfunctioning lift until it’s fixed. While we wait for the tryout judges to return, Ryan fields our questions.
Most of the people in my group are vying to become full-time patrollers, others want to volunteer, and a few teenagers hope to ski their way onto the youth patrol, which would see them learn emergency first aid and assist in incidents to prepare them to join as adults. I’m here on assignment for to better understand what it takes to be a ski
