COVID-19 Updates
We will be posting updates from NSP offices about changes and adjustments that our staff and programs are making in response to the shifting situation around COVID-19. How you can help. Check this page for information about how NSP members can help in their communities or in national efforts. All NSP courses must comply with local, state and [...]
Giving Tuesday is December 1!
Giving Tuesday is December 1 -- raise money for your patrol and NSP! What it is GivingTuesday is “a global day of giving fueled by the power of social media and collaboration” which takes place this year on Tuesday, December 1. Many nonprofits take advantage of the day to encourage financial donations from supporters. National Ski Patrol will be [...]
Marriage and Patrolling
How our patrolling candidacy strengthened our marriage By David Flynn (Originally published in Ski Patrol Magazine) When my then-girlfriend Rosemary and I finished a tour with the ski school, we decided that the next step in our evolution was to try out for the patrol. For us, there were several obvious benefits, such as learning to ski better, new friends, [...]
Ski Resorts Promote Sustainability
Patrols, like Arapahoe Basin, take a leadership role By Lindsay DeFrates Photos courtesy of Arapahoe Basin The morning meeting runs smoothly. Tony Cammarata, the operations director/ski patrol director at Arapahoe Basin for the last 10 years, runs through the daily assignments of duties. He then covers the pass-on topics like first aid and safety discussions. The content, the commentary, and [...]
Introducing Ski Patrol Radio Podcast
Ski Patrol Radio is NSP's latest form of communication with our members and other outdoor rescue professionals, as well as the everyday outdoor enthusiast. Covering topics from ski patrolling and PTSD to the new surge in backcountry recreationalists, this podcast will discuss many topics affecting how people interact with the outdoors and the work our members do.Please subscribe on your [...]
Why it is Critical to Chronicle our Chronicles
Why it is Critical to Chronicle our Chronicles By Andrew Hennigh Fabricating epics around the fire The plan was in place for the next morning; the avalanche control teams were notified, shot counts were given to the shot makers, and the forecast had been adequately analyzed and over analyzed. It was mid-March and this storm would be fairly [...]
Hearing from Patrollers of Color
By Meegan Moszynski, NSP Executive Director As the national conversation about racism amplified in late spring 2020, the national staff and I started to think about how NSP could contribute. Our 10-year strategic plan addresses our vision to “have increased membership numbers, diversity and increased retention” and ensure that “all of our members have compelling stories of patrolling success,” and [...]
Poems by Alex Limkin
Spilled Moonshine In the month of May we ski the debris: dust, twigs, broken branches clumps of mistletoe, pines cones and pine needles, sun cups and sap, everything but snow it would seem in the month of May. But climb high enough, doggedly enough, and a sip of winter yet awaits pooled among the rocks like spilled moonshine. [...]
Lessons Learned
By Dave Watson Wading through the deep waters of life, surrounded by love and beauty that is balanced by willful ignorance and fear, I am learning the lessons of moments long past. Toxic behavior, violence and injustice have been normalized and it is a reminder that we all must do better. We must do a better job in the community, [...]
Ramblings of a Professional Ski Bum
By Tarah O'Connor Uncertainty, transition, a sense of loss, a sense of adventure. These are the normal feelings each spring for the seasonal flock of professional ski patrollers. We move into smaller pods of raft guides, wildland firefighters, mountain guides, gardeners, ER techs, bartenders and carpenters. This is the “normal” flow of an already difficult seasonal life. It was [...]
Winter Triathlon and New Challenges
By Christine Wodke, NSP Subaru Ambassador In Scott Welle’s book Wellness he says “When you are challenged you are forced to grow or you can’t meet the challenge.” That quote perfectly describes not only my race at the Winter Triathlon National Championship, but our present COVID-19 situation. The March 1 race at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis was a [...]
Pay your 2020 dues by June 30!
If you have not already done so, you need to pay your 2020 dues by JUNE 30. After June 30, you will need to call the national office to pay your 2020 dues over the phone with a credit card or send in a check by mail. Please help us prevent a backlog of calls to the national office by [...]
Skywalk and Service to Others
By Alex Limkin Walking the 22-mile Skywalk across the Sandias with Chuck Hosking is a bit like showering with a loofah, or eating a dandelion salad: a bit raw, a bit rough, but seriously good for you. On the verge of turning 72, Chuck Hosking's body and mind retain the virile appearance and functioning of a younger man. This [...]
Where’s Everyone Else?
Growth opportunities in ski patrol with minorities By Mandela Echefu (Editor's note: This story was originally published in the Fall 2018 issue of Ski Patrol Magazine. We are re-publishing it here because of its relevance to the current conversation about diversity, and the experience of black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in areas -- liker snowsports -- where they [...]
Patrols Around the Country Pitch in to Fight COVID-19
During the last several months the world has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The ski community was not immune to this with the ski season ending months earlier than expected. When resorts closed ski patrollers lost their jobs all around the country. This created opportunities for patrollers to continue to give back by donating supplies and ski [...]
Concerns for Recreating at High Altitudes
Do you remember the world before COVID-19? Do you recall when we could freely travel far distances in search of those premier, sacred, lesser-traveled places to recreate? Those days will return eventually, but in the meantime, we can use this unprecedented free time to plan future trips for when we’re all able to travel safely again. One oft-overlooked consideration [...]