Wilderness, Skiing, & Fire
By Nick Harper-Johnston, NSP-Subaru Ambassador What's something that the vast majority of Western ski areas have in common? That YOU, the skier, own the actual land you are skiing on. It's no secret that the US Forest Service and skiing have always gone hand in hand, and that the folks attracted to the woods like to recreate in wild [...]
Land of the Midnight Sun
By Cody Burns, NSP-Subaru Ambassador Life as a patroller during the summer months in Alaska is as unique as the wildlife, weather, and daylight. In the land of the midnight sun, there is a seemingly endless amount of time for fun and recreational activities. We started our summer program here at Alyeska Resort eight years ago in 2011, which [...]
2020 Membership Dues
By Bill Finley, NSP Finance and Operations Director At NSP, our vision calls us to be the premier provider of outdoor rescue education, increase recruitment and retention, expand our reach into other sports and events, be financially self-sustaining, and provide all members with successful patrolling experiences. With this backdrop, in April the NSP board of directors approved a dues alignment [...]
Charles Minot “Mint” Dole, Jr.
Charles Minot "Mint" Dole died on Friday, July 19 at his home in Essex, Conn. He was 85. Mint Dole was the son of Charles Minot "Minne" Dole, who is credited as the founder of the National Ski Patrol. Mint had an illustrious career in his own right, as an industrial designer and inventor. Our thoughts go out to the [...]
The New Safe Sport Law
By Dave Byrd, NSAA Director of Risk and Regulatory Affairs This article was initially published in Ski Patrol Magazine, a publication that is a benefit for members of the National Ski Patrol. To learn more about membership, click here. The Safe Sport Act recently passed by Congress is requiring big changes in protocols for the entire spectrum of youth amateur [...]
Family
By Sarah Chapelle, NSP-Subaru Ambassador Family. We are all born into one, but we also acquire many more throughout life. Whether a church family, work family, or sports family, each makes us feel whole in different ways. The National Ski Patrol family is no exception. Two years ago, my husband and I packed our bags and moved away from [...]
Bring on the PARADE
By Jay Zedak, NSP-Subaru Ambassador and NSP Board Member Every Memorial Day for many years, I have attended the parade in Hudson, Ohio (population 25,000). When I was a child, I decorated and rode my bike (banana seat of course). As an adult, I proudly drove the fire engine or heavy rescue truck as a Lieutenant with the Hudson [...]
When the Patroller Becomes the Patient
A flipped perspective on patient care on the hill By Chris Huskinson On closing day of the ski season, I broke my leg. It happened from a missed edge on a run I've cruised many times, not just from doing something dumb or trying to show off. I ended my season with surgery and months of recovery. Go figure. I [...]
Legends of the Fall
By Nicholas Harper-Johnston, NSP-Subaru Ambassador It is 4 am. The frost inside my sleeping bag wakes me up from a restless sleep. All I hear are the sounds of the wind whipping on my tent fly. I try to fall back asleep but it’s pointless. Eventually, it is time to wake up. They give us five minutes to pack [...]
A Working Dog, Cirrus
By Michelle Longstreth, NSP-Subaru Ambassador Photos by Andrew Longstreth Cirrus sniffed; she moved to the right. I stopped to watch her next move. It is hard as a handler to stop, watch and wait. She kept going across the hill and stopped again. She sniffed, buried her nose in the snow, sniffed a couple more times, then started using [...]
Ski Patrol is in my blood
By Marshal Thompson, NSP-Subaru Ambassador My path to becoming a ski patroller started 51 years ago in an upstate New York hospital where a young 19-year-old college student lay in a hospital bed planning her own funeral with her mother. This young girl was about to undergo another surgery for massive internal injuries, acute renal failure and severe [...]
The best and brightest of our future
By Chris Tota, NSP-Subaru Ambassador It was a brutally cold January day when I was riding up Lift 7 at Belleayre Mountain with a veteran patroller, and we were discussing mountain procedures for calling in and responding to accidents. As a Young Adult Patroller just turning 15 years old, I had almost two months under my belt and [...]
Faces of the NSP: Nicholas Harper-Johnson
Nicholas Harper-Johnson NSP: When did you become a patroller, and what led you to start patrolling? Nick: I moved to Crested Butte, Colorado, as a youngster and was immediately impressed by those that made a living off the mountains, and especially those who came to help when things went wrong. I started volunteering with the fire department and search and [...]
Faces of the NSP: Tina Biddle
Tina Biddle NSP: When did you become a patroller, and what led you to start patrolling? Tina: I started ski patrolling in '97 at Breckenridge. Earlier that summer, I worked with some patrollers at a local outdoor store, and it was apparent they loved patrolling. So I figured what the heck, I'll try it. NSP: What did you find most [...]
Faces of the NSP: Michelle Longstreth
Michelle Longstreth NSP: When did you become a patroller, and what led you to start patrolling? Michelle: I started as a paid patroller in 1995. I started skiing at age 26, when I was working at Cardrona Ski Area in New Zealand as a lift operator. There, I met my first husband, an American on an exchange from Crystal Mountain [...]