Meet the National Ski Patrol Subaru Ambassadors
I grew up in Milwaukee, Wi and was fascinated with surfing, photography and skateboarding. When snowboarding hit the Midwest I realized this was how I was going to surf. After visiting Colorado, It was clear to me this was where I wanted to live. Throughout the last 20 years I have called Colorado, North Carolina, California home. It’s my fascination with the mountains, oceans, board sports and photography that has kept me chasing adventure. Read more
This is my 9th season patrolling at Beaver Creek in Colorado. I spend my time training new ski patrollers, teaching OEC, running toboggans, working through accident investigations, teaching snow safety, working with search and rescue with our Rapid Deployment Canine Team, Flight for Life and the National Guard. Not to mention, injuries, and all the daily duties of a patroller. I also manage the social media for ski patrol.
As far as Subarus go, I’ve owned one for the past 11 years. Two of those years, I have had the pleasure to drive brand new Outbacks proudly displaying NSP on them! I am stoked to be able to document our traveling experiences over the next year in our new Outback!
I didn’t realize it at the time but as a young child I was fortunate to have a father who worked as a ski patroller. Each morning that he left for the hill he would ask me if I wanted to learn to ski. Every time I would turn him down. He never pushed his passion onto me and for that I thank him. I don’t suspect my path would be much different and I certainly wouldn’t want it to be. Read more
After fumbling my way down the slopes of Eastern Pennsylvania at the meer age of 12, I took my love for skiing to Killington Vermont. I earned a degree in Resort & Leisure Management, got slightly better at skiing and was reintroduced to the world of ski patrolling as a rookie at Killington Pico Resort. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to patrol with the Wombats at Mount Buller, Victoria Australia and Squaw Valley, California. At this point, the world of patrol is wide open for me and I’m excited to share it with others. It is by far the most rewarding work I have ever done and I encourage others to become involved.
I’m excited to represent the National Ski Patrol and Subaru of America as a 2020-21 Brand Ambassador. This 25 year-long partnership reflects their dedicated commitment to things that matter most; our environment, our community and each other.
Hey everyone! I’m Cipher Tarrant, I am a snowboard patroller at Tyrol Basin located in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin! I am going into year 4 as a patroller and passed the on hill training module of senior in February 2020. I have been an OEC instructor for two years (currently in year 3) and am IOR for Madison Area OEC. After my candidate year I watched my friend fall 50 feet in a climbing accident. More on that story later.Read more
Working that accident really made me want to keep building my skills. Currently I am a volunteer NREMT-B and am going through advanced EMT training. I work as a youth rock climbing coach. I basically enjoy anything outdoors and adventurous, and my dog tags along when he can. I love getting my hands dirty and have been modding my personal vehicle since I got it, usually taking it apart next to the ambulance. I’m excited to be an ambassador this year and help represent the diversity of NSP and hopefully help get more people interested. I’m happy to answer any questions I can in regards to being a snowboard patroller, younger (22 when I started in OEC), or just overall experiences and how being a patroller has helped. Feel free to reach out!
Hello, my name is Colby Atkinson. I grew up 40 minutes north of Chicago, Illinois. My childhood was spent playing hockey and that’s about it. Oh yeah… and school. I didn’t move or travel until after high school. The NHL was always my goal and that was all I thought about. Instead of attending college I decided to play two years of junior hockey. That’s when I started to travel. The first place I moved was Boise, Idaho. I bounced around playing for a couple of teams in the western states that season. The next year I ended up in Ogden, Utah. I played for the Ogden Mustangs and then for Weber State University.Read more My life changed when a few Ogden teammates from London wanted to go skiing. I thought, “why not”, and we drove to Powder Mountain to do some night skiing. Instantly I knew, this is it, this is what is going to consume the rest of my life. From then on I just needed to ski. I got a job as a lifty at Snowbasin, but that wasn’t enough skiing for me. After watching the patrollers get on the lift before everyone, and always just skiin’ around, I thought to myself, “I’m going to do that!” Now, here I am, passed OEC, with knowledge I never thought was within my capacity! I’ve been working at Snowbasin as a full time, year round ski patroller since 2015. I have loved every second of it! It helped me discover another passion, which is why I am writing this. I was spending the winters on mountain peaks, skiing through deep powder, and blowing shit up! I found myself wanting to visually remember and cherish these moments. That’s when I bought my first camera! It practically lived in my patrol pack. Now I have been shooting professionally for 2 years. Unfortunately for almost everyone in the world, things have been turned upside down. So this year I will be working as a volunteer at both Snowbasin and Powder Mountain here in Utah! 1978 Subaru 4 door wagon (SUV). It was a great car which got me to where I needed to go every time. It was my transport for skiing patrolling back at that time too. The NSP/Subaru partnership is huge. The cars are warriors as are ski patrollers. There is a common bond as we both complete our task(s). I am excited to represent both NSP and Subaru to our members, friends and the public. Both NSP and Subaru have high standards and represent quality. I look forward to both driving, showing and representing both NSP and Subaru this ski season.
Hi! My name is Hannah, and I am an outdoor enthusiast and mountain patroller (ski and bike). This is my third patrol season and 6th ski season. I fell in love with skiing on my first ski trip in 2014 in Whitefish, MT and began dedicating my winters to ski trips. Growing up in New Orleans, my prior exposure to winter sports was nonexistent, and once I discovered skiing, I dove in headfirst. After getting a few ski seasons under my belt, I received my EMT-B certification and challenged the OEC course at Bryce Mountain in Virginia with my husband, Nick. We have been patrolling at Bryce ever since! Read more
When I am not patrolling, I am working towards completing my PhD in Neuroscience at Georgetown University. My favorite thing about patrolling is that it merges my two passions, medicine and winter sports. In addition to patrol and my PhD, I love sailing, scuba diving, wake surfing, hiking, running, and playing tennis.
I am incredibly honored and excited to serve as an NSP-Subaru Storyteller Ambassador this upcoming year. I hope that my outdoor adventures this upcoming year will motivate others to explore the joy and beauty in the world around them, even in these uncertain times.
I am super excited to have been chosen as a 2021 NSP-Subaru Ambassador! It is truly the dream of a lifetime. I have been patrolling since 2006 and right from the beginning involved in teaching and giving back. I instruct and IT in OEC and OET, am an MTR instructor, train and evaluate in the Senior Program, and am PSIA Level 2. I love people and helping them reach their goals as patrollers.Read more
It was one of my grad students who convinced me that I could be a patroller. I joined in 2006 and patrol has changed my life. Coincidentally, I also purchased my first Subaru, a Forester at the same time. I LOVED that car and it totally saved my butt within a couple weeks of purchase driving over treacherous blizzardy Colorado pass after treacherous pass. It handled so well – just as all the advertisements I had watched over the years said about Subaru getting the US Ski Team to their events! I was immediately sold on the brand and have been a Subaru owner ever since. I also have many family members and friends who own Subaru’s – and I like to think that my rave reviews were key factors in helping them make their choice.
My passion for people and training in the Ski Patrol finds me road-tripping all the time. My shortest trip to visit another area and patrol is nearly 6 hours. Not only is it more convenient to drive, but these days I would rather drive than fly -even across country. And since I spend time out west each fall and spring with skiing, other sports, and my son in Utah, my car and I become best friends. In fact, the many, many hours I spend on the road have definitely become my guilty pleasure and “I love me” time. I get to think, reflect, listen to books and music. I treasure those hours on the road and my Subaru not only always gets me there but is super comfortable for the journey.
I am starting my seventh season as a ski patroller at Park City. I am a Utah native, and grew up with a Dad who was a ski patroller and is the reason I am ski patrolling today. I moved away from Utah to play lacrosse in College but quickly became homesick and transferred to the University of Utah. I majored in Health Promotion and Education with an emphasis in Emergency Medicine and Wilderness Rescue. Read more
My favorite parts of ski patrolling are working with the avalanche dogs and getting to work with my one year old black lab named Fisher. I am passionate about patroller development, education and finding ways to improve patient care. I love learning new things about the snow and improving my understanding of snow science and safe travel in avalanche terrain every year. But ultimately my favorite part is the lifestyle and the comradery that accompanies this job. I love that it is a fast paced job in a dynamic environment and no day is ever the same….and I get to go to work with my dog every day so it is hard to complain.
When I am not patrolling you can find me working in the ER, riding my bike, teaching WFR classes, adventuring around new places, and spending time in the mountains with Fisher. I look forward to partnering with Subaru to keep exploring, skiing new places, and supporting a brand that not only supports us as patrollers but the things that are important to us. Look for me and Fisher venturing around the West!
Shortly after I was born, my father who was a ski patroller at a SMALL local Boston area, became the Patrol Director. Changing in the car after school on the way to the hill became a way of life and hanging around patroller, made the transition to becoming a patroller only natural. After settling in at Loon Mountain, in the White Mountains of NH in 1985, Read more
I have now had the opportunity to give back by becoming a member of National Ski Patrol’s Board of Directors. Additionally, this current season, I was asked to be the Patrol Director at our mountain and lead the all Pro patrol moving forward as we face some unique challenges.
Skiing and Patrolling has fulfilled so much for me in my life, (both of my kids love to ski) and I look forward to promoting skiing, patrolling and the National Ski Patrol for many years to come.
My senior year of college a friend and I were skiing Big Spruce at Stowe, VT on a bitterly cold February day. Back then, the lift ride up Big Spruce must have been close to 20 minutes (they’ve since replaced that old, erector-set looking, Roebling double chair with a fancy new quad, I think). We stopped in the warming hut up at the top of the mountain for a picnic lunch and to get a reprieve from the cold. Read more
That’s the day I decided I wanted to be a ski patroller. Originally, I only meant it to be a one-year, pre-graduate school stop over; but one year turned to 5, and 5 years turned to 10… You know how it goes… 23 years after my rookie season, I’m still patrolling at Killington Mountain. Some of the faces have changed, some of the trails have changed, my role has changed and grown a bit, but I’m still here, living the life that those two Mt Mansfield patrollers opened the door to.