Vail And Beaver Creek Junior Ski Patrol Program Returns For Second Season

Vail Mountain, the Vail Ski Patrol and Helly Hansen will partner this winter with Beaver Creek Resort and the Beaver Creek Ski Patrol to expand the Junior Ski Patrol Program which debuted at Vail last winter. The Vail and Beaver Creek Junior Ski Patrol Program, presented by Helly Hansen, will be open to 18 select students. To be eligible for the program, students must be in grades 8 through 10, at a level 7 skiing ability, be available for all program dates, and submit an application.
 
“We were beyond thrilled with the enthusiasm from the kids, parents, community and our patrollers about this program last year, and we are excited to build on the success from last year by expanding it to include an extra day, as well as the involvement of our counterparts at Beaver Creek,” said Brice May, Vail Ski Patrol Director. “The goal of this program is to provide local youth a sense of their responsibility when skiing and riding on Vail and Beaver Creek and, through this educational program, allow them to become safety ambassadors when on the mountain.”
 
The second-annual program will expand this year to include five Sundays, with two of those days being held at Beaver Creek Resort. The dates for the program are: Jan. 27, Feb. 3, 10, 24 and March 3. Participants will be divided into groups with a ski patroller to learn mountain safety, the duties and responsibilities of ski patrol, orientation, CPR and first aid, patrol tour of outposts, end-of-day sweeps, avalanche awareness, gates and closures awareness, toboggan training, and non-medical training.
 
“We are proud to outfit the next generation of ski professionals with the skills, training and gear to handle a variety of challenging conditions,” said Brady Barry, Helly Hansen Marketing Manager, US. “We can’t think of better role models than the patrollers of Vail and Beaver Creek to instill camaraderie, passion and smart mountain decision-making skills to the Junior Ski Patrol participants.”
 
On Nov. 1, Vail will begin accepting applications for the program. Applicants must submit a video essay via e-mail to sgunter@vailresorts.com explaining why they are interested in the program, what they love about skiing, and footage of them skiing. The deadline to apply is Jan. 1. Applications will be vetted and 18 participants will be selected to participate in a ski test on the first day of the program to verify their level 7 skiing ability. Visit the Junior Ski Patrol page on vail.com for more info.