Massanutten Ski Patrol | Massanutten, Virginia

Thank you for your interest in the Massanutten Ski Patrol. The Patrol is a challenging, but rewarding endeavor. It is a combination of love for the outdoors, skiing, helping others and making long lasting friendships. Listed below are the required steps, as well as the benefits of joining our Patrol.

Click here for the
MSP Candidate Form

Requirements of all potential patrollers include:

A love of skiing or snowboarding
The desire to help people
Successful completion of the NSP Outdoor Emergency Care Course
Availability to patrol from December to March

Outdoor Emergency Care Course:
"OEC" is the first step in becoming a patroller. You will need to locate and sign up for a National Ski Patrol OEC course. This 80 hour course is typically taught at Massanutten Resort during the fall. The course is normally scheduled for every Saturday and some additional classes on Sundays. OEC is comparable in scope to an EMT-B certification covering the basics of emergency care in an outdoor environment, with special emphasis on orthopedic and environmental injuries (frostbite, hypothermia). You can obtain additional information about OEC courses by clicking on the OEC Logo at left or visiting www.nsp.org.

Click here to visit OECzone.com
A companion site to OEC

Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR):
You must also locate and signup for a CPR for Emergency Care Professionals course. The American Red Cross, among others, provides this training. Check your local phone book for classes. You must recertify your CPR on an annual basis.

Skiing and Transportation:
The next step to becoming a ski patroller is to the ability to ski or ride! We are looking for skiers, snowboarders or tele-markers that are stable and confident anywhere on our mountain. This assures us that a candidate has the necessary skills to ski any type of terrain with ever changing conditions found at Massanutten Resort. You don’t have to be the best, but we do expect competent and stable skier and riders. All candidates will be expected to make short and long radius turns, snowplow, side-slip, kick-turns, etc.

On-the-Hill Training:
Candidate training is held every Saturday and Sunday from January through end of February, as well as during the week depending on availability. Training will primarily consist of improving skiing and riding skills, learning how to handle a loaded/unloaded toboggan and applying OEC skills in realistic settings (snow covered mountains as opposed to classroom floors). Candidates will also spend time learning where everything is on the hill such as ski runs, closures, sweep assignments, etc. We also encourage Candidates to come up on non-training weekends to shadow patrollers. Candidates can learn a great deal about the Ski Patrol by watching us in action.

Fall Refresher:
Once you pass the OEC Course, you register with the National Ski Patrol as a Candidate at Massanutten Resort. In the end of October, you will be required to attend Massanutten's Fall Refresher, usually the last weekend of the month. This training, which all patrollers must attend on a yearly basis, refreshes patroller's skills such as OEC, chairlift evacuation and hill protocols. This is also when awards presentations are made and our group photo is taken!

Types of Patrollers:
The Massanutten Patrol consisting of paid and volunteer patrollers.

Paid Patroller - A person who provides emergency care to injured or ill area guests; also may be responsible for a wide variety of area safety activities. (A skiing or snow boarding position).

Volunteer Patroller - A person who provides emergency care to injured or ill area guests; also may be responsible for a wide variety of area safety activities. (A skiing or snow boarding position).

Auxiliary Patroller - A person who provides emergency to injured or ill guests, but may not transport guests off the hill/slope; may help lead training and education activities. (Skiing or snow boarding skills helpful but not always mandatory.)

Aid Room Attendant - A paid position responsible for the treatment of walk-in patients and providing assistance on the hill. A minimum of current EMT-B certification required.

Enjoy all that Massanutten has to offer in a safe and responsible manner.
Heads Up and Know Your Responsibility Code!