This is a reprint of an open-letter which was sent by NSP's Eastern Division to Patrol Directors and Mountain Managers in January of 1995. It was written by David Schutz, then Snowboard Advisor, and approved by NSP's Eastern Division Director, Ron Verblauw.
While the concepts in the memo are very simple the reaction to the mailing was very positive. At least two major ski areas reproduced the memo and included copies in every employee's pay envelope.
Sometimes we forget that the mountains where we patrol are businesses. They are in the business of selling winter recreation and entertainment so as to hopefully earn a profit. It is the revenue derived from incremental ticket sales, often to first-time visitors, where areas earn a major portion of their profits.
We all know that the appearance of the base area, cleanliness of the lodge, hospitality of employees, and similar items can influence incremental sales. So can the attitudes of one of the most visible representatives of area management, the ski patrol.
Long ago most of us learned that prejudice based upon race, religion, sex, or related arbitrary criteria are unacceptable in the workplace. In the ski industry, where we are selling a form of "entertainment", such prejudice can be economically ruinous.
In the past several years we have seen a much needed resurgence in teenage patronage at many ski areas. The snowboard is the skiing device that had brought many of these teenage customers back to our mountains, and with it economic salvation for many areas. But some of these new teenage customers come with non-traditional attire and mannerisms.
Are any of your patrollers displaying prejudice toward some of your new teenage customers? Suppose a customer (skier/snowboarder) is observing all regular safety and behavioral guidelines, but has green hair and nasal jewelry, do your patrollers treat this person any differently?
Like the employees of a major amusement park, our task is to help make certain that our customers have a safe and enjoyable visit to our mountain so that they will want to return. We must be certain that our interactions with ALL customers are non-prejudicial and follow the highest professional and ethical standards. The economic health of our mountains could well be at stake.
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