Ski Free : A two week all paid ski project

This third ski free project illustrates well how if you want to "ski free" you must know skiing industry, know how to communicate effectively and respect the bottom line rule.

Due to political, economic and social changes in my country skiers were not traveling to Europe or at least were not going as much!

A new market had to be found. New ski resorts had to be "offered"! New ski packages had to be planned. Most "money men" are not fanatic skier so they had to find someone to travel for two weeks to about 10 ski resorts and evaluate each resort based on the target skier group.

This group was: singles in the 19-20 year old range. Intermediate skiers who loved skiing but loved the social life more!

I took on project with one condition. The resort marketing people were not to know I was "visiting" them!

Lifts paid. Hotel paid. Meals paid and extra money for "extras" The dream free skiing project! .......Until the sixth day!

What is the saying,... "hope that you never get what you desire the most"

Have you ever started skiing at 8 AM, tried all the runs (and some), then visited the base bars at 5PM. Followed by all the bars on the road to ski resort. By 8 PM you have to also visit all restaurants, get their menus and type of customer they want etc...

At 9-10 the serious social prowling starts and you must "visit" at least 10-15 clubs. Even if you are drinking Perrier,,, the heat and action wears you down! The skiing done all day does "weaken" you!

By 1 AM on the third day/night I was running on empty! I thought I was fit! This free two weeks was going to be more demanding than I had thought! I had a lot to learn!

I discovered that my Ipod could also register sound so I verbally noted my slope evaluations while using lifts.
I hired 5 girls giving each $100 to spend per night in order to visit all local clubs and give me an evaluation of the "club crowd".

I did the same for the restaurants. I found young couples and gave them money for their supper.Then then had to fill out some forms I had prepared!

Word spread quickly that some weird man was paying people to have fun! (not even asking girls to meet after reports were done)! Soon I had to change rooms! Soon I had to change ski jackets since skiers were stopping me on the slopes or in the lift lines! Such much for "secrecy" of the project!

Rumors started that Interwest was it Warren Miler ( I do have his smile)! The initial girls I hired for the club evaluation were then hired by the ski center to "locate" me!

This was getting too serious for me!

Luckily I had to visit several ski resorts in those two weeks so I did not stay long in one spot! I began to feel like a "escaped convict"!
I never parked my car near hotel entrance for fear that "they" would note my license.
I changed names several times!
Of course I had about 10 ski outfits and thus never wore same ski suit twice in one resort!

The skiing world is very small and most "industry" people know each other well, because they raced together, patrolled together or just met at "industry" conferences! The internet does not help!

On my last last day, I was riding up with a ski school Director who seemed preoccupied at looking at all the skiers. I asked casually if he had lost a student! No,,,, he was looking for a male skier dressed in Red Karbon Jacket with a White tuque and Atomic XXX skis!

Seems all his staff and the patrolers and the lifts personnel were on the "look out" for this man!

"Steal a ski", I asked. No no,,,,we just want to meet him! News travels fast!

Suffice to say my two weeks "dream" all paid ski project was not what I expected!

Damm those tour people earn their money! They work so much and to most skiers it is not apparent!

I now know I could never do another two week project! Not fit enough. Too old! Not trained to keep looking over my shoulder. Can not take eating all that food!

So if you want to take on a two week all paid ski resort evaluation project drop me a line. I have refused three so far!

Seriously, I have the highest respect of all the people working in the ski tour industry! The stress, the hours, and the "unexpected" seems to happen all the time.

Yes I handed in my report and yes the tour to resort X,Z and Y is a success. Mind you resorts A,B,C now are on the lookout for me!

Now you know why I do not post my picture! I am afraid to! See what accepting free skiing does!

Nothing is free!

Brand new to this and very interested in your stories. I would be fascinated to know more about how to apply for a 2 week all paid ski evaluation project.

Silver,

You never apply. You are selected!

You are asked!

Read last posting on topic coming up!!