Can anyone really be a ski bum anymore?

[Djongo Unchained]

Well, that's a good point you have there. You don't actually need to work in an office. It's just what I do. You can still ski 70 days a year no matter what kind of normal work you do. And have a decent life with a house, kids etc. For me, I always loved computers and programming, so I work in the office with what was my second hobby apart from skiing. So it doesn't feel too bad. But that wasn't the point. My question is rather, is it really necessary to bum it?

No, it's not. It's a choice.

[ACH]

happy bday, djongo!

Happy belated djongo, keep on keeping on!

[Mudfoot]

Is it really necessary to bum these days?

I'm working regular hours in the office and easily ski 70 days a year. I know plenty of others who are doing the same. Just ski every weekend and take all your vacation on the mountain as well.

The fact that you have a decent job, makes it a lot easier to travel to new places too. Because you actually make money.

I'm having a little trouble with the math on "working regular hours" in an office and "easily skiing over 70 days a year." Do you live and work at a ski area? Is every weekend 3 days? I was never able to score more than 45 days when working a regular job, and that was with devoting as much time as possible to skiing.

[gretch6364]

I'm having a little trouble with the math on "working regular hours" in an office and "easily skiing over 70 days a year." Do you live and work at a ski area? Is every weekend 3 days? I was never able to score more than 45 days when working a regular job, and that was with devoting as much time as possible to skiing.

I am trying to do that math as well. Let's pretend your resort is open 22 weeks a year. That is 44 days. Then lets pretend you get MLK and President's day and 2 days for turkey, Christmas and New Years off....that is 8 more days. Then pretend you get three weeks of vacation and every single day you take off and ski. That is 15 days.

That is 67 days in a best case scenario. Sounds to me like some dawn patrols would be needed to hit 70 and some days at A-basin/Loveland and maybe some BC days in the spring after the resorts are closed.

[schindlerpiste]

While waiting, the easy answer is that you go to the office at 11:30, and ski every morning from 9-11. I know a few who do this.

[Buster Highmen]

Being a ski bum is a state of mind; complete devotion, maximum redlining pursuit of quality snow, experiences in the mountains, exclusive of all else, taking risks, skimming benefits, crossing boundaries, sidelining everything, meaning _everything_ else in the complete subjugation of self to snow and mountains.

I'm sure that spirit is still out there, cryptic, shadowed savage in opposition to the current career culture context.

The cultural context has changed the practicum from the away from the free and easy, but long may it strive.

[dunfree]

I'm having a little trouble with the math on "working regular hours" in an office and "easily skiing over 70 days a year." Do you live and work at a ski area? Is every weekend 3 days? I was never able to score more than 45 days when working a regular job, and that was with devoting as much time as possible to skiing.

if you ski tour and live someplace with a long season (PNW or CA in a good year) it's not hard to hit 70 days a year. especially if you throw in some night skiing or dawn patrol, long holiday weekends and a week or two of ski vacation.

[LiveLarger]

This is how I do it:


I ski every weekend from the beginning of November, which is usually OK here in Norway. " Then I do that for every weekend until mid-June. You can start in September if you really want to ski a small glacier "resort"


From November to the first week of May, my regular ski resort is open. It's a three hour drive. So I finish a little early from work, drive up and ski the late night Friday skiing under artificial lights. Then go either touring on Saturday or hit the resort. Crowd/snow/condition depending. The same on Sunday. I will do this every weekend until the first weekend in May when they are closing up.


All of May I'll do ski touring Saturday and Sunday.


This alone can get you almost 80 days.


But added to this, I spend all Christmas holiday (which is around a week in Norway) and Easter holiday skiing (another week)


So now the math is around 90 days.


Adding to this, I'd take three weeks of vacation time skiing every year. One week is spent at Stryn summerskiresort in Norway, which is pretty awesome. Two weeks somewhere else. We have five weeks in total, so I'll have two left to spend with my gf (who skis just as much) in the summer.


Now the math should be 100+ days easily.


Last season I took a whole month in Chamonix as well. That's the beauty of having a professional career, isn't it? You can actually save up money and spend it on whatever you like. When you are bumming, you can't.




But the reality is that sometimes you get sick, the conditions are horrid, you are just tired etc. So I get 70 days, instead of the 100+ I actually could get.

[Name Redacted]

I could easily ski 100+ days, but just don't really feel the need to anymore. Last season was pretty week and I still got over 60 probably. Happy with that. If there are more pow days, or just good days, I'm out more often. It is nice to not feel the need to go every day anymore. I'll catch a storm cycle just right, and work more when it's been dry for a while, and avy danger sucks.

A flexible work schedule and living 10-20 mins from a few hills helps. Most days I'd rather get out for the 8:30-11am lift runs or skinning and go straight to work with a change of clothes. Luckily, the dress code at work is pretty loose.

[BFD]

Being a ski bum is a state of mind; complete devotion, maximum redlining pursuit of quality snow, experiences in the mountains, exclusive of all else, taking risks, skimming benefits, crossing boundaries, sidelining everything, meaning _everything_ else in the complete subjugation of self to snow and mountains.

I'm sure that spirit is still out there, cryptic, shadowed savage in opposition to the current career culture context.

The cultural context has changed the practicum from the away from the free and easy, but long may it strive.

welcome to my world. Never count days just ski everyday you want to

[Buster Highmen]

That's the beauty of having a professional career, isn't it? You can actually save up money and spend it on whatever you like. When you are bumming, you can't.

Yes, that's a big difference.

[BobbyBill]

RIP Tone.

Amen.

[Norseman]

Amen.

.

[Djongo Unchained]

That's the beauty of having a professional career, isn't it? You can actually save up money and spend it on whatever you like. When you are bumming, you can't.


But the reality is that sometimes you get sick, the conditions are horrid, you are just tired etc. So I get 70 days, instead of the 100+ I actually could get.

1. When I am bumming, I can. And do.

2. Horrid conditions, too tired? I assumed Norwegians were tough. Maybe that's the canucks...


Thank you wyeaster and ACH, just a FOG getting older.

[2FUNKY]

1. When I am bumming, I can. And do.

2. Horrid conditions, too tired? I assumed Norwegians were tough. Maybe that's the canucks...


Thank you wyeaster and ACH, just a FOG getting older.

Happy Birthday mang!

[Foggy_Goggles]

I actually have no idea what a "ski bum" is. I just try not to be a slave to anything I don't enjoy. I'm not poor. I'm not rich. We got enough to get by and I try not to stress about it. We all got responsibilities in life and that's OK. I have a lot of respect for those that are truly able to enjoy skiing. Can you?

Last season I took a whole month in Chamonix as well. That's the beauty of having a professional career, isn't it? You can actually save up money and spend it on whatever you like. When you are bumming, you can't.

That's one smug opinion. Keep score much? All that skiers in Cham that were up the Midi every time it was open, who are they? You know these guys Peds and Idris?

We all make choices. Respect those that choose a different path than you.

[Djongo Unchained]

excellent advice, i quit counting when i found out there is no bonus day for getting a 100 days. now if i was skiing with djongo every day looking for that final reward day and a patch, i’d let him keep track of the math.

Hold up! Unless I'm mistaken, you skied more days than me last season.

Not that either of us chase the number..I got nothing on you Flowing.

Thanks 2funky, I'm so very, very excited to ski with you and all this season's BBI19 mags. WA & UT!!!!!!!

It's calling me - Djongoooooo!

[willywhit]

Ah, the lost art of ski bumming. Inspired by Plake in that Stump movie, we began clipping tickets in parking lots at an early age, whatever it takes. I even had a kit, replete with extra wickets and glue.Since I went from college right into a real job, I put off the ski bum adventure until I was 30. Burned out on the corporate gig and my mom dying early of cancer, I spent a winter in Stowe since I already had a pass and a ski house there. Met a cool chick and it kept snowing and snowing, going back to my cubicle didn't seem right. next season, headed to Tahoe by stayed in Vail when Truckee had the river flood and my cousin that lived there said it was a mess. Our little stop in Beaver Creek turned into a ski bum apartment and a job driving vans for V2V or Colorado Mt Express thanks to meeting some cool dudes from Cape Cod, small world.I was gonna teach snowboarding at Vail but heard horror stories about working for Vail. Rode every morning at Bachelor's Gulch before going to work, to Denver DIA and back. Making just enough to support my habit riding all over summit county.
Next season, went to Tahoe. Got a job in san fran at a windsurfing/bike/ski shop, so got shop deals at Alpine, Squaw, etc. Stayed with my cousin in Truckee and with the ski bums next door.Even crashed at his wife's hair salon on the couch,after hours, next door to Tahoe Taps.
ski bummin' should be a right of passage for any serious skier. The memories are priceless.
the trust fund kids at Stowe were a trip. Selling weed to finance living the life of snow sliding and kegs of mt ale from the Shed. I was "Uncle Willy", the guy with the red bronco and the aussie cattle dog and a hot girlfriend.

[XXX-er]

^^^ The point is who would want to work in an office? When I was young, I never had the opportunity to ski bum. I was all caught up It is possible to concentrate on skiing at age 50 and beyond. I like the way that I did it. I just missed out of hosing cougars, and you ski bunnies. That's ok. My wife is hot.

yeah so not many people sucessfully do it backwards but i think you stand a better chance if you didnt ski bum early on

Ski bums either make the decsion to grow up get a real job & get caught up in real life or stay as a ski bum never growing up,

consider ski bums never really made a career choice ... it chose them

[LHutz Esq]

as a youth I was a ski/ beach bum.
Planting trees then later chasing forest smoke all summer skiing or se Asia every winter.
Was amazing- wouldn’t trade it for the world- best thing I ever done did.
At 30ish it got kinda tiring though. Went back to school. Still skied a solid amount (helped that gf’s- now wife’s - parents owned a local hill)

Was one of the old dudes in legaldentistry school. Moved to little ski town and get many days on skis (fewer ski days- but kids eh!)
It’s amazing - best thing I ever done did- wouldn’t trade it for the world.
My ski bum days were perfect training for my prof life. Helps you keep perspective.

[XXX-er]

Once again i want to thank my ex-wife for throwing me out early enough so I could recover financially

i still believe you need to live the active lifestyle even if you can afford not to so I was up at 5 shuttling fat old fisherman and cutting ski run for a lift pass again this weekend

[TahoeJ]

I stopped counting days because it doesn't make much sense. Sometimes it's bell to bell at the resort, other times it's a morning tour and then I work the rest of the day. Seems silly to count those as the same.

Anyway, I respect the true ski bum. I can admit I'm way too soft to live that life (or would suffer from anxiety) - or at least I was when I was younger when it may have been an option.

[Ale_capone]

who knew Ale capone was a rock stacker?

Jeff is the master stacker. and self employed.

I have some experience, but mainly do masonry restoration, and sealants in commercial construction.
it pays good enough, and we don't usually work on rainy days. gets a lot of pow days, but I miss out on some of the blue bird.. but that's just temporary. Im about ready for the next phase.

[Ale_capone]

Is it really necessary to bum these days?

I'm working regular hours in the office and easily ski 70 days a year. I know plenty of others who are doing the same. Just ski every weekend and take all your vacation on the mountain as well.

The fact that you have a decent job, makes it a lot easier to travel to new places too. Because you actually make money.

It is if you don't want to spend your weekend skiing with the hordes of others who live the 9-5. you are also stuck with whatever weather you get 2 days a week...

I get a midweek pass. you couldn't pay me to ride most places on a weekend or holiday vacation.

[Leshphilling77]

Is it really necessary to bum these days?

I'm working regular hours in the office and easily ski 70 days a year. I know plenty of others who are doing the same. Just ski every weekend and take all your vacation on the mountain as well.

The fact that you have a decent job, makes it a lot easier to travel to new places too. Because you actually make money.

i mean this is what i do now with sunday/ monday off and dawn patrols in the winter but it still isn't the same as when i skied every single day just bumming it. what i do now is like being a reformed bum imo.