Nashoba Reflection

          The best way that I integrated some aspect of ski bumming into my life this year was by getting an internship at Nashoba Valley Ski Area. I went and took pictures at their competitions, and I got to ski for free. One thing that was really amazing about my position there was that my job required me to go skiing every time I worked. I had to be on the hill, skiing around, trying to get good pictures, and every once in a while, trying to make a good video. Like Matt Ciampa, I had a job where skiing was a necessity in order to perform well. Aside from ski patrol, park staff, and instructors, Matt and I had the only two jobs on the mountain in which we were forced to go skiing, showing how rare those types of jobs are. We got to do exactly what we want to be doing while we are working, and having a great time.

          Another thing I learned while working at Nashoba is the basics of how a small ski area operates. There are so many small details that go into keeping a ski area running that I never had thought of before. Most of the time, I was focused on the website and my photos, but every once in a while, I would find myself doing random chores around the ski area, such as restocking the vending machines with my boss (the web designer for Nashoba. Why it is his job to restock the vending machines, I will never know.). Even a tiny ski area, such as Nashoba, needs hundreds, if not thousands, of employees to be working every winter to keep the business afloat.

          The most noticable thing that I noticed about the ski industry from working at Nashoba is the obvious laid back attitude of everybody skiing and working there. It was really nice being able to go to work wearing whatever I wanted to, and being able to joke around with the people I worked with (or for). Most of the time, one would assume that the laid back atmosphere would be left to the large resorts, who are trying to make their customers feel relaxed and stay longer, but even small ski areas, such as Nashoba, have a similar vibe.

My Daily Snow Report---> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STrBFqaqudE&feature=channel_video_title
My Pictures---> http://nashobaparks.com/