Ski patrollers scattering
Most professional ski patrollers at Whakapapa are heading overseas for yet another winter of snow, but most plan to be back next year. Senior patrollers, Rod Walker and Curt Stieglbauer, and junior patroller 'Budgie' Woods, are all heading to Canada for the summer. Budgie plans to be in Canada for three months, and then to Western Australia to fish for crayfish. Curt was born at Whakapapa Village and has worked in many ski-related jobs on the mountain. John Dork, a junior ski patroller from England, plans to return after spending the summer in Australia. "I love this job — it's the
best job I've ever had," he said. John has been a ski patroller in Scotland and last year was a deck-hand on the Kestrel, an Auckland ferry. Canadian Rod Walker and Ian Goody from Whangarei have been with the patrol for their third season. As well as patrolling, Ian forecasts avalanches and measures weather conditions. As well as ski patrolling, the professional team is on 24-hour standby for search and rescue anywhere in the Tongariro National Park, and can also be asked to help with car accidents. Budgie said there have been a number of search and rescue false alarms. "It always happens when
you really want to go home. People say their friend hasn't come down off the mountain and then you find they're in the pub and one guy had hitched back to Ohakune — but sometimes it is the real thing and someone's left up there," he said. Throughout the day, while patrolling, they try to stay near the top of the field so they can quickly ski down to an accident rather than catch the chairlift. Patrollers occasionally exchange with Turoa patrollers to see how things work on the other side. While there are many differences Budgie says there are good points to be taken from both sides. "Turoa are supported by the United Building Society and we're government-run
— theyVe got gortex and better bum bags!" "In our situation we may have to use more rope techniques than T uroa — theyVe got more open fields than us." , Patrollers must have a basic first aid certificate and they get constant on-the-job training. In bad weather they practise skills such as getting people off lifts during break downs and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a $2000 doll. The ski patrol costs about $200,000 a year, most of which comes from the government. Car parking fees and donations from grateful 'customers' do help, but the donations don't amount to that much. "But we do appreciate it when people have donated," said Budgie. During their days off, they like to get away from Whakapapa and many travel to cities and to the beach. "We're always after a laugh," said Budgie. The patrollers"dick of the week' title for the week's biggest blunder was awarded only a few times this year. once when patrol director, John Davidson, lost his twoway radio on the field. A member of the public picked it up and radioed "has someone lost a radio — I've just found it in the snow." The reason why the patrollers keep coming back year after year, according to Budgie, is because they are constantly learning something new. "Besides — it's rewarding to help people and to be able to get them out of danger," he said.
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Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 23, 29 October 1985, Page 5
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554Ski patrollers scattering Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 23, 29 October 1985, Page 5
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