Am I too old for a ski season?

I did loads of summer seasons in the past teaching sailing and windsurfing, snowboarding in the winter. Now newly single and not *particularly* enjoying work right now.

No mega debts that couldn’t be cleared pretty easily, no house etc.

I’ll be 32 in January. Worries are that finding jobs on my return ain’t that easy, and that I’ll be surrounded by ‘gap yaaar’ kiddies.

Is it a step back in life or does it really matter?

Finding a job when you get back won’t be any harder than when you left. It’s only 3 or 4 months, not years.

Round here, there’s a reasonable spread of seasonaires, people aged anything from 17 to 30s. Plenty of kiddies for sure, but older folks in more responsible jobs. Choose your company and your job carefully, but if you want to go this winter, go to Natives and apply NOW. Most companies have already finished recruiting.

Can you cook? We’re just in the process of recruiting a chef!

Too old? Nah, go for it!You’re young at heart…..

Y’alright?

Go for it, who gives a monkeys about what the kids think..Don’t think 32 is too old anyway.

there’s be lots of kiddies, but you;re by no means too old – some companies prefer people with a bit more life experience, e.g. Silver Ski. WHat you might be is a bit late, recruitment will be well under way and alomost over in some cases…

I would have thought that alot of the larger companies have resort managers / more senior people. you might be able to use your age/ experiance of doing other seasons to wangle a higher paying season job?

prob not for this season to be honest, thinking a little more long term.

Stevo – Yes – happy cooking for groups of up to 15-20 no probs, though never professionally.

CFH – Been better to be honest! how about you?

very tempted at the moment!

Go for it, plenty of people of similar age working in the industry, you never know you may not go back…

My mate does it and he’s gone 30. If I was good enough I’d do it too. Do it while you still can!

I did it at 30 & was fine – well plastered most of the time but thoroughly enjoyed it, no massive skills, did some cleaning, cooking, ski repair, ski guiding, decorating, anything anybody needed I was up for

Go for it

Ski hosting and bouncing would be my thing. I would love to do a season of either. I planned to have a gap year doing just that when I left the RAF at age 40 but Mrs devs scuppered that. Now I’d have to sell my business to do it. Hmmmmmmm……..

I don’t think 32 is too old at all – far from it!

I was made redundant when I was 39 so I did my first ever season without working so could make the most of time on the snow. Really wish I’d done one before. Sure – there’s bound to be a worry about employment on your return, but like stevomcd says 3 to 4 months is hardly likely to make a huge amount of difference.

Live to work or work to live?

put it this way, if you’ve got the skillz, the ladies love a more ‘mature’ fellow!! 😉

get out there, you’ll always find work somewhere.

I did a season when I was 35ish and the other staff were late 20s to a mum with a kid at uni.
The hihger end companies tend to want someone with a bit of a work ethic who wont get pissed every night.
I was there for the snow not for the drinking so that fitted with me.

The only thing that grated was the “Manager” was manager becuase he had done a season before not because he was a good manager, infact every member of staff had more management experience than he did.

My French is not great, but when the manager came into my challet holding the phone saying “you need to speak to the fish lady” I nearly punched him. 🙄

I did get recruited very late november but only because someone pulled out.

Nick

I am 39 1/2 now, and when my kids are old enough I intend to do a season! My eldest thinks we would make a good team 😯

Will have to wait another 5/6 years yet….

Jimbo, sorry to hear it, hope it gets better! All well here, travel is a bit much right now, but air miles paying for my holidays! Oh, and may be making a couple of snowsport related purchases soon, through a few folks you know….!:-)

I did a season when I was 26 and I felt a bit old at first. I worked as a ski-tech/ski-rep for a large company, and the ops team were always a bit older, pro reps etc, but the rest of the team in the hotel were all 19 to mid twenties, and lashed every night. Got into it though, and even when stuff got stressful, getting the first lift up to the slopes with a beautiful blue sky and amazing snow, made you feel amazing! defo go for it, and some companies do employ high-season reps, to cope with school groups, so might be a way to do a few weeks to see if you like it, and then a full season next season?

Like ciderinsport the Mrs and I hope to run a chalet when Jnr is old enough to look after himself (we have even longer to wait).

The other plan is to invest in a chalet to run/host and move out there with Jnr going to school in France/Austria/Italy – but that’s a bit more risky as we’d need to make it work all year round then.

Do it dude but don’t come on here crowing about it later cos I don’t wanna know! 😉

Do it, you’ll only regret it if you don’t. I’d join you if I wasn’t so skint.

32 ? Christ i did Summer 2010 in Whistler and i was 53 !!!!!!!

If you can afford to, Just go out there and find work once you get there.

There is always work if you put yourself about and get to know people

I did 13 ski seasons and never once was I employed by an English company in advance. Always worked for locals and got better treatment and money.

(not having a go at the English companies that recruit staff to work abroad, just that in my experience they work harder, get paid less, and have very little snow time. Compared to working casual for
Locals.)

Go for it! Life’s too short 😀

I went and worked in Megeve at 31 for a full winter season for a French friend who ran a language school. If I wasn’t driving to Geneva picking up kids from the airport I was doing the shopping and odd jobs in the morning then taking the kids out skiing every afternoon. No pay but full board and expenses and lift pass.

It was a refreshing break after a disastrous two years in Paris for a failing British company.

32 is the new 18…

Older, mature and you have experience.

You’re not 16 but you’re not 90 either, go for it -especially if you’re young at heart and in good physical shape.

No.

I did my second season when I was 23 (Banff, Alberta and Whistler, BC).
There were two other couples in our house (28 & 31 and 34 & 35 respectively), a 25 year old girl and a 45 year old guy.

I met a fair few other people in their thirties and forties although admittedly the lion’s share of seasonaires were in the 19 – 25 bracket.

I wouldn’t worry about being inundated with upper-middle class hooray henry types unless you’re planning on going to Chamonix, Meribel or a few other resorts…basically avoid anywhere where Jack Wills is more commonplace than Volcom in the bars!

Actually, bugger that…just go where you like, Cham is awesome.

If Oldfart can do a bike season chalet hosting in Whistler, you can do this.