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Finding volunteers full time job for Comp Center

Travis Poulin
Anything Outdoors
Travis Poulin
Picasa |

This weekend Winter Park Resort will host several events including two big mountain competitions in the Cirque Territory. Hosting competitions and events like this is a difficult task. A great amount of help is required to make them run smoothly. There are many employees dedicated to hosting these events, but there is also a huge staff of volunteers that dedicate their time. Some are parents, some are former competitors, and some are the general public.

Justin Scheible is the Event Coordinator for the Winter Park Competition Center. He started out as the Volunteer Coordinator, and now does both. Rallying all these people to donate their time is tough, but there are incentives for their efforts. Parents of the Comp Center, for example, pay a deposit at the beginning of the season, but can earn their money back by putting in enough volunteer time. This benefits everyone involved and allows the parents to become more hands on with their children’s activities. Those not involved with the Comp Center can earn lift tickets and season passes for their time. Earning a free season pass requires a $100 deposit which is given back if you fulfill your 15 required days of volunteer work, or for every 5 hours volunteered you earn a lift ticket which is good for two years, and kept on file with the Comp Center system.

Scheible is generally in charge of getting everyone in place to make each event work.



There is usually only about an hour to get 20-100 people where they need to be with the knowledge they need to run the event.

“It’s basically like starting a new business everyday,” he said.



“And it’s a fickle business, so you have to work with what you have day-of.”

Sometimes scheduled volunteers cannot make it, or do not show up making it difficult to know what kind of help will be available.

Common roles for volunteers are race starters, gate judges, course crew, timers, lunch coordination, etc. They will train those who do not have experience in ski racing, but some positions, like referees, must be certified. Skiing ability must also be assessed in order to know where the volunteer can and cannot go on the mountain, but there is always something for volunteers to do regardless of skill level.

The big mountain competition will be using volunteers in positions like starter, registration recipients, score runners, and “ninjas,” who recover skis and gear if a competitor falls.

The Comp Center works with the Fraser River Valley Lions Club. The “Powder Partners” program benefits both organizations. Every time a Lions member volunteers the Comp Center gives the Lions $50 to donate to charity. Jeff Browne, 2nd Vice President of the Lions, volunteers as a starter for all ski races for the Comp Center. “He shows up like it’s his full time job,” Scheible said, “He’s here no matter the temperature, and all for charity.”

For information about volunteering contact the competition center at 970-726-1590 or visit online. Your email will go on file for future reference. The volunteer program has become very popular so signing up early is recommended.


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