Ski patrollers represent the first line of defense for skiers and snowboarders in trouble — but they’re often undervalued.
The last few years have seen repeated labor disputes between ski patrollers and the corporate-owned resorts that employ them. Worker strikes against Vail Resorts caused so much disruption this winter season that even a Utah major asked for a speedy resolution. A rising number of ski patrol organizations are choosing to unionize to obtain the pay they say they need to continue their work in increasingly expensive ski towns.
So, for anyone who loves to ski, it’s worth a moment to appreciate the first responders celebrated International Ski Patroller Day on Feb. 10.
To remind mountain sports lovers worldwide how much they owe to these trained rescuers, Norwegian brand Helly Hansen dropped a short documentary interviewing a handful of skiers about their most memorable experiences with patrollers. The brand’s commitment to patrollers stems directly from its sales of ski gear, which is used by patrollers at more than 200 resorts around the world.
“With International Ski Patrollers Day 2025, we celebrate their passion and unwavering dedication, and, alongside our resort partners, we invite mountain-goers around the world to join us in thanking them for all that they do to keep the mountain safe for everyone,” Joumana Løvstad, chief marketing officer at Helly Hansen, said in a news release.
If you buy from Helly Hansen on Feb. 10, the brand will donate 5% of the sale to various organizations that support ski patrol internationally. Those include Fédération Internationale des Patrouilles de Ski (FIPS), the Canadian Ski Patrol, the Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC), and more.
Runtime: 4 minutes
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