Two of my friends who were already on the ski patrol encouraged me to join because I was always out at the hill skiing. When I started the OEC class, I never imagined how much I would quickly start to love ski patrolling. The instructors I had for the OEC class made it the absolute best class I have ever taken, and they made learning so much fun. Joining the ski patrol is so much more than being part of an awesome organization and helping people. It's about gaining a second family full of wonderful people, creating lifelong best friends, enjoying life on the slopes with people who care about you, learning from challenging situations so if the challenge appears again it will be easier next time, sharing stories with new ski patrollers so they can learn more faster, having great chairlift conversations to make the very cold nights seem less cold, giving and receiving goodies on the free food table, feeling welcomed when you arrive for your shift, and knowing that you are making a difference especially when a guest needs your assistance.