“Ski Patrol” – Reality Television Series

Millions of snow skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts enjoy the North American slopes each year, and while the majority enjoy an incident-free vacation, there are hundreds who encounter situations requiring the intervention of ski patrollers who are dedicated to the task of assisting others. It is these, often unsung, heroes who will be the subject of truTV’s new reality television series, “Ski Patrol”.

Millions of snow skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts enjoy the North American slopes each year, and while the majority enjoy an incident-free vacation, there are hundreds who encounter situations requiring the intervention of ski patrollers who are dedicated to the task of assisting others. It is these, often unsung, heroes who will be the subject of truTV’s new reality television series, “Ski Patrol“.

Ski patrollers, many of whom are volunteers, deal with mountain rescues, assist injured holidaymakers, help locate missing children and bring out-of-control skiers and snowboarders back in line. Skiing and snowboarding, as well as innovative variations of traditional snow sports, are becoming ever more popular, and each year sees an increase in the number of visitors to winter sport resorts, making the job of being a ski patroller even more essential and more challenging. The half-hour reality series will follow the ski patrollers at Crystal Mountain, Washington, and Blue Mountain, Pennsylvania, as they deal with various situations in their busy days. The camera will also follow the patrollers as they unwind after hours.

The first episode was filmed at Crystal Mountain and features a young man who may be paralyzed following an aerial stunt gone wrong. Rescuers battle to get to the injured skier as an avalanche blocks the access of an emergency vehicle and inclement weather hampers helicopter rescue efforts. Another scene shows a young girl, who has shattered her wrist when taking a tumble off her skis, falling for the ski patroller who comes to her rescue. The episode also shows how patrollers assist a fallen racer and a semi-conscious patient, while enforcing crowd-control in an area reserved for slow-skiing. Other scenes include a para-skiing event being monitored by an increased number of ski patrollers. When a flip goes wrong, leaving a snowboarder with a severe head injury and broken vertebrae, ski patrollers spring into action to assist.

Viewers of Ski Patrol can expect plenty of action and will come to appreciate the essential role that ski patrollers fulfill. An episode based in Blue Mountain, follows candidate ski patrollers as they are put through their paces at their ski and toboggan exams, highlighting the strict standard of excellence required in the National Ski Patrol System – a fact which will no doubt be reassuring to the many snow sport fans heading for the slopes in the upcoming season.