Man without a mountain

As of today it is official.

I am a Man without a mountain.

Mods / Admin.

Please delete any reference to Windham as my home mountain and break any links to Windham's website..

Ooof. It doesn't sould like it was a happy departure. The "powers that be" will remove the links. We are here if you want to talk about it....[Frazier Crane voice]We're listening[/Frazier Crane voice]

See "Fired by email" in the lounge.

Stache, I've removed it from your title (and made it TBD... hope that's OK--let me know if you want something different). I'll ask (the)rusty to change the instructor listing.

Stache, I'm going to move this to the supporter lounge for now. In the morning, PM me and let me know if that's ok. I'd rather not have this issue on the open searchable forum until you think about it.

Meanwhile, I hope all is well with you and look forward to your relocation to the real mountains.

Hey, Windham's just a big gaper fest anyway. They don't deserve you.

Stache,

"Prepare yourself for good things to happen."

Depending on how you choose to look at it, an opportunity could be presenting itself. Nobody likes change, especially under these circumstances. It is likely that you'll look back at this event and come to see it as a good thing.

I know you have dedicated you skiing life to helping others. ESA is coming. Maybe this will be the year to focus on your own skiing as well as your daughter's.

In my business you can get bounced around a lot. One thing that I have learned from my work is to never burn your bridges. Restraint can go a long ways. Step back and think about it for a while before you speak.

Good luck Stache.

Thanks Paul Jones (and others too).
It was the motivation for me to commit to the ESA Stowe last month when the email first arrived.

However, for the sake of my friends and clients I had hoped something in a win-win-win could have been arranged.
Unfortunately it seems the attitude of the SSD is "I win, everyone else can go .....
Some people value and care about professional customer service and long term customer relations, and some people don't.

and i get ya here
job fair 11/4

Job Fair November 4, 2006
Interested in working at Belleayre Mountain during the 2006-07 ski season? We're looking for enthusiastic and fun-loving people to work in a variety of departments, including snowsports school, lift operations, janitorial, snowmaking, food and beverage and many more. Join us in the Longhouse Lodge from 12 noon - 5 pm to meet with supervisors from all departments

Hope something else works out for you. Plattekill is my favorite in that area, though if you're in it for steady work I could see Belleayre as a much better choice.

Good luck. Trotski's gaperfest comment was right on about Windham anyway.

Yeah, but they tip real good to be seen posing next to an ugly old fart like me.

It Happens to All of Us

Stache,

I am very sorry for what happened to you at Windham. That is my "home" mountain, as my friend has a house up there. I really don't understand their attitude.

Believe me, we all go through this at some time. You will be okay. You just need to collect yourself and resolve to move on. Almost everyone I know in NYC has been laid off at one time or another. Now it is time to look forward to your next opportunity. The key is networking with people. I am sure you have friends at other mountains. Now is the time to reach out.

I wish you the best.

nyskier ...

Read Stache's post real good. He was not "laid off".

Management has adopted a policy to let high timers go ... since they are at the top of "scale" .... in my case it was the difference between $6 and hour and $7.50 an hour.

Stache will be "replaced" by:

A. Someone from South America (who can hardly ski) ... or ...

B. Some kid who has limited skills (but will feel so good wearing that jacket).

I, for one, will not visit Windham and if ... if ... for some reason like my kid has a race there, I will not buy a ticket, nor will I buy anything from "The Mountain".

I do not think it has anything to do with his bumper sticker. There are a lot of petty politics (crap), in the money hungry offices of the SSD's ... hell I had to buy stuff that I didn't need or want because the SSD's rep product. But I doubt the bumper sticker had anything to do the overall decision.

Yeah, I agree, if Windham treats valuable instructors this way, I definitely don't want anything to do with it ever. Yuki's analysis sounds right to me.

Yuki,

I honestly don't get your point. Yes, maybe I used "laid-off" as a euphemism for "fired," but the end result is the same. One is without a position and needs to seek a new one, however that can be accomplished.

I generally agree re Windham Mountain. I don't care for the attitude there, and last year the skiing was so lousy I only went a few times. I believe that a local group took over the ownership/management of the mountain. That probably has changed the economics of the place.

I do not appreciate being flamed when I was attempting to be nice.:

nyskier .. ... sorry ..

Most people do not realize the "conditions" and the trends in the "industry".

I have seen such twisting and abuse and "three card monte" hustling by the local hills that I have a short fuse on the subject.

This is just another phase we are entering.

Sadly, the "free market economy" mantra may be best illustrated by "our industry".

There are fewer skiers and less need ... with the exception of newbees to push the "bus tour" first timers, for talented pros. I guess it boils down to a supply and demand thing in the end.

I have to say that the trends in the skiing industry are mirrored elsewhere in the good old USA as well. Those of us who work in business realize that our days as employees are numbered. We are always being replaced with younger, cheaper, not-as-well-prepared emploees. I think the best advice is to keep your skills up-to-date and be prepared to move at a moment's notice. That is why networking contacts are so valuable and why I encouraged Stache along those lines.

I think we should all boycott Windham!

Apology accepted, Yuki. Thanks.

The problem is Stache doesn't fit new upscale image for the snooty clientèle...I have 2 free passes and will burn them today...Never like the place anyway..Bastards

Yikes! I've been staying away from this because it hits too close to home. On the other hand, remaining silent would be doing you a diservice, so here goes.

The fact is Stache, like me, you are an iconoclast. I know this from your posts, even though I have never met you in person. And whether it's at the gym or on the slopes, recreation industry management does not like iconoclasts. There can be a number of ways that you have pissed people off just by being yourself. Recreation management loves the concept of branding. Sometimes that means taking away the unique individuality of the instructors.

In the fitness industry, we now have Bodypump. The same routine, played to the same music by every instructor. UGH!
But that way, people do not get attached to individual teachers.

I started to write some examples from my own career, but I deleted them. But I will tell you this. A few weeks ago, I received an email from an instructor at an all women's gym I worked at in Boston. It was one of those emails requesting a sub. The person had not bothered to look at an updated email list. Furthermore, everyone was CC'd instead of BCC'd. A few of the managers who I had a run in with were on the list.

I erased the content of the message, and wrote a very friendly "Hi All!" type of email. It included links to my book, my studio and a few other things. I paused for a moment, wondering if this was appropriate. Then I said "what the heck,' and clicked "send."

Like they say, "living well is the best revenge." One day you will be able to stick it to them!

HI LM,
I don't think iconoclast is quite the correct word, but from the context of your post you are right on target. SSD does not want anyone who stands out or above the crowd. I have a lot of respect for institutions and their icons. At the same time I do not subscribe to the idea that a good employee is a constant yes man to management always telling them how fine their new clothes look while management runs around naked. I am always trying to fix things even if they ain't broke. You can make them better. Most of the issues SSD had were with me "being there" (Pike Place Fish Market, Fish Training) too much. My read is that he wants a bunch of plain vanilla instructors providing mediocre lessons and not doing anything that would force him to have any communication (good or bad) with upper level management. He is either afraid of or does not like the "third deck".
One issue was some of my clients went over his head when I kept getting double booked between the Central Reservations desk and the Ski School Desk. Something totally out of my control but because I was in demand and their reservations system sucked, it was somehow my fault. Yeah, if nobody ever requested me then their problem would not have becme illuminated, so therefore I was the problem.

Stache,

Stopped at the Windham booth at the ski show and inquired about you. The two guys on duty were very positive about you. Then they both said something about the underground report on Windam. Their response was positive.

Are you going to keep it going? It would be nice if more areas had a service like that.

The problem is that you were building your reputation instead of thiers.

Hi Paul Jones,
Obviously the word has not been passed to all the staff (not uncommon at Windham). As a gentleman I will first offer to sell www.WindhamUnderground.com to Dan Frank and his fellow new owners of the mountain. If they decline then I will sell it to the first best offer I get.

It was originally begun as an electronic bulletin board for Ski School, Patrol, Adaptive program, and other staff to post skiis and things for sale, rooms to rent or roomates wanted, etc. When they added the underground locker room for the season pass holders I opened it up to everyone that was a regular and kept their gear "underground" and began my "Stache's Thursday Night Snow Report". After skiing and teaching Thursday afternoons and evenings I would go home and give an honest assesment of what shape the mountain was in and what snowmaking or grooming had been done that week. I never said "it sucked stay home" but did give an honest report if it wasn't going to be the best weekend of the year. Many of the staff and season pass holders would tell me that even if it rained in the city and NJ this week when I said it was good and the mountain was in great shape they would take my word for it and come up even if they had predetermined it was not going to be a good weekend and planned to stay home. Nobody believes any of the crap any mountain's marketing department puts out as a snow report. I understand that every mountian's marketing department method for determining snowfall after 2" is to go outside, stomp your foot, look at the footprint, and then go inside and report that it "looks like a foot".

Stache, I guess you are the dead skier in their new logo.

What goes around comes around, Stache. I just heard about a guy I know who's been the ski school director at a fairly busy metro area hill for about a decade who received a similar "uninvite" email to yours. Besides butting heads with the area manager, he'd been kind of heavy handed with his employees too, as I understand the situation.

Stache, although i only know you thru your posts, i believe that what others have said so far about your future potential rings true.

You have MUCH to OFFER . SKIING needs people who care about satisfaction, quality and frankly helping folks to get the most out the experience .

Frankly Stache DON'T let The Bastards wear you down and don't give them the satisfaction of Overeacting. These "wastrels " are a dime a dozen small timers whereas you are a total pkg. Frankly you are better off without them.Why exhaust any more of your life energy trying to save these Bozo's from themselves

Just keep on being Stache and you will do fine.


MY best to you and your family

WD

Word. I hate Windham with a passion. Come on down to Hunter this winter, I'll show you something much better, and how to avoid the so-called "lines" (They're only on the lifts that start at the bottom of the hill; get up once and ski the upper half/back side).

Offer it for sale and then but it on Ebay.

It sucks to hear about the true lovers of this sport being mistreated . . . especially at the hands of our own.