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by Dan Torsell (Foreword by), Patrick Torsell (Author)
Ever wonder what it's like to operate a snowcat, or even run the whole show as a ski resort General Manager? Get ready to lift the veil on your favorite sport, and discover how every other business venture is made boring in the shadow of the ski resort industry! Snow Guns Before Sunrise will let you in on all the secrets as you walk, and ski, in the boots of ski industry insiders to see what really goes on behind the scenes. Complete with job descriptions, "a-day-in-the-life-of" details, and anecdotes from industry professionals, you'll discover everything you wanted to know, and then some, about the inner workings of a ski resort. Get a glimpse of the complexity of the ski operation and its many moving parts, and explore the mystique of working in the mountains for the sake of skiing. You'll learn the metrics by which a ski area measures success, and read about the "unsung heroes" behind the scenes. For skiers who want to know more about what it takes to deliver their favorite sport to the masses, Snow Guns Before Sunrise answers all the questions that come to mind on a quiet and thoughtful lift ride, or in a spirited online discussion: Why aren't they making snow on my favorite trail? How is corduroy made? What does it take to be a ski area manager? With these kind of lift ticket prices, ski areas must be flush with cash, right? If they just let me run the place, it would be so much better. Or would it? Snow Guns Before Sunrise is where you'll find out! For anyone thinking of a career in the ski industry, Snow Guns Before Sunrise is your primer. Regardless of your particular area of interest in ski area operations, having a big-picture understanding will make you a better employee, and provide you with the insight it takes to get noticed as a potential leader. For professionals already working in the industry, Snow Guns Before Sunrise offers you a fresh perspective and refines your literacy of different areas of the ski area operation. You'll catch yourself chuckling as you relate on many levels from your own ski resort experience! Snow Guns Before Sunrise is the book to read if you like to ski and want to know more about how ski areas actually operate, so boot up and get ready to load the lift that takes you inside the resort operation!
Author Biography
Patrick Torsell grew up in the ski industry, learning the business from his father (40 years in the industry, with no plans to retire soon!). Upon completing the Ski Area Operations degree program at Colorado Mountain College, Patrick spent five seasons at Sugarbush Resort, VT, where he worked in snowmaking, grooming, facilities, and guest services. At Ski Cooper, CO, he began as Director of Information Technology, and assumed additional responsibility each season, eventually landing on the executive committee and heading up Marketing, Sales, Guest Services, Events, IT, and Grooming/Slope Maintenance, along with coaching in the resort's "Bump Skiing Institute" mogul skiing program. Patrick has been published seven times by the ski industry's trade magazine, Ski Area Management Magazine, a publication which identified him as a "Recruit of the Year" in 2009, and named him among the "10 Under 30" list of young ski industry professionals in 2017. Patrick was named "Slope Groomer of the Year" in 2015 by Colorado Ski Country USA, and served for two years on the planning committee for the annual Snow Conference in Grand Junction, CO. He has been a guest lecturer and a keynote commencement speaker at Colorado Mountain College's Leadville campus.
