Educational Program News
OET – Patroller Schools, Tail Ropes, Steeps & Bumps
The 2026–27 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for OET, with opportunities for patrollers at every level to sharpen their skiing, snowboarding, telemark, and toboggan skills.
We’ll kick off the season in December with our annual Killington OET Meeting, where we’ll prepare our staff to bring this year’s training initiatives back to their home regions. Once again, we’ll be partnering with the PSIA Educational Staff to strengthen our coaching skills. This year, our staff development will focus on the skills and tactics needed for successful tail-rope work—an essential skill for many patrollers and one that presents unique challenges for both patrollers and instructors.
Training Opportunities for Every Patroller
As the season gets underway, look for a full calendar of OET training opportunities across the division designed to meet patrollers where they are and help them take the next step.
Patroller Schools are tentatively scheduled at Saddleback, Bristol, Elk, Killington, and Gore. These two-day events are ideal for new patrollers, developing patrollers and aspiring seniors.
Raising the Bar: Certified Boot Camp at Magic Mountain
Lying down on the job so candidates can practice.
Three days of training, camaraderie, and a continued commitment to excellence brought nearly 70 patrollers together at Magic Mountain in Londonderry, Vermont, for the 19th Annual Eastern Division Certified Program Training.
From August 7–9, Magic Mountain served as the backdrop for the annual training event. Nearly 70 participants gathered for a weekend focused on advanced skills, practical scenarios, professional development, and—perhaps most importantly—the continued pursuit of excellence within the National Ski Patrol’s Eastern Division Certified Program.
Magic Mountain management and staff were exceptional hosts throughout the weekend, providing the facilities, support, and welcoming atmosphere that helped make the event such a success. Among those on hand was Magic Mountain’s own Assistant Patrol Director and Certified #871, Becky Rubin, who was able to participate in the weekend alongside fellow patrollers.
2026 Memorial Scholarships
Harriet Frawley, Memorial Scholarship Fund Advisor
As my tenure as Memorial Scholarship Fund Advisor winds down, I am pleased to share this year’s David J. Nelson Sr. Memorial Scholarship recipients. Congratulations to the awardees, and thank you to everyone who has supported the Fund throughout its 50-year history. I also offer special thanks to those who have encouraged me over the past 10 years of steering the program.
Please join me in congratulating this year’s scholarship recipients.
Hope Giammatteo, Powder Ridge/CT
Sean Wallace, Blue Hills/EMARI
Nathaniel Demain, Abenaki/NH
William Burdin, Nashoba Valley/EMARI
Mason Opalka, Elk Mountain/EPA
Mary Page, Bear Creek/EPA
Nicholas Loew, Bromley/SVT
Flora Dewar, Bolton Valley/NVT
A Guide to Retaining Patrollers
Allan Miller
Eastern Division Alumni Advisor
This guide will help Ski Patrollers understand their options if they need to interrupt patrolling. It’s a retention-focused approach for keeping experienced members connected to the National Ski Patrol community. The goal of this guide is to help patrols retain members who conclude they may need to step away from active patrolling by making sure they understand their options, know whom to contact, and feel encouraged to remain part of the NSP community.
Why This Matters
Patrollers may need to interrupt active service for many reasons, including family responsibilities, health, work demands, relocation, or changing availability. When members believe their only choice is to leave completely, the organization risks losing experienced people, institutional knowledge, instructors, mentors, and future volunteers. A clear education and communication process can help convert potential departures into continued engagement as Alumni by providing the patroller with options to retain their OEC technician certification and their connection to their patrol and the organization.
Key Message for Patrollers
Leaving active patrolling does not have to mean leaving NSP. Members who can no longer patrol regularly should be encouraged to explore all the options they have so they can remain connected, continue contributing, and preserve important benefits where applicable.
Nordic/Backcountry Report – September
Hope everyone has had a great summer. I wrote this sitting on the porch of a cabin at the Cape Cod National Seashore, enjoying the evening. The Province Lands bike path rides like a roller coaster, reminding me of the terrain that I like to XC ski in the winter. Besides mountain biking, paddling, and rock climbing, I attended the certified boot camp at Magic Mountain this past August. It was so great to work with a bunch of patrollers striving to be the best that they can be. On the Nordic Master side, Keith Schultz, from the Pacific NW Division, just passed his oral board of review to become NM#024. Congratulations Keith! We’re looking for some more Nordic Master candidates from the Eastern Division. Reach out to me!
Avalanche Program Report
While it was still summer, we were already getting ready for OEC refresher season. Before long, we’ll all be thinking about the upcoming winter and hoping for plenty of snow.
Of course, with lots of snow comes the potential for avalanches. While many people think avalanches only affect skiers, we know that’s not the case. Tragically, 10 people lost their lives in an avalanche while climbing Broad Peak in Pakistan. Incidents like this remind us that avalanche education is valuable for anyone who spends time in snowy mountain environments.
The NSP’s avalanche courses aren’t just for skiers. Mountaineers, climbers, snowshoers, and other backcountry enthusiasts can all benefit from developing avalanche awareness and rescue skills.
Bear Creek EMS Workshop
Thank you to all who attended the Assessment of Chest Pain Patroller Workshop.
The Bear Creek EMS Program is hosting the following virtual patroller workshop.
Understanding Syncope – The Clues to the Collapse
September 29, 2026, 7:30-9:30 pm EST
This workshop covers the following objectives:
- Definition of Syncope
- Mechanisms
- Assessment
- Case Scenarios
- Diagnostic Evaluation
- Treatments
2026 Certified Done…2027 Shaping Up
The Certified Program had a very good year. We participated in the Far West Nutz and Boltz event at Mt. Hood in June, held our annual Boot Camp in Pennsylvania at Ski Roundtop in August, our Enhanced Patroller School at Swain in Genesee Valley, New York in September, two pretests – Hunter and Killington in January/February, Killington Patroller School and Intro to Certified Event in February, and our Annual Exam at Sugarloaf, Maine in March.
Turnout at all events was strong. We had a total of seven candidates take our exam. The weather turned warm, it rained, and then froze for two weeks prior. Needless to say, the terrain was NOT available to run the OET components of the exam. We also had to offer a bye on the Avalanche Beacon Search due to inadequate snow cover.
Nordic Masters – Looking Back and Forward
We finished the season with Nordic Master evaluations at Anthony Lakes, OR. The Eastern Division sent two NM ITs to the event along with Pacific Northwest and Northern Divisions’ NMs to evaluate the candidates. During a period of good weather and deep snow, our two candidates passed the MTR overnight SAR exercise. Low angle rescue, avalanche, improvised toboggans, and fire-starting skills were demonstrated and evaluated. If you are interested in the Nordic Master track, please contact me for the information.
The Proving Ground – Tuckerman Ravine
Every ski season, Mount Washington sees an average of 25 life-threatening sliding falls. The Proving Ground is a short film from Warden Co., produced in partnership with the Mt. Washington Avalanche Center Foundation, exploring the dangers of recreating on the mountain that go beyond avalanche risk alone – told through the stories of those who have survived, and those who tragically have not.
