Tahoe ski resorts' job applicants lured by benefits

Twenty-somethings wearing beanies and armed with job applications packed job fairs Saturday at Heavenly, Kirkwood and Sierra-At-Tahoe ski resorts - most of them craving season passes that come with the jobs.

But not Gale Parsons.

"I don't snow ski any more; my knees kill me," Parsons said while waiting in line at the California Lodge at Heavenly Mountain Resort. Parsons declined to give his age, but said he has sons who are in their 30s.

Every year, the resorts host job fairs to fill the seasonal positions needed to run the mountains once the resorts open.

Parsons said he was applying for a job with security patrol. His son had been a ski instructor with the resort, so he had heard it was a good place to look for a job.

Ryan Garnett, 18, had other reasons for applying with Sierra-At-Tahoe.

"It's my home mountain and it'd be the funnest job," he said.

Garnett just started his first year at Folsom Lake College and is hoping to land a job with the terrain park crew or with parking at the resort. He hasn't worked at a resort before, but said he'd love to. He started snowboarding six years ago and was on the racing team for Union Mine High School.

After completing a few interviews, he stuck around to wait for his friends, who also were applying for positions at the resort.

Some individuals were applying for positions they held last year. Ryan Rodriguez, 21, worked with parking at Kirkwood last season and was applying for the same job this year at their job fair.

"As far as I know, I have to apply every year," he said.

Rodriguez said he moved up here last year from Southern California because the mountain environment appealed to him. His cousin took him snowboarding at Kirkwood before he applied for a job, and he said he was hooked.

At the resort, Chair 10 on a day with a lot of powder is his favorite ride, Rodriguez said.

He wanted to work at Kirkwood again because it was a good experience last year. Since last season, Rodriguez has been living at home and working in a restaurant while waiting for the jobs and the snow to come again, he said.

Parsons also moved from Southern California. He said he moved to the area 18 years ago after coming up to Lake Tahoe for a week vacation.

"Best thing I ever did," he said.

All the resorts are having job fairs on later dates, but if anyone wants to apply, they don't need to wait. Applicants can fill out an application and turn it into the resorts anytime.

"We're in interview mode," said Kristin Cattell, communications manager for Sierra-At-Tahoe.