Ski patroller with toboggan in tow Contrary to the name's implications, ski patrollers can be snowboarders in addition to alpine, telemark, or nordic skiers. Many patrols also have non-skiing positions whereby patrollers no longer able to ski or lacking the skiing skills to handle toboggans can still provide emergency care in a first aid room.
National Ski Patrol
The National Ski Patrol (NSP) is the patrol governing body for the United States and some portions of Europe. The organization was founded in 1938 by the NSP's first chairman, Charles Minot Dole. "Minnie," as he was known, decided that a "service and safety" organization was in order after he hurt himself skiing and had trouble evacuating himself from the slope. One of the few federally chartered not-for-profit organizations in the U.S., the NSP has since become the world's largest winter rescue organization. The NSP's 28,000 paid and volunteer members serve on over 600 patrols.
The NSP is composed of 10 geographic divisions plus a single division for all paid patrollers. Members are recognized on the slopes by the red jackets they wear marked by a white cross on the chest and a larger one on the back.
Over the course of its history, the NSP has helped to develop similar patrol organizations in Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Argentina, Chile, Israel, Turkey and Korea. Additionally, the NSP works closely with the U.S. Ski Team, the National Ski Area Association, Ski Industries America, the Professional Ski Instructors of America, the U.S. Forest Service, and the National Park Service, among others to promote ski safety.
See also
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