Kelly Canyon holds ski patrol tryouts

Several people took to the slopes Saturday morning to become a member of Kelly Canyon Ski Resort’s ski patrol.

This was a chance for those who love snow sports and helping others to have a shot at doing both.

“I am trying out to be a ski patroller. I’m a certified ski instructor, and I’ve been skiing since I was about 10,” said Will Patterson, a ski patrol hopeful.

The 14 candidates had varying levels of experience, but regardless of experience, they had to put their skills to the test.

“Today we’re going to evaluate how they ride their snowboard or on their skis. We’ll take them down different runs and ask them to do specific styles of skiing to see how they perform,” said Darin Skidmore, the patrol director.

Ski patrollers rescue stranded or injured guest and they help out beginners. While the ski patrollers are generally limited to Kelly Canyon’s ski slopes, they can assist in back-country rescues if asked.

“There’s a lot involved. There’s a class that you have to take. It’s similar to a college four-credit class — 80 hours of classroom instruction. And then a couple of months of ski training that we do here on the hill. And you’ll be evaluated and see if you can pass,” Skidmore said.

If those perspectives pass Saturday’s test, they’ll be invited back in the fall to take the class. Tryouts to join Kelly Canyon’s ski patrol team happen once a year.