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ski resort operations and management
preventative maintenance of the building systems
that provide for the needs and comfort of guests
and employees.
SROM 166 Ski Resort Facilities Maintenance
is presented to give students an insight into
the complexity of ski resort base area building
infrastructure. The necessity for effective
maintenance and preventative maintenance
programs is inherent in the quality management
of these important ski resort assets.
SROM 173 Ski Resort Slope
Grooming Operations
As with ski lift technology, the evolution of slope
grooming machinery and slope maintenance
practices has profoundly affected the ski industry.
As numerous ski industry customer service
surveys indicate, snow conditions are a primary
determinant of skier satisfaction. Thus, slope
grooming technology and operations play a major
role in providing a high quality skiing experience
and creating high levels of skier satisfaction.
In SROM 173 you will study the basic design
and functioning of slope grooming vehicles
and implements designed specifically for the
ski industry, particularly the slope grooming
machines supplied by the two major slope
grooming vehicle manufacturers, Kassboher and
Prinoth. You will examine the main components
and general maintenance requirements of a slope
grooming vehicle, including the engine and its
various systems, the tracks and suspension system,
and the drive system. You will also study the
main slope grooming implements including the
blade system, snow tillers, and half pipe grinders.
You will review grooming operations, including
snow properties in relation to slope grooming,
slope-grooming objectives and functions, slope
grooming methods and techniques, slope
grooming operating plans, and slope grooming
expenses and budgeting. Slope grooming human
resources management topics include operator
training, motivation, and compensation.
Practical sessions will allow you to examine
grooming equipment in the field, and you will
have the opportunity to participate in on one or
more “ride-along” sessions at Whitewater
ski area. By the end of the course, you will
have gained some understanding of how slope
grooming personnel can run efficient and cost
effective grooming operations.
SROM 175 Snowmaking
Systems Operations
SROM 175 introduces you to the various
components of ski resort snowmaking systems and
accepted concepts, principles, and operational and
management practices for machine snowmaking
for the snow resort industry. You will learn about
the physics and mechanics of snowmaking and
its uses within a snow resort context, as well as its
impacts on mountain resort operations and resort
costs of operation. You will study snowmaking
system components, including snow guns, water
pumps and air compressors, system infrastructure,
and system controls. You will also examine ski
area snowmaking system design, operational
practices, snowmaking capital and operating costs,
and methods for improving the energy efficiency
of ski resort snowmaking operations.
SROM 184 Snow Safety/
Ski Patrol Operations
During SROM 184 you will review the primary
management issues and operational activities of
the snow safety or ski patrol department, with a
focus on managing avalanche hazards. You will
examine the major elements of ski resort avalanche
hazard assessment and safety including avalanche
terrain, mountain weather, snow pack features,
and avalanche rescue. As part of your study of
avalanche hazards and safety, you will have the
opportunity to complete the Canadian Avalanche
Centre (CAC) Avalanche Skills Training (AST)
Level I course which involves two full days of field
study. In addition to examining avalanche hazard
concerns and issues, you will study several snow
safety/ski patrol operations and management
topics, including avalanche hazards and ski area
planning, ski resort avalanche control, ski patrol
operations, ski resort accident investigation and
recording, ski lift evacuation, and ski patrol
facilities and equipment.
SROM 190 Field Study
This course consists of a five day credit bearing
field trip to visit ski areas. Although venues change
from year to year, it typically includes major ski
resorts and regions throughout western Canada.
The purpose of this visit is to talk with ski area
managers and supervisors, on location, about their
operations and to inspect those operations. Often
the ski area visit provides “hands-on” supplements
to the contents of on-going SROM courses and
involve field work assignments. This trip provides
an excellent opportunity for candid conversations
with ski industry personnel from general managers
to line staff, as well as an excellent opportunity to
examine facilities and equipment.
SROM 251 Ski Area Marketing
and Special Events
In today’s competitive recreation and tourism
marketplace, competent ski area operators
understand the essential role marketing plays
in keeping ski lifts, cafeterias and lodges busy.
In SROM 251 you will explore how ski resorts
use primary and secondary market research,
advertising media, the Internet, brochures,
consumer ski shows and news releases to boost
skier visits. You will also examine the important
role of special events and you will learn event
management practices. As much as possible, you
will apply your studies to hands-on projects that
allow you some direct experience in applying
marketing concepts and methods to actual ski
resort case studies and/or projects that offer direct
involvement with ski resort marketing and event
management activities.
SROM 254 Ski Area fOOD and
Beverage Administration
This course provides an overview of food and
beverage operations with major emphasis on
ski area operations. Students learn how to
utilize effective cost controls for the operations.
Menu development and analysis as well as basic
layouts for food and beverage areas are studied
including an emphasis on cafeteria (mass feeding)
operations.
SROM 256 Ski Area Budgeting
and Business Management
The material covered in Ski Area Budgeting and
Business Management will introduce students
to the analysis of financial data for a standard
Income Statement and Balance Sheet. Financial
ratios that are normally used to predict the
business health of a ski resort will be covered.
Using CVP numerical analysis, students will learn
the impact of future proposed financial changes
on the fiscal health of a ski resort’s finances.
Problem solving will help students to understand
these financial concepts. Creation of budget
templates on EXCEL spreadsheets for ‘wages and
salaries’, and ‘departmental contribution margin’
will round out the course content
SROM 258 Human Resources
Management for the
Resort Industry
As labour markets tighten around the globe,
good human resources management is essential
to attracting and retaining effective staff. This is
particularly true in seasonal resorts and ski areas
where the link between staff and the guest is so
critical. Innovative approaches to human resources
management are necessary to recruit and retain the
right people in the industry. In this course you will
focus on the critical issues that concern managers
in the tourism industry: human resource planning,
recruitment and selection, orientation, training
and development, performance management
and progressive discipline, challenges and trends,
employment standards and labour relations.
SROM 272 Ski Lift Operations
SROM 272 is a continuation of SROM 172. Ski
lift operational considerations are the primary
focus of this course. You will learn about lift
capacity, standard and emergency operating
School of Hospitality and Tourism
Selkirk College 12/13
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