[0:00] (upbeat music)

[0:03] - This is my 14th season at Hyland.

[0:05] So I started skiing here when I was four.

[0:07] My parents lived kind of right

on the backside of the hill,

[0:09] so kinda just grew up skiing here,

[0:11] and my parents would get us season passes

[0:13] when we were younger, but

then once we're old enough

[0:14] to work here and they

offer a free season pass

[0:16] when we work here, they're like,

[0:17] "All right, you're old enough now.

[0:18] We're not buying your season pass anymore.

[0:19] Go get a job there."

[0:20] Once I was better at skiing,

[0:21] I grew up riding in the terrain park,

[0:23] which is the jumps and

the rails and stuff,

[0:24] and as a little snot-nosed

kid, I was like,

[0:27] "I could do this so much

better than these guys.

[0:28] These guys have no idea

what they're doing,"

[0:30] and then all of a sudden, the job came up,

[0:31] and I was like, "Oh no,

now I have to do it."

[0:35] So started as a ski

instructor when I was 16,

[0:38] and then I started in

maintenance when I was 22, maybe?

[0:41] I mean, it starts before you even open.

[0:43] You make all the snow.

[0:44] We've got about 50 snow guns,

so you make all the snow,

[0:47] and then you push it out kinda

flat, and you want to try

[0:49] and have a level base everywhere you go,

[0:51] and then once you're all pushed out,

[0:53] then we put the tillers on,

[0:54] and you basically just drive in circles

[0:56] till you replace all the crud

with corduroy, basically,

[0:59] and it's really satisfying,

super instant gratification.

[1:03] By the time you're done, it's like,

[1:05] what, your Zen garden was all messed up,

[1:06] and now it's like your Zen

garden was all put back together.

[1:09] We'll swap out rails and boxes and jumps

[1:10] and whatever else fairly often,

[1:13] and then every time we do a

change, I always go back out

[1:15] and look and watch what

the riders are riding,

[1:16] so you kind of decide this is

either A, been here a while,

[1:19] or B, no one's really using it,

[1:22] so let's get it out and see

if we can get something in

[1:23] that people are more excited

about and will actually use.

[1:27] And then also, when we're up there,

[1:28] the kids always wanna come

up and talk to you and say,

[1:30] "Hey, I want this rail," and

if it's a realistic idea,

[1:32] we try to get people what they want.

[1:35] Next season will be the first season

[1:36] where I have worked here longer

than I haven't worked here.

[1:39] The slogan for Hyland is,

"work where you play,"

[1:41] get your free season

pass, so I love what I do.

[1:43] It's really fun.

[1:44] It's like a park, so it's

a great way to give back.

[1:47] People are having fun, people

that work here are having fun.

[1:49] You work with a bunch of people

that also ski and snowboard,

[1:51] so it's a great place to meet friends,

[1:53] and it's an awesome place to work,

[1:55] awesome place to ski and snowboard.

[1:57] I just like what I do, I guess.

[1:59] (upbeat music continues)