CONNECTING THE SKI INDUSTRY AROUND THE WORLD
If you are interested in building a career as a ski rental technician, you will find the majority of rental training is operated in store, once you have been hired. There are very few specific rental technician courses that exist, however, any training in ski service and bootfitting would be a definite advantage.
As a ski rental technician, you are responsible for measuring and fitting the customer into ski boots; selecting and setting up the appropriate ski and bindings; selecting poles, helmets and clothing if required; assisting in retail sales; and assessing skis for tuning work. Ski rental technician's are usually responsible for the daily maintenance of rental skis and will often be required to wax, scrape and deburr skis on a regular basis, keeping them in top condition for gliding on the slopes.
In store training will involve learning the various different binding brands on the market and being able to safely adjust them all. In some countries such as the USA, Binding Certification Tests are provided online by each manufacturer to check that employees fully understand how to safely adjust their bindings. You will also be required to test each binding, to ensure that it is still functioning and releasing as it should. Many shops offer this additional service.
A key part of a ski rental technician's job, is to assess skis for overnight service work. In most stores, the rental technicians will takes skis in during the day, for service work overnight. The ski tuners tend to start work in the afternoon when the ski slopes are closing and have the skis prepared, for customers to collect the following morning, before skiing. Ski rental technicians are therefore required to assess and recognise any damage to skis, suggesting what tuning work is required to get them back into shape. Any basic ski service courses that you are able to attend, will certainly benefit anyone looking to enter the industry as a ski rental technician. Likewise, having a basic knowledge of ski bootfitting will be an advantage, when trying to find a comfortable boot for the customer.
