Are you thinking about transferring from your current zone to Calgary Zone? We would love to have you join us.

Ski Evaluation Dates

Our ski areas open earlier in the season (late November and early December) than some of the other zones in the country. For this reason, our recruiting/transfer schedule is a little different than in other zones. Instead of having our on-snow ski/board evaluation in the winter, we hold ours in the spring. This is so that you’ll be ready to join a ski area by the fall.

Calgary Zone Ski Evaluation

Our ski evaluation is held in March. You must attend and meet the requirements of the Calgary Zone ski evaluation (aka ski test) even if you’re transferring from another zone. This ski evaluation is for alpine skiers, telemark skiers, and snowboarders. Note that only Nakiska is currently accepting snowboarders. For transfers joining Calgary Zone between mid-March and December, we have to make special arrangements for you. In this case, Recruitment will work with you to arrange a ski test, subject to evaluator availability.

Ski Area Ski Evaluation

Calgary Zone has six ski areas, including our Nordic patrol:

  • Lake Louise
  • Nakiska
  • Norquay
  • Panorama
  • Peter Lougheed Park (Nordic)
  • Sunshine Village

Some of the ski areas have their own ski evaluation that exceeds the Calgary Zone standard. In addition, each ski area has its own accident response protocols and culture. In March and April we offer Ski Arounds at each ski area so you can familiarize yourself with the differences between each patrol and so that you can complete the area-specific ski tests. If you transfer after mid-March, you’ll miss out on this opportunity.

Home Patrol Assignment

After completing the Calgary Zone Ski Evaluation and attending the Ski Arounds in March and April, create a list of the ski areas where you would most like to patrol, ranked in order of preference. The VP Education will ask you for your list at the beginning of October.

The Patrol Leaders at each ski area have the opportunity to decide how many new recruits and transfers they can accommodate. You are not guaranteed your first choice because each patrol has limits on how many new and transferring patrollers they can support. However, this process has resulted in over 90% of new recruits and transfers to the Calgary Zone being matched to their 1st or 2nd choice of ski area.

Additional Training

Once you are assigned to a ski area, you’ll be asked to attend the ski area’s Returning Weekend at the end of November or beginning of December. You may also be asked to attend a toboggan training weekend (two days) in December.

Flow Charts

For detailed flow charts on our transfer process, see: