GRANITE PEAK SKI PATROL HISTORY

     The Granite Peak Ski Patrol was originally named the Rib Mountain Ski Club Ski Patrol.  The Rib Mountain Ski Club Ski Patrol was originally activated in 1938 and has had a long and honored history.  Shortly after the State of Wisconsin passed operation of the ski area over to a private enterprise, the Rib Mountain Ski Club Ski Patrol became the Rib Mountain Ski Patrol.  This name continued while both the Oliva family and the Mix family operated the ski area.  As the ski area operation passed on to the Skinner family the ski area took on a new name, Granite Peak at Rib Mountain State Park.

     Each year, the Granite Peak Ski Patrol membership teaches, trains, tests, and learns in order to better serve the skiing public.  Today there are approximately 100 people involved with the Granite Peak Ski Patrol.  All but three of these patrollers are volunteers.  The Granite Peak Ski Patrol is a group of highly motivated individuals that come together as a highly skilled, fine tuned force that wears the first aid fanny pack with pride and is always ready, willing and able to help others in need.

     Historically, the Granite Peak Ski Patrol has been active not only on the patrol level, but on the sectional and regional level as well.  The members of the Granite Peak Ski Patrol are very proud of the excellent level of involvement it has had the opportunity to provide within Section Four and the North Central Region.

     Annually the Granite Peak Ski Patrol has hosted an annual Outdoor Emergency Care (OEC) refresher for Section Four and any other patrollers needing to attend a refresher.  Granite Peak has a great number of Outdoor Emergency Care Instructors which always makes our refreshers fun to attend as many methods of instruction are used.  We have heard many nice comments concerning our annual refreshers over the years.

     The Granite Peak Ski Patrol also provides a Section level chair evacuation clinic, usually the day following the annual OEC refresher.

     The Granite Peak Ski Patrol also has trained new candidates who desire to become ski patrollers on an annual basis (for more information click the "Becoming A Patroller" button the Home Page).

PUBLIC SERVICE

     Granite Peak Patrollers provide assistance when needed throughout the community.  Members of the patrol provide first aid assistance for the Wisconsin Badger State Winter Games. Members also assist the Rib Mountain Boy Scout District by teaching for the BSA First Aid Merit Badge.  For the Girl Scouts, members of the Granite Peak Ski Patrol provided an Emergency Survival seminar.  And for the local Sierra Club, some of our members provided a Winter Survival Seminar during the 1993-1995 season.  Other members have provided first aid coverage for marathon runs that have been held in central Wisconsin.  Most of the members work closely with the Rib Mountain Ski Club and assist in many of the clubs activities to include the annual alpine and nordic ski swaps.  The Granite Peak Ski Patrol has a number of American Red Cross and American Heart Association CPR instructors that not only provide instruction and refreshers for the ski patrol, but also for others in the community.  The Granite Peak Ski Patrol was also asked to provide first aid coverage for the National Archers competition held by the Rib Mountain Bowmen in 1995.  For the bicyclists out there, members of the Granite Peak Ski Patrol provided first aid coverage for the annual Gear Grinder Classic bicycle race.  Members of our patrol have also assisted with the local Special Olympic - Winter Games and the annual Handicapped Ski Awareness program.  Members have also taught Hunter Safety locally.  We have also participated in the annual Ski For Youth program which promotes safe skiing through ski instruction.

INNOVATION

     Over the great history of the Granite Peak (Rib Mountain) Ski Patrol our members have been innovative in their volunteer work.  Many methods and devices have been developed to make the way we provide service to the skiing public easier and safer.

     In order to monitor the progress of an injured skier the Granite Peak Ski Patrol designed and had built a wider than normal toboggan the we call "Big Bertha".  There is room enough on "Big Bertha" for an injured skier and a patroller to monitor progress.  If the need arises (and we hope it never does), we can use "Big Bertha" to do CPR while transporting someone down a slope.

     A number of different toboggan storage shelters have been developed over the years to protect the toboggans from the elements.

     We have also designed gear bags for our toboggans.  These gear bags hold most of the items necessary to provide service on the hill without having to call for another patroller to bring these items to the scene of an accident and avoiding a delay.  Once the accident has been taken care of, the gear not used for the accident can then be carried easily in the gear bag to the patrol first aid station where it is then readied for replacement on the toboggan.

     A number of chair evacuation devices have also been developed over the years.

PATROL PATCHES WORN OVER THE YEARS