Title: Shift Outings 

General Information about Item:

• Customary lore, tradition
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Benjamin Cape
• Date Collected: 11-12-19

Informant Data:

• The informant is Benjamin Cape.  He is 21 years old. He is from Seattle, Washington. He attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  He is currently a sophomore or a ‘22. He studies computer science. He joined Ski Patrol his freshmen year after a lengthy application process and enjoys his time on the patrol. 

Contextual Data:

• Before AM shifts, patrollers get breakfast from the Lyme Country Store.  After PM shifts, patrollers grab beers together at a bar.  This tradition occurs for every Ski Patrol shift of the winter term.

Item:

• Before and after every shift, there are certain group outing traditions.  Before AM shifts, the  group of patrollers go to the Lyme Country Store to get breakfast to fuel up for their shift.  After PM shifts, the group of patrollers go to a bar near the Skiway to grab beers and celebrate a successful shift.
  

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript:

• “We definitely have traditions…our shifts are broken up into AM shifts where you open the mountain and then PM shifts where you close, so the AM shift will almost religiously go to the Lyme Country Store on our way up, have a nice stop, get a nice breakfast sandwich and a coffee before we get to the mountain.  Um and then the PM shift will sometimes if it’s like a car with some 21 year olds will a go to a bar and sit down and have a nice beer afterwards.”

Informant’s Comments:

• The informant did not have any additional comments on this item of folklore.

Collector’s Comments:

•  It think that the main purpose behind getting breakfast before shifts or drinks after shifts is to foster community bonding among the patrol.  The ski patrollers spend a lot of time together during their shifts and it is important that they are close, so they can better work together to help rescue people on the mountain.  One thing that I find interesting about this ritual is that the group does not get breakfast or drinks on campus. They go specifically to the Lyme Country Store and to bars in the area around the Skiway.  I think that the reason for this is to metaphorically separate their group from Dartmouth. If patrollers got margs at Molly’s after shifts, they would be any other club at Dartmouth. Going somewhere outside of campus helps to illuminate why this group is different from other groups.  It creates a special sense of community that is separate from life at Dartmouth. It emphasizes the exclusivity of the club that is so competitive to join by creating another tradition that is exclusive to Ski Patrol. I also think that the choice of breakfast to start the day and then drinks to end the day serves to show that the group is going through this shift together.  They must prepare physically for the shift together by fueling up. Then, after a successful shift, they must celebrate together. It shows that throughout the entire day, they are “in this together,” preparing together, doing the shift together, and celebrating together. It creates a stronger sense of community.

Collector’s Name: Rachel Mashal

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary lore
• Tradition
• Skiing 
• Ski Patrol

Title: Top Shack

General Information about Item:

• Verbal lore, Folk language, Slang
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Benjamin Cape
• Date Collected: 11-12-19

Informant Data:

• The informant is Benjamin Cape.  He is 21 years old. He is from Seattle, Washington. He attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  He is currently a sophomore or a ‘22. He studies computer science. He joined Ski Patrol his freshmen year after a lengthy application process and enjoys his time on the patrol. 

Contextual Data:

• Patrollers use the name Top Shack to refer to their cabin on top of the mountain.  Their cabin was rebuilt to be bigger, and their old cabin has become the lift cabin.  When they got the new cabin, they called it Top Shack. This is a slang term used for the cabin that represents home base for the patrollers.

Item:

• Patrollers call the ski patrol cabin at the top of the mountain “Top Shack.”  They recently rebuilt the ski patrol cabin to be larger, and their old cabin became the lift cabin.  
  

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript:

• “There are some stories about what used to be the ski patrol cabin at the top of the mountain and how that has changed over time.  I can’t think of any like horror stories or like stereotypical type stories they might have, I mean we do patrol a pretty small mountain…It is a pretty simple story from what I can remember.  I mean they did tell it to us like a year ago probably. Basically we have two mountains that we patrol on, and one of the cabins on the main mountain is a little bit larger. Obviously it didn’t always used to be this cabin.  It used to be an older one and it actually used to be a little bit higher up and then they rebuilt it and that older cabin that we used to use is now the lift cabin, so they are both still there but we use the bigger one and the lift guys use the smaller one…We call our cabin Top Shack since it is on top of the mountain.”

Informant’s Comments:

•  “It is just kind of one of the stories that we talk about on the mountain.  The type of cabin we use and its name.”

Collector’s Comments:

• The name “Top Shack” represents the cabin or shack at the top of the mountain, but I think this name has additional meaning.  The name “Top Shack” is pretty informal, which is symbolic of the informal relationship that many of the patrollers have with each other.  Top Shack is the place where the patrollers hang out with each other, bonding, playing games, joking around, and forming lifelong friendships. This laid back and simple bonding that takes place in Top Shack translates into an informal name for their home base.  I also think that the name is very endearing. It gives me a warm feeling when I hear it, which is symbolic of how the patrollers feel about the Ski Patrol team and the work that they do.    

Collector’s Name: Rachel Mashal

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal lore
• Folk language
• Slang
• Top Shack
• Skiing 
• Ski Patrol

Title: Location for Dispatchers

General Information about Item:

• Verbal lore, Folk language, Slang 
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Benjamin Cape
• Date Collected: 11-12-19

Informant Data:

• The informant is Benjamin Cape.  He is 21 years old. He is from Seattle, Washington. He attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  He is currently a sophomore or a ‘22. He studies computer science. He joined Ski Patrol his freshmen year after a lengthy application process and enjoys his time on the patrol. 

Contextual Data:

• This piece of slang is used when a patroller gets on the lift to keep the other members of the patrol, specifically the dispatchers who are in the cabin, constantly informed of his location.  

Item:

• One piece of ski patrol slang is a saying of the structure “X Y by Z.”  The X represents which lift they are on. You would use the first initial of the manufacturer of the lift. There are two lifts, so they typically use a “C” to represent the manufacturer of the large lift.  Y represents which number tower they are at, as skiers pass several towers as they travel up the mountain on the lift. The by Z represents the number of patrollers on that chair of the lift. If a patroller says “C 4 by 2” it means that there are two patrollers passing tower 4 while on the lift made by the manufacturer whose first initial starts with a C. 

Associated file (a video, audio, or image file):

Transcript:

• “As patrollers we have to always be in touch with each other and know where everyone is on the mountain so we have a few different…we have like a bunch of different…um…code words that we use for when we are getting on the chairlift and we’re heading up so the people on dispatch can always know where we are.  It’s more of a safety thing but…like the manufactures of the lift, I don’t remember the name of the manufacturer of the lift, but we will say like C 2 by 2 and the C that we say corresponds to the first initial of the name of the lift brand.  So C 2 by 2 would be like 2 people (by 2 is 2 people) on the second tower.  So you could say C 4 by 2 or C 6 by 2 to just keep everyone posted.”

Informant’s Comments:

•  “I would assume similar types of codes are used at other mountains, but these are the ones we have always used here.  It is a safety thing. We always have to know where everyone is, and to let the dispatchers know that we are currently on the lift, so we cannot easily go out to help someone at the moment.”  

Collector’s Comments:

• I agree with the informant that the language that has developed within the patrol has the purpose of facilitating constant and efficient communication to aid in dispatching while on the mountain. I do think that this very specific slang holds another purpose which is to create community within the patrol.  This type of slang is unintelligible to anyone who is not on the patrol. The average skier on the skiway would not know what “C 2 by 2” means, and I think that having a language only the patrollers understand reinforces bonding among the group. It sets them apart from others, which reinforces the sense of community among their group.  Furthermore, ski patrol is notorious for being one of the most difficult clubs to join on Dartmouth’s campus. They have an extensive application process that lasts several terms. It is very competitive to be accepted onto Ski Patrol, so I think that having Ski Patrol specific language helps to reinforce the special nature of the group and create exclusivity to outsiders.  We can connect this to the idea of a folk group. Folk groups are groups of people who share one common factor as well as have traditions/jokes/rituals. Having a unique “language” supports the idea that the patrol is a folk group set apart from other members of the Dartmouth community.  

Collector’s Name: Rachel Mashal

Tags/Keywords:

• Verbal lore
• Folk Language
• Slang
• Skiing
• Ski Patrol

Title: Ski Carrying Test

General Information about Item:

• Customary lore, ritual
• Language: English
• Country of Origin: United States
• Informant: Anonymous 
• Date Collected: 11-05-19

Informant Data:

• The informant would like to remain anonymous, but has shared that she is 21 years old and is from California. She attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH.  She is currently a senior who applied for Ski Patrol her Freshmen year. She remembers the application process vividly, although she did not end up making the team. Skiing is a big part of her life and while not on ski patrol, she is a ski instructor at the Dartmouth Skiway. She is a pre-health student. Her love for skiing inspired her to apply for Ski Patrol at Dartmouth College.

Contextual Data:

• The application process for Dartmouth Ski Patrol occurs from Fall until Spring term every year.  While the process has recently changed, it always involves two rounds of cuts. The first round of cuts is at the end of the fall term, and the second round of cuts is at the end of the winter term.  In the very beginning stages of the process, those who are interested in applying for ski patrol had to fill out a written application with their skiing history, why they are interested in applying, their name, etc. and then there were also questions that were just random fun facts that they could use later if the applicant moved on in the process.  Then they sent applicants an email saying that they had gotten in. After morning pickups, the next stage of the process was to assess whether or not applicants could handle gear. The gear handling test happens within the first month of the fall term every fall on Dartmouth’s campus.

Item:

• During the beginning stages of the ski patrol application process, applicants must partake in a ski carrying test.  They are required to pick up a pair of skis, put them together, and carry them across a room using proper form.  This is one of the first tests to make sure that applicants know how to handle ski equipment.

Transcript:

• “ We went into different stations so you are alone in a room with someone from Ski Patrol and there were a pair of skis on the ground and they told you to pick them up and carry them across the room.  You had to pick them up, put them together, lock the bindings, hoist them over your shoulder, and walk them 10 feet. They marked that you knew how to handle the gear, and it was like ‘Ok! You are good!’” I don’t remember what the other stations were. That one just stood out to me because I figured if you were applying for ski patrol, you knew how to ski.”

Informant’s Comments:

• “I guess they just wanted to make sure you knew how to handle gear like you said you could in the application.  Anyone who knows how to ski will know how to put a pair of skis together and carry them. They are looking for the best skiers on campus to join Ski Patrol, so at the most basic level, any good skier should know how to do this.” 

Collector’s Comments:

• I agree with the informant that this ritual is likely meant to gauge at the most basic level if the applicant is an experienced skier.  This stage of the application process is an easy way for them to cut people out who are visibly not experienced enough to join the Patrol.  While there are many factors that determine whether or not a student is accepted onto Ski Patrol, at the heart of this decision making is skill level.  Any skilled skier could put together and carry a pair of skis with ease.   
• There are many ways in which this seemingly simple ritual can be interpreted through the lens of Arnold van Gennep’s rites of passage.  Carrying a pair of skis across a room can be symbolic of going from one state to another – from a non-member to a member of Ski Patrol. Picking the skis up from the floor, and hoisting them over a shoulder in preparation to relocate the skis can be seen as separation.  Just as the skis are separated from the ground, the applicant is separated from their status as a non-patroller. The applicant is taking the necessary steps to prepare to move the skis, which is symbolic of them preparing to enter this journey to join the patrol. Carrying the skis across the room represents transition.  The skis are in transit just like the applicants are in the middle of the initiation process, not quite members yet. This physical journey across the room represents the lengthy journey applicants must go through to join the patrol. Successfully dropping the skis off on the other side of the room represents incorporation.  The skis have reached their final destination, just as the application has reached their final “destination” as they are successfully incorporated into the patrol.

Collector’s Name: Rachel Mashal

Tags/Keywords:

• Customary lore
• Ritual
• Skiing
• Ski Patrol
• Application process