Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol-A, Family of Families
It may be somewhat clichéd to say that an organization feels like family. Still, the Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol, serving Detroit Mountain Recreation Area in west central Minnesota, truly embraces the notion of family largely because over 30% of its members are family groups. During the 2023/24 snow season, the patrol had 54 active members-nine candidates and forty-five patrollers-that included three married couples and six parent/child units. Their presence on the hill, in the patrol shack or lodge, in classes, training or refreshers, and working as teams during calls inspires many. It enhances the sought-after family atmosphere many ski areas and patrols strive to develop and maintain.
Detroit Mountain’s history began with a family. The family-owned alpine ski operation started in 1958 but was forced to close in 2004 when the family needed to liquidate assets. Shortly after it closed, a local organization was established to bring it back to life, making it a world-class four-season recreation area. The effort, which included community fundraising campaigns and the establishment of a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation (Detroit Mountain Recreation Area) and an agreement between the City of Detroit Lakes and DMRA to enter into a public-private partnership was successful, and the area reopened in 2014. Today, the area features a new chalet, six lifts (2-triple chairs, two carpets, and two rope tows), 21 Alpine runs, a terrain park and jump park, a tubing hill and lodge, groomed Nordic trails, and single track and downhill gravity trail mountain biking. In that first year of operation, the volunteer ski patrol had 25 OEC-certified members, many of whom are still part of the family team today.
One of those original members, Fred Clark, now 80 years old and still an active patroller, recruited his daughter, Jana Clark, to join the patrol. Jana says, “I’ve been ski patrolling with my dad for 12 years. My dad and I have always shared our love for downhill skiing, and when I joined the ski patrol, our bond was even closer. We’ve taught OEC and on-the-hill OET classes together, and I’ve learned from him how to be a good instructor.”
Fred became a patroller in 1991, volunteering at Andes Tower Hills near Alexandria, Minnesota, and was instrumental in reviving the Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol. He received a National Appointment in 2005, a Meritorious Service Award in 2014, A Distinguished Service Award in 2021, and the 10th Mountain Division Award in 2023.
Three of Fred’s children followed in his footsteps and became patrollers, including Jana, who joined in 2000. She moved away for college and returned after being gone for ten years. Fred recalls, “WE went skiing, and she reminded me of a great group of people on the ski patrol.” Jana was recertified for patrol in 2014, and since that time, she’s progressed to become an OEC and OET instructor. She contributes to DMSP as a mentor to those working to become instructors and is also the Assistant Patrol Director and IOR for OEC at Andes Tower Hills. Fred continues, “As I age and she has taken over my responsibilities, I’m proud of her dedication to building and improving both Andes Tower Hills and Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol.
Jana states that when she’s at ski patrol events, she’s often asked, “Are you Fred Clark’s daughter?” This question makes me smile as I happily reply, “Yes! Fred is my dad.” I can’t think of a bigger honor than being able to follow in my dad’s footsteps. My dad’s continued commitment and contributions to ski patrol motivate me to grow as a patroller and work toward my accomplishments.
Dr Jon Larson, Medical Director for the Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol, became a patroller in 2015. He commented, “I had given up hope that any of my family would become ski patrollers. My wife suffered a ski career-ending injury during the season she had decided to take the OEC course. My children were grown, out of the house, had finished their advanced degrees, and began living outside the Detroit Lakes area. They had all joined me during patrol shifts and indicated a certain level of interest and aptitude, but other responsibilities always took precedence. When our youngest daughter, Sarah, and her husband, Christian, moved to Brainerd, MN, the proximity to Ski Gull and Detroit Mountain ski areas and the option for online learning with occasional weekend trips home for hands-on training was enough to open the door.
Sarah Larson reflected, “My parents have always exemplified what it means to be generous, knowledgeable, and well, quite frankly, elegant skiers. I’ve always admired their ability to use professional vocations as physicians to spring into action in times of need. My dad has been patrolling at DMRA for several years and always had interesting stories to report. I wanted to patrol to learn the skills and be helpful. I finally had time in my schedule to complete the OEC course this past fall, and it was incredibly helpful to have my dad as a resource.”
Jon adds, “As an OEC instructor, I was able to participate in her class training and testing process. I was as proud the day she passed the OEC testing as at her master’s degree graduation and almost as delighted as her wedding day. I was able to work with her on her first patrol shift. Watching her put on her patrol colors for the first time was a huge thrill. I am very excited to share my knowledge and experience with her as we work more shifts whenever and wherever possible.”
Sarah sums it up this way, “The thing about ski patrol is that there are the technical skills and aspects that are the foundation of carrying out the duty of patrolling. However, there is also the human connection and the importance of soft skills in interacting with individuals in sometimes stressful situations. My dad has helped to teach me what it means to be a patroller- not only skiing with style and knowing how to secure a sling, but also making sure people feel safe and know that there are always people around to help.”
Mandy and Thoe Erickson joined DMSP during the 2022/23 season. Mandy said, “I’ve wanted to join ski patrol since I was young, thinking it would be fun to help people out on the ski hill and have a group of people to always ski with. Thor started to ski when he was about seven years old and was a natural. When I decided to sign up for patrol, I asked Thor if he wanted to join me. Detroit Mountain was starting a YAP program, and Thor was old enough to join as a candidate. He loves to ski, was briefly considering a medical career, and thought ski patrol would be a great thing for him to do. I was excited about his interest, mostly because I love to ski with him but also because of the skills he would gain as a patroller. It makes me feel as if I’ve ensured he is prepared for some of the crazy situations he and his friends may encounter while they are young and adventurous!”
“Thor and I were candidates together in 2022/23-learning the basics of patrol and getting exposed to quite a few different situations. We completed the OEC course in late 2023.”
Thor stated, “It was nice to go through the class with someone. It made it much easier to have someone studying the same thing, so if there was something that one of us didn’t quite understand, we could just ask each other about it.”
Mandy concluded, “Thor completed the medical training while being 16, active in sports, and a full-time student taking high school and college courses. He managed his time extremely well and put the work into learning the skills necessary to be a patroller, and I am incredibly impressed with his interests and skills and how he handles himself. Knowing that Thor knows what to do in emergencies and watching him use his skills has been incredible. I’ve loved watching him interact with the other patrollers, developing relationships and skills he will use throughout his life. I hope that skiing is something that he will always share a passion for.”
Ryan Delage’s reasons for starting patrolling were two-fold. “To make a difference doing the sport that I love (skiing) while also following in the footsteps of my role model, my father. My dad taught me how to ski when I was four years old, and I have been trying to beat him down the mountain ever since I could ski alone. I have seen him, with his medical background, take very serious situations and become a hero to many by using his skills and medical techniques to save lives.”
Dr Bryan Delage, a member of the DMSP since 2017, comments, “Ryan started skiing between my skis, and over time graduated to skiing on his own, but we have always enjoyed skiing together. When he came for a visit and hung out while I patrolled, he felt like he would also like to be a patroller. We did not get to spend as much time skiing together (as we used to), so anything to spend more time together was a plus for me.”
Ryan enrolled in the DMSP OEC class in the fall of 2023, the first year that Bryan led the class as IOR and designed and implemented a hybrid online/in-person curriculum. Ryan said, “Words can’t describe how much pride I felt knowing I could prove myself on my medical techniques and make my father proud. The bottom line is I have always wanted to be like him, and Ski Patrolling gives me a way to do just that. Additionally, I found a sense of belonging with others who just wanted to have fun on the hill and protect everyone who was enjoying nature, just like us. The team, the knowledge, the staff, and the guests have all been wonderful to be around, and it makes me want to come back and celebrate the sport with people who love it as much as I do.”
Bryan sums it up by saying, “Ryan is a great person to hang out with, and I was impressed by how well he took to the training. I am proud to patrol with him. We have a great family atmosphere at Detroit Mountain, and having families within our patrol family is fun.”
DMSP’s YAP program is in its infancy, but two members, Emma Thorson and Emma Jaszkowiak, are actively involved and look forward to starting their OEC classwork later this year.
Emma Thorson states, “I started my first season in a candidate vest during the 2023/24 ski season after watching my dad be part of the ski patrol for several years. When I started skiing, I watched and learned from my dad about ski patrol, and since then, I have wanted to join. When my dad went through the ski skills part of training, he returned to teach me how to become a better skier. I have learned everything I know about skiing because of him, and I couldn’t be more grateful. I loved this season since, for the first time, I got to work under my dad and got more hands-on learning experiences.
Emma, now 16, has also enjoyed working at the resort in the rental department for the last two years and is excited to work her 3rd season next winter.
Dan Thorson, Emma’s dad, previously worked full-time for the resort in the outside operations department and as a supervisor on the tubing hill. He commented, “I learned the difficulties of managing my time between working at the resort and having time to do work on ski patrol. With this knowledge, I have been able to help Emma navigate the same issues, but Emma also juggles school, school activities, and ski patrol. Coming into her junior year in high school, the demands on her time will become even more hectic.”
Dan started on the Detroit Mountain ski patrol in 2018 as a candidate and became a certified patroller in 2019, about the same time Emma started skiing. Dan adds, “During the 2022/23 ski season, our patrol decided to add the Young Adult Patroller program. I told Emma about it, and she was excited to join the YAP team. She has heard my stories of helping people and has seen me and other patrollers in action many times. She had already started talking about joining ski patrol when she was old enough.”
Emma said, “Because of ski patrol I have learned what I want to with my life after high school, and that is to become a paramedic. Thanks to my dad and all of his support the past few years I have learned how I can make that possible.”
Dan adds, “This past year has been an awesome time working with Emma as she has acquired the medical knowledge and ski skills she will need as a certified ski patroller with DMSP, as well as some real-life knowledge and experience for her future career as a paramedic. Being a patroller with my daughter has given us a common bond, a love for the sport, and a love for helping people in their time of need and enhanced our relationship as father and daughter.”
Emma concludes, “To say the least, I have grown a huge bond with my dad because of ski patrol, and I have learned so much watching him do what he does.”
Emma Jaszkowiak is also an extremely busy high school student. She is a student council member, plays viola in the school orchestra, is a team manager for the boys’ soccer team, and is a varsity player on the girls’ team.
Emma, a freshman who turns 15 in May, is also a competitive figure skater, competes and coaches the Detroit Alpine Ski Team and occasionally trains with the Four Degrees Alpine Ski Team. She participates in various sailing activities and enjoys playing piano, waterskiing, wake surfing, and hanging out with friends in her spare time.
Emma’s father, Joe Jaszkowiak, an OEC and OET instructor, joined the patrol in 2016. He states, “When one’s child is very passionate about something, often their parents spend a lot of time at the ice rink, on the sidelines at various fields, or in a school auditorium. In Emma’s case, as her passion for skiing grew into a passion for racing, I spent a great amount of time at our Midwest hill. I have always loved the sport of snowboarding and skiing, but I never spent so much time in it before. After passing the time riding the same 200 feet of vertical that our wonderful hill offers, I was looking for something more engaging to do, so I asked a patroller what it took. One month in a grey candidate vest followed by OEC and OET classes, and the rest is history.”
“Being a ski patroller has been a wonderful experience. The camaraderie within our patrol, the ability to help others, and the personal growth I have experienced.”
Emma says she first wanted to become a patroller because of her dad. “I started skiing with him when I was 3, so when he started patrolling, I grew up with all the other patrollers and quickly became very interested in all the “broken bone” stories. I’ve observed and participated in many OEC refreshers and classes as a mock patient or scenario participant and accompanied Dad on some of the calls that he’s been on. He always seems ready and confident. When he is on duty, he enjoys being a patroller.
Emma participated in the 2023/24 season OET class, which Joe also instructed. He said, “Long ago, I was told that the best way to learn is to teach, so I chose to invest the time and effort into becoming an OEC and OET instructor.” Emma Added, “It was really cool to complete my OET test because my dad helped instruct the class. It’s really nice and fun to have my dad help me become a patroller.”
She adds, “I am at the mountain pretty much every weekend, so whenever I am there, I am either racing or patrolling. On weekdays, I also help with sweeps after I am done with race practice.
Joe concludes by saying, “It makes me extremely proud that Emma is interested in becoming a patroller. She’s also interested in a potential career in the medical field, so my wife and I have encouraged her to take the OEC training as a bit of “practice” to build up to this. Fortunately, our patrol is quite flexible and does a great job of accommodating our obligations and schedules. In return, when we are able, we are on the hill. Detroit Mountain Recreational Area is such a great place, so spending time there is not a hard decision.”
Certainly, it takes more than actual families to achieve and maintain a family culture in any organization or business. So, in addition to the families that elevate, liven up, and add so much to the Detroit Mountain Ski Patrol, the patrol also builds activities and social functions into their calendar to offer members opportunities to socialize and share fun experiences and seriously embrace diversity, inclusion, and solid moral values in recruiting and retention efforts.
On any given day, it’s not unusual to find mountain staff, often with their spouses, sons, or daughters, along with patrollers and their significant others, kids, or grandkids, hanging out in the patrol shack lounge area. Is it a cool vibe? Oh yeah!
Sadly, Fred Clark passed away on July 17, 2024, after the article was written. We want to express appreciation for his service and dedication to ski patrol.
