FALLS Creek’s Samantha Hamilton helps maintain and improve the terrain park features across the mountain.
Originally from Torquay, Samantha moved with her parents to Falls Creek and spent a season at the Falls Creek Primary School before the family moved to Canada when she was 11.
“I got into snowboarding there, because that’s what you do in Canada,” she said.
“I now live in Falls Creek over the Australian winter and in Banff out of season.”
It’s her fifth winter working at Falls Creek and her first in the terrain park crew, which has a 50/50 gender split between male and female crew members.
Previously, she worked in the Snowsports school as an instructor.
Her day starts before 8am when she heads up the mountain to rake, tidy and reset everything prior to the terrain parks opening around 9.30am – 10am.
“It’s pretty awesome when you build something and everyone is super excited and stoked on it during the day,” said Samantha.
“All the work you do building, designing and working as a team really pays off.”
The crew work with plans that have been used in the past and update them with an idea of how the slopes are working in the current conditions.
“Typically, we work out a design that focuses on progression, such as a line of boxes that get harder as you move through the park,” said Samantha.
“We might then do a rail line that matches for when people become more confident.”
The snow groomers in the night are also an important component to the terrain park features and they will rebuild current features and build new features while the terrain park crew are sleeping.
“Sometimes it’s a surprise in the morning what’s been done,” said Samantha.
“They text us in a group chat and we’ll wake up to a bunch of messages.”
There are three terrain parks at Falls Creek – the smallest is at Drover’s Dream, then there’s a bigger one at Panorama and a larger one that generally opens later in the season at Ruined Castle for advanced terrain riders.
“Terrain park riding is growing in popularity – especially with the younger kids who don’t just want to do race club,” said Samantha.
“It’s nice to see.”
She loves the culture and community of Falls Creek, saying it’s the people as well as the village atmosphere that keeps her coming back, adding: “It’s like coming home.”
Her advice to others wanting to follow in her footsteps is: “Talk to people, get to know the team and ask questions. At one point we had no idea about it as well.”
The terrain park crew comes from a mix of ski instructing, lift operations and hospitality backgrounds.
“You don’t have to be the best skier or boarder, you just need to not be a risk,” said Samantha.
“It’s a really fun and rewarding job!”
Find your dream snow job here: https://bit.ly/3Y2Hl9f or www.skifalls.com.au/employment.
