How to make friends during a ski season

The first two weeks matter most

Early in the season, everyone is new and everyone is looking for people. Groups form quickly, and it’s much easier to join one in week one than in week six. So for the first couple of weeks, say yes to almost everything: the staff welcome night, the training-day lunch, the walk into town, the “anyone keen for first chair?” message.

If you can, arrive a few days before work starts. Ride, walk around town, find the supermarket and the cheap coffee, and get your bearings, so the first week of work isn’t also your first week of everything else.

Work and housing

Your colleagues and housemates will probably be your first friends. A few habits help:

• Learn names fast, and use them. In a big staff intake, people remember who remembered them.
• Be the one who suggests things. “Who’s riding before shift tomorrow?” costs nothing.
• Share the house. Cook a big meal, start a house group chat, put the kettle on. Small gestures go a long way in staff housing.
• Swap shifts kindly. Being easy to work with builds goodwill that carries over to the hill.

The catch: people on your team often work the same shifts, which can mean different days off. That’s why you need ways to meet people outside work too.

Make your days off social

Days off are when the friendships that last get made, usually on a chairlift. Don’t wait for plans to appear:

• Post in your resort’s group chat the night before: where you’re starting and when.
• Ride the singles line. You’ll chat to a new person every lift.
• Turn up to regular things: a weekly park session, a race night, a mountain clean-up, a community event.
• Take a lesson or a clinic in something new, like freestyle, bumps or touring with a guide. Classes are full of people who want to improve and ride more.

On Broski, mark your days off each week once your roster is out. Riders at your resort see your next two weeks, and you can pick a date on the Find tab to see who else is free. Our page on meeting people on a ski season explains how it works.

Beyond the bar

Après and staff parties are a big part of season life, and they’re fun. But if every friendship depends on a late night, you’ll be tired, broke and riding less. Mix in other things: first chair, sunrise hikes, a weekly dinner, a day trip to a different resort, a games night. You’ll meet the people who want the same kind of season as you.

Events help here. On Broski, riders host lift laps, après and other meetups, and you can see who’s going and what levels it suits before you turn up. If nothing suits you, host one. Even a simple “first chair Thursday” can become a weekly thing. See how ski groups and meetups work.

Turning one ride into a crew

One good day on the hill is a start. A crew comes from repeating it:

• Follow up the same day. “Good riding today, keen for Thursday?” works better than waiting.
• Introduce people. Bring a housemate along, or invite your new ski buddy to a group event. Friends of friends become a crew.
• Make it regular. The same lift at the same time each week is easier to say yes to than a new plan every time.
• Plan a trip together. A day at another resort is a great shared adventure. On Broski, add it as a trip so riders there can see you’re coming.

When it’s harder than you expected

Not every season clicks straight away. Injuries, bad snow years, a tough job or homesickness can all make it lonely, and that’s more common than social media suggests. Keep riding, keep saying yes, and talk to someone about it, whether that’s a friend at home or a housemate. If you’re really struggling, our Safety Tips list free, confidential support lines.

And when you meet people through an app, the usual basics apply: chat first, meet somewhere public, and get yourself home after après. If you’re riding with someone new, our guide on meeting ski buddies safely has more.