BOARDER PATROL : SNOWBOARDERS JOIN THEIR SKIING BRETHREN IN POLICING SLOPES.

Byline: Daily News Wire Services

The demographics of skiing are shifting, and ski patrols at resorts across the country are reflecting those changes.

``An increasing percentage of guest visits are snowboarders,'' said John Shippe, assistant ski patrol director at Idaho's Silver Mountain. ``Snowboarding is the newest, fastest-growing area of winter recreation, and snowboarders comprise about half of our guests.''

In keeping with that trend, Silver Mountain has, for the first time, employed full-time, paid snowboarders on the ski patrol.

``A lot of people who are medically proficient just happen to be snowboarders,'' Shippe said.

The resort actually is quite a bit behind the times when compared to the Southland but more in line with a national increase of patrollers on snowboards.

Bear Mountain has had single-board patrollers - two ride exclusively on snowboards - since the initial boom of snowboarding in the early '90s. Over at Snow Valley, three snowboarders have been policing the slopes for several years. Other regional resorts employ snowboard patrollers as well, including the snowboards-only park Big Air Green Valley, which has had fat-plank patrollers for more than five years.

``We want to promote the image that snowboarders can do it all. We don't have skis on the mountain; there the patrollers patrol on their snowboards,'' said general manager Dave Wilson. ``They are prolific with the rescue toboggan; they can do everything you can on a ski.''

While the National Ski Patrol has offered training for snowboard patrollers for three years, it is likely that it all began early this decade in our local mountains.

``Southern California probably broke the way for snowboard patrols across the country,'' Bear Mountain assistant ski patrol director Eric Dieterman explained before being interrupted by an emergency.

``It is the leader of snowboard industry, period,'' Snow Valley patrolman Scot Turknette said of the Southland. ``Along with that comes the corresponding breakthroughs.''

There are no statistics to indicate how many of the 28,500 National Ski Patrol members police hills perched on snowboards, according to NSP spokeswoman Becky Ayers, who spoke from the group's headquarters in Lakewood, Colo.

``But the number's growing,'' she said.

At Silver Mountain, snowboard patrol director Mark Raugh has a plethora of abilities to contribute to the team, including medical, rescue and avalanche training.

Raugh, a Coeur d'Alene resident, just happens to slide rather than ski. He has had to prove that boarders have a legitimate place on the ski patrol - and on the mountain, as well.

``Snowboarders have gotten somewhat of a bad reputation thanks to a few punks, but we are trying to show people that there are good guys out there, too,'' Raugh said. ``If we can all work, play and ride together, we can enjoy the frozen earth that God has given us to enjoy.''

There are no special requirements or treatment for snowboarders; they must demonstrate the same skills, same agility and same responsibilities as patrollers who ski.

Moreover, there is no glass ceiling for the number of boarders on the patrol; they just have to pass the criteria and show interest, same as the skiers, Shippe said.

Boarder patrols, like their two-plank brethren, have three primary responsibilities - hill safety, first aid and public relations.

``It's a liaison thing because we have a high influx of snowboarders here and, when they see a snowboard patroller, it fits in well with them. Frequently the snowboarders will respond better to a snowboard patroller,'' Turknette said.

``There is a little antipathy between boarders and skiers. When there is a healthy balance of snowboarders and skiers on patrol, it's just better PR.''

Skiers and snowboarders complement each other well, Shippe said. Having snowboarders on the ski patrol is changing attitudes on the hill.

``Riders see them in an authority position, so it's not an us-versus-them situation,'' Shippe said. Snowboarders can't say they are being picked on by the ski patrol anymore.

And patrollers atop snowboards have actually helped defuse hostile situations between boarders and skiers.

``I can act as a mediator; you know, talk the lingo, whatever it takes,'' Raugh said. ``We're all out there to do the same thing, so keep it positive.''

CAPTION(S):

2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Ski patrol directors throughout the country are keeping up with the times with the hiring of patrolling units on snowboards.

(2--color) Idaho snowboard patroller Mark Raugh prepares a rescue tobaggan for its emergency duties.

Associated Press