GILFORD, N.H. (AP) — A costumed skier races down a slope, hits a pond and hydroplanes halfway across. He pirouettes and then plunges into the icy water before jumping up and waving to the cheering crowd.
It’s the wacky spring tradition of pond skimming, and it’s happening this month at ski resorts across the country. It’s often held to celebrate the last day of the skiing season before the chairlifts close until the following winter.
Among the resorts holding pond skimming events this weekend are Snowbasin in Utah and Winter Park in Colorado. Mountains in New England and California have already held events or have them scheduled for later in the month. The tradition dates back decades, made famous by the late filmmaker Warren Miller who began documenting the annual Mt. Baker Slush Cup in Washington state in the 1950s.
These days, most resorts make their own ponds with plastic sheeting and water about 3 feet (1 meter) deep. The idea is that skiers and snowboarders try to gain enough downhill momentum to skim clear across a pond. People ski in pajamas, dressed as movie characters, holding fishing rods or shirtless.
The Walking Dead star Tom Payne 'unexpectedly' welcomes TWINS with model wife Jennifer Akerman
I've been hit with 40 driving penalties in London
Inside the Cambodian hotel with rooms fit for top
Four farm silos listed for £200k and they can be converted to a fabulous family home
Israel and Iran's apparent strikes give new insights into both militaries
The perfect introduction to Wainwright's Lake District world
I'm a female solo traveller... here are THREE European cities I wished I'd skipped
Is taking a Nile river cruise in Egypt worth it? I filmed my five
2 suspects detained in Poland for attack on a Navalny ally in Lithuania
'Forget the Algarve!' Travel experts reveal breathtaking lesser
China's amended criminal law strengthens punishment for bribers, graft in private firms
I took a flight from Bristol to Edinburgh instead of getting the train