Pond Skimming

[skibum1321]

Who here has done pond skimming? If so where did you do it and what was your motivation?

I've gone for 3 years in a row at the Bush. I'm still trying to figure out what my motivation is. I pay $20 to ski down the hill into an icy pond...yeah that seems logical...and yet it's so much fun and I wouldn't want to miss a year.

 

[deadheadskier]

I did it once during the Winter of 2002-03 while working at Snowshoe, WV. No charge to compete there at the time. My 'old faithful' powder boards - Rossignol Axioms, took me right on across.....

 

[riverc0il]

haven't participated but i've seen two of them. burke has a really good one, but it takes a long time to go through all the rounds as they weed people out. cannon's this past season was impossible, not a single person even made it half way due to the pond being too long, that's just not the way to run a pond skim. you gotta make it so some people can get across.

 

[highpeaksdrifter]

I've never done it, but I usually help out running the one at Whiteface every season. The trick is not to start them too high up the hill so too many make it across, or too far down so no body can make it. It's always fun, and the party goes on after on the deck. :beer:

 

[Vortex]

I'm sending Ga2ski a PM. He is dressed up for one. I'll see if he'll post the picture. I'm to much of a wuzz, but I love to watch them.

 

[bvibert]

cannon's this past season was impossible, not a single person even made it half way due to the pond being too long, that's just not the way to run a pond skim. you gotta make it so some people can get across.

I don't know if it was that the pond was too long, or the fact that they had a jump leading into it. Seemed like they were loosing too much of there speed when they hit the jump. IIRC the pond skimming I've seem on TV/movies has always had a flatter transition to the water...

 

[thetrailboss]

haven't participated but i've seen two of them. burke has a really good one, but it takes a long time to go through all the rounds as they weed people out.

I will add that Burke has probably the best Pond Skimming that I've seen (compared to Pats Peak, Sugarbush, etc). They do it on the POMA slope and literally half of the local area comes out for it...we're talking thousands of folks. It's a rite of passage. Great front and center location with great views. The contestants ride up the POMA and ski down Lower Warren's to the pond at the base of the trail...if I get a chance, I will post a link to the pics from this season.

 

[thetrailboss]

As promised, three whole pages of pics from the 2005 Pond Skim at Burke!

 

[nekgirl]

http://www.scenesofvermont.com./webmovies.html

Here's a short video from Scenes of Vermont (a great website) you can watch from Burke's Pond Skimming 2005

 

[skibum1321]

Sugarbush's is always fun but a couple of the years the weather has just been horrendous. The first year it was snowing and ski patrol was at the pond breaking up the ice before we went. The second year was "nice" weather - it was about 40 and cloudy. This past year was mid 40s and pouring rain.

The second year they had it at the halfpipe and too many people were making it early on so by the time I went they had kept moving us down and I didn't have a prayer of making it. Plus I use my old elan straight skis so I sink like a rock.

I'll work on posting some of my pics soon.

 

[sledhaulingmedic]

I've never participated, but right about now, it sounds pretty refreshing

 

[riverc0il]

TB does not exagerate when he says the whole area comes out for burke pond skimming. i couldn't believe the audience. 80-90% of the people that show up for burke's pond skimming are not skiers or are not skiing that day.

 

[Lostone]

There are rumors that I went once, but there are no pictures... available.

My motivation was... a lot of tequila. :beer:

It was at Sugarbush. They had to break the ice off the pond to pump the water into the pond that we skimmed across... (Well, in theory) Then they were running skimmers to keep the ice from forming on the top of the skimming pond.

I did fine... until the turn in the pond. :roll: :lol:

 

[ski_resort_observer]

I photographed the pond skimming at the Bush for several years. Knuckledraggers have a distinct advantage over twoplankers. :lol:

Wonder if one could surf with fat boards?

 

[skibum1321]

Here are some pics from the past 3 years at Sugarbush....

http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2122658443

 

[ga2ski]

I'm sending Ga2ski a PM. He is dressed up for one. I'll see if he'll post the picture. I'm to much of a wuzz, but I love to watch them.

BobR- Never got the PM and I was away hiking on vacation, but here some a few that you spoke of (I Can't find the good one that Susan from SR sent me but I'll post it when i do):

Pond Skimming is an annual tradition for me.

 

[ga2ski]

Here are some pictures from SR:
http://www.sundayriver.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=853&sort=1&size=

 

[ga2ski]

Found the good one:

 

[Vortex]

Ya I deleted it when I knew you were not around. Cool shots.

 

[Lostone]

I've been going thru some video tapes, to see what was on them. Came across the video of pond skimming, the year I did it... it was '92!

My how quickly time passes when you're having... fun? :roll: