Each year, Killington Ski Resort in Vermont hosts its annual Nor’Beaster: Dos Equis Pond Skim Contest to celebrate the arrival of spring. Pond skimming involves brave skiers and snowboarders attempting to cross a long, cold, often slush-filled pond with a goal of making it to the other side without getting wet. This year, on April 16, 2016, guests are welcome to take on the 100-foot pond at the base of Superstar Trail, or simply sit back and watch others try. Throughout the event, you’ll enjoy awards and prizes, live music, and the wacky fun and excitement of one of the most unique sports ever created – pond skimming skiing!
Tips for Successful Pond Skimming Skiing
Participants will compete for awards including best overall skim, best costume, biggest splash, best 14 and under overall skim, and a judges’ award. Each competitor gets one run, and their sucess is judged by the crowd’s reaction. The ultimate goal is to get to the second round, so remember to do whatever it takes to hype the crowd up! Here are some of our tips to help you impress the audience and take home a prize.
- Have The Right Equipment: There are a few pieces of equipment you’ll need to ensure a successful skim. The first is appropriate attire (see “ridiculous outfit” below,) flat skis or a snowboard, a helmet (feel free to get creative), and an optional life jacket or arm floaties.
- Wear a Ridiculous Outfit: This theory has been tested many times and is tried and true – the crazier you look, the more cheers you’ll get. Feel free to adorn yourself with wings and floaties, a classic hotdog costume, or a giant rabbit head and you can bet the crowd will go wild.
- Keep the Tips Up: If you don’t hit the jump right, you’ll catapult down toward the water instead of across it. Try to keep your knees bent and your skis straight, with the tips up. If you go in tips down, you’ll belly-flop, and if you keep them too far up you’ll lose speed. As you hit the water and slow down, your skis need more surface area to keep afloat, so lean forward a little bit to keep your weight and momentum up front.
- Go Sraight, Go Fast: Make sure you hit the water going at the absolute max speed you can, and try to find the sweet spot of balance. If you do fall, try to spray observers as you go down. This will ensure a giant splash and ultimately an eruption from the crowd, whether you make it across the pond or not!
- Wax: Be sure to thoroughly wax your skis or snowboard beforehand. The wax will naturally repel the water and will keep you above it, which is a good thing since it will be quite cold!
Head Home to GetAway Vacations
Now that you know how to master the art of pond skimming skiing, it’s time to start planning your trip to Vermont! When searching for somewhere to stay in between runs, look no further than GetAway Vacations. Just steps from the mountain, our gorgeous Killington vacation rentals are the perfect place to celebrate a victory or recover from a hilarious face-plant. Either way, we guarantee you’ll have an incredible and memorable trip to the Green Mountain State!
For more information on awesome upcoing events including Sugarbush Pond Skimming,
download our free Killington Vacation Guide.
Photo Credits: ersler | Thinkstock
