A Big Sky Resort pond skimmer loses control - and his skis - in an attempt to skim accross the first of two icy ponds
A PAIR OF newlyweds dressed in their traditional wedding garb made perfect turns, hand-in–hand, down the Ambush headwall on Saturday. Her white wedding dress billowed out behind her, and his tux tails flapped in the breeze. Then they hit the water.
Not the most traditional way to consummate wedding vows, this couple chose to try their luck at the 8th annual Big Sky Resort Pond Skim, where they skimmed side-by-side across an icy pond.
While most honeymoons don’t involve this kind of unconventional activity, it’s a traditional spring skiing event across the nation: each year costumed crazies strap on their skis or board and attempt to gather enough speed to skim across a pond at the bottom of the slope. It’s skim or swim, and some make at across untouched while others end up in the freezing water.
At Big Sky, the terrain park crew takes this tradition to another level. In the past Big Sky has seen ski jumps and oddly shaped ponds. This year, skimmers had to clear a first pond, navigate through floating pool noodles, dodge a large inflatable shark, and then ski drop down to skim a second pond. A record 80-some skiers attempted the skim under a bluebird sky as thousands watched and cheered from the sidelines.
I can continue to attempt to paint the picture: a giant banana ran out of fuel just before the end of the first pond and sank. A father with - was that his nine month old daughter in a Baby Bjorn?! – made it across both ponds safely. A man in a nude women’s bathing suit… well I’m not sure whether or not he made it – the costume was a lot to take in, and I looked away before he even hit the water.
But a picture can be worth a thousand words, and in this case, it may be worth many more. Check out these pictures courtesy of Crystal Images Photography of Pond Skim triumphs, glories, and wipe-outs, then visit www.bigskyphotos.com to view and order more.
Still craving more? Check out BSPN video footage!
- Greer
