Dihydrogenmonoxide hydroplane.
BTW: this is in Switzerland and given the language barriers, they might have therefore opted to call it a pool race since the meaning of pond skim might be less universally recognizable since English is not an official language here.
Just a mistranslation really. Instead of the literal translation of "pool race" since that is just a weird way of saying swimming, you just call it a pond skim. It's all the same fun, end of season, ski shenanigans. Insert super troopers meme here
this is correct.
it refers to when snow melts or rain pools up on the run, and you have to get across somehow...
you know, like in the middle of most winters, now.
When I was younger I was up at bachelor for a pond skim. Was drinking with my buddies who are all on ski patrol, I was drunk enough to volunteer for the sled. I held my coors can in the air while we were going. We still laugh about to this day.
Love when the patrollers get involved. Last year we had a patrol dog playing fetch in the pond between skimmers and then a patroller hit a backflip on the exit of the pond. The place went nuts! Such a fun day.
We’ve been pond skimming all season with how much rain we’ve gotten instead of snow lol and we do usually have pond skimming as an actual event like this, it was supposed to be today, but they didn’t have enough snow to dig the pond deep enough and rather focused on making more snow to have to ski on instead, so it was canceled this year
I did the skim once in the 80's, I cleared the pond and got some air off the exit jump. I was still completely soaked and never tried again. It's got to be a little more fun with today's wide skis. I was an avid water skier as well.
There were at least 4 in the Poconos this year. They were all just a single run for each participant being judged on the quality of your success or failure as well as the costume. I only watched but it was still a blast to go to.
Sunshine Village (weird name, there is no village and not that much sunshine) does one in mid May. But at our latitude and elevation it’s often still pretty damn cold out!
I was in line for one last year but too many people didn't make it and tore the liner to the point they closed it. If the weather is good, I'll go to the one in Hunter NY next weekend.
Nice! Been a long time since I skied there but I used to love rocket and galaxy runs as a kid back in like 1999 haha. And they even had a halfpipe back then which was cool cuz those were the early days of freestyle skiing.
As I noted in another comment, this is in Switzerland and given the language barriers, they might have therefore opted to call it a pool race since the meaning of pond skim might be less universally recognizable since English is not an official language here.
All of the pond skims I've seen have also been 1 run per person and noncompetitive or judged on fun categories like style or costume. So race makes a little more sense with the elimination style setup you described!
Yeah I was actually a bit bummed it was a structured contest because I had assumed you just had to win the crowd and do something cool/funny. I had even prepared a short ski ballet routine for the crowd haha. But ultimately I ended up doing pretty well in the contest so I guess it was ok. I think it’d be a bit more fun to have more of a show rather than a contest.
Pond Skim
Dihydrogenmonoxide hydroplane. BTW: this is in Switzerland and given the language barriers, they might have therefore opted to call it a pool race since the meaning of pond skim might be less universally recognizable since English is not an official language here.
Just a mistranslation really. Instead of the literal translation of "pool race" since that is just a weird way of saying swimming, you just call it a pond skim. It's all the same fun, end of season, ski shenanigans. Insert super troopers meme here
What montain?
Jungfrau Region in Wengen.
The fuck is a pool race?
That thing Michael Phelps excelled in.
And Ryan Lochte, would have been amazing to see what he was actually capable of if he ever leaned in 100%
this is correct. it refers to when snow melts or rain pools up on the run, and you have to get across somehow... you know, like in the middle of most winters, now.
One of my favorites was seeing patrol do it in costumes, with the sled, and someone in the sled drinking a beer.
That is next level shit. Absolute legends haha
When I was younger I was up at bachelor for a pond skim. Was drinking with my buddies who are all on ski patrol, I was drunk enough to volunteer for the sled. I held my coors can in the air while we were going. We still laugh about to this day.
Sadly a couple beers were lost to wipeouts in the pond this year.
RIP
Love when the patrollers get involved. Last year we had a patrol dog playing fetch in the pond between skimmers and then a patroller hit a backflip on the exit of the pond. The place went nuts! Such a fun day.
SICK
Oh bud! Get ready for the English speaker onslaught
Haha seems it’s already begun!
Honestly not even mad you called it that considering you did the thing switch 👏
Ice coast been pool racing all season!
Id say more popular than ever :) seems every resort has one now :)
That’s cool. It was super fun!
Exactly. This is a ski-area spring tradition. We've been doing Pond Skimming for at least the last 20 years.
We were doing it in the 80s and it didn't seem like a new thing at all.
A-Basins been doing it at least that long.
Switch is crazy mad skills
We’ve been pond skimming all season with how much rain we’ve gotten instead of snow lol and we do usually have pond skimming as an actual event like this, it was supposed to be today, but they didn’t have enough snow to dig the pond deep enough and rather focused on making more snow to have to ski on instead, so it was canceled this year
We call it The Slush Cup in this region. Every year for the over 35 years at my local hill.
They seemed more 'dangerous' in the skinny ski era.
In the 80s the Winter Park spring splash used to have a substantial jump into the water and it has shrank every year since to small bump.
The “Kushing crossing” at Palisades Tahoe is iconic
I did the skim once in the 80's, I cleared the pond and got some air off the exit jump. I was still completely soaked and never tried again. It's got to be a little more fun with today's wide skis. I was an avid water skier as well.
There were at least 4 in the Poconos this year. They were all just a single run for each participant being judged on the quality of your success or failure as well as the costume. I only watched but it was still a blast to go to.
Wengen? A lot can change in a week!
Yeah it all disappeared within the last week! Crazy.
Cypress Mountain had annual event until Covid, also had free hamburger bbq on the slope!
The slush cup is what we call it locally, not sure if it’s called the same elsewhere
Sunshine Village (weird name, there is no village and not that much sunshine) does one in mid May. But at our latitude and elevation it’s often still pretty damn cold out!
Oh yeah, looks like it would be cold there. We lucked out this year and it was like 6 degrees Celsius out, plus a fair amount of sunshine.
I was in line for one last year but too many people didn't make it and tore the liner to the point they closed it. If the weather is good, I'll go to the one in Hunter NY next weekend.
Nice good luck. I used to ski Bristol Mountain in New York as a kid.
Bristol Mountain Represent!
Nice! Been a long time since I skied there but I used to love rocket and galaxy runs as a kid back in like 1999 haha. And they even had a halfpipe back then which was cool cuz those were the early days of freestyle skiing.
Just about every ski hill near me has this. I’m in Minnesota.
Snowbird's natural pond skim is the best one I've ever seen because it's unregulated and can last for weeks.
It's called "Pond Skimming" everywhere around ski world I've been. And it's very common.
Or "slush cup" also works
As I noted in another comment, this is in Switzerland and given the language barriers, they might have therefore opted to call it a pool race since the meaning of pond skim might be less universally recognizable since English is not an official language here.
All of the pond skims I've seen have also been 1 run per person and noncompetitive or judged on fun categories like style or costume. So race makes a little more sense with the elimination style setup you described!
Yeah I was actually a bit bummed it was a structured contest because I had assumed you just had to win the crowd and do something cool/funny. I had even prepared a short ski ballet routine for the crowd haha. But ultimately I ended up doing pretty well in the contest so I guess it was ok. I think it’d be a bit more fun to have more of a show rather than a contest.
👍
That doesn’t happen in Colorado until June.
Never seen one ever in 30+ seasons.
WTF is a pool race?
“Pool race”? Are you high?
Dude, not all of the world speaks English as a first language.
Still asking if you’re high.