Spring is a season for silliness at Sierra mountain resorts. There’s something about soft snow and sunshine that gets the party started, with skiers and boarders sporting outrageous costumes as they “ski and be seen” on the slopes.
These five California ski resorts know how to spread the spring fever with everything from pond skimming to disco tubing. With some blockbuster storms in the Sierra this winter, there will be no shortage of snow for spring skiing. Here’s how to get corny in the corn snow.
Palisades Tahoe
Alpine's snow golf tournament is 10 holes of wet and wild fun.
(Courtesy of Palisades Tahoe)
The self-proclaimed title “spring skiing capital” is well-earned at Palisades Tahoe, since the runs here are open into May. Enter the latest slope-side craze: disco tubing. Flashing lights, lasers, and a live DJ set the mood for as many rides down the neon lanes as you can fit into 55 minutes (5pm to 7pm on select dates).
An activity that gives new meaning to the term snowballs, Alpine (Palisades’ sister mountain) holds its 40th annual Snow Golf Tournament on Saturday, April 18th, from 8am to 2pm. This is not your father’s nine-hole, par three experience; it’s 10 holes of wet and wild fun that starts at the top of the Summit Express chair and ends in a party at the Chalet with a Caddyshack theme.
The spring event that makes the biggest splash at Palisades, though, is its version of pond skimming. The 34th annual Cushing Crossing is set for Saturday, May 2nd. While most resorts shovel out the slush for makeshift ponds, Palisades already has an 80-footer under the KT-22 lift. It’s cold and murky and seems to eat skiers and boarders for lunch. Points are awarded for style and for actually making it all the way across without sinking. Could this someday be an Olympic event? What better place to plant the seed than the site of the 1960 Winter Games.
// 1960 Olympic Valley Rd. (Olympic Valley), palisadestahoe.com
Diamond Peak Ski Resort
One of the entries in Diamond Peak Ski Resort's Dummy Downhill catches epic air.
(Courtesy of Diamond Peak Ski Resort)
Diamond Peak may be on the smallish side, with only some 655 acres and 1,840 vertical feet of terrain, but this community-owned resort knows how to party. Its innovative Last Tracks program, which combines a weekly wine tasting event at the mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge with stunning lake views and an after-hours run down a freshly groomed trail, sells out early.
Another standout is the 24th annual Dummy Downhill from 10am to 2pm on April 4th, when mannequins fastened to skis and boards get launched off a jump for an epic crash. A panel of celebrity judges awards prizes for creativity, best crash, furthest distance, and so on, while après skiers cheer wildly on the base lodge deck. Participants are encouraged to use recycled materials.
// 1210 Ski Way, (Incline Village-Crystal Bay), diamondpeak.com
Heavenly Mountain Resort
Skiers flip out at Heavenly Mountain Resort's annual pond skim.
(Courtesy of Heavenly Mountain Resort)
Heavenly is 70 this year, and parties have been breaking out across the mountain since opening day. This storied resort with four base areas is known for its epic views and terrain in both California and Nevada. It's also got serious ski cred in the double-black diamond category with one of Tahoe’s most challenging runs, the Gunbarrel Express on the California side of the mountain.
On March 28th, Heavenly holds the Gunbarrel 25, where so-called “face rats” sign up for 25 leg-punishing mogul runs on the infamous 38-degree pitch. Aside from the technical skills it takes to compete, skiers need a healthy dose of humility as they tackle the bumps in full view of a hooting and hollering après crowd.
Heavenly’s pond skim is held annually at the base of the legendary World Cup run on the California side. This year’s event is tentatively set for Saturday, April 11th. The resort is also a trend-setter with its Heavenly Tahoe DJ Cat, a custom-built snowcat with its own DJ booth and sound system that starts pop-up parties across the mountain.
// 3860 Saddle Rd. (South Lake Tahoe), skiheavenly.com
Sugar Bowl Resort
A pond skim contestant at Sugar Bowl
(Courtesy of @sugarbowlresort)
Sugar Bowl’s pond skim may be goofy but it’s no Mickey Mouse event. The resort that relied on investors like Walt Disney when it opened in 1939 still rings in spring with a cinematic flair on its tropical-themed slip ‘n’ slide. The 100-foot-long man-made pond will be center stage, on April 11th, for some crazy costumed fun near the Disney Express chair. There’s live music, a pop-up bar, and a snow beach viewing area to watch the fun.
// 629 Sugar Bowl Rd. (Norden), sugarbowl.com
Mammoth Mountain
Mammoth Mountain’s official mascot Woolly letting his fur fly during the pond skim event.
(Courtesy of Mammoth Mountain)
It’s crazy to think that massive Southern California resort Mammoth stays open through at least Memorial Day, milking the second season of skiing with some epic après-ski fun. On Fridays and Saturdays, a DJ spins hits from an elevated gondola car to vibing skiers and boarders on the Canyon Lodge Sundeck. The brewskis are flowing but there’s also a chance for a Champagne shower if the DJ uncorks a bottle from on high.
Mammoth lives up to its name with its pond skimming, too. Its 100-plus-foot pond at the Canyon Lodge sets up a wild competition on April 19th. It turns out size does matter when it comes to crossing a freezing cold chop in a swimsuit. You’ll find the mountain mascot, Woolly, is more appropriately dressed, though, as he photo-bombs across the mountain in his full-length fur bodysuit.
// 10001 Minaret Rd. (Mammoth Lakes), mammothmountain.com
