Santa cares that you tele | Photo: Barclay Idsal | Cover: Ruth Hartnup

When tourist crowds swell up during the holiday season, the quality of skiing can deteriorate rapidly for local ski bums in search of fresh tracks. Longer than usual lift lines, impossible to find parking, and dangerously inexperienced skiers roam the slopes for those several busy weeks at the end of December. With so many negative forces at play, even the most die-hard skiers will err on avoiding busy holiday periods if the skiing isn’t great.

To get through the busy holiday season with your sanity while also turning the focus away from the frustration, here are some surefire ways to have fun and keep skiing throughout the Christmas season.

And remember folks, Skidmas is near…

Read: Why The Christmas Holiday blows for ski bums living in a ski town.

Ask Ridiculous Questions On Every Chairlift

Are those this year’s ski poles?

Starting conversations with strangers on the chairlift is an easy recipe for laughs if you don’t take yourself too seriously.

“Hey Man, Where do they put the moguls in the summer”.

“Which way to Chad’s Gap dude?”

Use Stopped Skiers As Race Gates

You may not previously have seen the positive upside to all the skiers and riders stopped amongst the groomers and clogging up traffic on busy days. All the stopped skiers just present an opportunity to channel your inner Mikaela Shiffrin and rip turns like a ski racing bad-ass. Human obstacles can easily simulate race gates as long as you’re careful!

*Unofficial Networks takes no responsibility for downed race gates…

Hit On Ski-Town Visitors At The Bar

I think we know who the local in this photo is… | Photo: bradleypjohnson

Guy to girl ratios are infamously slanted in most mountain municipalities, so with the surplus of tourists in town for the holidays, you might finally get the chance to meet an attractive member of the opposite (*or same) sex. Getting a drink at the local watering hole may take a little longer with holiday crowds, but at least the bar isn’t devoid of life, like most weeknights.

 *Now is the time to meet your holiday honey who can finance heli-ski trips next winter.

Make Extra Money From Your Side Hustle

Unemployment is seemingly non-existent during the busy season in ski towns and many service industry jobs will hire you solely for the couple of weeks the holiday encompasses. If crazy skiing traffic has you down, now is an excellent time to stack up money for chasing snow when all the tourists return to their real lives.

*Save up for that BC cat trip!

Spray Everybody*

Skiing and snowboarding is all about fun ultimately, so as a reminder never to take ourselves too seriously everyone deserves a humbling snow shower from time to time.

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