Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana is renown for throwing one of the best pond skim events in the country its happening tomorrow!
For anyone unfamiliar with pond skims, they are celebrations of spring skiing culture where participants attempt to hydroplane across a water feature with varying degrees of difficulty to get the attention of the judges and win prizes. Costumes are usually optional but not at Whitefish who make them 100% mandatory to compete and you don’t think you can get by with some low effort goofy t-shirt or wig:
“Just a wig does not count! A silly t- shirt does not count. You need to wear a costume. If you do not wear a real costume (something recognizable from a distance, hopefully funny and maybe some taste sprinkled with lacktherof) you will not be allowed to compete and you will not be refunded.”
While most pond skim event format’s only allow one run per athlete, Whitefish has five rounds where the stakes are raised with subsequent pass:
- Round #1 – Everyone will try to skim across the pond. Those who make it across will advance to the next round.
- Round #2 – Remaining skimmers go over jump before entering the pond. Those who make it across the pond after the obstacle will advance to the next round.
- Round #3 – Remaining skimmers will enter the pond switch! Farthest skimmer is the winner. No reverts, you must enter the pond switch/backwards and leave it switch/backwards.
- Round #4 – Over the jump…switch. Must hit the jump backwards/switch, enter the pond backwards/switch and finish your skim backwards/switch.
- Round #5 – Same as Round #4…plus a firehose pointed at you.
The video below is the 2023 pond skim at Whitefish and gives you a good idea of how serious these folks take the costumes and the difficulty of making to the final round.
If you attend the pond skim tomorrow keep one thing in mind, Whitefish has a super serious prohibition on throwing snowballs during the event. If any snowballs are thrown the event will stopped or cancelled.
“Come and end the season with the best end of season throw down around! Ski or Snowboard over a custom-built pond (costume mandatory) for a chance at a nice cash purse!” -Whitefish Mountain Resort
POND SKIM – April 5th, 2025:
Come and end the season with the best end of season throw down around!
Ski or Snowboard over a custom-built pond (costume mandatory) for a chance at a $1,500 Cash Purse. The Pond is at the Lift Plaza, right by the bottom terminal of Chair One. You must be 16 years old to participate. No exceptions.
Whitefish… you did so good for the last 2 years! Not one snowball! Everybody loves the pond skim, and we all chipped in to make sure it keeps happening in the future.
NOTICE – THIS IS A FUN SPRINGTIME EVENT THAT CAN GET OUT OF HAND. WE NEED TO KEEP THIS EVENT FUN, BUT IT MUST BE SAFE FOR SPECTATORS AND PARTICIPANTS ALIKE. THIS IS A GREAT EVENT FOR THE WHITEFISH SKI COMMUNITY AND NEED THE HELP OF ALL SPECTATORS AND PARTICIPANTS TO DO TWO THINGS:
1 – DO NOT THROW SNOWBALLS
2 – HELP EDUCATE ANYONE THROWING SNOWBALLS THAT THE EVENT WILL BE STOPPED or CANCELLED. THAT AIN’T COOL.
THIS EVENT WILL BE STOPPED IF THERE ARE SNOWBALLS! PLEASE DO NOT BE A PART OF RUINING THIS WHITEFISH TRADITION.
EVENT FORMAT:
- Round #1Â – Everyone will try to skim across the pond. Those who make it across will advance to the next round.
- Round #2Â – Remaining skimmers go over jump before entering the pond. Those who make it across the pond after the obstacle will advance to the next round.
- Round #3Â – Remaining skimmers will enter the pond switch! Farthest skimmer is the winner. No reverts, you must enter the pond switch/backwards and leave it switch/backwards.
- Round #4Â – Over the jump…switch. Must hit the jump backwards/switch, enter the pond backwards/switch and finish your skim backwards/switch.
- Round #5Â – Same as Round #4…plus a firehose pointed at you.
RULES (Yes, it does have rules!)
- -Participants must have skis or snowboards appropriately worn (normally mounted)
- – Helmets required
- -Costumes are required and will be judged in a category by itself. See below for costumes.
- -Skimmers must start in the order determined by the starter.
- If you start, you have to go through the pond. Even if you crash before hand.
- -The Pond Skim is open to all competitors 16yrs and older.
- -No one visibly drunk will be allowed to participate and no alcohol in the venue.
- -Anyone throwing snowballs will not be allowed to participate.
CATEGORIES & PRIZES
- Best Costume (Winner $300, Runner Up $100)
- Best Male Skier (Winner $200)
- Best Female Skier (Winner $200)
- Best Male Snowboard (Winner $200)
- Best Female Snowboard (Winner $200)
- Best Crash (Winner $200, Runner Up $100)
AWARDS
To be held at the pond a few minutes after last skim at the pond. Cash Prizes for category winners, plus something for the overall champ as well.
COSTUMES
This is one of the most important parts of the event. Each competitor must wear one. Just a wig does not count! A silly t- shirt does not count.
You need to wear a costume. If you do not wear a real costume (something recognizable from a distance, hopefully funny and maybe some taste sprinkled with lacktherof) you will not be allowed to compete and you will not be refunded.
If you change your costume after you register you MUST change your registration information about your updated costume. You can do this from your confirmation email, or by emailing events@skiwhitefish.com with your name, costume update and fun quote for the MC’s.
