With some ski areas in Eastern North America already being forced to close early for the season by warm temperatures it seems that the pond skimming season is upon us – that end of winter rites-of-passage when skiers attempt to cross melt water ponds of freezing waters on their skis, snowboard or sometimes any other vaguely sliding/floating object.
This year there’s something new in the pond skimming calendar as the 2016 Slush Cup in Banff National Park on May 23rd and believed to be the world’s longest surviving pond skimming event, will also serve as the 1st Annual Pond Skimming World Cup.
The Slush Cup has been staged at Sunshine ski area for 88 years and takes place in mid-May, highlighting Sunshine’s long season, and attracting around 7,000 people.
Pond skimmers can take part in qualifying events across a variety of North American ski resorts in order to qualify for the finals in Banff National Park.
The light, airy powder and some of the highest base elevations in Canada coupled with a heavy annual snow accumulation provide the ski resorts of Banff National Park with one of the longest non-glaciated ski seasons in the world.
Long after many other resorts have completed their end-of-season parties and pond skimming events, Sunshine Village remains open until late-May making the Canadian Rockies the ideal location to host the Pond Skimming World Cup.