6th Annual Slush Cup Festival

Participant rockets across the water, trying to skim to the other side.

The 6th Annual Slush Cup. What? Most people upon hearing this have no idea and when an explanation is presented — skiing down a snowfield fast enough to skim yourself across a barely melted tarn — interest in the event quickly drops.  Despite the less than enticing description, numbers of participants and spectators have been increasing exponentially since the first Slush Cup was held back in 2003. Backcountry skiers from all around Washington can be found on the given day in the late summer, hiking the short trail into the Tatoosh range, prepping for a real backcountry party complete with costumes and water floaties and ending in a roadside barbecue.

Though many ski areas around the world hold events in which “pond skimming” is a main attraction, the crowds are huge, the ponds are small, and you aren’t surrounded by serenity – only drunk ski bums yelling at the participants like a bunch of soccer hooligans. Slush Cup is also free to those who wish to make the effort to hike, however it’s up to you to bring your own food and beer.

This year was my first year going to Slush Cup. I’ve had friends who have urged me to go in years past, but I finally caved in and decided that this was the year to use Slush Cup to get my August ski turns in. As promised, the hike in seemed to fly by until we broke from the trail to scramble over talus and through a saddle. Looking down, all I could see was a tarn and lots of colors from the many people who had arrived for the same event. Mt. Rainier hid behind clouds in the distance, occasionally peeking out to see what the cheers were all about. The sun was out for us and already people were making their way up the snowfield for laps, some of them testing their luck skimming the pond.

Skimming water is not particularly difficult. It’s actually quite easy, and the fatter the skis, the easier it gets. (Reverse camber skis work like water skis – see picture above) As one enters the water, treat it no differently than you would snow and don’t lean back. Difficulty arises when one does NOT make it all the way across the pond and begins to sink. The difficulty increases with a snowboard. This proved to be a concerning factor for a number of participants who were unaware of the technique, of which there were some very close calls. Myself included, a number of us learned that letting your skis/snowboard drift to the surface behind you and breaststroking is the most effective way to swim while wearing skis. Struggling to kick will drown you. Lifejackets, throw ropes, space blankets and rescue rings are a few more items that many who embrace this event will have on their “must bring” list in the future.

Despite the tense moments, all who watched and participated shared something besides a fabulous roadside barbecue at the end. Everyone there enjoys the outdoors and is looking for ways to share that enjoyment with others of a similar mindset. Also, everyone there bagged their August turns, so let the streaks continue!