Slush hour at Ski Ben Eoin
Skiers take on icy pit of water on last day of the season
Tyler Gosse didn’t exactly kick off his teenage years with a splash — but that’s a good thing.
On Sunday, he celebrated his 13th birthday by successfully snowboarding across a pit of icy, cold water during Ski Ben Eoin’s annual Slush Cup, a fun competition that traditionally marks the end of the ski season.
“That was great — I’m not even wet,” proclaimed Gosse, whose friend Kyle Rudderham preceded his effort by almost making it across the pit, coincidentally just three days after he celebrated his own 13th birthday.
The event drew a huge crowd of onlookers who delighted in the efforts of the brave 36 entrants who dared to try to cross the icy man-made pond on skis and snowboards. There was even one contestant attired in a suit and tie.
The sunny skies attracted a large turnout of outdoor enthusiasts, many of whom prior to the Slush Cup had taken in the wildly entertaining Dummy Downhill race that featured inanimate creations that were pushed off the starting line in hopes of making it to the bottom of the slope. That didn’t happen often.
Many of the entries made it about halfway down before crashing off the course.
The entry known as Dummite, based on its resemblance to a keg of dynamite, wowed the spectators as the Nathan Kellybuilt creation flew down the hill and over a small retaining wall at the bottom of the run.
But the entry that drew the loudest reaction was the Donald Trump dummy. The presidential entry wobbled quickly after leaving the starting gate, hit a side slope and toppled over, much to the delight of the crowd that included Karen Roberts-Small, a Sydney River resident who once spent five years in the United States.
“That was too funny, the best part of the race,” she said. “I have been watching what Trump’s been doing and I am so glad I am not living there anymore.”
Albert Bridge’s Morgan Bartlett was found lounging on the side of the hill with his young charges Myla MacKinnon and Hailey Bartlett.
“We tried to get out here every week — Myla’s been skiing for a few years and this was Hailey’s first season. It’s a great to come and get outdoors and enjoy the slopes,” said the Brickyard Road resident.
And for those who weren’t directly involved in the activity side of things had the option of enjoying a drink and some barbecued food, either outside on the deck or in the warm comfort of the lounge. After all, the ski season may now be over, but the “après ski” part of the sport continues until next year.