Park City Ski and Snowboard hosts the Skimeister at the UOP

Josie Johnson, usually a ski jumper, was a pond skimmer on Sunday in her a costume, a Bad Prom Dress, at the Utah Olympic Park for the Park City Ski and Snowboard's Skimeister. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — The Park City Ski and Snowboard (PCSS) held its annual end-of-season Skimeister on Sunday at the Utah Olympic Park (UOP). Alpine, freestyle, freeski, snowboard, skimo, ski jumpers, nordic combined, and cross country athletes, their coaches, and even their parents skied down a banked-turn run and over a jump which led into or sometimes onto a pond skim.

Pete Stoughton, PCSS Director of Development and Events, told me, “It’s a beautiful day, the water is toasty warm and the kids are having a blast. Skimeister’s a great opportunity to celebrate a full season of success. We’re glad we get to be able to really teach our kids what the ski community and culture are all about today. It’s about having fun, it’s about inclusivity, and it’s about bringing the whole family, all generations and all ages, and everybody in the community together to just laugh a lot and enjoy what Park City has to offer.”

Evidence that lines were blurred between usual on-ski roles — three-time Olympian Liz Stephen, the PCSS cross country comp coach, was flipping burgers on the BBQ. 

Then, after all, participants either made it safely across the pond or were pulled out of the shallow waters by the ski patrollers, the ski patrollers themselves took a turn delighting the crowd. They tried but did not succeed in pulling the toboggan across.

Everyone who skied received a waterproof box from Pelican.

Awards given out for age groups, judged categories included:

• Best Costume 
• Best Crash
• Farthest Jump
• Best Skim

For example, athletes like Ian Carmack who did a flip into the water were recognized rewarded for Best Crash although he ended up wetter than most others.