Missoula News

Winter's End

Missoula’s Ski Hill Closes in Style

By Dana Green, 4-10-06

When you’ve seen a 500-pound sumo wrestler, wearing only a scanty black g-string, catch air on a snowboard, you know you’ve seen it all.

In this case, it wasn’t the real thing, but a Missoula boarder in a blow-up sumo suit. At Snowbowl, Missoula’s local ski hill, it was the last day of the ski season, and it’s become an annual tradition at the ‘Bowl for the locals to break out the crazy garb.

This year, there were French housemaids, lizards, kilted Scotsmen, clowns, and the usual plethora of horrifying, one-piece ski outfits from the ‘70s, like the excruciatingly embarrassing one your dad would wear when you were a teenager.

There were the guys who happily skied naked, with the crowds cheering them on. A few illicit fireworks were shot off, an epic snowball fight broke out, and one enthusiastic and creative paddler even dragged his kayak up the ski hill and "boated" down, to the delight of the revelers drinking Bloody Marys and beer out on the deck.

After skiers took their last runs and enjoyed their favorite lines one last time, the lifts ground to a close, and everyone gathered on top of the mountain for one last look down into the valley. Then, the crowd, feather boas, party beads and all, headed down the hill together, savoring a last ride with the people they’ve skied and partied with all winter.

For devoted ski bums across the West, there’s a pang of loss on the last day of ski season, as a good thing comes to its inevitable end. There’s still the faint hope of a fun backcountry trip or two, hiking for just a few extra turns as the snow melts and everyone moves on to their summer activities. But the hill won’t open again for another six or seven months. In the life of the skier, that’s a lot like forever.

Snowbowl isn't the only area that ends its year in style: At Big Mountain, the famed annual Furniture Race didn't happen this year, but the partying went on anyway.

At Snowbowl, in particular, this year marked a poignant end – with plans in the works that could double the ski area's terrain, locals are wondering just how much their mountain will change in the coming years. (You can check out the expansion Master Plan on Snowbowl's Web site – www.montanasnowbowl.com).

So the chance to dress up marks the turning of the seasons, in ancient bacchanalia style, welcomes spring (even if we don’t want it to come), and gives thanks to the snow gods for a good season in a time of drought.

Besides, it isn’t every day you can wear that sultry French maid outfit.

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