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Howelson Hill sending off ski season with traditional pond skim event

KUNC | By Nikole Robinson Carroll
Published March 28, 2025 at 12:36 PM MDT
A snowboarder in a powder blue business suit attempts to cross a manmade pond as part of Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition.
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A snowboarder, mid-skim across the Rat Lake manmade pond. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs
A skier in a blue jacket and hat attempts to cross a manmade pond as part of Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition.
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A snowboarder, mid-skim across the Rat Lake manmade pond. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs
A competitor in a bunny costume finishes an attempt to cross a small, manmade pond in Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition.
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A competitor finishes a run across the Rat Lake manmade pond, dressed in a bunny costume. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities, and costumes are encouraged.
City of Steamboat Springs
A skier in a grey shirt and silver pants launches onto a small, manmade pond in Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition
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A skier launches onto the Rat Lake manmade pond. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs
A young skier wearing an Incredible Hulk costume attempts to cross a small, manmade pond in Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition
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A skier mid-skim across the Rat Lake manmade pond. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs
A young skier in a cow-print jumpsuit attempts to cross a small, manmade pond in Howelsen Hill's closing day pond skim competition
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A skier mid-skim across the Rat Lake manmade pond. A pond skim competition is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs
Five people hold up scorecards for a pond skim run - four nines and a ten.
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Steamboat Springs City Council members serve as judges for the Rat Lake pond skim competition. The contest is part of Howelsen Hill's closing day festivities.
City of Steamboat Springs

A long beloved tradition will once again mark the closing of Howelsen Hill for the season. On Sunday, March 30, the Steamboat Springs ski area will host 125 registered competitors in the Rat Lake Pond Skim Competition, a closing-day tradition that started in the 1980s.

Participants ski or snowboard across a man-made pond donning costumes and lots of hope that they they won't fall into the less than enticing waters. Their efforts are rewarded with prizes.

鈥淭here's a little bit of a jump going into it, a little bit of a jump coming out of it. You just kind of, ideally, skim across the top of the water, and then throw a little trick on the way out to give the crowd a little something to cheer for,鈥� Steamboat Springs Ski Manager Brad Setter said.

City council members judge the contest.

鈥淚 basically tell them, you can score folks any way you want - how well they got across, how big of a trick they did, if you like their style, their costume, their attitude, pretty much leave it wide open and the cream usually rises to the top,鈥� Setter told KUNC.
RatLake4K.mp4

Closing day at Steamboat is the last Ski Free Sunday of the 2024-2025 season. The closing day festivities will include live music and refreshments available for purchase. Registration for the pond skim contest is full, but spectating is free and open to the public. .

Here is a list of other anticipated ski resort closing dates:

  • April 6 - Buttermilk, Crested Butte Mountain Resort, Keystone, Powderhorn. Sunlight Mountain Resort, Telluride, Wolf Creek Ski Area
  • April 13 - Aspen Highalnds, Beaver Creek, Cooper, Echo Mountain, Monarch Mountain, Purgatory, Silverton Mountain, Ski Copper
  • April 20 - Aspen Mountain, Aspen Snowmass, Eldora Mountain Resort, Steamboat, Vail
  • May 11: Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Loveland Ski Area
  • May 26: Winter Park
  • June 8: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area
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暗黑爆料 Skiing & Snowboarding
Nikole Robinson Carroll
As a reporter and host for KUNC, I follow the local stories of the day while also guiding KUNC listeners through NPR's wider-scope coverage. It's an honor and a privilege to help our audience start their day informed and entertained.
See stories by Nikole Robinson Carroll
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