It’s one place that making a splash might not be the best idea.
Beautiful sunshine and impeccable snow conditions brought fearless skiers and snowboarders to Hidden Valley Highlands Ski Area (HVHSA) to take part in the annual end-of-season puddle jump last weekend. The March 23 event attracted a large crowd to cheer on the jumpers.
The sun may have been shining, but with the temperature below zero and wind that added additional chill to the air, jumpers were hoping to fly across the water rather than take a frosty dip.
For their first jumps, participants began their run at the top of the Flying Dutchman, giving them time to gather enough speed to glide over the open pool of water. With the starting point for the second runs just half that distance, they needed to gain momentum more quickly, and hope that luck was on their side, to cross successfully.
Some jumpers made it across with ease and gave the crowd a wave as they glided smoothly over the water. Others had a more difficult entry, leaning way back and, thanks to the drag, just barely made it to the opposite end.
And then there were the unlucky ones, who turned, caught a tip, leaned too far back, or did a face plant into the water for some spectacular wipe outs, the shock on their faces registering the cold as they emerged. Two members of the Huntsville Lake of Bays Fire Department were waiting on the sidelines to rescue jumpers when needed.
The experience prompted jumpers to exclaim everything from ‘I thought I was dead’ and ‘whoa, that was scary’ to ‘I made it’ and ‘the duct tape really worked!’
Above: Julia Caswell almost made it on her first jump (left). She sank a little but rescuers caught her before she went completely under and she came out cheering that the duct tape worked—no water! Her second jump (right) was a success—redemption!
Above: Dean Payne gave a former racing member, Dave Taylor, his old 207cm skis for the puddle jump
Courtney Payne, HVHSA’s Communications and Events Manager, said that the hill had a fantastic season with tons of snow and great conditions. “It was exciting to see such a busy snow school all season long, with lots of people trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time, or for the first time in years.”
HVHSA will be open for one final weekend on March 30-31.
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