Tag Archives: skiing

Ski Torch Parade – Sun Valley, Idaho

Every year on New Year’s Eve in Sun Valley, Idaho, hundreds of skiers participate in the “Torch Parade” that occurs at night on the main slope of the mountain. This is done every single year, and participants always use bright red torches as they follow the path down the slope. The informant describes the event as looking like brake lights in traffic going all the way up the slope. The informant who described the tradition is from Idaho and witnesses the parade every year on new years eve; they said everyone from the town and those visiting see this act as “blessing the slope for a good year to come and a safe/fun ski season,” but also says it is just a celebration for the city to commemorate the passing and beginning of another year. The informant themself says they have not done the parade as they ski enough during the year, but that it is very common for avid skiers, and especially visitors to participate in the torch run. The main emphasis from the informant was large, bright red torches being used at night down the main slope on new years eve.

Context – The torch parade is a common practice for ski slopes, but has been seen in all different variations among different ski towns/locations. Each town may have their own reason, explanation, or even design of the torch parade, but every year Sun Valley, Idaho does this specific time and looks for the parade. Another friend of the informant had heard of a torch parade occurring earlier in the ski season at another location, but seemingly attracting the same amount of people. Sun Valley is also a popular location for winter/new year celebrations which adds to the amount of participants and viewers of the parade.

Analysis – The torch parade can be simplified as a communal celebration linked to tradition. While it may have started smaller or even with definite reasons for participating (such as good luck for the new year or lighting the path), nowadays it is very common that there are vast reasons for participants. Either way, this tradition has grown root and reason within Sun Valley, and even in other places when they do the torch parade. This ritual can serve as a way of coming together in the belief of celebrating December 31st (as opposed to Chinese new year), as well as a fun way to “bless the slopes” while skiing at night which is not always done.

Snow Dance

Context: Has been vacationing in Utah for the past 10 to 11 years. He goes during the winter mainly to ski with family and friends. 

Text:

“And we go during the winter and during the summer. But especially during the winter, we do this thing called a powder dance or a snow dance. Just like right before we go to bed, me and my family do some crazy dance that doesn’t make any sense at all. But it’s not just the dance itself. It’s just the fact you are dancing, dancing for the “snow gods’ ‘. And I say it’s worked like 50 percent of the time, but it’s just a fun tradition I have with my family. And when it does work it’s epic, and we go ‘yooooo we did that’”. 

Analysis: 

This piece of folk dance here has three broader connections to the greater discussion around the discipline of folklore. Firstly, it is an example of folk dance, exemplifying the genre as variation is common with no two dances being the same. Additionally, it is another example of familial folklore, something that could be then spread down from generation to generation. Finally, it is also indicative of folklore generated as an attempt at explaining the unexplained. To pretend like we actually have any power of the all powerful forces such as weather is done through the means of folklore quite often. 

NO SLOW FRIENDS ON A POWDER DAY

MAIN PIECE: 

Informant: So one thing is like… “No slow friends on a powder day.” Which is just a way to say that you’re like picky with who you ski with when there’s powder, you know? Like you don’t wanna have to be responsible for someone slow on a powder day. You don’t wanna miss out on the fresh tracks. 

INFORMANT’S RELATIONSHIP TO THE PIECE:

Informant: It’s the weirdest thing but, other than your mom, I don’t need to ski with anyone else. ‘Cause I like to go at my tempo which is probably more than other people want to do, you know? Like I’m… You let the monkey out of the cage on a powder day.

Interviewer: Why powder days specifically?

Informant: It’s just… It’s like the ultimate… For me it’s a huge part of why I live in the mountains and what I look forward to. I have certain areas nailed and I know exactly where I’m going and it’s just a little hidden area of paradise that, you know, ninety percent of people don’t know about. And you’re skiing it on a good powder day and it’s just amazing… The sensation of skiing untracked powder is one of the biggest lifts for me.

REFLECTION:

Being from a ski town, I can attest to the fact that, amongst avid skiers, there is a deep enthusiasm for powder days. People will wake up incredibly early––before the mountain has even opened––so they can be first in line at the chairlift and ski “first tracks” or “freshies” (areas that haven’t been skied yet, and so are still covered in fresh snow). Going alone or with a group that skis at your pace ensures you have a better shot at getting to those areas before anyone else skis them up, disrupting the powder. Proverbs are ways to pass on wisdom and give advice. This proverb is a way to advise others not to ski with someone slow, as they will then have to wait for that person and risk missing out on untracked snow. Proverbs also make it easier to say harsh things. If someone wants to ski with you on a powder day, you can use this proverb to express that you’d like to ski alone. 

Aspen Panty/ Underwear Tree

I: Informant, M: Me

M: So the first one I wanted to ask you about which I’ll ask {name blanked for privacy} about too when I have my interview with her is about the Aspen Panty tree because we saw it when we were going and I thought that would be really fun because I didn’t see anything about it in the archives.

I:Well that that was a. Long ago well I wouldn’t say long ago. It started theoretically in Aspen that’s the reputed legend. It was a tradition that was started by some woman who had gone to a party and decided she was going to have some fun with one of the other party goers and the guy that she met, I guess they got together and had some fun {referring to sexual relations}. Next day, to commemorate the experience with her he took the bra that she was wearing that night and as a skiier going up the mountain the next day, threw it into a tree as a goof.

M: Yeah

I: And so that everybody else, his friends going up the mountain that day would know that he had met this girl and that they had had some fun.

M: Yeah

I: So that turned into a thing, a tradition in Aspen and other people saw it and thought it was funny and started doing the same thing except it wasn’t restricted to just to bras, there were other things thrown out there, things that would get a little more risqué, and then

M: Like what?

I: landing in the trees. So you’d get bras, panties, and you know in Mardi Gras

M: Did you say ties too?

I: Ties, they are throwing all kinds of things in the tree. Hats.

M: Now is it only the people who um only the people who get laid sort to say and it has to be the opposite sex {or partner} to throw it or can you throw your own?

I: As I’ve learned it is as you go up the mountain you are supposed to take this off while you are on the lift.

M: Oh

I: You are not supposed to…literally if you are a woman you are supposed to reach under all your layers of clothing, pull you bra off and throw it over onto the tree. Now the funny thing is, the people in Aspen are a very, let’s just say not risqué community. They you know like to have fun and ski, maybe drink a little too much.

M: yeah

I: But they don’t allow things in town. Like they don’t like vaping. Vaping is banned.

M: Yeah

I: They consider it to be inappropriate because of the damage it does, particularly to the kids.

M: Yeah

I: So when they saw that this was going on, the ski patrol everyday would go up and take all of the stuff out of the tree.

M: uh-huh (Yeah)

I: Which was a pain because they had to climb up the tree. They actually developed a rig that would hang off of the lift, they stopped the lift and hang off the lift and pull the stuff out of the tree.

M: Yeah

I: And that’s a big nuisance. Well by the end of the day, people were already throwing stuff back at the tree. SO they eventually just cut the tree down.

M: *laughing because I know how this ended up working out according to the legend*

I: and instead of it stopping there, they just went to the next tree another 50ft up the hill and made that the panty tree. So they realized after a while that they weren’t going to win this war and it has held ever since. It’s been going on for 3 or 4 decades 

M: Is it on a specific ski route?

I: Yes, it is on Bell Mountain.

M: Uh-huh (agreeing)

I: What happened afterwards, it kind of fell out of vogue because when you got on the gondola, they built a beautiful enclosed gondola, there was no way for you to reliably wad up your panties or your bra and throw it out the window and actually make it to the tree. It was almost an impossible throw. It’s too far away so nobody did it anymore {correction: less people did it}. So they only way you could do it was if you took the outdoor, very old, kinda scary to ride Bell mountain chair lift specifically to go over that tree, which I do, but I do it to ski- I’ve never thrown anything in the tree beside Mardi Gras beads and uh it kind of a thing. You have to be kind of wanting to do it and wanting to go through a little bit of pain because you are outside and it is cold, the wind is blowing, to do that. Whereas most people are in the gondola enjoying a nice warm ride up the hill that goes a lot faster.

M: Yeah

I: So you gotta be motivated.

M: mkay

I: You gotta want to do it.

Context: The informant learned about this underwear tree by seeing it in person in Aspen and asking the locals about it about 6 years ago. We both see this tree every time we go skiing in Aspen and take that particular ski lift. It’s mainly been covered in bra the last few times I went.

Analysis: This Underwear tree is a perfect example of monogenesis with diffusion as this very specific custom, started specifically in Aspen and then spread to Vail and from there, spread to other ski mountain. The underwear tree has now become a staple in many ski mountains. Additionally, this piece of folklore shows how folklore can have multiplicity and variation and different meanings to different people because while I have been told about this legend twice with similar details, when I researched it, I found out that initially started as a protest of the hiring of the 1st woman ski patrol (more competition for the job openings). To the patrols and mountain management, the underwear tree had a different story and meaning entirely than it did for the party crowd of Aspen. Nonetheless, both parties participated. This folklore also shows how folklore can evolve to be inclusive of the times, as we progress in time, women have been taking much more pride and ownership of their sexuality and gender equality has become much more prevalent. Thus, as this developed, the underwear tree needed to progress as well. So there is now also a tie tree right next to the underwear tree- the tie symbolizing the men in the sexual encounters.

“Last Run”

  • Context: The following informant (S) is a 20 year old bike/ski enthusiast. He explains the avoidance of the words “last run” while skiing and the bad luck it can bring to the end of the day. The conversation took place when I asked the informant of any superstitions he held. The informant told me he doesn’t believe in superstitions, but never to say you’re going to take your “last run,” because it might truly be your last if you do. 
  • Text:

S: “Ok… if I’m skiing, or biking, you can’t say ‘Last Run’. Any time I have said ‘Last Run’ or anyone around me has said ‘Last Run’ an we’ve taken a run that is our last run for the day… I have ended up in the hospital.”

Me: “Same. So do you say anything instead of ‘Last Run’?”

S: “Yeah… we say either ‘2 minus 1’ or… ‘9 more runs’ or ‘8 more runs’ if you’re referring to two more runs. So 8 is if you’re referring to two more 9 is if you’re referring to last.”

Me: “Is there a reason for those numbers?”

S: “Nope. That’s just what works.”

Me: “Have you always done that?”

S: “I’ve done that since I broke both bones in this arm saying it was my last run.”

Me: “Did anyone teach you?”

S: “Yeah… everyone I grew up riding with. It is a known tradition throughout the action sports world… like any… any athlete performing at a high level knows that tradition.”

  • Analysis: Growing up in a ski town, I knew from a young age never to refer to my last run as my “last run.” We would often find code words to signify that we wanted this run to be our last for the day. I had always said “grilled cheese” or “second to last” or “2 more minus 1.” I have heard countless stories of people getting hurt on their last one after announcing it was their last run. I myself made this mistake when I was 12. After proclaiming I was doing my “last run” for the day, I made it almost to the lodge when a snowboarder hit me and broke my wrist. I never will say “last run” again.