JACKSON HOLE, Wyo. — Words rarely overheard at any ski lodge: "Guys, my glitter is getting everywhere."
As the ski season comes to a close this month, resorts everywhere celebrate with on-mountain parties galore. Skiers and snowboarders participate in pond skimming or slush cups, tailgate in the parking lots and bask in the spring sun. According to Brighton Resort's Instagram, on its last official day the "vibes" included a full-sized billiards table set up on the snow. At many events, fun costumes are definitely encouraged.
The author’s daughter, right, asks a Barbie (with a snowboarding Ken) what Gaper Day was all about at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
But even I was surprised by the level of participation during Gaper Day at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in early April, an "if you know, you know" tradition where skiers and riders take to the slopes in crazy costume, wigs, vintage ski onesies and, yes, tons of glitter.
Jackson Hole's annual Gaper Day is April 1. Around the slopes, "gaper" (pronounced "gay-per") is a term to describe a clueless beginner, as it refers to the gap between a ski helmet and goggles (like skiing in jeans, space between helmet and goggle is a sign of a newbie). Over time, locals have embraced the term as their own and carved out their own annual Halloween-on-snow.
The Jackson Hole ski report hinted at the shenanigans to come:
"Don your dopest gear because as everyone knows, today anything goes," it said. But I had no idea what that truly meant until we were in the midst of full-on gaper-ness.
Snowboarders in tutus …
When my daughter and I spotted our first tutu-clad snowboarders on our runs down from the Bridger gondola, we thought the get-ups might just be a fun way for snow enthusiasts to celebrate spring conditions. But as we made our way to the midmountain Casper Lodge for lunch, we became aware of more and more outlandish garb. A spangled jacket here, denim shorts there, flowery leis, furry coats, cowboy hats.
Finally, my daughter asked a Barbie, a skier in a reproduction of the movie-famous pink cowgirl outfit, what it was all about.
"It's April Fools' Day," my daughter reported back from her interview with Barbie.
Gaper Day "is a chance for locals to mark nearing the end of ski season and let their hair down a little with inventive costumes and warm weather," Eric Seymour, director of brand communications and content at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, later told me. "It celebrates the tight-knit community of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in a lighthearted manner and is an event, along with Rendezvous Music Festival, that locals look forward to every spring."
(Rendezvous is a two-day event with free concerts in the town of Jackson and Teton Village. Last year, Gaper Day and Rendezvous coincided, leading to quite a party, according to trusted sources, e.g. costumed and glittered locals I spoke with on Gaper Day.)
… and other fashion statements
So what should one wear for Gaper Day? Participants take their costumes seriously, as we soon realized, and no small amount of planning seemed to be involved. Denim -- the more acid-washed the better -- is a good start. Shorts, if it's true spring skiing. Jazzercize-esque Spandex and vintage-neon ski gear, especially if paired with a blond mullet-style wig. And a copious amount of glitter on the cheeks seemed de rigueur.
Gaper Day enthusiasts hung out at the midmountain Casper Lodge at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. The annual tradition celebrates costumes on the slopes -- the more outlandish, the better. Photo Credit: Rebecca Tobin
We skied with monkeys, nuns, a guy in a business suit, Cookie Monster, a cat, Santa Claus and 1980s hair-band rejects. Pixar designer-to-the-superhero-stars Edna Mode would be clutching her pearls at the number of capes fluttering down the mountain. Fantasy characters figured prominently, some with swords and shields. Elves with flowy dresses -- or maybe it was Rihannon-era Stevie Nicks? Hard to tell.
At apres time, the Mangy Moose bar was packed, and crowds spilled out onto the deck. The nuns were there, with, of course, a pontiff. At the RPK3 restaurant, patrons in Easter bunny ears sat outside. Skiers walked by the Jackson Hole tram in police garb. A banana chided me for not wearing a costume. At the Yard Sale bar, a gang of fuzzy dragons danced to a tune by OutKast.
So for Gaper Day, the true gapers are the ones wearing regular ski gear. My daughter lamented that we didn't toss her old Hogwarts robe into our suitcase. Or, she posited: "Why didn't I bring a Buc-ees onesie!" Shortly thereafter, we saw a guy in a Buc-ees onesie.