For some of us, the idea came while watching skiing and snowboarding events during the Winter Olympics. For others, a youth group daytrip to the mountains created a curiosity that had been sitting dormant for a decade or two. Perfectly grown adults have any number of different reasons for learning to ski or snowboard, but there seems to be one big recurring theme:
"That looks like fun."
"Fun" simply isn't a word you hear tossed around a whole lot in the wintertime, especially in a city like New York, where cold temperatures or a big snowfall are enough to make your neighbors downright cranky. For a bus full of new SKI BUMS, however, the winter has just become a whole new reason to get giddy. There are mountains just a few hours away, and a whole group has just fallen in love with the unique feeling of sailing down those big snow-covered hills.
Bunny Hill is our annual daytrip devoted to new skiers and riders. Every year, we devote our fist daytrip of the season to those who are excited to learn to ski or ride -- or are picking up from where they left off. The day begins with a free lesson, and while the rest of us explore all areas of the hill, the newbies learn new concepts like goofy vs. regular and pizza vs. french fries. What they don't necessarily realize, however, is that SKI BUMS is full of members who were in their very shoes -- er, boots -- just a few seasons ago. Some of the people tearing up the slopes of our trips to the big mountains out West are people who just graduated from the Bunny Hill a season or two ago.
SKI BUMS is devoted to welcoming skiers and riders of all skill levels, and Bunny Hill is a tradition that's here to stay. If you'd like to learn to ski or snowboard, you're invited to join us next year. Put January 8, 2011 on your calendar, and start dreaming of the day when the thought of new snow gives you an adrenaline rush!
"That looks like fun."
"Fun" simply isn't a word you hear tossed around a whole lot in the wintertime, especially in a city like New York, where cold temperatures or a big snowfall are enough to make your neighbors downright cranky. For a bus full of new SKI BUMS, however, the winter has just become a whole new reason to get giddy. There are mountains just a few hours away, and a whole group has just fallen in love with the unique feeling of sailing down those big snow-covered hills.
Bunny Hill is our annual daytrip devoted to new skiers and riders. Every year, we devote our fist daytrip of the season to those who are excited to learn to ski or ride -- or are picking up from where they left off. The day begins with a free lesson, and while the rest of us explore all areas of the hill, the newbies learn new concepts like goofy vs. regular and pizza vs. french fries. What they don't necessarily realize, however, is that SKI BUMS is full of members who were in their very shoes -- er, boots -- just a few seasons ago. Some of the people tearing up the slopes of our trips to the big mountains out West are people who just graduated from the Bunny Hill a season or two ago.
SKI BUMS is devoted to welcoming skiers and riders of all skill levels, and Bunny Hill is a tradition that's here to stay. If you'd like to learn to ski or snowboard, you're invited to join us next year. Put January 8, 2011 on your calendar, and start dreaming of the day when the thought of new snow gives you an adrenaline rush!
"I've always wanted to try skiing, but didn't know where to start. The idea of skiing in a group was also intimidating. I had it in my head that such a group would be a bunch of hard core athletes. My fear of being a "newbie" made me put off joining SKI BUMS. Boy was I wrong! My partner & I went on our first Bums daytrip and had a blast. We hooked up with a group of other beginner Bums, and plan to hang out with them again. We are now addicted to skiing. My advice to anyone out there: you should only join SKI BUMS if you want to have an insanely good time!"
-- Rusty, new skier and beginner Bum, January 2010
-- Rusty, new skier and beginner Bum, January 2010
"How many of you are taking your very first SKI BUMS trip?" This is a question we asked on our trip to Windham, in January 2010. And on this one, more than two dozen skiers and riders raised their hand. This daytrip was full of people who had been sitting on a year's worth of anticipation. Some had Google-searched "gay ski club," and had spent months looking at our trip photos wondering, "Is that gonna be me next year?" Others had been to an Avalanche in NYC, yet got the sense that if you want to experience the real deal, you'll need to actually take a trip…
and they're right.
While Avalanche is certainly fun, and our Facebook page can help you learn names, there's really just no comparison to an actual daytrip, where you start the day by meeting a whole group of skiers and riders who enjoy the same kind of terrain that you do. Some are fairly new to skiing and riding, and are lookin to start out easy. Others have just relocated to the city from big mountain towns out West, and while they know that they're not in Jackson Hole, they're thrilled to meet other gay guys and gals who can keep up. We got treated to a beautiful sun-filled perfect day at Windham, and after our anonymous evaluation responses came in, we knew that our new BUMS were gonna be back for more. Here's a sample of what they had to say:
and they're right.
While Avalanche is certainly fun, and our Facebook page can help you learn names, there's really just no comparison to an actual daytrip, where you start the day by meeting a whole group of skiers and riders who enjoy the same kind of terrain that you do. Some are fairly new to skiing and riding, and are lookin to start out easy. Others have just relocated to the city from big mountain towns out West, and while they know that they're not in Jackson Hole, they're thrilled to meet other gay guys and gals who can keep up. We got treated to a beautiful sun-filled perfect day at Windham, and after our anonymous evaluation responses came in, we knew that our new BUMS were gonna be back for more. Here's a sample of what they had to say:
"Seriously guys, as you know this was my first SKI BUMS trip, and so glad I went. I wouldn't have traded yesterday's experience for anything."
"This trip was beyond fun: Perfect weather, great diverse group of skiers and boarders, well organized, bus party that rocked the highway, and lots of new friends made. It was a legendary day."
"I would say the best time of the trip was the bus ride back. I appreciated everyone's generous nature in sharing any food and beverage they had to offer. As this was my first ever SKI BUMS trip, I felt a strong emotion of welcoming and acceptance. Not too often you see that in gay groups."
"This was my first trip. It was run like well oiled machine. I was very impressed with how organized everything was. I had an amazing time!! Can't wait for my next trip."
"This trip was beyond fun: Perfect weather, great diverse group of skiers and boarders, well organized, bus party that rocked the highway, and lots of new friends made. It was a legendary day."
"I would say the best time of the trip was the bus ride back. I appreciated everyone's generous nature in sharing any food and beverage they had to offer. As this was my first ever SKI BUMS trip, I felt a strong emotion of welcoming and acceptance. Not too often you see that in gay groups."
"This was my first trip. It was run like well oiled machine. I was very impressed with how organized everything was. I had an amazing time!! Can't wait for my next trip."
For this year's annual mid-week trip, which we lovingly call Sick Day, we were in the mood for something new.
In the last few years, SKI BUMS has limited our daytrips to three resorts in New York and one in New Jersey. But more and more of our members had been encouraging us to head back to the Poconos, and we selected Blue Mountain, PA as the site of this year's Wednesday daytrip.
Little did we know on this year's Sick Day, the conditions would be sick.
As the day approached, so did a gigantic snowstorm. The day before the trip, many of the BUMS who had planned to take a personal day learned that their offices would be closed because of the storm. Should we call off our empty-mountain adventure, or brave slower travel times to get a rare Eastern taste of fresh snow?
Blue Mountain may not be the biggest local resort, but with run after run in big fluffy white powder, it was awfully easy to forget where we were. Snowboarders were sliding down black diamond runs like spatulas through butter. Skiers were bouncing off of mogul runs like soft fluffy pillows. By the time we needed to leave, many of us weren't ready to go. But while our valiant bus driver navigated the county highways to get us home, we simply cracked open the brews and enjoyed an extra hour of après-ski. Were the BUMS in a partying mood? Heck yeah. Another first: we actually drank up all the beer on the way home.
In the last few years, SKI BUMS has limited our daytrips to three resorts in New York and one in New Jersey. But more and more of our members had been encouraging us to head back to the Poconos, and we selected Blue Mountain, PA as the site of this year's Wednesday daytrip.
Little did we know on this year's Sick Day, the conditions would be sick.
As the day approached, so did a gigantic snowstorm. The day before the trip, many of the BUMS who had planned to take a personal day learned that their offices would be closed because of the storm. Should we call off our empty-mountain adventure, or brave slower travel times to get a rare Eastern taste of fresh snow?
Blue Mountain may not be the biggest local resort, but with run after run in big fluffy white powder, it was awfully easy to forget where we were. Snowboarders were sliding down black diamond runs like spatulas through butter. Skiers were bouncing off of mogul runs like soft fluffy pillows. By the time we needed to leave, many of us weren't ready to go. But while our valiant bus driver navigated the county highways to get us home, we simply cracked open the brews and enjoyed an extra hour of après-ski. Were the BUMS in a partying mood? Heck yeah. Another first: we actually drank up all the beer on the way home.
"I have already recommended SKI BUMS to my friends and acquaintances; some of them are now members and enjoy the trips as much as I do. I signed up in 2007 when I was new to skiing and was concerned that everyone else would be super ahead of me. While many were, many weren't and once on the trip all I wanted to do was ski!
Now I'm skiing black diamonds with relative ease...if not always a whole lot of grace and speed. The Sick Day trips are cool -- we have the trails to ourselves and the ride back on the bus is always a good time!"
-- Mike, SKI BUMS member since 2007
"This trip was pretty amazing actually. I got to say -- it was an experience that was truly unexpected. I love having the same bus and same driver for every trip, because after a while it truly starts to feel like "our" bus, and like a home away from home, strangely enough. The four-hour ride home was worth every minute, even though we ran out of booze!"
-- Adam, new SKI BUMS member in 2010
Now I'm skiing black diamonds with relative ease...if not always a whole lot of grace and speed. The Sick Day trips are cool -- we have the trails to ourselves and the ride back on the bus is always a good time!"
-- Mike, SKI BUMS member since 2007
"This trip was pretty amazing actually. I got to say -- it was an experience that was truly unexpected. I love having the same bus and same driver for every trip, because after a while it truly starts to feel like "our" bus, and like a home away from home, strangely enough. The four-hour ride home was worth every minute, even though we ran out of booze!"
-- Adam, new SKI BUMS member in 2010
Perhaps our extended après-ski party home from Sick Day had spoiled us, but when it came to the bus ride home from Mountain Creek, New Jersey, the BUMS were bummed to see that we hadn't run into traffic. "Can we take the scenic route?" we overheard. As the BUMS passed their home made goodies and tasty local brews around the party bus, we had already packed our minds with fun-filled memories, but we knew that these BUMS wanted to spend more time with one another... and the party tunes were cookin!
What are our daytrip party tunes? It's a playlist that we compile at the start of every season; you can add your own suggestions when you sign up to become a member. It's always a funky mix of new and old, and it's taught us something particularly cool about the people who find their way to SKI BUMS: they've got excellent taste in music. New tunes by emerging artists like Passion Pit, La Roux, Grizzly Bear, Visqueen and Florence + The Machine mix it up with crowd-pleasers like Beyonce, and over the course of the season, people who you might not have heard of can become your new favorite artist. (One winter ago, many of the BUMS didn't know a singer on our 2009 party tunes playlist, a lil' up-n'-comer named Lady Gaga).
Listen to a selection of new music from our 2010 playlist on our Facebook page >
Our daytrips are not all about the party bus home; thankfully, the terrain at Mountain Creek offers up a fantastic day of fun, and with a foot of new snow, the trails were in excellent shape. It's also a great hill if you're learning to ski and ride for the first time, and we had a whole crop of newbies who were on their first SKI BUMS trip, ready to learn to ski and ride. Here's what one had to say:
What are our daytrip party tunes? It's a playlist that we compile at the start of every season; you can add your own suggestions when you sign up to become a member. It's always a funky mix of new and old, and it's taught us something particularly cool about the people who find their way to SKI BUMS: they've got excellent taste in music. New tunes by emerging artists like Passion Pit, La Roux, Grizzly Bear, Visqueen and Florence + The Machine mix it up with crowd-pleasers like Beyonce, and over the course of the season, people who you might not have heard of can become your new favorite artist. (One winter ago, many of the BUMS didn't know a singer on our 2009 party tunes playlist, a lil' up-n'-comer named Lady Gaga).
Listen to a selection of new music from our 2010 playlist on our Facebook page >
Our daytrips are not all about the party bus home; thankfully, the terrain at Mountain Creek offers up a fantastic day of fun, and with a foot of new snow, the trails were in excellent shape. It's also a great hill if you're learning to ski and ride for the first time, and we had a whole crop of newbies who were on their first SKI BUMS trip, ready to learn to ski and ride. Here's what one had to say:
"There are no words to describe how incredibly fun and great it is to hang out with such a fun group of interesting people! Word of mouth can only begin to express the amount of fun to be had. Mountain Creek was not only my first SKI BUMS trip, but it was also my first time to ever attempt skiing! It certainly helped being with such an entertaining and supportive group of skiers / boarders. The camaraderie really made the experience truly memorable.
Hopefully once I figure out how to zig-zag (instead of tunneling straight down the slopes) I'll be able to share the goodwill and support so many people exhibited this first time out! I highly recommend anyone interested in socializing with a great group of people considering joining SKI BUMS! (Oh, the skiing bit is kinda fun, too!) ;-)"
-- George, new SKI BUMS member and first-time skier, 2010
"I was a bit hesitant to sign up on my own but I had no need to worry. From the beginning everyone was welcoming and the trip leaders made the entire experience fun and easy. The highlight had to be the immediate community feel and the friendliness of everyone involved. A great day and a great group of people!"
-- Marty, new SKI BUMS member, 2010
Hopefully once I figure out how to zig-zag (instead of tunneling straight down the slopes) I'll be able to share the goodwill and support so many people exhibited this first time out! I highly recommend anyone interested in socializing with a great group of people considering joining SKI BUMS! (Oh, the skiing bit is kinda fun, too!) ;-)"
-- George, new SKI BUMS member and first-time skier, 2010
"I was a bit hesitant to sign up on my own but I had no need to worry. From the beginning everyone was welcoming and the trip leaders made the entire experience fun and easy. The highlight had to be the immediate community feel and the friendliness of everyone involved. A great day and a great group of people!"
-- Marty, new SKI BUMS member, 2010
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