Seven Springs Pond Skim is an End of Season Blast

Pond Skim is a Fun Skiing Tradition

Pond Skim events are a popular end-of-season tradition at many ski resorts. As warming weather means melting snow, ski and snowboarding die-hards lean into it by, naturally, trying to ski over water!

We've read a number of possible origin stories for how this event came about (plus the where, when, and why's), ranging from skiers coming upon a melted pond and daring another to ride across, to it being a fun activity by ski patrollers in their free time, to resorts scheduling the event as an excuse to sell the rest of their beer at the end of the season.

Whichever explanation is true, and how much beer was consumed for the first person to take the bet to ski across a body of water, is fine by us, because no matter the origin, we're happy to get to witness this annual tradition all the same!

At Seven Springs in the Laurel Highlands, the Pond Skim takes on a somewhat standardized format. A pond is constructed just outside of Foggy Goggle for Pond Skim day, those who wish to participate sign up in advance (it does fill up so register early), and each participant gets a turn to try to ski across the icy water. Even better? Participants do it in costume and ski downhill to a DJ-curated theme song as well!

Throw on a panel of judges that give scores for categories like distance, splash, costume, and more, and it becomes a bit of a game that is as fun to watch as it is to, we assume, participate first-hand. (One year, I may be brave enough to try it myself!)

During my visit to the Pond Skim, I was fortunate enough to be a guest judge, and I was amazed not only at the excellent costumes and splashes from participants but also shocked at just how many actually make it all the way across the water. In my head, I was expecting a proper crossing to be rare- almost a fluke-like experience. But in reality, a surprisingly large number of participants can actually get enough speed to make it across the water.

Not 100%, of course, but I wouldn't have been surprised if the final tally came out to about 15-20%- which is still far more than I had originally anticipated.

For everyone else, though, an icy splash in the water awaits, and you get to witness all styles of crashing from the deliberate belly flops right at the start (which would get few distance points from the judges, I might add) to those who make it 99.9% of the way and fall in at the last second, others who make it across but jump in after the fact for splash points, and everyone in between.

There are folks who take a splash in the cold water with full embrace and excitement, whereas others who you can see an emotion that we could only call “regretting life choices” at the realization that they are about to go under.

But if there is one element of the pond skim that really brings it altogether, beyond the vast amounts of beer being consumed, that is, it is the costumes. Some participants go all out here.

Sure, there are many who zoom down the mountain in a flying squirrel onesie. Some wear sports attire. Others have elastic superhero suits. But those who go out of their way to build elaborate pieces were by far my favorite, with one team having made a full-sized rocket that smoked as it came down the mountain. (Another personal favorite was a gender reveal ride where the skier let colored smoke go out when crossing- much to the joy of the crowd.)

So whether you're checking this one out to watch the splashses, costumes, or to try a run across the cold pond yourself, the end of season Pond Skim truly is an event not to miss. Just be sure to get there early to grab a great spot and, if you are planning to skim yourself, to register early!

Now, about that liquid courage it would take for me to try it in a future season…

Seven Springs hosts their annual Pond Skim at the end of the ski season, typically in mid-to-late March. I was a guest judge courtesy of Seven Springs in 2025. As always, all opinions are my own.