Crowds enjoy mild weather at Mt. Peter Spring Rally and Wacky Water Skiing Contest

WARWICK — On Sunday, March 24, the temperatures were on the mild side as Mount Peter celebrated the 2018-2019 winter sports season with its annual Spring Rally.
This year's theme was "Springstock," and visitors were able to comfortably relax outdoors and enjoy food, games and entertainment including music by the band, "Whiskey Riot."
In the early afternoon snow boarders and skiers demonstrated their skills at leaping and twisting after flying high in a Big Air contest.
During the day the DJ Jay Bird kept everyone, especially the children, dancing. There also were prizes, giveaways, food and refreshments.
Then came the highlight of the day, the "Wacky Water Ski Contest," where skiers and snow boarders transition from snow to water.
The 130-foot trough had been filled to the brim with icy water from an adjacent pond fed by mountain streams.
But that didn't deter the skiers and snow boarders from racing down "Dynamite" trail and building up as much speed as possible before hitting the water.
While crowds of onlookers kept a safe distance to the side of the trough, the contestants transitioned from snow to water attempting to make it all the way across the full length of the trough, recovering back on snow.
Some of the skiers and snow boarders made it but others were not so lucky and ended up taking a cool dip and wading to shore.
And to everyone's amusement, a few spectacular splashdowns showered some onlookers slow to retreat.
They had been warned.
The Spring Rally ended with the "Cardboard Race," where young contestants and their parents create sculptures like Batman, school bus, race cars and other themes and swoosh down the mountain carrying participants and their team members.
- Roger Gavan