Mt. Peter holds ‘Wacky Water Ski' contest

Warwick - The good news was the sun was shining, the temperature was mild and there was plenty of snow. The bad news was the trough at the bottom of Mt. Peter Ski Area was filled to the brim with ice water from an adjacent pond fed by mountain streams. That didn’t deter the skiers and snow boarders from entering the “Wacky Water Ski Contest” during Mt. Peter’s annual spring rally on March 24. But it may have encouraged them to be more skillful or cautious because in spite of the fact that the trough was 30 feet longer than ever before, there were fewer spills than in previous years. The annual spring rally generally marks the final week or two of the winter sports season at Warwick’s Mt. Peter Ski Area. Entertainment and events at this year’s spring rally included music by JayBird Productions, winter sports contests and a pig roast. It also was Mount Peter’s 71st anniversary. In the early afternoon, snow boarders demonstrated their skills at leaping and, twisting after flying off a special jump created for the event. Then came the highlight of the day, the “Wacky Water Ski Contest,” where skiers and snow boarders transition from snow to water. While crowds of onlookers kept a safe distance to the side of the trough, the contestants raced one by one down “Dynamite” trail, building up as much speed as possible before hitting the icy water. This year a surprising number of contestants made it all the way across the full length of the extra-long trough, recovering smoothly on the snow. But some of the skiers and snow boarders were not so lucky and ended up taking a cool dip and wading to shore.