Costumes and chaos rule the slopes on Bridger Bowl closing day

“It’s like if you gave an arctic monkey seven Red Bulls — it’s just chaotic,” said sophomore Brookelynn Conti, describing the several hundred-person snowball fight at the top of the Bridger Lift last Sunday.

April 13 was the official closing day of Bridger Bowl, complete with celebrations, fun costumes and snowball fights. 

According to Jason Prasek, the mountain operations manager, this year’s snowfall alone was worth celebrating. “There wasn't any more room for snow down here in the parking lots,” he said. This season, the ski area got 28 feet of snowfall and closed with a 69-inch base depth, according to the Bridger Bowl website. 

Sunday marked the end of operations for Bridger staff, and the beginning of lift maintenance season. “Clean-up takes two to three days,” Prasek said. “And if you're skiing on closing day — keep your head on a swivel. People do tend to ski fast.”

All day long, skiers and snowboarders in different costumes flooded the slopes. Tyler Williams, also known as “Denim Danger,” wore a Cinderella gown paired with a Mexican Luchador mask and said he was “vibrating with excitement.” 

However, the stoke on Sunday was about more than the outfits. Students, locals and out-of-towners were also celebrating the sense of community. “It’s a great day to be out skiing with your friends,” said freshman Alivia Shepherd. 

For some, this season was truly special. “There were so many great moments this season. I really blossomed as a skier and this season was a breaking point for me in my career,” freshman Paul Melchert said. 

Freshman Hayden Kaufman Schiller was especially excited. “Stoke level? Pajillion. Never really had a day like this before — first Bridger closing day,” he said. “Life is on the up. If you could see my face, you’d see how excited I am.” 

Exchange student from New Zealand, Matthew Du Faur, was in high spirits as he handed out beers to skiers. “I like giving beers out to people — I’m like beer Jesus,” he said.

Freshman Max Jost put it simply: “It’s sunny and I’m vibing and chilling, chilling and vibing,” he said.

Hartley Baysinger, a longtime skier who grew up on the slopes of Central New York, summed up his experience in Montana. “Back east was back east. We used to ski on six inches of ice — you could see the dirt — ribbons of death,” he said.

Now, after ten years of skiing Bridger, Baysinger said the snow and the vibe are unbeatable. “Also I’m single,” he added at the end of the interview.

Although Sunday morning was overcast, the sun started shining around 3 p.m., just in time for the end-of-season snowball fight at the top of the Bridger Lift — a long-standing tradition at the ski hill. 

Freshman Luke Markham captured the energy of the snowball fight in detail. “The stoke level is incredibly high. Terminally high. It has reached the critical threshold of stoke, and the stoke is ascending on the graph at prolific rates. This s**t is crazy,” he said.

As the day neared its end, hordes of skiers and snowboarders mobbed down to the base in a final party lap to end the season.

When asked what his hopes were for next year, Prasek provided an answer that many would likely agree with. “I’m just hoping for more snow,” he said. “Another big snow here, that's really almost the only thing that matters, is the snow.” 

To learn more about Bridger Bowl, visit https://bridgerbowl.com/.