A weekend of family fun
Nick Ianniello
Mineral Independent
Families of skiers and snowboarders Montana Washington and Idaho braved a rainy drive and snowy mountain conditions to come to Lookout Pass Sunday afternoon for the slope’s annual Family Fun Day Winter Carnival.
“It’s a great time for everybody,” said organizer Jim Schreiber.
The Family Fun Day Winter Carnival has been a yearly event for Lookou Pass for more than six years now, and it includes games, music and ski demos available for everyone at the mountain.
The family-oriented event had several games set up for children at the mountain including snowman building, snow volleyball and a spoon and egg race.
Lookout Pass provided top hats, coal and carrots for use in the snowman building contest, and some children even supplied their own clothes for the event.
A few employees at the mountain helped out with snow volleyball and supervised a group of children that played.
In the egg and spoon race each child got a plastic egg and spoon and had to make it more than 30 feet across the snow behind at the base of the mountain with the egg balanced on the spoon in their teeth.
“It’s designed for the little kids, and just about everybody wins a prize,” Schrieber said about the event.
Lookout Pass mascots Powder the Pig, Bubbles the Clown, Hippity Hop the Rabbit, Penny the Penguin and Captain Hot Chocolate were also on hand to pass out candy and keep the children at the event entertained.
KKZX from Spokane was on hand to play music and emcee the event. Schreiber said that each year they try to alternate inviting the radio station from Montana, Idaho or Washington for the event.
Inside the lodge, Jimmt Flinn, a musician specializing in family friendly songs, entertained guests.
“Lookout is known for being a family oriented ski hill,” Schreiber said.
Lookout Ski Shop out of Kellogg, Idaho provided Atomic Skis for demo throughout the day, and anyone interested could take a new pair of skis out for a test ride on Lookout Pass’s slopes.
Despite less than ideal conditions, many children and parents participated in the outdoor activities throughout the day.
“You always hope for a sunny day,” Schreiber said. “It’s an all and all fun day of events. Regardless of the weather, you can see all the fog and snow out here; it never deters the guests from participating in the events.”
Families could participate in a dancing statues game, which required participants to dance until the music stopped and then hold their pose for 10 seconds. If participants could not hold their pose, they were eliminated.
The main event for the day however was the third annual wife carrying contest. Schreiber said that Lookout Pass’s general manager, Phil Edholm, got the idea from a Swiss competition. Competitors lifted their wife or significant other onto their shoulders and ran 90 feet through the snow to the finish line. Competitors were divided up into age groups and competed to get into the final race.
Each competitor had a decided different strategy for the race. Chris Lagon, who stepped over another couple that had fallen while carrying his girlfriend Jessica Thompson to make his way to the semi-finals, said he credited his success to a pitcher of beer he and Thompson had drank before starting the carry.
Matt McLaughlin, who made it into the final race of the day with his wife Kami, said that his wife’s size had a lot to do with their success.
“My wife is a light weight,” McLaughlin said
However, in the final match, simply making it all the way to the finish line without falling sealed the deal for the day’s winners, Derek Tunla and his girlfriend DiNay Slusher from Coeur d’ Alene. Tunla carried Slusher past the finish line with a slow and steady pace after both of their competitors in the final match fell to the ground.
“I I just got lucky, straight up lucky,” Tunla said.
Tunla and Slusher won $100 for their win, and the McLaughlins won $50 for their second place finish. Nick and Kara Cooper took third place and won $25. All of the participants got t-shirts for their hard work.
Schreiber said that the day’s festivities are what Lookout Pass is all about, a small resort offering family fun for everyone.
“We’re never going to be a destination resort but what we are is family oriented,” Schreiber said.