Gelande Quaffing World Championships
Posted on Wednesday, February 25th, 2009
What: Second Annual Gelande Quaffing World Championships
When: 4:20 p.m. Thursday, February 26.
Where: Outside the Village Cafe at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
In 1986, the skis were skinny and the snow was fat, and during a 14 foot storm, the infamous underground crew of the Jackson Hole Air Force was going stir crazy in the Bear Claw Café, waiting for the mountain to open.
In those days, the bartender would send a freshly filled beer mug sliding down the bar to the patron who ordered it. One fateful night, a beer mug slid off the end of the bar and took air. A deft young man then caught it, seconds before a glass shattering catastrophe, and promptly pounded it. Thus, Gelande Quaffing was born.
Aprés ski competitions followed, testing the unique skills of all who entered, and provided exciting entertainment for all spectators. But somewhere along the way gelande quaffing was lost and the aprés spirit forgotten.
Until now.
Twenty years later, the site of the original Bear Claw Café won’t let its voice be forgotten. On February 26 – THURSDAY!!! – the Village Cafe will host the 2nd Annual Gelande Quaffing World Championships, and the spirit of the past will live on again at the base of the mountain.
This unprecedented event will host entrees from throughout the snow sports industry and remind the world of ski culture’s colorful past.
Last year’s defending champion, the team from the Village Cafe who won a close final round against the Patrollers, has their hands full with teams from Cloudveil, Smith, Big Sky Brewing, Teton Gravity Research, Jackson Hole Air Force, Powder Magazine, Backcountry.com, Teton Village Sports, Pepi Steigler’s, Kaestle, Black Diamond, and many more will go head to head to determine who holds the Stein for another year.
Come out and watch the sliding, the chugging, the splashing and perhaps the breaking!
