Dec 2, 2021 - Economy

Après ski as a non-slopes lifestyle

Jennifer A. Kingson

Young adults doing "shotskis" at a football game tailgate. — Doing "shotskis" at a football game tailgate. Photo courtesy of Jayme Dorsett-Sobel.

The cool "après ski" vibe of relaxation and winter fun has moved beyond the lodge, as the lingering pandemic brings a wider appreciation of socializing that can be done in an outdoorsy way.

Why it matters: The trend of cities and towns endorsing "winter placemaking" as a way to coax people outdoors has continued this year. And even though climate change has kept ski slopes closed later than usual, ski culture — often in the form of "shotskis" — is migrating to new places.

What's happening: People attending football games, holiday markets and concerts are lining up to quaff booze (and the occasional hot chocolate) from shot glasses fastened to a downhill ski, whether or not they've ever donned a pair.

Shotskis (or "shot skis") are part of an outdoor drinking ritual in which booze is consumed in unison and repeatedly.
Punch, a website about wine and spirits, notes that a shotski "involves several shot glasses placed equidistant apart across the deck of a discarded downhill ski, allowing several folks to concurrently down a shot."
Shotskis "are the sizzling fajitas of the barroom — you can’t help but notice when someone orders one."

The other side: This year's annual Shot Ski fundraiser by the Park City Sunrise Rotary in Utah was canceled due to rising COVID-19 cases locally.

"In 2019, the last time the event was held in Park City, more than 1,300 people stood before 515 skis bolted together into a 2,600-foot-long ski with shot glasses on top."

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Après ski as a non-slopes lifestyle

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