An enthusiastic crowd turned out at Winterplace Ski Resort to watch the Pond Skim Championship on their final day of the season Sunday afternoon.
BECKLEY, W.Va. — About a dozen men strapped on skis or snowboards and sped down a steep hill to see if they could glide across a man-made pond Sunday, all in the name of charity.
Within half an hour, only five men were standing, a bit frozen but smiling through chattering teeth.
Staker, 16, from Flat Top, advanced to the final round with four others in an event to benefit the local YMCA’s field turf project.
Staker said the YMCA is worth skiing into a small, muddy lake. For those not skillful enough to glide across the lake, they fell — usually face first — into the murky water. To add insult to failure, several young children stood on the bank and threw snowballs at the skiers as they struggled to climb out of the pond.
“Rough crowd,” Melissa Minor mumbled, watching the onslaught of snowballs peg an unsuccessful participant.
Grown men, some dressed in outlandish outfits, performed some awesome flops, flips, dives and plops into the lake.
Nobody knew the origin of the Pond Skim on Sunday afternoon. Some standing at the finish line said the event has been held for years.
To make it to the winners circle, skiers or snowboarders must make it across the pond to keep advancing. After each round, the skier or snowboarder starts closer to the pond, making it more difficult to gain the momentum and speed needed to cross the water…
