Saturday, March 18, 2000 - Sunday, March 19, 2000 -- Davis, WV
10th Annual Snowy Luau
Story and photos by Julie Bertsch

[Details] [Coverage] [Slope Style Results] [Pic Set 1] [Pic Set 2] [Pic Set 3]

The Timberline Luau Dancers & Musicians got the crowd going

Beautiful blue skies, one heck of a bright sun, and lots of colorful Hawaiian shirts and skirts set the stage for the 10th Annual Snowy Luau at Timberline Resort. People were swarming the slopes in a beach-style fashion, putting on loads of sunscreen while listening to the Beach Boys on the resort's speakers. It was quite a display of shiny leis, sunglasses, straw hats, and yes, some even chose to wear their Hawaii Five-O shorts. There was a better reason to be decked out in your surfing gear than just semi-warm weather. Wearing your favorite luau attire also got you $5.00 off of a lift ticket.

Making the synchronized telemark skiing look easy

The first event of the day was the extremely entertaining, Synchronized Skiing Contest. Teams of two or more skiers or snowboarders gracefully made their way down Lower White Lightning in Hawaiian costumes. This competition may remind one of a synchronized swimming event, where athletes do their best to "mimic" each others exact movements. Many teams would shout commands, keeping in time with each other's rhythms. Once again, it was team Maui Wowies (Kelly Gilmore, Melissa Ray, Chris Ujvagi, & Kurt Snider), who dazzled the judges and took home the 1st place prize for the 2nd year in a row.

NASTAR was open to anyone who wanted to try out the slalom

A fantastic pig-roast on the deck sent people with very full bellies off to do a little luau racing on the NASTAR course. Children, and adults of all ages came out to challenge the "no-so-easy" run called White Lighting. Official timing, scoring, and a launch out of the gate gave skiers & boarders the real thrill of extreme NASTAR Racing. This event was a great way to get in some racing practice if you're a pro, or an excellent way to just try out some slalom racing. Luau NASTAR started at 1:00 PM and went on until 3:00 PM or so, to make sure that everyone had their chance to be a champion for a day.

Garret Easton defies major gravity in the Slope Style Event

A new and exciting addition to the Luau this year was the Slope Style Competition. The event was held on the Terrain Park, by the black diamond run, Lower Dew Drop. Snowboarders were scored on the difficulty of their maneuvers or "tricks", how high they got off of a jump, and if they "stuck" their landing without falling. Most of the boarders were under the age of 15, and all were under 21. The many jumps and somewhat, icy spots made for some interesting landings. Blake Chapman & Garret Easton put on quite a show with their high-flying antics, and amazing air, as they took first in their age divisions!

A battle to the finish in the obstacle course race

Of course the day would not be complete without events for the kiddies! An obstacle course in the snow was all some kids needed to have one heck of a great time. Complete with hula-hoops, sled dragging, spinning, and an all out race to the finish, these kids literally fell over the finish line.

At 5:00 PM, the Pie in Your Face Fundraiser & Cookout continued the festivities into the evening. When the sun finally set, it was time for the Annual Lava Light Parade & Fireworks show. Over 90 skiiers & boarders holding tiki-torches on fire, grooved down the slope like some fast moving lava fresh out of the volcano in the Lava Light Parade at 9:30 PM! That wasn't the end of the Luau, however, as the fun continued on into Sunday with many more exciting events.

If you missed the Snowy Luau this year, don't miss it in 2001. It's one of the best festivals of the snow sports season!