Down & Dirty in Denim
Setting a record at Jackson Hole.
There’s something about skiing hard by day and sleeping in bunk beds by night that just hits different. It typically means you and a bunch of friends are cramming in someplace to get the most bang for your buck out of a ski vacation. It’s even better when the skiing happens to be at the legendary Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, and the bunk beds are at the Hostel right there in Teton Village—not too shabby, on the whole. In one of those hostel rooms is where our adventure began. I’ll spare you all the details, but you should probably know why were there to begin with.
The whole weekend had been planned around a day of skiing where Jackson Hole was going for a prestigious, much-sought-after world-record attempt: the most people skiing in jeans at one time. The previous record holders were Remarkables Ski Area in New Zealand (102) and Arapahoe Basin in Colorado (80). With a discounted day pass of $25, however, Jackson Hole was bound to attract skiing and denim fanatics from far and wide to blow the record out of the water. And with 19 inches of fresh snow in the days leading up to it, things were already shaping up to be the first “best day of the year.”
Though there was a lot going on in town that night, we opted to save our energy for skiing the next day.
We arrived at the Hostel on Friday night and were greeted by a friendly desk attendant and an even friendlier cat. With our rooms right around the corner, we were pleased with the quaint arrangements—especially the aforementioned bunk-bed suites we scored. Though there was a lot going on in town that night, we opted to save our energy for skiing the next day, leaving out any possible antics that evening. Luckily for us, the hostel was loaded up with games and activities for a wholesome night in. Checkers, pool, and a few rounds of Uno do the trick on any winter night.
The next morning, we woke up refreshed with plenty of time to get geared up for the day—which meant denim jackets, denim shirts, and of course, denim pants. And with every lift open, it was guaranteed to be a good day. We made our way to the mountain, a quick walk from our lodging. To be officially counted toward the ski-in-jeans record, we all had to cross under the same archway at the base of the resort, where an attendant kept tally, checked the outfits, and handed out themed bandanas to don on the hill—don’t mind if we do. Finally, we made it to what we had come all this way for, and I’ll give you a hint, it wasn’t corduroy.
Lap after lap of fresh turns, and it was just the start of the season! With breaks only for Bloody Marys at the Moose, there were no bad choices when it came to deciding where to ski, and every turn was under the watchful presence of the Grand Teton and other notable peaks in the park. What a magical way to experience a special day.
The next morning, we woke up refreshed with plenty of time to get geared up for the day—which meant denim jackets, denim shirts, and of course, denim pants.
After the slopes and a bit of freshening up, it was time to hit the town. But first, a quick ping-pong tournament at the hostel. I can’t remember if Peter won, or if Sinclair took all the marbles; all I know is that I didn’t. Okay, now onto the town. I made up for my table-tennis performance on the dance floor, where I handily took the “best dancer” title at the Cowboy Bar. Then we snagged a quick bite to eat at the Silver Dollar Bar, and finally danced some more at the Wort before calling it a night.
Next morning, we found out that 3,114 folks showed up in their denim garb, completely obliterating the previous record. Leave it up to such an epic mountain to hold such an epic title. Skiing, drinking, dancing, denim, bunk beds, and world records… what more can anyone ask for?
