Jackson Hole, Wyoming is known for some of the best skiing and snowboarding on the planet and also a rich ski culture tradition, which has as much to do with activities off the mountain — and in the pub — than it does with the slopes.
Taking place March 9 is the 8th annual Gelande Quaffing world championships, otherwise regarded as the world’s coolest drinking game.
Competitors slide mugs of beer down a long table for teammates to grab the mug in mid-air as it leaves the edge and pound it. Extra points are awarded to spins, under-the-leg grabs and any other off-the-wall incarnation like drinking out of a ski-boot.
The resulting mayhem is truly a thing of beauty (if you’re into that sort of thing) with teams dressed in costumes competing in front of a rowdy crowd of onlookers.
Gelande quaffing, which gets its name from the German word for countryside and the English word for drinking heartily, originated in 1986 when a group of ski bums invented a fun way to get hammered really fast. The tradition had fallen into obscurity when in 2008 a committed group of devotees revitalized the long-lost guzzle-fest.
Since then, the event had taken place at the site of the original games at an establishment called the Village Cafe. But when the cafe went out of business last year, some were worried the event would not take place.
Not to worry, the world championships are set for March 9 at Bodega in Teton Village.
Photo credit: @Facebook/Gelande Quaffing
