A final fling as winter turns into spring

VERNON — Some 30 years ago Bob Whitehead, originally from Dumont in Bergen County, decided to bring his newlywed wife Joanne to the hills of Sussex County and they settled in Vernon. Now, their son Kevin has carried on the tradition of a snowboarding family, as the owner of Outkast Sports on Route 94. The senior Whitehead is often referred to as “the father of snowboarding in Vernon” and he still spends the Spring Fling day on the slopes with his son and even with his 15-month-old grandson Drew in tow. For Kevin Whitehead, snowboarding and everything to do with the sport is also his passion. The annual Pond Skimming event at the Hidden Valley Ski Resort has become a tradition. This year it was held on Saturday, March 20. Various competitions are held during the event, followed by the final event, Pond Skimming across a man-made, water-filled pool. Family event In addition to the fun, prizes are a mainstay of the event. “Every kid walked away with something,” Kevin Whitehead said. Although this year’s pond was some 10 feet shorter than last year’s “water hazard,” the water was just as cold. Spring began on Saturday, and the afternoon temperatures for the event were in the low 70s, as the once-bright white snow began mixing with the thawing earth below to transform the mixture into a light mocha-colored slush. With that, Vernon’s annual mud season firmly took shape to close out an otherwise exceptional ski and snowboarding season. Here’s how pond-skimming works: A skier or snowboarder approaches the water with enough speed to hydroplane across the pond’s surface. With enough momentum, the crowd applauds the efforts. Without sufficient speed, the athlete ends up in an icy bath, which delights the crowd even more.

Here’s how pond-skimming works
A skier or snowboarder approaches the water with enough speed to hydroplane across the pond’s surface. With enough momentum, the crowd applauds the efforts. Without sufficient speed, the athlete ends up in an icy bath, which delights the crowd even more.