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April 2016 • COAST • www.coast-magazine.com • 9 O nce again, Alyeska Resort is bringing its annual cel- ebration of spring in Alaska with the 2016 Spring Carnival. The 39th annual Spring Carnival and Slush Cup weekend at Alyeska Resort spans Friday, April 8, to Sunday, April 10, and there is never a dull moment. With one of the longest ski seasons in North America, Alyeska Resort embraces spring in typical Alaska fashion. Spring Carnival takes advantage of the long days with extended hours of lift operations and great spring-skiing conditions. Alyeska’s large and wildly popular Slush Cup, during which competitors dress in weird and wacky costumes and attempt to skim across a 90-foot long pool of freezing water, is ready to roll with a bang. Other activities include the Sitzmark Costume Party, Idiot Swim, Downhill Bike Race, Dummy Downhill, Xtra-Tuf Tug-of-War, live music and more. The weekend-long festival will kick off with the An- nual Costume Party starting at 6 p.m. at the Sitzmark. This costume party runs through the first round of Slush Cup participant picks, and 25 competitors will be selected based on the originality, flare, style and wackiness of their costumes. Even if you don’t participate in the contest, just watching the event is entertainment. There will also be a registration table for all other Spring Carnival events – if you are brave enough to compete. Following the Costume Contest and Registration, the Sitzmark will host The Mother Hips, a rocking band straight out of California who are sure to get your feet moving on the dance floor. These guys will be playing a three-night set starting Thursday, April 7, to keep the festive weekend rocking into the wee hours of the night. Tickets for the show cost $10 in ad- vance and at the door. Here a day early to prepare for the festivities? Good news: Ladies will receive free entry to the show on April 7. Saturday, April 9, we take off into the final round of Slush Cup picks at 1:30 p.m., which will lead right into the Idiot Swim at 3 p.m., where the few brave souls swim across the pond for sheer entertain- ment value. Directly after the Idiot Swim will come the featured event: the 39th annual Alaska Airlines Slush Cup. Come watch the fun as 50 competitors will ski or ride down the mountain in their crazy costume and skim across the 90-foot-long pool for bragging rights and some incredible prizes. Sunday, April 10, heads right into a full day of fun with the down- hill Mountain Bike Race at 10 a.m. (yes, on the snow, in the quasi- winter). This event is a precursor to the summer downhill bike park and is run from the top tram terminal to the Daylodge base area. Speed is high as is the stoke and smell of disc brakes burning. The Dummy Downhill will start at noon, where particpants will create their own “dummy” to send flying down a ski trail. The Xtra- Tuf Tug-of-War starts at 2 p.m., where teams of five compete in a tug-of-war across the pond to vie to be the last team standing. Don’t miss out on one of the most fun and festive weekends that Alyeska Resort and southcentral Alaska have to offer. Come join the fun that is Spring Carnival. This weekend offers a little something for everyone, most notably, some of the best people-watching you may see all year long. WHITE PAGES Let the chaos begin Spring Carnival is back, and Slush Cup just tips the iceberg By Shannon Markley COURTESY HEATHER THAMM Participants in Alyeska’s Xtra-Tuf Tug-of-War collapse into the slush pool, much to the crowd’s entertainment. This year’s event is April 10.