Area ski resorts celebrate spring fun

NORTHERN MICHIGAN — One of the first signs of spring in Northern Michigan is not a robin’s song or thawing ice, but the splash of skiers as they fail to cross a pond of freezing cold water in front of a crowd of cheering spectators.

This weekend, Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls as well as The Highlands and Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs will celebrate the onset of spring with a slate of fun and festive activities.

At Boyne Mountain, Carnival Weekend will continue the resort’s 75th anniversary commemoration with a “70's Martini Disco Party” on Friday night. Saturday will feature a celebration of the 80s and 90s, while Sunday includes a shoutout to the 2000s during the Spring Break Slush Cup.

Saturday and Sunday both include a variety of DJs, music and parties, but the highlight of the weekend is the popular Slush Cup at noon on Sunday.

To see a full schedule of events, visit boynemountain.com/annual-events/carnival-weekend.

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During the Ring in Spring weekend, The Highlands will have its own version of the Slush Cup at 2 p.m. on Saturday, but other activities during the weekend include face painting, races, live music and more.

The slate of races on Saturday will take place at the Lower Camelot 6 Race Area starting with the Silly Slalom at 10 a.m. The One Ski Race is at 11 a.m. and the Soccer Obstacle Course Challenge will be at 11:30 a.m. The races will be organized by age division — age 6 and under, ages 7-9, ages 10-12 and ages 13-15 — with the top three from each event winning a small prize.

For a full schedule of events, visit highlandsharborsprings.com/events/ring-in-spring.

The schedule on Saturday for Mardi Gras at Nub’s Nob is packed with events, from the Fat Tire Boogie to costume contests to the infamous Soaker Cup.

Kicking things off at 10 a.m. is the Fat Tire Boogie, which allows people to ride their mountain bike down a ski slope. At 11 a.m., the Crazy Kids & Mogul Muncher’s Silly Slalom will begin and then at 11 a.m. the Dorie Sarns Challenge — a modified dual GS race — is set to take place.

At 1:30 p.m., the Silly Slalom for ages 21 and over will start. Some of the races have age restrictions or are divided into age categories.

The Soaker Cup at 2:30 p.m. lets competitors try to cross the cold waters of Lake Nubs, with the winner earning a gift card and “the undying respect of their peers,” according to the Nub’s Nob website.

For more details about the Mardi Gras fun, visit nubsnob.com/mardi-gras.

— Contact Jillian Fellows at jfellows@petoskeynews.com.

This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Northern Michigan ski resorts celebrate spring fun