Wachusett Pond Skim

Apr. 7, 2025

Westminster, MA - You might think the last day of the season would be a somber day for skiers and snowboarders, but a full day of smiling, cheering, and dancing at Wachusett Mountain ski resort says otherwise. Attendees flocked to the mountain on Sunday for the annual pond skim event. Participants dressed up in costumes, from Princesses to Mr. Clean, and attempted to coast across a manmade “pond” at the bottom of a trail. Plenty of people sailed across successfully, usually followed by an eruption from the crowd, but plenty of them sank and got soaked, too.

Luckily, the temperature out is pretty forgiving for those who get wet, since it’s hot enough that much of the mountain is mud and grass. There’s just enough snow left on the ground for a few of the trails to be open, but many come out just to enjoy the event. Beyond the pond skim, there’s live music, a bar, and lots of food. 

Chris Stimpson is the ski area’s PR manager now, but he has been spending time at the mountain for as long as he can remember. He says they’ve been doing the pond skim 10 to 15 years or so, and that it can take a lot of prep work to get right. “The groomers have been out all week long pushing the last of the snow that we do have. They scraped it down off the mountain, we made this big pile here, and then last night, they kind of carved out the pond itself. They put the tarp down. We had a nice sponsor this year, Swimming Puddles Pools that filled it up,” he recalled.

This summer, the summit ski lift is being replaced after 30 years of operation, so the day was closed out with one final lift ride.