JH Mountain Resort gets retro during homecoming weekend for former employees, skiers.

Slicing perfect tracks across the Cody faces was a tradition at the resort that originally was started by Gene Downer in 1968, when he worked at Vail. Ski patrollers were threatened with their jobs if they traveled to the event, so it never took off. Seven years later Downer was publishing Teton Magazine in Jackson Hole and promoting the event to local lifties.

Steam was generated and jet fuel was burned as teams trekked across the mountains from Aspen and Vail in Colorado, Heavenly in California, Whistler in British Columbia and other major resorts to see whose crew could cut the perfect chain of figure 8s into the powder.

Although Bill Lewkowitz wasn’t there for the first few years, the 32-year resort veteran took over running the competition decades ago and sadly watched it fade away as freestyle and big mountain skiing captured mass appeal.

“Back then we didn’t have $10,000 cash prizes,” Lewkowitz said.

When discussion arose about how to pay homage to resort history and entice tourists to celebrate the anniversary, he had but one activity in mind.

“I always enjoyed this event,” Lewkowitz said.

Ski Patrol got on board, and so did the resort’s brand manager, Anna Olson, and communications director, Anna Cole.

“People are excited, and we have some great participation,” Cole said.

Teams are coming from Bridger Bowl and Big Sky in Montana; Telluride, Steamboat Springs, Aspen and Vail in Colorado; Squaw Valley in California; and Snowbird/Alta in Utah. There will be a team from Snow King and seven from Jackson Hole Mountain Resort. They will all schlep out to the Cody faces Saturday morning. Although the Jan. 16 local qualifiers kicked off shortly after first tram, Cole said the plan is for the Grand Nationals to start at 10:30 a.m. and last for roughly an hour and a half.

The night before, the two-person teams will draw names for who gets to choose their lines first.

“Not all lines are equal,” Cole said.

Pitch, fall lines, length — the competitors will pick their runs across variable terrain. They will be judged on synchronization, roundness of turns and style by Mountain Sports School Director Jim Kircher, past participant Rich Lee, Snow King’s Brian Maguire and California ski school coaches Lee and Doug Pierini. Winners will share $10,000 in cash prizes put up by GoPro, and there are ample opportunities for other goodies from Mountain Khaki, Marmot and GoPro.

“We’ll see if it’s an every-year event or every-five-year event,” Cole said. “We don’t know what will come of this.”

The festivities continue at 1 p.m. at the Snake River Ranch with the return of the Shriners’ annual skijoring after last year’s warm weather hiatus.

The old rivalry between cowboy and ski culture melted away in a 1990s wintertime rodeo called the Cowboy Ski Challenge, where Teton Village hosted Dutch oven cook-offs, Western music concerts, cowboy poetry and ski races.

“The Cowboy Challenge eventually played its course,” Lewkowitz said.

But the popularity of skijoring never faded away. Watching skiers dragged at 35 mph and over 6-foot jumps with ropes attached to horseback riders has always attracted a crowd.

“We found that people were very excited about skijoring because you could get someone who’s a really good skier and someone who’s a really good rider,” Lewkowitz said.

Danger is ever present and possibly part of the appeal. Lewkowitz has skied in the timed competition and ridden a horse, and while flying 6 feet onto flat ground has the potential to end a person’s ski season, he felt that it is more worrisome for the rider.

“When you come to riding a horse at 35 miles per hour on snow, a lot of s— can happen,” he said. “When I rode in it I surely was a little more frightful as rider than a skier. There’s a lot of excitement to it, and there’s always the offhanded chance that something could go wrong.”

But with the risk comes reward. Seventy percent of the registration fees will go into a $12,000 pot that covers individual races over Saturday and Sunday afternoon. The remainder goes to the Jackson Hole Shrine Club. Admission costs $15 for adults but is free for kids 12 and younger.

Throughout the rest of Reunion Weekend, old employees will have more chances to relive the glory days of Jackson Hole with the throwback, classic-covering hair band 86 at 9:30 p.m. Saturday at the Mangy Moose. They can then close it all down at 9:30 a.m. Sunday with a revitalized Bartender’s Cup-like race on the Apres Vous Nastar course.

“This is one of the most unique weekends that you’ll see for the 50th,” Cole said.

Past employees who register on the resort’s website also get half-off lift tickets.

This article appeared on the Jackson Hole News & Guide website on February 3, 2016.