America's "Original" Pond Skim Is Back This Weekend

Pond skimmers, unite. Now’s your chance to strut your stuff at what Palisades Tahoe calls the “original pond-skimming contest”: the 34th annual Cushing Crossing.

Set to be held at Palisades Tahoe, California, on May 2, 2026, at 1 p.m., the event sees skiers or snowboarders sliding across a pond for fame, glory, and prizes—while wearing their craziest costumes, of course. Winners of each category will come home with swag from Smith, Darn Tough, The North Face, Smartwool, Chomps, and Honey Stinger.

Those categories include: men’s ski, men’s snowboard, women’s ski, women’s snowboard, and the open-ended “unlimited” category, which Palisades Tahoe describes as “any apparatus that isn’t a straightforward pair of skis or snowboard, but is of skiing or snowboard origin.”

As far as costumes go, get wild, but remember, this is a family event, so you’ll want to avoid any profanity unless you don’t mind getting disqualified. As Palisades Tahoe put it, “if you wouldn’t do it in front of your grandmother, don’t do it here.” That's good advice, generally.

According to the resort, space for the event is “very limited.” Registration starts at 8 a.m. on May 2 at Wildflower Baking Company near the base of the Funitel. Entrance costs $20, cash only. If you’d rather watch, though, that’s free. You’ll find the pond, Lake Cushing, in the Palisades Tahoe base area.

Wonder what all these shenanigans actually look like? Here are some photos from previous iterations of the Cushing Crossing.