It’s quite possible you were not paying attentioon thiis last weekend and you actually missed the
Big Mountain Furniture Race. Well, sorry.
Perhaps it will air again on ESPN7, or something.
But here’s the deal. Every April since 1970, the Whitefish ski resort has celebrated the end of the ski season with a
big blowout that leaves living rooms all around the area a little bare. From the potato chip encrusted chaise lounge to
grandpa’s recliner, armoires, toilets, baby cribs, even coffins affixed to either skis or snowboards, everyone drags
out their goods to race down the face of the mountain on, um, furniture. “The definition of furniture is obviously very
loose,” says Brian Schott, the Big Mountain spokesperson for event. “Some people even set up living room scenes where
you’ll have a couch, a side table, a Lazy Boy and a coffee table with beers and pizza box on it.”
There really aren’t rules. You need to be original and wear a helmet. Judges award points for appearance, speed and
accuracy. At the end of the run is a target, and contestants are scored by how close they can stop without touching
it…or knocking it down. Which you can imagine probably happens a lot.