There are no points for speed, only for creativity.
This, perhaps not surprisingly, is the mantra of Homer’s Ski for Women. While events that take place elsewhere in the state each Superbowl Sunday give prizes for the fastest skiers, the Homer race organizers are more concerned with the quality of costumes.
Now in its 16th year, the Ski for Women celebrates women’s issues, and proceeds locally go to South Peninsula Haven House. It’s open to everyone: men, women, the old, the young, the fast and the slow. Organizer Kris Holderied said ideally there will be a day when the community has no need for a domestic violence shelter, but until then, the ski will continue to raise awareness.
This year’s event saw about 80 participants — including a gaggle of notorious Ruth Bader Ginsburgs — take to the snow, along with the Statue of Liberty, an entire rainbow spectrum with a pot of gold and leprechaun, and a sculpture in the style of Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly.
“People like having fun on skis, and Homer is a costume town, just saying that,” Holderied said of the event’s continued success. “And you know, that we still need to support Haven House. We’re ideally working to the time when we don’t need all those programs, but we need all those programs, and so, let’s support them and let’s do it in a fun, festive way.”
Brie Drummond came as a “nature hunter” with Darcy Mueller. They were decked out in safari-type gear, ready to chase after the young “wildlife” who came with them: 9-year-old Allyson Cook and 7-year-old Sophie Williams.
“It’s very Homer-esque (with) all the costumes,” Drummond said. “And it’s a nice one for the kids.”
Krista Etzwiler made herself into a Chihuly sculpture by carving pool noodles into spirals and attaching them to her helmet. Her effort won her the prize for best individual costume, along with Jeanne Walker, who was the Statue of Liberty.
The group costume prize went to the myriad RBGs who showed up with their dissenting faces (and game faces) on, with one Justice Brett Kavanaugh in tow. The costume was organized by Shannon McBride-Morin, with Margi Blanding, Parker Sorenson, Daniel Perry, Nora Rojek, Devry Garrity, Sue Mauger and Mike Byerly.
“I wish she could live forever,” Perry said as he and Sorensen got ready before the ski. “I mean she is such an icon, really. Such a role model for all of us.”
On why everyone, not just women, attend the Ski for Women, Perry had this to say: “We’re all humans.”
“I think we all should support each other and all healthy community activities,” he said.
“We’re all just the same inside, right?” Sorensen added.
The judges’ choice for best creativity was the human rainbow with its pot of gold and leprechaun, made up of skiers Syverine Bentz, Brandy McGee, Rio Saunders, Loretta Brown, Ori Badajos, Elena Badajos, Dana Nelson, Dana Cordle, Kara Clemens and Sylvia Clemens.
The partner costume award went to Wendy McCune and Kim Sweeny, both dressed as mimes.
In the small groups category, the top prize when to a group of “millenials with cellphones.” In an email, Holderied said they had the best performance, lobbying judges with their explanation of what looked like a non-costume. Also winners in the small groups category were Drummond, Mueller, Williams and Cook.
A mother skijoring with a child dressed as a lion got honorable mention.
Reach Megan Pacer at mpacer@homernews.com.
Krista Etzwiler skies dressed as a Dale Chihuly sculpture at the start of the Ski for Women on Sunday, Feb. 3, 2019 at the Lookout Mountain Trails near Homer, Alaska. Etzwiler won for best individual costume. (Photo by Megan Pacer/Homer News)
