Skiing In The Midwest In June? Tyrol Basin Says Heck Yea!

Growing up in the Midwest, winter was just too short. If you were lucky, the ski season would start around Thanksgiving and last into early April. Way too short for my friends and I. There were a few that could afford the trip to the hallowed grounds of Timberline, but for the rest of us, the only glimmer of hope until fall was a weekend long event in June at Tyrol Basin. After years of hibernation, we heard they’ve brought June skiing back… and it happened again last weekend.

Down With Snowboarding Since Day One

For those unaware, Tyrol Basin allowed snowboarding nearly since the very beginning. They didn’t just accept it but embraced it. Back in the early nineties when most halfpipes were hand dug, it was in fact home to one of the top 5 creations in the country. Up there with Stratton and Snow Summit. As a teenager, I couldn’t believe the creativity and perfection in the sculpting that existed there. From tiny hits to a showtime booter and even a perfectly manicured pipe. It was amazing.

The Birth Of The June Summer SnowFest

This passion for the sport and creativity translated to everything they did including marketing. The idea of a June Summer SnowFest was hatched after a particularly cold and brutal winter. Instead of just extending the season for a day or two, Tyrol decided to do something different. Something unique and purchase a Milwaukee Brewers tarp. Why you ask? Instead of closing up for the season permanently, they decided to harvest all the snow on the mountain and cover it under a tarp.

The Stage Is Set

Since the eighties, the Midwest has been a breeding ground for pro snowboarders. As soon as they got sponsored, they headed West to bigger peaks and deeper snow. Names like Bjorn Leines, Tom Gilles, and Nate Cole rang through our clique of friends. If I remember this correctly (and I could be wrong – my memory isn’t as good as it used to be), the year was 1996. Before the internet and cell phones. My friend had just gotten his driver’s license. It was through our local shop, Bad Boyz Toyz, we heard about Tyrol’s June Summer SnowFest. Snowboarding in June?!? We had to see this in person.

The Land Of Oz Except Snow

Driving past corn and other brightly colored fields, we finally make the last turn and pull into the parking lot. There it was. Surrounded by freshly sprouted green trees and a manicured lawn. A half-pipe filled with snowboarders boosting airs. The snow shimmered in the summer heat like an oasis. For snow sliders, it felt like our Emerald City. We stood there in awe amongst hundreds of others. And within it were the pros that we had grown up watching on videos like the TB series and Mack Dawg Films. It inspired me so much to the point that I even made the move out West albeit on a MUCH smaller scale.

Today’s Is More Au Natural

Despite the halfpipe and competition having gone the way of the dodo bird, the spirit and soul of this annual event has returned. Sadly, the tarp has disintegrated but the new owners have done their best to preserve the snow as long as they can and now have rekindled the torch. Hundreds of people from St Louis to Minnesota make the journey once again to get a few more laps in. Here’s to another decade of skiing in June in the Midwest and inspiring the next generation.