A Bum’s Guide: How To Get Your Buzz On

Remember: Always drink responsibly, no need to be getting hamboned on hill, it's not safe or fun for you or anyone around you.

Invest in a flask, this is of high priority, managing volume is key. If you are shredding around the hill, you don’t want to be dragging a 6 pack of PBR with you everywhere. Whiskey is a good way to go, packs a punch. If you can’t handle whiskey, schnapps is one of my favorites, and the ladies love it, so you can always give some of the local shred chicks a sip or two. Nips get expensive, much better to have a handle at home and be filling the flask every time you go out. Also throw a little Jameson in that morning coffee, it’ll start your day on hill right.

If you're a legitimate park rat, then a backpack full of beer is a good time, drop it off at the park. But remember if it's wicked cold that day, beer WILL freeze and explode, liquor will not. Too many days have been ruined by frozen exploded beers in one's favorite backpack. Bring the same beer as what is the cheap beer at the apres bar. Bring one or two in and you will save a few bucks at the end of the day, and still get to bump elbows with the hotties on vacation.

Rolling Rock is Pretty Cheap, but Much Cheaper at the Local Gas Station

Let’s get down to not being an ass, if you have a flask, who knows what’s in there, no one is heavily invested. If you are drinking a beer, cover that shit up. It’ll go a long ways for you if ski patrol or whatever your mountain's low paid safety squad is swings by. For the most part, ski patrol doesn’t care, but they would appreciate you not putting them in that situation. They keep us safe and it is their job to talk to people breaking the rules, it’s a sign of respect if anything. The ideal is a simply coozy, once spring hits hard, one of your gloves will do. I have seen more creative methods: socks, bags, whatever, as long as it's covered up.

You want to be shopping at least 20 miles away from the ski mountain for booze as a general rule of thumb, even the gas station at the bottom of the hill is going to be marking up prices most often. If you live near a ski resort, stock up when you drive to the nearest real town. Your wallet might hurt at first, but it will thank you later.

Cheers boys and girls,

It’s going to be a good season