Skiing in jeans is a rite of passage, according to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort.
On Dec. 9, the world class ski resort in Teton Village, Wy. saw 3,114 denim-clad guests hit the slopes—officially earning it the world record for the most people skiing and riding in jeans.
Billed as “Ski In Jeans Day,” participants paid $25 for lift tickets and $25 for rentals—significantly less than the resort’s typical $200-plus Saturday tickets. As such, the event, which was held from 8:30 a.m. through 3 p.m., sold out, generating at least $75,000 in the process.
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The previous record was set by 102 skiers wearing jeans at The Remarkables mountain range in New Zealand during a “Denim Dash” event in October. Before that, Colorado’s Arapahoe Basin held the title in 2020 for 80 denim-clad skiers.
Ned Wonson, director of marketing at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, said the world record was broken an hour into the event.
“We were trying to kick off our winter season and wanted to think of a way to create a unique experience that people could have with their friends and families,” Wonson said. “We wanted to give people a reason to come out to Jackson Hole and to get outside and ski, and we wanted to eliminate as many barriers as possible to do that.”
Blue jeans dominated Teton Village, as well as jean jackets, denim skirts and even a few pairs of jorts.
“We saw everything; there was such a great [denim] mix and we were really blown away by people’s creativity,” Wonson said, noting that light wash jeans and bell bottoms were particularly popular. “I [wore] a pair of Levi’s that were bootcut and had a little stretch, which was really important for fitting over the top of the ski boots but not too tight that you can’t do the buckles.”
Attendees celebrated their record-breaking day with live music by The Deadlocks (playing the tunes of the Jerry Garcia Band) as well as with food and drink, including the Blue Jeans Sloshie, a blended-blue cosmo with vodka.
“I think my favorite comment was somebody mentioned that they never thought it would be that comfortable to go ski [in denim],” Wonson said. “I think we changed a lot of hearts and minds about skiing in jeans.”
