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Date: 2/9/2022
OTIS – For the third time in recent years, Otis Ridge Ski Area will host a Cardboard Box Race on Feb. 12, beginning at 1 p.m.
General Manager Eric VanOostveen said this year’s race will be the third annual, having skipped last year due to COVID-19.
There is no cost, but in lieu of an entry fee, the ski area is asking for teams and individuals to bring a non-perishable item for the Otis Food Pantry.
Teams must register in advance, and race in cardboard box sleds they have built themselves. Registration, which includes liability waivers, may be found at otisridge.com/store/product/3rd-annual-cardboard-box-race/ or by searching for Otis Ridge Ski Area on Facebook.com.
A disc jockey will provide music during the race, and prizes will be awarded to the fastest and most creative box racing teams. VanOostveen said J Dog Junk Hauling of the Berkshires volunteered to haul away the cardboard after the race.
VanOostveen said he anticipates a large crowd, as 25 had already registered by the weekend before the race. He said there is room for up to 60 teams to participate.
After a shaky beginning, this season has been a good one for Otis Ridge, VanOostveen said.
“We’re 100 percent open. The whole mountain is covered and man-made,” he said, adding that the crowds are good on the weekends. He said 80 percent of the weekend crowds are people from New York and Connecticut who have second homes in the area.
Otis Ridge, at 159 Monterey Road in Otis, is open to the public Wednesdays through Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., with extended and Monday-Tuesday hours during school vacation week. Tickets are $25 mid-week, and $45 for a full day on weekends and holidays. Night skiing (starting after 4 p.m.) is $25.
For more information, visit www.otisridge.com or call 269-4444.