The real reason I ski in a tutu is because it invites conversation. It’s the ultimate outdoor icebreaker. You cannot hike in a tutu without getting noticed. By my estimation, I have 78% more conversations on the trail with a tutu than without.
Just last month I hiked Angel’s Landing in Zion with my grandfather. We were celebrating his 80th birthday. He insisted on a purple tutu to mark the occasion. Everyone, and I mean every single person, stopped to have a conversation to find out what was going on. By the time we made it to the top, the summit plateau of 100+ people erupted into a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday. The experience gave me chills.
How it all started
In 1987, a woman named Kathy Phibbs took four girlfriends to the top of Mt. St. Helens wearing a red chiffon dress. The mountain had been closed to climbing for 7 years after the 1980 eruption, and she felt the occasion called for special attire. At the top, she happened to run into a Seattle Times reporter, who snapped a picture of Kathy in the red dress standing with her four friends dressed as can-can dancers.
A week later it ran on the front page and a tradition was born.Now, every year on Mother’s Day, hundreds of climbers and skiers visit St. Helens’s summit wearing all sorts of festive regalia, mainly dresses and tutus.
Why I ski in a tutu
On Mother’s Day 2012 was my first experience of this grand tradition. My friend Johnny gets credit for officially launching #TeamTutu, as does my birthday-buddy Ben who took me to St. Helens that first year. Only later, on a successful climb of Rainier in 2013, was my relationship with the pink tutu born.
Aside from being fun, silly, and a conversation starter, the tutu has practical uses too. It doesn’t exactly fulfill all of the 10 Essentials, but it comes pretty darn close. In addition to serving as a personal beacon for conversation, here are 10 practical uses for your tutu:
10 practical uses for your tutu:
- Pillow. Who needs a pillow when you have layers and layers of tulle for comfortable head resting?
- Seat. Sap on the log? Wet moss on the rock? Slap this puppy down to keep your bottom clean and dry.
- Butt warmer. More layers = more warmth.
- Towel. Spill something? Tutus have your covered. Mop it up then lay the tutu in the sun to dry in minutes.
- Gauze. The tutu might not be the cleanest (see #4), but in a pinch can absolutely be used to dress or pad your wounds.
- Sun protection. I’m living proof that it’s possible to sunburn your bum from the reflection off the snow up your shorts. That malady can’t happen when your bottom is covered in a tutu!
- Wind sock. Don’t know where the wind is coming from? No problem. Whip that thing off and hold it high in the sky and watch it blow to your heart’s delight.
- Fire starter. I cannot tell you how I know that this works (suffice it to say: it does). Not recommended for children under 12.
- Trail marker. Lost in the woods? Rip off a few pieces, tie them to a tree, and safely find your way back home.
- Locater beacon. I am not the type of person who should be left unsupervised. With the tutu – I’m not! Any one of my people, at any time, can ask, “Have you seen the girl in the pink tutu?” Chances are there’s been a recent spotting, and I’ll soon be located.
There you have it! 10 more reason to wear a tutu. Now you just have to pick your color and get outside!
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