SANDY RIVER PLANTATION — After pumping more than 5 million gallons of water onto ski trails last week in the form of snow, the operations crew at Saddleback Mountain Ski Area saw no harm in pumping a little more into a man-made pond about half the size of an Olympic swimming pool Saturday.

Skiers and snowboard riders tried to “skim” — with varying degrees of success — across the 72 feet of water without getting too wet.

 “How long has the pond-skimming tradition been going on?” Bob Greene, a longtime Saddleback ski patrolman, asked rhetorically. “About as long as there’s been ski areas.”

But getting in on the action were two of Greene’s colleagues, Charles Harris of Damariscotta and Jeff Mann of Georgetown. The two were trying what they believed had never been done before: skimming a loaded rescue toboggan pulled by a patrolman across the gap.

It didn’t work out so well for the duo, but Greene said he and the crowd were impressed by both attempts. “I don’t think that’s ever been tried before,” Greene said.

Little Lulu Farmer only made it about 20 feet before she was plucked out of the water by Wayne Arsenault, who was on hand in a deep-water wetsuit for just that purpose.

Arsenault, also a patrolman, smiled and dodged splashes and snowballs from the crowd but also plucked several from the drink.

Lily Temple of Gardiner was among them. Temple didn’t make it across on either of her attempts but came close.

“At first I was so scared,” Temple said. “I almost made it; I was trying to stand up and then I felt this warm sensation.” It was the water, which was warmer than she thought it would be. “It was so fun.”

Other first-timers like Mike Wiltse of Augusta said they had always wanted to try it and decided this would be the year. Wiltse dressed like a cowboy; his pal Erik McClure of Carrabassett Valley was wearing a Mexican wrestling mask.

Both made it across. “I think it was all the denim,” Wiltse said. “It deflected the water.”

Saddleback General Manager Christopher Farmer made it across, to the cheers of the crowd of about 300 people. 

Near the end of what’s been a rather dismal natural snow year, Farmer said he was glad to see so many people enjoying the day and the resort’s 21 open trails.

He said the annual pond-skimming event was as much for spectators as for those who braved the water. 

“It’s a really great community event that’s fun for everybody and puts smiles on people’s faces,” Farmer said.

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