Say it with me: "Sol Fest." Even my Japanese grandma could tell you that "sol" means "sun" in Spanish. Considering that "sol" is also a homophone of "soul," I’d say that "Sol Fest" is a brilliant name for what happened this weekend, March 22-23, in Ketchum and Sun Valley. The weather never reached the early spring apex we experienced a few weeks ago, and temperatures surely dipped on both Friday and Saturday nights, but attendees were hardly dismayed, exhibiting more soul to counter the lack of sol. Fortunately, there was plenty of music and events to keep the blood warm.
Opening on Friday the 22nd, which was, not coincidentally, the start of spring break for colleges nationwide, Sun Valley’s Sol Fest 2013 broke the ice with a Welcome Party on the deck at Whiskey Jacques. From there, things moved down the street to the 511 building for what may have been the highlight of the weekend: the 511 Rail Jam.
Bookending the Revolution Tour on Dollar, the jam featured skiers and boarders, from groms to sponsored amateurs, absolutely slaying an impressive mini-course. Competitors had an urban setup of two rails on either side of a wide stairway, followed by a small gap jump and a barrel jib at the bottom to choose from.
.jpg)
Brandon Davis, from Big Bear, Calif., already the overall winner of the Rev Tour, came out on top again in the rail jam’s snowboard division, while Jonah Williams of Utah won the skier division. With such little margin for error, plenty of progressive tricks and a crowd that was constantly pushing closer to the action, it’s a miracle the session didn’t see a single injury.
Friday night officially concluded back at Whiskey’s, where Paranoid Social Club played for the second time, after rocking out at River Run in the afternoon. Although the Sawtooth Brewery, located next door to the 511 building, wasn’t on the schedule, it deserves an honorable mention, as the best place to grab a beer and warm the hands immediately after a rail jam.
Sol Fest’s big day was Saturday the 23rd. Parties. Costumes. Sun Valley’s version of Shane McConkey’s game of G.N.A.R. Post-game parties. Live music. The showdown of the day was A.P.R.E.S., or Advanced Protocol for Ridiculous Endeavors in Sun Valley. I’ve said it before, this place has a knack for names. If you’re not familiar with Shane McConkey’s now legendary game of dares, this is how it works: say ridiculous things for points (i.e. tell a pro, “I can’t believe you’re a pro—I’m so much better than you!”), do ridiculous stunts for more points (i.e. ski any run butt naked), watch your friends up the ante (i.e. ski any run switch and butt naked) and tally your score. A.P.R.E.S. participants shared in the day’s absurdities with an after-party at Apple’s Bar and Grill near the Warm Springs base area.
Those still standing then migrated to Main Street, where Ketchum skillfully closed the road from Sun Valley Road to 2nd Street, allowing Pool Party to groove in no-man’s-land between the Casino and Whiskey’s. Brother Ali, the world’s finest albino rapper, then played at the latter for a loud-as-hell ending of the two-day riot.
Indeed, Sun Valley rolled out the red carpet for college students (and the like) this weekend. Yup, everyone’s favorite demographic got some serious love from the nation’s oldest ski resort, in the form of a highly-stimulating, highly-creative lineup of things to do and places to be. Considering that the median age in Ketchum is 44-years old, I’d say regular events, like Sol Fest and the Revolution Tour, have become a necessity here. A growing youth culture is nothing to fear and the success of Sun Valley’s biggest spring party proved it. Say it with me: “Sol Fest.”
