Twenty years after the first beer took air at the site of the original Bear Claw Café, aprés ski spirit lived on again at the base of the mountain.

On February 27, 2008, Cloudveil’s inaugural Gelande Quaff World Championships at the Village Café couldn’t have been scripted any better. With a cross-section of teams from Jackson Hole and the National ski community, the unprecedented event reminded everyone of ski culture’s colorful past.

Sixteen teams in heated head-to-head competition led to a poetic finale as the Jackson Hole Ski Patrol faced off with the Village Café team.

After two minutes of freestyle Gelande Quaffing, the crowd erupted as a ski boot full of Big Sky Brewing’s Trout Slayer Ale took air and was downed by the VC’s John Verdon seconds before the end of the round.

The Village Café team of Reese Edwards, Johnny Recchio, Cody McIness, John Verdon and coach Dom Gagliardi embodied the renegade spirit of the original Jackson Hole Air Force, whose founders Captain Benny Wilson and Howie Hollywood Hendersen judged each round with nostalgic scrutiny. Thanks to all who embraced aprés ski spirit and showed just how much fun it is to celebrate after a day on the hill. - JK

Our friend Greg Epstein was there snapping shutters and captured the spirit of the event: Click Here for his slideshow.

David Gonzales at The Snaz was there shooting too. Click Here for his video.