Rock the Casbah at the Totally ’80s Retro Ski Weekend
From material girls to men without hats, fans of the 1980s will flock to Beech Mountain in February for the seventh annual Totally ’80s Retro Ski Weekend.
The weekend, consisting of four days of tubular awesomeness, takes place Feb. 22-25, 2018, at Beech Mountain Resort and throughout the town of Beech Mountain.
This year’s festivities include live ’80s music each night, retro ski fashions every day and a plenty of old school activities ranging from a Rubik’s Cube competition to ’80s karaoke to the ever-popular Totally Retro Apparel Contest.
Vintage 1980s cars, including a Ghostbuster Ecto-mobile, will be on display in the ski village, while arcade aficionados can take a shot at the high score in the Ms. Pac Man contest. There will also be opportunities to take photos with Brake Michaels, the Carolinas’ premier Bret Michaels look-alike artist.
Most attendees say the highlight of the weekend is checking out the colorful throwback ski clothes.
“You dust off all your best ’80s gear and wear it on the slopes. It is awesome and fun and the pictures are worth a thousand words,” says Talia Freeman, marketing director for Beech Mountain Resort. “People get so into it. You wouldn’t believe some of the stuff we see.”
This year promises an even larger array of 1980s ski threads as the second annual ’80s ski apparel parade unleashes a neon procession of dayglo Friday afternoon from the top of the slopes.
Further bending the space-time continuum is an audacious nightly lineup of bands, starting Thursday night at Famous Fast Eddie’s featuring DeCarlo and continuing through Saturday night at the Beech Tree Bar & Grill lodge at the ski resort.
Friday’s concert at the Mile High Tavern will be one for the ages. The Spazmatics, hailing from Charleston, S.C., have a unique style that could be best described as a high-energy blend of punk rock and Revenge of the Nerds.
Saturday night’s performance will feature Cassette Rewind at 7:30 p.m. in the Beech Tree Bar & Grille. Born in the ’80s, Raised on Radio. The Southeast’s Premier ’80s Tribute Band. Totally, authentically ’80s. And don’t miss Saturday night’s Totally Retro Apparel Contest during intermission. It’s an awesome display of retro fashion with $500 going to the winner. A late-night dance party closes the Saturday bash. Tickets will be $10 for general admission and $5 for staff members.
“It’s a unique ski weekend and draws a lot of non-skiers, too,” says Beech Mountain tourism director Kate Gavenus. “When people come up the mountain and drive into town, we want them to feel like they’ve gone back in time, and many of them say they do feel that way.”
Full list of events:
Thursday, February 22nd:
All day – Retro skiing (wear 80s ski apparel)
All day – Totally Tubular Snowtubing at Beech Mountain Resort
5-9pm – First day of Ms. Pac Man Contest at Beech Alpen Inn
6:30-8:30pm – 1980s trivia at Beech Mountain Brewing Co.
9:00pm – DeCARLO at Famous Fast Eddie’s (no cover)
Friday, February 23rd:
All day – Retro skiing (wear 80s ski apparel)
All day – Totally Tubular Snowtubing at Beech Mountain Resort
4:00pm – ’80s Ski Apparel Parade (meet at top of slopes at 3:45)
5:00pm – Over the Top Arm Wrestling Contest at Beech Mountain Brewing Co.
5-9pm – $100 Ms. Pac Man Contest continues at Beech Alpen Inn
6-8pm – Youth Cosmic Sledding on Sledding Hill (free)
6-8:30pm – Retro Karoake Contest at Beech Mountain Brewing Co.
9:00pm – SPAZMATICS at Mile High Tavern ($5 cover; 21 & older)
10:00pm – $200 Best ’80s Hair Contest at Mile High (male & female; 21 & older)
10:45pm – SPAZMATICS return to stage at Mile High
Saturday, February 24th:
All day – Retro skiing (wear 80s ski apparel)
All day – Totally Tubular Snowtubing at Beech Mountain Resort
9am-2pm – Free Rossignol ski demo booth in ski village
10am-4pm – Ghostbusters Ecto-1 in ski village
12:00pm – Beech Mountain Banked Slalom race at ski resort
2:00pm – $100 Name That 80s Tune Competition at the Beech Tree
3-5pm – $100 Ms. Pac Man Contest continues at Beech Alpen (final day)
3:30pm – $100 Rubik’s Cube Contest at Beech Mountain Brewing Co.
7:30pm – CASSETTE REWIND at Beech Tree Bar & Grille ($10 cover; 18 & older)
9:00pm – $500 Totally Retro Apparel Contest at the Beech Tree (18 & older)
10:00pm – CASSETTE REWIND return to stage at Beech Tree
11:30pm – Late Night ’80s Dance Party at Beech Tree
Sunday, February 25th:
All day – Retro skiing (wear 80s ski apparel)
All day – Totally Tubular Snowtubing at Beech Mountain Resort
1pm – Kids in America Retro Apparel Contest at Beech Tree (17 & under)
For more info or lodging specials, call (800) 468-5506 or visit: https://www.beechmtn.com/things-to-do/happenings/retro-80s-weekend
