Stoking a joke

Seems one got past the Google truth- o-meter earlier this week. The eternal jesters at Teton Gravity Research got the better of the internet Goliath when its spoof, proclaiming that “Epic Resorts” was adding an Everest option to its “Stoke Pass” for an additional $199, turned up in the third place spot in the search engine.

Bear in mind, TGR’s “story” (which was clearly marked as satire on its page) appeared the day after Vail Resorts announced it was adding several Midwest and East Coast resorts to its insanely popular Epic Pass. The news apparently got the world wide web humming with ski bums wanting to know more.

“Epic Resorts will be proud to offer skiers and riders access to one of the most famous alpine environments in the world – however, it’s gonna be f***ing dangerous,” Epic Resorts CEO Rhonda McSally was quoted as saying.

The piece went on to say the pass included climbing equipment, oxygen, a tent at basecamp and Sherpa assistance. The story also promised a chairlift built to 26,000 feet, roughly 3,000 feet below Everest’s summit and just on the sunny side of the famed “Death Zone.”

Of course, most astute news and powder connoisseurs should have smelled this like a sweat-soaked ski sock from a mile away. Then again, this is the same discerning public that bought the whole “Storm Area 51” conspiracy. And likely gobbled up TGR’s “Flaming Land Shark” piece a few days earlier, hook, line and sinker.

To read for yourself, go to tetongravity.com/ story/culture. Just remember, once you see the flaming land shark, it will be burned into your memory forever. And that is a true story.