April 1 is widely acknowledged as April Fool’s Day, a day of jokes, pranks and good-natured fun at the expense of friends, family and colleagues. In Summit County, it is also known as “Gaper Day,” a day when skiers and riders don the hand-me-down and often fluorescent one-piece ski gear of a previous generation and head for the mountain.
This year, with approximately 50 inches of new snow in some parts of the county over the last week, the prospect of another Gaper Day holds a lot of promise for some. But the Breckenridge Police Department and the Breckenridge Ski Resort are cracking down on the tradition again this year, promising tough penalties for disrespectful and abusive behavior.
Gaper Day, generally involving locals — mostly in Breckenridge — dressing up in brightly colored or out-of-date ski gear for the day, is seen by some as a harmless tradition. While they don’t promote or encourage the event, neither Copper Mountain or Keystone Resort attempt to prohibit the April 1 practice.
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