Fitting In By Standing Out: Finding the Perfect Crazy Ski Hat

You get up before the sun, eat a quick breakfast of cereal and fruit, and check the latest snow reports before beginning to get dressed. You put on your Under Armor, your powder pants, your jacket, your boots, your gloves, and then after all your preparation is complete, you don the piece de resistance: your hat. As you take your first run of the day you see other hats whiz by; menageries of animals, court jesters on their way to entertain a king, and more than a few people with fleece dreads who look like they got lost on their way to the Bahamas.

Sure, trends exist when it comes to all types of clothing. Boots and gloves, jackets and pants, all are designed to cater to the customer’s interest in colors and designs, but only a hat can be made into the shape of your favorite animal and still function as it was intended to. Larry Shaw, ski expert and former reservations manager at Mount Snow, VT says that “like all clothing, there is some personality carry-over into what to get.” Clothes directly represent your personality—what makes hats so distinct from other fashions is that in order to fit in, you need to stick out. “It has been a big craze in the past few years,” Larry states, to wear something crazy and unique. It hasn’t always been this way, however. Hats have over the past 20 years literally gone from “practical and knit” to “new age material and wild looks” according to Larry, who’s seen it all out on the slopes.

So what are the most common crazy hats out there? According to Mike Jacknan, owner of the Breckenridge Hat Company based in Breckenridge, Colorado, hats made to look like animals, headphone beanies, and those with spikes are the most popular with his customers. Breckenridge offers a new and especially interesting line of hats called Knitwits, which are made to look like sock monkeys and other types of animals. The headphone beanies are a big success with those looking to play music while out on the slopes or while simply sitting in the lodge enjoying a hot chocolate. Mike explains that, “the younger ones want to blend in because it’s important at that age. Others want to match their jackets, and the much younger kids just wanna be wild and crazy. They try the hats on and see what works best for them.” Most of Jacknan’s customers range from ages 15 to 30 and they are sure to be out there on the slopes expressing themselves with their spikes and sock monkeys.

Hat experts and retailers aren’t the only ones noticing this trend—those working at various resorts and ski agencies have noticed different hats becoming more and more popular. Abigail Nelson of Wintergreen Resort sees a lot of jester hats and some interesting knit hats that look like they’re trying to be “old school.” There are also those few unique hats that one only comes across every so often. “My brother has a dragon hat,” Abigail says with a smile, “it’s really cool, it’s green and has multi-colored spikes going down the length of it.” Chad Orton of Tours de Sport, understands the rising trends concerning headgear and personality. “In some cases, sometimes a hat is just a hat—functional—and other times you want other people to see what your likes/dislikes are and how fun you are with an attention-grabbing style,” he explains.

When it comes to deciding what type of hat you want to buy, it all comes down to your own personality and interests. Chances are, if you can think of it, somebody else already has and has turned it into a hat. David Ainsley, a Virginia native, says that his ideal hat would be in the shape of a penguin. Sarah Gunther, a skier from Baltimore, believes that her hat “would be something cool and crazy. Maybe a moose.” One avid skier, Ben Wolfram, has 4 different hats, each reflecting his personal style. His helmet shows he is a risk taker, but one who is still concerned with his well being, while an Alpaca fur hat trimmed with diamond-like studs and his Fargo hat are both concerned with warmth while maintaining the throwback style. His last hat, one from his Alma Mater, Towson University, shows his tiger pride as he makes his way down the mountain.

There are so many options out there now that it can be a daunting task to try to pick out the perfect hat that will make you fit in by making you stand out. The best thing for you to do is to browse and see what is out there before making a final decision. Skihats.com and Breckenridgehatcompany.com have hundreds of hats to choose from, and perhaps most importantly considering today’s economy, they are all modestly priced and extremely affordable to any veteran ski bum or beginner determined to make a statement their first day on skis. “Most of the new lines are pretty costly,” Shaw warns, but there are several places willing to sell you something with personality for a low price. It all comes down to how much you want to stand out against the stark white snow and finding a hat that is both comfortable, functional, and that screams what kind of person you are as you ski on by or make a particularly entertaining face plant into the snow—at least you’ll be face planting in style.

So next time you are preparing to hit the slopes, what will you be wearing? A simple, 20 year old monochromatic piece of fleece that can barely pass as a hat anymore, or something vibrant, exciting, and fitted to match your distinct personality. A hat is a blank template, waiting to be filled, waiting to show everyone exactly what lies beneath. Are you up to the challenge?

-Jocelyn Carver

Jocelyn is a full time student at Randolph-Macon college and an avid skier, when studies permit. Her crazy hat collection includes a crazy penguin and a Canadian maple leaf.