Packed house for special edition of 'Frabert'

Recounting tales of glory and tragedy is a staple for folks who do dangerous work — a release valve that lends dignity to their profession and forms tales that become fodder for those who can only imagine lives exposed to death or loss of limb on a daily basis.

Fishermen share harrowing tales of stormy nights on big boats, wildland firefighters refer to the biggest burns and soldiers speak of battle in ways that impact the way our hearts beat and minds spin.

Local ski patrollers, in their stead, have gathered at different Big Mountain watering holes to share stories that are equal parts ludicrous and hilarious, where the people tasked with keeping others safe in the front country release the steam that comes with dealing with so many Californians, Canadians and those who just don’t really know what they’re are doing on the slopes.

On Wednesday evening a special version of the event, dubbed “Frabert,” was held in a packed Bierstube at Whitefish Mountain Resort as part of a week commemorating the ski resort’s 70th anniversary.

During the ceremony, which began around a timely 5:50 p.m., men who had worked at the mountain for decades told the tales that stood out most to them and recognized some friends that had recently passed away.

Hundreds of people were packed into the iconic bar to listen and chip in their own two cents. People stood on bar stools and benches to take photos of the storytellers and the famous sock monkey wearing a cast that has been part of the tradition for decades. Afterward, they stayed to partake in the free pitchers of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer that ski patrollers famously pass around, filling the audience’s glasses to end the night.

One man told a story that is also recounted in a historical book about the mountain “Hellroaring.”

In it, two angry men call the mountain one day because they have been waiting at the airport for hours for someone to pick them up. Confused and having no record of the men coming, mountain officials send someone down to pick them up and quiz them about their reservations on the way back. When they arrive at the mountain they do some research, and find out that the two men, who turned out to be Delta airlines pilots, actually booked reservations at Big Sky Resort near Bozeman.

Another man told a story of one of his favorite Frabert occasions from years past. Back then, coats and gloves that attached to each other were popular, so when you took your gloves off they still rested just off your sleeves.

A man was skiing with a couple of his buddies when one of them stopped in the trees to relieve himself. He was turned around talking to his buddies, and when he finished and looked down he didn’t see the traditional yellow hole in the snow. Without thinking much of it, he turned around and put his gloves back on and realized where it all went.

When Frabert came around that week, the man recounting the tale momentarily forgot his well-hydrated companion’s name. When he told the crowd what happened and said “you know who you are, just come up here,” three people immediately got up to fess up to poor aim.

Ski communities across the country share the tradition at Big Mountain, but this one is the fourth oldest in the nation. It has been going on every Wednesday during the season for the past 59 years, according to event organizers.

Dan Endrizzi has worked at the Base Lodge ski maintenance workshop for nearly a quarter-century, and he said the thing that most demonstrates Frabert’s value is its remarkable consistency.

“Out of the 24 years I’ve been here, it’s been an every Wednesday night thing,” Endrizzi said.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.