Headed to the Mountains? Try This Outrageously Fun Ski and Snowboarding Game!

Do you ever miss recess – or even just Diddy Kong Racing? Do you wish there were a winter version of Bay to Breakers? Then head to the mountains with ten (or more) of your silliest friends and play Monkey Ski, Monkey Do (if that’s too much of a mouthful, you could just call it The Great Banana Chase -- or simply Bananaboarding).
 
YOU WILL NEED:
1 Gorilla costume
N-1 Banana costumes
Skis, Boards, Poles and Helmets for the group​

The rules are simple: pick the best skier/snowboarder in your group. Put them in the gorilla costume. (If you're not sure, nominate a few candidates, and make them earn that gorilla suit -- perhaps by having a "who can eat the most bananas without their hands" contest, or a "running barefoot through the snow" contest, or through a good old fashioned bribe.)

Everyone else: put on a banana costume.

Now you’re ready to play!

The bananas get a 10-minute head start. They’re allowed to go anywhere on the mountain. (Depending on your group’s preferences and abilities, you might set certain areas off limits. For example, no skiing in the trees, either because it's too easy to hide and/or because a chase in the trees could be dangerous. Or, perhaps, stay off the bunny slopes, so you don’t kill small children. Or even, You're limited to these three lifts, if you're on a big mountain.)
 
After ten minutes, the gorilla begins to hunt. When Gorilla sees a banana, Gorilla must tag the banana by hitting them with a snowball. If Gorilla is successful, the banana gets "peeled" -- meaning they pull the top of their costume down from their head. This signals their "peeled" status to others.

As a Gorilla or Zombie Banana, you must follow three additional rules:

1. No hitting bananas when they’re in the lift line.
2. No hitting bananas from below when they’re on the lift.
3. No hitting bananas when they’re coming off the lift.

 
Basically, the lift is a safe zone. You have to hit bananas when they’re on the run.
 
There are two ways to win as bananas. Either you’re the last banana to get tagged, or the lifts close and you haven’t been tagged yet.
 
Obviously, you can set additional rules if you want (e.g., no pegging bananaboarders when they’re buckling their bindings). But these are the basics.
 
Now get up to the mountains and enjoy the snow!
​

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Want to document your adventure? Stock up on GoPros, or SJCams, a cheaper alternative. Or, if you want to get really crazy, check out the Lily – a waterproof, weatherproof drone that automatically follows and films you while you ski, board, surf, whitewater kayak, or even just hike or get married or whatever.

Additionally, if you need some suggestions for your Monkey Ski, Monkey Do playlist, may I recommend:

• Banana Pancakes, by Jack Johnson
• Day-O (Banana Boat Song), by Harry Belafonte
• The Monkees, by The Monkees
• Everybody's Got Something to Hide (Except Me and My Monkey), by The Beatles
• Banana Splits (The Tra La La Song) [as heard in the movie Kickass], by The Dixies
• Hollaback Girl, by Gwen Stefani 
• Brass Monkey, by the Beastie Boys
• Green Bananas, by Jake Owens
• Too Much Monkey Business, by Elvis Presley and The Jordanaires
• Chiquita Bananas - I'm a Chiquita Banana, from Old Time Radio Commercials
• The Monkey's Uncle, by Annette Funicello
• Monkey Man, by the Rolling Stones
• Another Postcard, by the Barenaked Ladies
• Yes, We Have No Bananas, by Billy Jones
• I Am A Banana, by Parry Gripp 
• Monkey Wrench, by the Foo Fighters
• You Drive Me Ape (You Big Gorilla), by the Dickies 
• Please No Squeeze The Banana, by Louis Prima With Sam Butera & The Witnesses
• I Wanna Be Like You, from The Jungle Book
• Proudest Monkey, by Dave Matthews Band
• Banana Freak Out, by George Guzman
• Bananas, by MacHilo
• Bananas and Blow, by Ween
• Banana Split for my Baby, by Louis Prima
• Silly Bananas, by The Fresh Beat Band
• Fire Coming Out of the Monkey's Head, by the Gorillaz
• Shock the Monkey, by Peter Gabriel
• Fat Man and Dancing Girl (Monkey in the Middle), by Suzanne Vega
• Space Monkey, by John Prine

​Stream them for free on Amazon, or check out this Spotify playlist. And obviously don't forget your Chocolate Chewy Banana Bites (I bought my first bag recently, and they were delicious!) and banana bread mix!