SkiCulture You’ve heard it so many times, you might even know it by heart. The scripted, formal tram announcement: “Rendezvous Mountain is recommended for…If you want to ride the tram back down…Please observe the Caution Cliff Area signs….Waffles, hot drinks…The ski patrol is located…” Every now and then, though, it came off a little differently. And for those tram riders lucky enough to have ridden a Soul Tram, the announcement took on a whole new Vase’s friend, Debbie Rizzo, designed an sound. It started with the music – soul artful disco sticker that he gave to fans who music from the Barry White era: The rode the Soul Tram. The sticker itself gained Fifth Dimension, Sly And The Family a cult status, as stickers in Jackson Hole Stone, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, sometimes do. Aretha – the list goes on and on. Tram conductor Mike Vase’s iPod held hundreds of these songs, and occasionally he played them for his tram riders. Then one day, the spirit moved Vase to lend the tram announcement itself a soulful twist. “Some of us workers were thinking about how to spice up the famously consistent tram speech,” said Vase. “Most of the ideas were in jest and would’ve ensured our termination. But my buddy Brad thought it would be funny to speak in a low, sexy voice and say ‘soul tram’ instead of ‘tram’ every time that word comes up in the announcement.” Vase tried it out one day and followed it with Marvin Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On.” “The entire, full box erupted in laughter, whistles, cheers, you name Mike Vase “flying the car” it....the energy created and expressed was wild,” Vase exclaimed. So it began. Word spread and people started requesting the Soul Tram. “Soul Trams were never planned,” said Vase. “It would depend on the Vase created a play list and varied his soulful inflections during the an- vibe at that moment, standing in the operator’s station, waiting to close nouncement. A Soul Tram became a prized event, occurring only randomly, the doors while people packed themselves into the tram car and wait to unpredictably. You felt lucky if you rode one. summit the best resort in the Lower 48, accessed by the best lift in the “They got better because of the craze that developed around them,” U.S. I probably did a couple a day, but on big, blower, powder days, with said Vase. “People filmed it, writers wrote about it...the buzz that the Soul all the smiling faces, I would do a Soul Tram every time I flew the cars.” Tram created was amazing.” The future of the Soul Tram is uncertain. Mike Vase was promoted to the Vase’s friend Debbie Rizzo designed an artful disco sticker declaring, “I tram maintenance department as an apprentice tram mechanic. But if you Rode The Soul Tram,” and printed 600 that he gave to fans who had actu- hear strains of soul music while riding the big red box, turn to see who the ally ridden one. The sticker itself gained a cult status, as stickers in Jack- operator is. You never know. — Jackson Hole Skier son Hole sometimes do.
Wade McKoy photos
The Soul Tram
Gaper Fools’ Day
Bob Woodall photos
If it’s April 1 and you’re at the Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, put on something special and join the party.
Elvis Presley, Bugs Bunny, Beach Ball Man, Hockey Hero, That ‘70s Show, Fashionably Obnoxious ‘80s...
The helmet-cam craze drew scads of satirists.