WE SCENE IT >>>

This isn't your typical Saturday night in The BullWheel Pub & Grill at Crystal Mountain Ski Resort. The ski bum vibe has been transformed. Wind burns and bright ski jackets give way to the racier imagery of thongs and bras befitting the night's theme. The music is rocking. But the real difference goes beyond the watering hole's ambience. It's not often you see this much leather in one place. The crowd ranges from sexy to odd, but decidedly intriguing.

Some who pass through the bar's doors appear to have arrived by accident, figuring it to be an average, perhaps even quiet night to get a drink. Ironically, these otherwise nondescript would-be patrons are the ones who stand out for the moment, awkwardly camouflaged in their ski hat plainness against a landscape of decadence personified. The energy continues to build into a full-blown, raging party. And for those who  find thrill in the act of people watching, there's no better venue than this.

Welcome to Dirt Bag Ball. 

For some, it was about the fashion this past Saturday night; getting to wear something out of the ordinary;  enjoying the tactile sensation of dirty or racy clothing against the skin. Obviously, there's a certain mystique or thrill in wearing rock star or groupie attire. For others, it was about the music, as the theme for this 10^th annual event was Rockers and Rockettes. It was a de facto meeting place for those who like the sleazy '70s, '80s glam, and grungy '90s. The rock, New Wave and metal covers by band One-Eye Jack were as inseparable from the scene as the form-fitting corset.

For still others, like the dude who wore an empty Pabst half-rack box on his head, or the dude who dressed as Angus Young, or the chick dressed as Madonna who wouldn't stay off the band's stage, it was about partying to the extreme.

My wife, Kate, and I attended this year's Dirt Bag Ball sandwiched between two days of awesome powder. It was the best night of people watching I've experienced in a while. And the $25 ticket benefitted the Crystal Mountain Ski Patrol education fund.

We'll be back.

LINK: More photos from the night