Calling all totally rad dudes and bodacious babes – it’s time to embrace your inner ski bum and start planning the most triumphant 80s ski party of the year!
This comprehensive guide will provide you with endless excellent ideas to create an authentic 80s ski party vibe. We’ll dish on finding a primo venue, sending funky invitations, decking out your space with tubular décor, spinning some classic tunes, dressing the part in awesome’ 80s ski gear, serving gnarly grub and drink, planning activities that slay, and sending guests home with excellent favors.
So pop on the neon one-piece, grab the Aqua Net, and get ready to catch major air – this party is going to be absolutely stellar!
Scoping Out a Righteous 80s Ski Party Venue
Selecting a venue with an authentic 80s ski vibe is clutch for setting the mood. Consider these options:
Actual Ski Resort Lodge
For the ultimate 80s ski party atmosphere, book an event space at a local mountain resort. Many offer great rooms and lodges decked out in that classic ski style. Drape the space with faux fur throws, fill it with vintage gear and decor, and you’ll transport guests right back to the 80s slopes.
Backyard Ski Lodge
Don’t live near a resort? Create your own outdoor ski lodge! Rent a massive heated event tent and decorate the interior with faux wood panels, snowy centerpieces, and plenty of twinkling string lights for that cozy apres ski ambiance. Surround with deck heaters, seating areas, fire pits, and festoon lighting to give your yard a true ski village vibe.
Community Center or Event Hall
Local event venues like community halls, hotel ballrooms, and banquet spaces also make excellent choices. Look for a large, open floor plan that gives you flexibility to create fun zones and activities. Drape ski lodge-inspired decor, and it’ll be like you’re hosting at Aspen’s hottest après spot!
Tricked Out House Party
For a more intimate 80s ski party, transform your home into a ski chalet. Move furniture and create a festival feel by setting up decor and activities throughout your entire home and backyard. Turn the living room into a dance lounge, the dining room into a ski lodge canteen, and deck out your backyard with a s’mores station at a fire pit. Get creative!
Designing Crisp Invitations for Your 80s Ski Soiree
Once your party venue is sorted, it’s time to get the word out to your guests. Make sure your invites convey the theme:
Digital invitation
Create an eye-catching online invitation with a retro snowy mountain graphic and neon 80s font. Include all the key details – date, time, attire, location, activities, food, drinks, etc. Email it or share through social media and text.
Vintage Paper Invitation
For a more traditional approach, design a custom paper invitation featuring images of retro skiers, snowflakes, and mountains. Use artsy graphics and neon colors to give it that 80s vibe. Mail it out in an envelope sealed with a ski sticker.
Decked Out Evites
Evites are a free, easy online option. Upload an outrageous 80s ski graphic and include music to really set the mood. Provide ample party details so guests know what to expect.
Far Out Video Invite
Get creative and produce a short video invite! Film yourself in 80s ski gear extending a formal verbal invite to your party. Or make a retro ski commercial parody, complete with blue screen effects and cheesy graphics. Share via YouTube, social media, or email.
Decking Out Your 80s Ski Party With Cool Retro Decor
Once guests get their radical invites, it’s time to style your space. Amp up the 80s ski vibes with:
Over-the-Top Neon Decor
Nothing screams 80s more than neon! Use neon fabric, posters, balloons, duct tape, paint and string lights to give your space an electric makeover. Make neon triangles, squiggles, lightning bolts. Write out “80s Ski Party” or other cool phrases in fun neon fonts. Blacklights will make colors pop even more.
Ski Chalet Accents
Bring the slopes indoors with vintage ski gear like snowshoes, goggles, frosted skis, wool blankets, snowflake decorations, and retro metal signs. Drape faux fur throws on seating, fill vases with pinecones and silver branches, and display snow globes and model ski villages.
Snowy Centerpieces
Set the wintry mood with frosted vases full of silver pine sprigs, white pompoms, flocked pinecones, and fake snow. Surround with glitter candles and fill bowls with glass “ice” cubes and plastic snowball candies as accent pieces.
Après Ski Lodge Seating Areas
Create designated hang-out areas with modular sections styled with plush blankets, pillows, and faux fur throws. Use furniture and accessories that have a woodsy, ski lodge vibe. Add trails maps and a “fireplace” video on loop to complete the effect.
Wintery Lighting
In addition to neon, string plenty of twinkle lights, paper lanterns, colored bulbs, and tabletop candles to give your venue a festive glow. Use clip-on desk lamps or sconces to illuminate activities and seating nooks.
Après Ski Selfie Booth
Set up a photo booth area with ski props and an 80s backdrop. Provide fuzzy hats, goggles, gloves, gear, and signs for epic Instagram-worthy photo ops. Hand out instant cameras and film for extra authentic 80s pics.
With the right combo of neon, ski-inspired accents, lighting and comfy lounges, your venue will time warp guests right back to the 80s!
Cranking the Most Triumphant 80s Ski Tunes
Get guests pumped to hit the slopes with these classic, high-energy 80s ski party anthems:
Fancy a hotter 80s theme? Read my article about an 80s neon glow night.
Sporting Uber 80s Ski Gear
The threads make the bash, so be sure to get guests fully decked out in some neon 80s ski gear. Share outfit ideas on invites or event pages:
Women
- Neon ski suits with high rises and stirrup pants
- Bodysuits, tights, scrunchies, side ponies – bigger hair the better!
- Oversized blazers, cropped sweaters, puffy vests
- Leggings and colorful tights
- Bold blue eyeshadow and bright blush
Men
- Retro ski suits, puffy jackets, sweaters and vests
- Neon sweatbands
- Big hair, mullets, and fake mustaches
- Loud printed shirts under sweaters
- Jeans, sweatpants, track jackets
- Crazy printed socks
Provide extra props like ski goggles, gloves, helmets, gold chains, fanny packs and sweatbands for photo ops. Award prizes for best 80s ski outfit.
Serving Up Frosty 80s Ski Party Eats and Drinks
Keep guests properly fueled for an all-night 80s fest with these tasty ideas:
Supreme Après Ski Entrées
- Cheese fondue with bread cubes, apple slices, and veggies for dunking.
- Baked potato and chili bar with tons of radical toppings like cheese, bacon, scallions, butter, and sour cream.
- Mac and cheese bar with mix-ins like lobster, pulled pork, broccoli, salsa, etc.
- Great burgers and hot dog slider station with chips, tots and all the fixings.
Awesome Après Appetizers
- Mini corn dogs with honey mustard dipping sauce
- Warm soft pretzels with queso dip
- Nacho bar with ground beef, salsa, cheese, beans, etc.
- Hummus and pita or veggie platter
- Mozzarella sticks with marinara sauce
Smooth Ski Desserts
- Hot cocoa bar with whipped cream, marshmallows, sprinkles, crushed candy canes or peppermint
- Donut wall with powdered, glazed and filled donuts
- Gummy candy in ski shapes like goggles, snowflakes, mountains
- Frosted snowball cake pops
- Pine tree brownies
- Sugar cookies decorated like snowmen with icing and sprinkles
Excellent Ski Beverages
- Classic hot toddies
- Mulled wine with cinnamon sticks
- Spiked hot chocolate with whiskey, peppermint schnapps
- Eggnog
- Hot buttered rum
- Fruity ski-themed cocktails like sloe gin fizz, snowball old fashioned, etc.
- Non-alcoholic hot apple cider, cocoa, and fruit punch
Of course include party classics like beer, sod and juice too. Make sure to keep a hydration station stocked with plain and flavored waters too.
Go Off Piste With These Fun Activities
Keep guests entertained with these 80s ski-themed activities:
- 80s ski movie viewing lounge with flicks like Better Off Dead, Aspen Extreme, Hot Dog…The Movie, etc.
- Retro arcade and gaming lounge for ski-themed classics like SkiFree, Alpine Ski, Ski Resort Mogul on Nintendo
- “Name That Tune” contests to identify classic 80s ski movie soundtracks and jams
- Karaoke lounge for belting out ski-related 80s hits
- Limbo, hula-hoop, and dance-off contests with prizes
- Twister tournaments – ski edition (left foot blue, right hand black diamond, etc.)
- Classic lawn games like cornhole, ladder ball, and giant Jenga
- Outdoor snowball fight (with plush balls)
- Sledding races down inflatable toboggans
- Yeti hunting – Hide a stuffed yeti and have teams search the party to find it
- Ski pole limbo obstacle course
- Après ski superlatives award ceremony for best wipeout, costumes, etc.
Get more radical 80s party game ideas from my list.
Taking Care of Guests with nostalgic 80s Favors
Send your guests off with excellent favors to remember your radical 80s ski party. Ideas include:
- Neon ski goggles
- Ski goggle boxes filled with candy or cookies
- Mini bottled schnapps
- Faux ski lift tickets with their “ski name” on them
- Vintage ski patches, pins, and stickers
- Shotski keychains (mini skis that hold mini shot bottles)
- Cowbells and noisemakers
- Candy “snowballs” (white chocolate truffles rolled in coconut)
- Lip balms, hand warmers, and lotions for the slopes home
Favors like hats, Tees, and sunglasses can double as costumes. Wrap favors in cello bags tied with ribbon for a polished look. Send guests off with mementos of your supreme 80s ski shindig!
Conclusion
With a stellar lodge venue, neon decor, tasty grub, epic activities and favors, this celebration will take guests back to the glory days on the slopes. So get your snow boots on and let’s make some memories – 80s ski style!
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