What you can do with..

A drill.

They say necessity is the mother of all invention.  For those committed adrenalin junkies who tough it out through a season in the mountains the spring skiing with its bluebird days of sunshine, warmer weather and long après ski drinking sessions with the ‘locals’ high up on the mountain side are reward for their dedication. At Lake Louise in the Canadian Rockies, the final weeks of the season are marked with the infamous all day event known as ‘The Slush Cup’ 

A bunch of ski bums would spend a few days digging and shaping a massive, long couch dug into the snow pack for the spectators, while poles and flags would mark out a makeshift slalom racecourse that would provide the stage for the days entertainment. And for Dutch courage, cocktails were the order of the day.

With a few trusty household bits and pieces, a block of Fimo clay*, a hand drill and some MacGyver skills you can whip up a portable blender – perfect for mixing cocktails anywhere the sunshine takes you. At Lake Louise, a shitload of booze and the abundance of snow for mixer make the perfect medium to ensure everyone who lined up at the starting gates was nicely primed. Needless to say, I witnessed some horrendous crashes at this event and take it from me, ski nude and drunk and you run the risk of ice-crystal burn where you want it least.

Here’s how the Lake Louise locals do it.

What you need;

A blender, top part only

A block of Fimo clay*

A 1-inch, Phillips head screw

A cordless hand drill, fully charged

A box of limes

Multiple bottles of tequila, vodka and rum

Plastic cups

Detach the blender from the base. Turn it upside down and using the Fimo clay, mould the clay to fit snugly against the drive shaft of the blender. Most blenders will have a cog with ridges, which is how the blades are rotated by the electric motor in the base. Once you have a tight fit, screw in the screw and squeeze the clay so the screw is also tightly packed into the clay. Gently remove the clay and bake in the oven according to the directions on the pack. Once it has cooked hard and cooled, stick it back onto the base of your blender, connect the drill to the screw and voila! Portable, drill powered blender. Dig out the 1970’s spandex, fluroecent one-piece and Moon Boots and get to the mountain. Its time for some hot dogging’

*Fimo Clay can be found at most craft shops.