Thursday was "Gaper Day" here in Summit County.  It is an informal event that happens every April 1.


A gaper is a term to describe a tourist who embodies the stereotypical general clueless nuisance.  Think of the dumb ass that wears his ski boots in the grocery store even though there are 10 signs warning against it and despite the fact that the floor is wet from melted snow and it is near impossible to walk in ski boots.  Yes it happens and they do fall down. You know the type, Texans with bad outfits that stop in the middle of a trail or road and gape at the scenery.  We used to call them "tourons" back in the day (tourist + moron).

Anyway, local kids dress up as gapers on April fools day and just generally act stupid and sometimes get out of hand and get arrested.  It is also a good fun for the locals who typically work in the tourist industry and are worn out by the end of the ski season.

My friend Elizabeth snapped this picture at Breckenridge of a local  dressed as a gaper.




I was looking through some photo albums recently and came across these gapers.







We were clueless Texans but I think we looked pretty cute : )

Update:  my Mom informs me that this was 1982.