Ratatouille, Snowboarding Opossum, Shreds Slopes Like A Boss (VIDEO)

We can't blame the marketing gurus at Liberty Ski Resort in Emmitsburg, Pa., for wanting to part with tradition in their newest promotional campaign, even though it does deprive us of another embarrassing ski resort jingle we all know and love.

(Boston readers out there who've had the pleasure of seeing Wachusett Mountain's TV spots -- you know what we're talking about.)

That said, strapping an opossum to a snowboard and filming him glide down a hill seems like a little much, especially if the little critter were made to wear a dopey ski sweater. But somehow, Liberty Valley's newest promo pulls it off just fine, showing master marsupial Ratatouille cut and carve his way down the slopes.

Not surprisingly, the video has already been viewed thousands of times on YouTube and Ratatouille is quickly becoming the latest Internet star.

Check out the video above and get a refresher on the Wachusett jingle below.

From our partners

• Widespread Greenland Melting A Sign Of Things To Come - Climate Central
• Limiting Methane Leaks Critical To Gas, Climate Benefits - Climate Central
• 11 Images And Facts About A Misunderstood Creature - Mother Nature Network

Comments

[DawnMichele]

09:20 AM on 03/13/2012

Ok Im not really a possum lover but Im an animal lover and I think thats pretty cool. He looks cute in his sweater, rocking that board

[omegas3]

12:00 PM on 03/12/2012

yuck!

[JoeyATL]

04:30 AM on 03/11/2012

Opossums are gentle, kind creatures, not much different from cats. They can easily be trained to do tricks with treats. They are very trusting, as long as you take care of them and feed them. They trust the hand that feeds very quickly. This little guy never got hurt. He was standing on a board on flat snow. And then went back into a heated house. Better than getting run over or freezing to death, as PETA would have. Wish all "Possums" lived inside.

[geraldmcg]

09:06 PM on 03/10/2012

Do you want to see an amazing video editing job by a 16-year-old homeschooler from North Carolina? Dylan of “Dylan’s Madness” captures ski jumpers having the epitome of xtreme fun.

He choreographs each move, shifts to ultra-slow motion and synchs young, upbeat music to the skier’s every move. How on earth he edited this in less than 5 hours is beyond me.

Cool stuff. Enjoy.

Link to video at CleanTV.com: http://www.cleantv.com/web/ProgramDetail.aspx?pid=423

[frogger22]

03:04 PM on 03/10/2012

Cool video from someone who loves possums - http://youtu.be/BJb1mxl1g3c

[pat511]

02:36 PM on 03/10/2012

I think that's cruel and I'm gonna send this place an email and tell 'em so!

[bcdodd115]

12:38 PM on 03/10/2012

It looks like animal abuse. PETA were are you.

[Seaglass]

08:01 PM on 03/10/2012

Animal abuse? Give me a break. And it's "where."

[Cookie55]

12:36 PM on 03/10/2012

Smart, coordinated, cute, precious--priceless.

[karen lyons kalmenson]

12:17 PM on 03/10/2012

not nice
so think twice
possums are
not toys
little girls and boys

[herp derpenstein]

06:52 PM on 03/11/2012

creepy you are

[karen lyons kalmenson]

08:50 PM on 03/11/2012

kooky you be
you a member
of the addams
family☺☻

[RS20JS]

12:13 PM on 03/10/2012

I hope he bites them

[pipeandwire]

12:00 PM on 03/10/2012

i think i saw his brother last summer in my yard. i didnt realize he too might have been so talented, i apologize for the shovel to his head

[niveuspuer94]

01:02 PM on 03/10/2012

And why exactly would you harm a possum passing through your yard?

[StephenJK]

04:11 AM on 03/11/2012

Excellent question.

[DawnMichele]

09:26 AM on 03/13/2012

Oh my God!!! Really?? Why? It takes a big man to hurt a small defenseless animal. Just because you don't like something doesn't give you the right to hurt it. Just like if I don't like you, I don't have a right to take a shovel to your head. God put these animals here on earth not for us to kill and torture.

[akseserizdotcom]

11:54 AM on 03/10/2012

They didn't show the poor thing doing tumble saults through the air just before he hit the ground.

[Melissa Pranke]

11:25 AM on 03/10/2012

very rare for opposums to get rabies. They eat small rodents, snakes and bugs so they are important to the eco-system. They will eat cat food if left out, but I have never seen one threaten any of the cats in over 30 years of watching them. They will play dead if threatened and can move very quickly when needed. Poor eyesight but keen sense of smell. Actually, I welcome having them in my backyard since it keeps away racoons (which are cute but tend to be mean and do not get along with cats and dogs or rabbits.) I hate this commercial....one more examle of arrogant human beings thinking animals are there for their pleasure and convenience.

[starztruck4u]

10:39 AM on 03/10/2012

Very rare for an opposum to have rabies. The odds are about 1 in 800. FYI

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opossum

[cristoba1]

10:00 AM on 03/10/2012

Leave the wild life alone!
Poor creature was put on the snowboard by these pinatamas.

[Seaglass]

08:02 PM on 03/10/2012

Considering most get mowed down by cars and have a life expectancy of under two years, I think this possum has it pretty good.

[StephenJK]

04:13 AM on 03/11/2012

Just tonight on the way into work I saw one dash out into the middle of the road, almost underneath a car and then suddenly dart back to the safety of the sidewalk. I've never seen one turn back like that. They usually just keep going and get run over. I'm glad the guy in front of me notice it and swerved a bit to make sure he missed it.