I put out my Tinder flame a long time ago. Bumble has fallen out of favor recently. I also lost all hinges. In short, I use dating apps too much. Endless swipe. A soul-sucking text exchange. mysterious ghost. And while I may be single, I’m not alone.
Many of us on the single line are returning to the old-fashioned dating method of meeting people in real life. And some people get weirdly creative about it. In Spain, for example, single people are heading to supermarkets instead of flocking to meat markets. There, Spanish women look for men with produce instead of fish. To be exact, it’s a pineapple.
As Anna Gildersleeve pointed out on this trend in her viral TikTok, “Pineapples are changing the dating game in Spain.” In recent months, singles have been arriving at Mercadona, the giant Spanish grocery store chain. Every night from 7 to 8 p.m., bachelorettes head to the produce section and place pineapples upside down in their carts.
“Once you get the pineapple, you head to the wine aisle. If you find someone you like and they’re holding the pineapple upside down, you have to crash your shopping cart into their shopping cart.” Gildersleeve said.
Now, I have nothing against tropical plants, but the idea of this kind of IRL meet-up being held here on PC seemed a little dramatic, if not totally Gary Peacock. . Needless to say, grocery stores in Utah don’t have wine aisles.
I decided to take a different approach. I reached out to a Facebook group I stumbled across last ski season called “Singles Line.” Part of a global community called Mountain Connect, Singles Line connects skiers and snowboarders from various mountain towns, including Park City.
Members of all ages are looking to meet romantic partners. Or just hang out with other bachelor shredders in your town or travel to mountain towns around the world. The group organizes in-person events and trips throughout the year and offers discounts on lodging, food, and supplies.
And just like that, I found myself volunteering to host a singles line happy hour at Offset Beer in Park City last week. From the moment my friend Luke wandered in, joking, “When are we all going to get naked?” I knew it would be fine.
About 50 people signed up to attend, and soon Offset’s taproom was filled with loud banter from the more than 40 people who actually showed up. They came from as far away as Park City and as far away as Ogden. The atmosphere was friendly and chill. We ate pizza, drank Czech Amber, talked about old friends and made new ones.
I noticed a man sitting alone at the bar. He seemed shy and a little uncomfortable. We talked for a few minutes and then became absorbed in welcoming the new group. Later, I noticed that the same man was exchanging numbers with a woman I had just met. I think there is a boot that suits every type of skiing.
One woman who came that night had literally just moved to Park City from New York in less than a week. A man from Aspen was visiting a friend in town. A lot of my single friends came to support me and agreed that I had an unexpectedly good time. In fact, judging by the photos I took that night, everyone seemed to be having fun. And as far as I know, no one had to get naked to do that.
I don’t know if a love connection actually developed from that night. But a man named Devin, who has helped organize other singles line events, said that’s not really the case.
“If you’re here desperately looking for your soulmate, you’re doing it wrong,” he says. “It’s more about finding a community of single people who love skiing and horseback riding just like you do.”
That’s when I realized. The last time I was in a room full of singles was in the bar scene, either in college or in my 20s. But this time, it wasn’t all about having sex for one night. I don’t care if anyone is interested in that kind of thing, but hanging out with age-appropriate single rednecks actually felt relaxing and not forced in the slightest.
It was also very different from the awkward pressure you feel on a first date with someone you just met online. Instead, it was more like, “See you on the slopes or at the next event.” Later, my friends and I agreed that this night gave us new hope for making genuine connections. To find a friend who might become something more…or maybe not.
I was walking through the produce section at Whole Foods the other day and noticed that there was only one pineapple left in the trash can. To be honest, it seemed a little lonely. For a moment, I thought about putting it upside down in my cart. Just to see what happens. you never know.
For more information on the next Park City Singles Line event on November 14th, join The Singles Line/Mountain Connect Facebook group or email us. [email protected].
