I doused the Tinder flame a long time ago. Bumble has lately lost its buzz. I’ve also become totally un-Hinged. In short, I am so over dating apps. The endless swiping. The soul-sucking text exchanges. The inexplicable ghosting. And I might be single, but I’m not alone.Many of us in the singles line are getting back to dating the old-fashioned way — meeting people in real life. And some are getting weirdly creative about it. In Spain, for example, singles aren’t hooking up in a meat market — they’re heading to the supermarket. There, instead of fish, Spanish ladies seek out guys holding produce. A pineapple, to be exact.As Ana Gildersleeve noted on her viral TikTok about the trend, “The pineapple is changing the dating game in Spain.” Over the past few months, singles have been descending on Mercadona, a huge Spanish grocery store chain. Every night from 7 to 8, singles head to the produce aisle and place a pineapple upside down in their cart.“Once you have your pineapple, you head to the wine section. If you find someone that you like, and they also have the pineapple upside down, you have to crash your shopping cart into theirs,” Gildersleeve said.Now, I’ve got nothing against tropical plants, but the thought of this kind of IRL meet-up happening here in PC seemed slightly dramatic, if not full-on Gary Peacock. Not to mention the lack of wine aisles in Utah grocery stores.I decided to take a different tack. I reached out to a Facebook group I’d stumbled upon last ski season called the Singles Line. Part of a global community called Mountain Connect, the Singles Line connects skiers and snowboarders in various mountain towns, including Park City. Members of all ages are looking to meet a romantic partner — or just hang out with other single shredders in their town or as they travel to other mountain towns around the world. The group organizes in-person events and trips throughout the year and offers discounts on accommodations, dining and gear.And just like that, I found myself last week volunteering to host a Singles Line happy hour at Offset Bier in Park City. From the moment my friend Luke wandered in joking, “When do we all get naked?” I knew it was going to be good.About 50 people had signed up to come, and soon the taproom at Offset was filled with the noisy banter of the more than 40 who actually showed up. They came from Park City and from as far away as Ogden. The vibe was friendly and chill. We ate pizza and drank Czech amber, chatting up old friends and making new ones.I noticed one guy sitting by himself at the bar. He seemed shy and a little ill at ease. We talked for a few minutes and then I got caught up welcoming a new group. Later, I noticed the same guy, exchanging numbers with a woman he’d just met. I guess there’s a boot for every ski.One woman who came that night had literally just moved to Park City from New York less than a week before. There was a guy from Aspen who was visiting a friend in town. A bunch of my single friends came to support me and admitted they ended up having an unexpectedly good time. In fact, judging from the pics I snapped that night, it appeared that everyone was having fun. And as far as I know, no one had to get naked to do it.I’m not sure if there any actual love connections came out of that night. But a guy named Devin who’s helped organize a bunch of other Singles Line events said that’s not really the point. “If you’re coming here desperately seeking a soul mate, you’re doing it wrong,” he said. “It’s more about finding a community of single people who love skiing and riding as much as you do.”That’s when it dawned on me. The last time I’d been in a room swarming only with singles was in college or on the bar scene when I was in my 20s. Only this time around, it wasn’t all about hooking up for the night. No shade on anyone who’s into that kind of thing, but it actually felt relaxed — and not the least bit forced — to hang out with a bunch of age-appropriate singles IRL.It also felt totally different than the awkward pressure you can feel on a first date with someone you just met online. Instead, it was like, “I’ll see you on the slopes or at the next event.” My friends and I agreed later that the night gave us fresh hope for making authentic connections IRL. For finding a friend who might turn into something more … or not.At Whole Foods the other day, I was passing through the produce section and noticed there was only one pineapple left in the bin. To be honest, it looked a little lonely. For a moment, I considered placing it in my cart upside down. Just to see what might happen. You never know.To find out more about the next Park City Singles Line event on Nov. 14, join The Singles Line/Mountain Connect Facebook group or email [email protected] post Betty Diaries: Over the dating apps? Try real life instead appeared first on Park Record.