Club Colorado

Colorado Summers

2008-07-02T22:45:14Z

Summer in the Rocky Mountains is a unique experience. With so much to do from food & wine festivals, to hiking & mountain biking, to rafting down mountain rivers, or even enjoying the shopping and activities in Colorado's mountain towns you'll always find something fun. Take a break this Summer and head up into the Colorado high-country for a getaway you won't soon forget.
Click over to the Events section at Colorado Ski Country USA for the full calendar of what's on tap here in Colorado this Summer. Also be sure and check out some of the great deals accompanying these exciting events on the Hot Deals page.
We'll see you in the mountains!

A-Basin's Pali's Ptich Vol 9 2007-2008

2008-04-01T19:26:41Z

The Inside Scoop to the Buzz at the Basin MOUNTAIN UPDATE We’re still 100% open and the skiing is still as great as it has been all season. Pali, Zuma and the Eastwall are still all open! I know other ski areas are closing or closed and that is because only the strong survive (elevation also helps!) There is so much going on around here I don’t know what to tell you about first. We have everything from endurance races to the annual Brew Pubs Festival to the amazing spring skiing! Pali's Pitch – April 1, 2008 2008/2009 SEASON PASSES – ON SALE NOW Oh yeah baby… our 2008-2009 season passes are on sale! You can even ski the remainder of the 07/08 season with the 08/09 pass. Do you want more? We are once again bringing back our Bonus Pass. Buying the Bonus Pass entitles you to unlimited skiing or riding at A-Basin, 5 days at Keystone or Breckenridge. But if you are feeling ambitious, you can spend one of those five days at Vail or Beaver Creek (*restrictions apply.) But here is your warning… we have limited stock of the Bonus Pass – so my advice to you is buy it now! A-Basin Bonus Pass (includes 5 days at Keystone or Breckenridge and one day can be used at Vail or Beaver Creek for the 08/09 season only - Date Restrictions) - $379 Adult Pass – $309 Youth Pass – $209 Child – $119 (All passes include unlimited skiing & riding for the remainder of 07/08 season and entire 08/09 season) If you want anymore information call www.arapahoebasin.com or 888-ARAPAHOE UPCOMING EVENTS - KSMT LOCAL’S APPRECIATION DAY – 4/23/08 You already know how much I adore all of my Pali readers, but now I can actually meet you if you find me! KSMT is once again putting on a Local’s Appreciation day and I want you all to come! This event is on all day and includes so much that I had to bullet point it: - - Tons of giveaways - BBQ lunch Special’s - Live Music from Yamn, High 5 and DJ’s to name a few AND… - A FREE Rail Jam in the base area at 1 p.m. (sign up at the KSMT tent. Must have parent or guardian signature to compete if under 18 yrs) And if you still have tons of energy, why not stop at the Snake River Saloon for a Local’s Day After Party!?! THE 6TH ANNUAL MARMOT GRIND – 4/26/08 The Marmot Grind is an uphill, downhill adventure race. Race is modeled after European randonee events with competitors beginning on foot and running to clip into their skis. Athletes skin uphill on a challenging course and race down to the finish. Race category vertical is approximately 4,000 ft; recreational 2,000ft. Categories include: Male and female, race, recreational, telemark, and snowboard divisions. Registration: 4/26/08 - In A-Frame 7am - 8:30am. Better yet - sign up on Active.com by going to www.active.com to avoid the registration line. Two Categories: Race: $35 registration fee Recreation: $25 registration fee. Cash prizes awarded to top 3 males and females. Soft and hard good prizes from our sponsors will be awarded in sub-categories. Beer Garden and Sponsor Tent Village in the base area. Raffle and goodie bags for all competitors featuring Marmot gear. For full details please go to www.arapahoebasin.com/events or call 1-888-ARAPAHOE SHAKIN’ AT THE BASIN MAY CONCERT SERIES Every Saturday in May A-Basin will be having FREE May Concerts. This year we have some reggae, rock’n blues, Beatles and a dash of Eighties music. Bands start around 1 p.m. and play until 4 p.m. May 3 – Coral Creek - Calypso, Bluegrass and Folk May 10 – Rel-I - Reggae May 17 – The Rock Shop – Rock music May 24 – The Fable – Beatles cover band May 25 – That Eighties Band – “Shot to the Heart…” May 26 – DJ – Provided by KSMT radio station Urban Word – Courtesy of Casey Day Jib Bibs – A one-piece ski suit in bright eighties colors worn by jibbers. When suit is being worn must be overly large, crotch must be down near knees and kept slightly open on your chest. Jib Bibs can be seen in the terrain parks. Heidi Ho

Spring in the Rocky Mountains

2008-03-24T16:36:09Z

It's Springtime in Colorado, and there's no better time to be heading to the slopes for some great skiing, snowboarding, and Spring celebrations. With Spring festivals happening all over the Rocky Mountains you're sure to find something fun no matter where you go.
Click over to the Events section at Colorado Ski Country USA for the full calendar of what's on tap here in Colorado this Spring. Also be sure and check out some of the great deals accompanying these exciting events on the Hot Deals page.
We'll see you on the slopes!

A Wooly Easter

2008-03-13T16:04:42Z

Can you believe that Easter weekend is just around the corner? It's going to be a great weekend to head up to the slopes with some friends for a little break from the city life while still in the Colorado sunshine. So why are you hesitating? You don't want to deal with the I-70 drive? Boy are you lucky then because I have a great solution to help with that. Saturday morning on March 22nd there will be an excellent carpooling event being put on by SkiCarpool.org and Colorado Ski Country USA happening at the Wooly Mammoth Park & Ride lot.

]]> There's gonna be free Starbucks coffee, Colorado Ski Country swag, tons of info on the best weekends to carpool, and of course lots of fellow skiers and riders looking to head to the slopes for some great Colorado skiing.
The carpooling event will be taking place from 6:00am-9:00am so come out and help reduce the I-70 stress and strain on yourself and fellow skiers and riders. You'll even get a chance to make some great new friends, all in the name of a great cause. Just follow the "Coffee for Carpoolers" signs to the Wooly Mammoth lot (just off of I-70 at Morrison).
We'll see you there!

Better Skiing: Video Quick Fix

2008-03-07T16:15:03Z

Need a quick fix for your skiing? Try video taping your skiing. Most people have not seen themselves ski. They rely solely on how they feel to determine if they are skiing well.]]> Video is a great quick fix. You can actually see that you drop your right hand each and every turn. You can see you need your boots canted because you ski bowlegged. You can see that you are sitting back when you ski bumps. Trust me – get a camera and go out and tape a few runs. You’ll have fun and help your skiing. Try video taping from the front and the side to look for body position and stance on the skis. Check out how you use your poles and your hand position. Look to see if your turns are round and even or choppy and skidded. These are a few of the things you can see when video taping yourself. Do like the pro golfers, Olympic racers and gymnasts do and use a video aid to improve your skills.

Better Skiing: NASTAR Racing

2008-03-04T16:15:09Z

Welcome to this edition of Better Skiing, I'm Bruce Ruff.
Are you competitive? Do you want to ski faster? The NASTAR race course is a closed course where you can ski as fast as possible. It’s a great way to improve your skills.]]> Running gates helps you focus your vision ahead at the approaching gates. This carries over to your free skiing skills – especially bump skiing. By running gates, you are forced to turn around an obstacle which creates quickness and helps your anticipation of each turn. Get out and give NASTAR racing a try.
Remember to look two or three gates ahead and start your turns early. Try not to skid and be overly aggressive in the course. This is your chance to improve your skiing and compete against family, friends and every other NASTAR racer in the country.

Better Skiing: Women's Skis

2008-02-29T16:15:59Z

If you’re a female skier you know that buying equipment in the past has been a trying ordeal. Now equipment manufacturers are not just changing the graphics on men’s equipment to suit women but are actually re-engineering skis and boots to accommodate the difference in a woman’s anatomy.]]> You know that your hip structure is different from a man’s. You know that your heel is narrow and your calf is lower than a man’s. You know flexing a man’s ski is difficult because you are lighter. You know all of this because you have had to deal with these topics for years. Not anymore. Skis are lighter and softer as are the boots, and the actual shape of the ski may differ to accommodate your center of gravity. Finally, there is equipment for women – designed by women. Now you don’t have to struggle with ill fitting boots and stiff skis. Check out your favorite shop for the new women’s equipment.

Better Skiing: Skiing on Ice

2008-02-26T16:15:17Z

You’ve had a great day skiing so far on good conditions; Then you break for lunch or try to get one more run in at the end of the day. You now have to ski that high traffic run where the snow is scraped and hard. Usually it’s a hard man-made base to hold up to the heavy traffic. Let’s face it – it’s icy.]]> Suddenly your edges feel dull. How do you ski it? Try to use the whole edge of your ski; Movements that are more balanced than brute force. Try to keep your skis running forward and less side to side. Make frequent turns and edge sets in a balanced stance. If there are bumps with large scraped patches between them, try to make turns on the bumps - that’s where all the soft snow is now. Stay loose with your hands out in front of your body. Be prepared for anything – especially for those who don’t know how to handle the ice. Stay out of the middle of the run. The sides of the run have always been skied less and hold the best snow.

Better Skiing: Tree Skiing

2008-02-22T16:15:53Z

Where do you ski when it has been days since the last storm? I head for the trees because they act as a canopy which protects the snow from the sun and the wind. Glades and tight trees are my favorite.]]> The key to tree skiing is control. You must make consistent turns and control your speed. Tree skiing is made easy if you see the spaces not the trees. Try to look ahead to plan your line through the trees without any surprises that break your rhythm. Keep your hands out in front of your body so you may turn quickly at any time. Tree skiing also provides some of the best skiing during flat light days and big storms because the trees give more depth perception and help define the terrain. Tree skiing is not for everyone – you must have a certain skill level to tree ski. Remember – ski good or hit wood.

The 33rd Annual Wells Fargo Cup

2008-02-20T17:05:03Z

What a great event the Wells Fargo Cup is every year. Bringing together world-class disabled ski racers, Denver celebrities, and amateur skiers and snowboarders of all abilities for a weekend (March 1st & 2nd) to benefit the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD), founded right here in Denver. Competitors in the Frontier Cup, a Pro Am race, assemble a team of five friends, family members or co-workers to compete on the slopes of Winter Park for cash prizes and bragging rights.

]]> The highlight of the weekend is the World Disabled Invitational, where disabled skiers compete head-to-head on parallel courses. The Celebrity Challenge is one of the most entertaining events of the weekend as celebrities and former football stars make their way down a racecourse.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled is headquartered in Denver, Colorado with programs throughout the metro area and in Winter Park. The organization is the largest outdoor therapeutic recreation agency in the US. Now celebrating its 38th anniversary this year, the NSCD was started in 1970 as a ski program for children with amputations. The center now offers nearly 20 winter and summer programs and teaches almost 20,000 lessons annually.

In addition to all the fun and competitions, on March 2nd the 'Ski for NSCD' fundraiser kicks off! Sponsored by Winter Park Resort, 'Ski for NSCD' is an on-line event where participants can raise money for the NSCD and receive great incentive prizes depending on how much money they raise. Participants will build their own webpage and send the link to their friends and family to donate with 3-day ski passes, annual passes to Winter Park Resort, meals, accommodations at the Wells Fargo Cup and chances to win Frontier Airline tickets as some incentives. All proceeds go to support NSCD programs right here in Colorado and around the nation.

This a great event for the family & kids, so get out there and support a great cause and enjoy this Colorado winter while your here! If you would like more info on the NSCD or the Wells Fargo Cup schedule go to www.nscd.org

Better Skiing: Tune-Up

2008-02-19T16:15:49Z

Tune ups. You know – that process where the edges on your skis are sharpened and the base is waxed. I hate that term “tune up!” It should be called mandatory maintenance. If you want your skis to perform, that’s what it is – Mandatory Maintenance.]]> When you have your skis stone ground, it does several things. It makes your skis flat. They do not come that way. Usually a new ski will have a convex or concave bottom right out of the wrapper. Grinding also sharpens the edges for better hold. Stone grinding also cuts a structure into the base which reduces suction and makes initiating a turn easier. Now, what about ski wax? I would say sliding is mandatory in skiing, wouldn’t you? Well, wax not only helps you slide but it protects your ski bottoms from drying out. You have probably spent a lot of money on your skis. If you want them to perform, spend some money on mandatory maintenance.

Better Skiing: Ski Pole Length

2008-02-15T16:15:01Z

Welcome to this edition of Better Skiing, I'm Bruce Ruff.
Do you know that the length of your ski poles can affect your posture, your stance, and even your overall performance on skis? Make sure your ski poles are not too long. They could be making you stand too tall on your skis.]]> Poles that are too long can also slow down the quickness of your turns. If you can’t keep your hands out in front of your body because your poles are dragging on the snow, there is a delay between turns. To improve your quickness try cutting your poles down. This is especially helpful in the bumps.
To check your pole length, turn over your poles and hold under the baskets with your elbow at 90 degrees. Now, get in your aggressive bent-kneed stance, keeping your elbows at 90 degrees. This is the length your poles should be.

Better Skiing: Responsibility Code

2008-02-12T16:15:20Z

Welcome to this edition of Better Skiing, I'm Bruce Ruff.
The skier and snowboarder responsibility code is a set of rules for the mountain. It is the drivers manual of skiers and snowboarders. The problem is – there is no test and not everyone knows the rules. Nor do they follow them.]]> The responsibility code is printed right on your lift ticket. It is also posted around the ski area. If you don’t know it, stop and read it. Know the code. Here is a summary: 1. Always ski or snowboard in control. You must be able to stop and avoid other skiers and obstacles. 2. People ahead of you have the right of way and you must avoid them. 3. Don’t stop where you obstruct a trail or where you’re not visible from above. 4. When starting downhill, look uphill and yield to others. 5. Use ski brakes or safety straps on your equipment. 6. Observe all signs and warnings. 7. Know how to ride all lifts before using them.

Better Skiing: Bump Skiing

2008-02-08T16:15:39Z

I love skiing the long bump runs at Vail and Beaver Creek. If you’re going to be an all mountain skier and ski bump runs like these here’s how to make it easier.]]> The first step is being able to recognize your line through the bumps. Look for two rows of moguls to come together and form a series of tight turns right down the fall line. To ski this line you must have consistent turns to control your speed. The single most important movement all good bump skiers have is the up / down absorption and extension of the lower body. This absorption and extension is done aggressively with the rhythm of the bumps. This keeps your skis on the snow. This can only be done if your hands are out in front of your body (Your hands are the key to your control). Make sure you keep your chin up and look ahead. This will keep you from bending at the waist to absorb the bumps and forces you to absorb from the waist down.

Better Skiing: Steeps

2008-02-05T16:15:50Z

Have you ever had that uneasy feeling standing at the top of a run and realize that it is steeper than you thought? Here is how to conquer these steeps!]]> First, relax. Take a deep breath and loosen up your arms, shoulders and neck. Don’t let negative thoughts enter your head – you’re now in attack mode. The secret to skiing steeps is keeping your body perpendicular to the hill. Do not lean into the hill. Staying perpendicular helps you stay centered on your skis. Reach down to the valley floor with your hands as your vision is focused down the fall line. Finish your turns to control your speed. Be prepared to get your skis across the fall line while traveling down it. Relax. If you’re tense or nervous you’re going to be stiff legged when you need to be loose with bent knees. Your downhill leg must stay bent throughout the turn to keep you in position for your next turn.