Club Colorado  

We’ve barely made it to the first headwall of the Outhouse on Mary Jane before we’re stopped by an adoring fan.

“Hey, are you, like, Bob?”

Yes, he is.

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If you’re a gear geek and recovering ski bum like myself (and, I presume that you are, since you’re here) the prospect of unlimited free stickers is enough to drive cross country, call in sick to work, and lie about your profession in order to get access to the biggest ski and snowboard tradeshow in America, the Snowsports Industries America trade show in Denver, CO.

Thankfully, you don’t have to claim to be a Bosnian journalist to get in – Colorado Ski Country’s got all the goods, right here, free.

Trolling for stickers

My goal today is to take the pulse and gain access to the heartbeat of the snowsports industry: Colorado-based companies. I’ve got my press credentials, my camera and a full cup of coffee. Game on.

Colorado company FlyLow Gear's 2012 lineup at SIA

First stop is FlyLow Gear. The good folks at FlyLow keep me looking, uh, fly on the slopes. Founded by Colorado skiers looking for gear rugged enough to hold up to their demands, they put a different spin on nature vs. nurture success story; nature did the nurturing, and the result is a very cool and fast-growing company.

Sunglasses grow on trees in Colorado

Another company based in CO is Native Eyewear. They’re so busy today that their PR person can’t talk to me. I snap some photos, marvel at their shade(s) tree, and move along.

A distant corner of the tradeshow thumps with bass. Music blares, beers are cracked open at 2pm, and the amount of stickers increases exponentially. I’ve wandered in to the snowboarding zone.

Dang snowboarders.

Venture Snowboards is a proud mom-and-pop shop from Silverton. They’re globally revered for the quality and aesthetics of their boards, all of which come in a split board option. I’ve had the pleasure of riding handcrafted wagons, drinking bizarre Indian beers, and taking bellydance lessons alongside the folks from Venture, and can personally verify that these are pure Coloradans, producing a pure Colorado product.

Pretty skis at Icelantic

The last stop I make before heading to Winter Park to ski bumps is at the Icelantic booth. Here is another company taking the passion, culture, and geography of Colorado and producing an amazing product. I’ve been riding the Nomads all year, and have found them to be pretty close to a one-ski-quiver.

Ben, Icelantic’s founder, tells me he took a community-focused approach when he started the company, and it’s been fun to stay in Colorado, build skis, and watch the company grow. He’s not the only one.

-John Trousdale, Mountain Correspondent, Colorado Ski Country USA

Sunlight Mountain Resort near Glenwood Springs, CO

I’m scanning the radio on my car for a weather report as I drive through the quaint mining town of Glenwood Springs, Colorado, on my way to Sunlight Mountain Resort. There’s a skiff of something resembling snow on the road – just enough to make things extra slippery. I land on a local station just in time for the snow report.

“Sunlight reporting eighteen inches overnight.” says the DJ.

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The vineyard view from my Wine Country Inn hotel room

As I pull of I-70 to find my hotel, I begin to suffer from cognitive disconnect. Just outside Grand Junction, the town of Palisade, Colorado is beautiful, but not in a typical ski-town type of way. And from the looks of things, skiing isn’t the biggest game in town. Red sandstone bluffs frame a valley blanketed with vineyards. The hotel where I’m staying is called the Wine Country Inn. I’m told when at check in that my room has a vineyard view. Don’t get me wrong, I love a glass of wine now and then, but I thought I was here to ski…

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As far as Colorado ski resorts go, SolVista Basin at Granby Ranch doesn’t give up its biggest virtues upon first glance. Initially, you might not see what makes SolVista such a big deal, because the things that make SolVista a big deal are… small.

At SolVista, small is a very big deal

Indeed, some of the ski area’s biggest fans are less than three feet tall. This is a kids’ Mecca, and truly offers something different for families. So I’m letting my new family at SolVista adopt me for the weekend.

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One-point-two seconds. That is the time it takes for me to see a fur coat after stepping out of my rusty Subaru. I’m parked semi-legally in front of the Sky Hotel in Aspen, Colorado. I’m here on a holiday weekend with one goal: to see if it’s possible for the average skier to ski Aspen on the cheap. Here goes…

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In Europe, they ski as a means to eat. That is, you arrive early to the chairlift not because you want fresh tracks, but because you want the best table at the restaurant. Having skied (OK, eaten) at a handful of Swiss and Austrian resorts recently, I can personally attest to the fact that one looks forward to opening the menu as much as they do the trail map.

Here in the States? We’ll cram our jacket pockets full of PB&J’s if it means another lap on a powder day. Lunch? Not if there’s skiing to be done. For many, on-mountain dining carries about as much appeal and sophistication as the plastic tray on which it’s served. But that is all changing, and the American “Ski to Eat” movement is now taking reservations at Telluride.

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