Aspen Highlands Closing Day: It's not for Gapers

The Aspen Highlands closing day party has morphed into the biggest and best party in the ski world. And it keeps getting bigger.  It's like the perfect storm of on-mountain celebrations.  The costumes, the booze, the music, the drugs and especially the all-out steaziness is beyond compare.

Click 4 pix:  AH, It's not for Gapers.

The Aspen Highlands closing day party has expanded from an intimate locals-only soiree into a regional bacchanalia.   People are now coming from all over the Western U.S. just to throw down.  The wilder the better.  

This years edition blew the roof off the open-air party stadium at Aspen Highlands. Nearly 5000 revelers joined in...an unofficial record.   

Always a highlight... The Aspen Bounce...it's when the jam-packed, pre-fab deck floor recoils to the beat of the EDM and the collective rhythm of the ski and rider tribe. The  Aspen bounce gives dancers a little extra vitality and allows people to send it just a little bit higher. You have to try it out to believe it. The non-stop DJ's at two different venues keep the potency of the party going.  From kids with fake I.D's to seniors with AARP cards...everyone gets their jam on. 

Alcohol is one thing.  There is tons of it all over the mountain.   Whether it's BYO or Champagne at Cloud Nine or Coors light... the fire water is flowing.   The Weed?  There's enough MJ (medical, recreational and black market) to satisfy an army. Other drugs like LSD, ecstasy, cocaine, heroin, meth, horse tranquilizers, special K, sizzurp and bath salts are surely being used to enhance the mood.

This party is not for gapers.  It's a year-end ritual that memorializes another great Winter of shredding in Aspen.  Everyone needs to blow off some steam at the end of a long ski season... and they do. It's a well deserved blow out.  The Aspen Highlands closing day party is as close to "anything goes" as you can get.

Sure, many of the revelers dont even see the mountain...thats OK.  Plus we always hear tales of lost equipment, lost phones, lost keys, lost wallets, lost credit cards, lost panties...but thats OK too. Lots of folks pass out and/or barf on the bus...also OK.  People over-indulging and forgetting where they live is part of the cultural experience of AH closing day.  I often set up camp at the Rubey Park bus stop in Aspen as night falls just to see the zombie walkers that get off that Aspen Highlands bus.

By any definition Closing Day at Aspen Highlands is a DO NOT MISS experience in Aspen.

Click for Pix:

Aspen Highlands Closing Day: It's not for gapers.

Photo: Matt Power Click the image for MattPowerphotography.comCloud Nine on closing day...that a jam sesh.

Bill Johnson Strikes in Aspen (again) / Hall of Fame Weekend

Chirs Klug Inducted into the Hall of Fame.Have you ever been to Ishpeming, Michigan?  

I didn't think so.  

Ishpeming is in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan near Lake Superior.  It's the birthplace of organized skiing in the USA and the home of the U.S Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame.  I've been to the Ish and its worth the loooong ride to get there. It's about 500 miles North of Detroit.   The U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame (Ski Hall) is a fascinating collection of artifacts, photos, films and stories about skiing and riding in the U.S.  It's awesome.   A visit to the Ski Hall is a must for anyone who is passionate about skiing.

This past weekend the HOF came to Aspen.  Every Spring the Ski Hall hosts it's skiing history week and induction ceremonies in a different location.  This year the ski community came to Fat City to celebrate their sport, the lifestyle and to facilitate the enshrinement of 7 snow sport legends.

The 7 Inductees for the Class of 2015:

Genia Fuller, David Ingemie, Harry Kaiser, Chris Klug, Jim Martinson, Bob Salerno, Edgar Stern

Their bio's can be found here. 2015 Ski Hall INDUCTEES.  Saturday's big gala induction ceremony held  about 500 people honoring the inductees at Aspen's posh St Regis Hotel.

CLICK 4 PIX:  Bill Johnson Strikes Again / Ski Hall of Fame

Bill Johnson's Family in Aspen to honor him.As part of the festivities  The Ski Hall commissioned video tributes to skiing super-stars STEIN ERIKSEN and BILL JOHNSON.  Both recently passed away.  But the most moving part of the whole weekend was the tribute and ski lap for Bill Johnson. Wild Bill burst onto the ski racing scene like a bomb.  He was the first American male alpine skier to win an Olympic Gold Medal in 1984. He's still the only American to win the Olympic Downhill.  Click Bill Johnson to learn more.  Johnson had quite a reputation as a non-conformist...but boy could he let his red sleds run.  It's been said that he challenged the entire skiing establishment in 1984...and then he backed it up.  Bill loved Aspen...and Aspen loved him.  Unfortunately he suffered a serious brain injury in a crash during a comeback attempt for the 2002 Olympics. That injury most surely contributed to his death last January at age 55.  

D.B. Johnson...bill's Mom let A.Party wear the GOLD.On Saturday more than 200 friends and family members of the late, great Bill Johnson gathered at the top of Ruthie's Run, at the start of the race course for America's Downhill on Aspen Mountain.  It was the site of Bill's huge World Cup victory in 1984.  A few words were shared...and the group...more than 200 strong skied down the race course together.  At the top of Aztec...the steepest , most technical part of the track...more honors were shared.  Aspen Ski Patrol exploded a 2 pound dynamite charge...BOOM...and the race was on.   At the finish line, marked, just as it was in 1984, the posse of friends grew...Bill Johnson's ashes were sprinkled across the finish.   Tom Kelly from the U.S.Ski Team shared a short speech that began "We're here to honor Bill Johnson"  Ka-BOOM...as if on cue, a giant lightening strike and thunder clap occurred...very close by.  The explosion was louder than the avalanche charge.   The skies opened up to reveal a serious hail storm.  The energy was incredible.  It was other-worldly. Everyone felt it... as if Bill Johnson were with us. I'm not one to fully believe in paranormal experiences...but this one was real and palpable and very fitting.

Just as Bill Johnson's name was invoked...a huge lightning strike occured on Aspen Mountain. Bill was there with us.All the lifts on Aspen Mountain were closed for over an hour due to the storm.  The mountain was deluged with hail, rain and powder snow.  A very unusual weather event even in April.  It was a fitting tribute to Bad Billy Johnson.  His friends and family (including his Mom and kids) retired to Nello to celebrate and toast the life of Mr. Bill Johnson...Olympic Champion.

The Ski History and Induction weekend was a rousing success in Aspen.  The Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame put on a great show. Generations of skiing legends spent the weekend in Aspen charging the steeps and than bragging about it at Apres' As always it was BIG FUN in Fat City.  

We'll see everyone from the Ski Hall next year in Stowe.   Meanwhile...if you happen to be in Michigan's Upper Peninsula...on the way to...I dunno...Northern Wisconsin...stop into the Hall of Fame.   It's a treasure of skiing history.  Oh yeah...and don't leave da U.P. eh? without trying the pasties. 

CLICK 4 PIX:  BILL JOHNSON STRIKES AGAIN / SKI HALL OF FAME

Three legends in the ski world. Klaus Obermeyer, Billy Kidd and Chris Davenport.Team Klug at Chris Klug's U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame induction in Aspen.The Kaiser's The First Family of Skiing at Harry's HOF Induction.U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Famers...team pic.Bad Bob Salerno was thrilled to be a Hall of Famer.Genia Fuller and her daughter. Genia was inducted as the first lady of free-styling.

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Late season POW POW is plentiful in Aspen.

A.Party.. "do I look happy?" This year in Aspen, March came in like a lamb and is going out like a lion.   After more than 4 weeks of beautiful, clear, sunny, warm weather we finally started getting some POW POW action again.

Some people religiously check their i-phones for the weather...here at AspenSpin...we look out the window.

Sometimes we also check ASPENWEATHER.net   Ryan and Cory have been quite accurate this season. Helping us plan our POW days. Its been a fantastic late season snow surge in Aspen.  According to A. Party..." I took my bicycle out of storage...the next day it snowed 15 inches".  Typical.  Thats OK our townie bike (not a fixie) can wait.  

Lately, we've had some cold, windy, wintry weather and we love it. Single digit temps and "bigger than a foot" storms are welcomed here.   The skiing has been stellar.  If you're upscale enough...you still have time to enjoy it. Come join us in Aspen. Check the pix.

 

The Arty Party

Big news from the Coast.   Carolyn's story is posted on AspenSpin unedited.

There will be a fabulous artists’ showcase, The Arty Party, at the home of Carolyn Rogers, my adored colleague from grad school days at Wharton, this April in Portola Valley, California, right next to Stanford.  She and her husband, Tom Stepien, CEO of Primus Power, a high-tech big battery start-up, will host four artists in their home, including two Colorado artists: watercolorist Susan Montague of Denver and constructivist Kris Cox, who resides in a stunning home in Basalt; and one former Colorado artist, painter Kalani Engles.  On hand for live entertainment is Bundy Browne with Rick Sigman,  Bay Area guitar players who blend Rhythm, Blues, and Country with a little Reggae.

Kris Cox, originally from Los Angeles, studied at Claremont and received his MFA from the Rhode Island School of Design.  He has been featured in Galleries across the U.S and in Santa Fe at the renowned LewAllen Galleries.  He has been celebrated at more than 50 solo exhibitions.  His work is included in the collections of LA County Museum of Art, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, Oakland Art Museum, General Mills, and Prudential Insurance Art Collections.  From his bio: “Operating at the nexus of Modernist composition and venerable craftsmanship, the art of Kris Cox deftly balances the mechanics of industry with the poetics of the handmade.”  His background in ceramics and an impressive technical knowledge allows the creation of complex modern panels that are both minimal and offer intriguing nuances under close inspection.

Susan Montague creates watercolor portraits capturing the human experience in expressive faces of the common man. Using layer upon layer of transparent paint, she creates the mood and character of her subjects. Susan, a native of Colorado with a BFA from CSU, is an award-winning member of the American Watercolor, the National Watercolor, the Western Federation of Watercolor, the Colorado Watercolor and the Texas Watercolor Societies. She has been published in Southwest Art and Watercolor Artist Magazines, including cover images.  Susan was featured in an exhibition at the Grants Pass Museum of Art in Oregon and is represented by gallery Elements 5280 in Greenwood Village, Colorado.  She won top prize at the NY based American Watercolor Society Exhibition taking the Bronze Medal of Honor.

Also on hand will be three California based artists: Painter Kalani Engles and Graphic Artist, Scott J. Cooper. Kalani Engles studied at Stanford; her organic impressionistic and abstract paintings and sculptures are shown in galleries in San Francisco, New York, and Los Angeles. Notably, she lived in Colorado for years with museum shows in Fort Collins and Casper, Wyoming with representation at Inkfish Gallery in Denver. Scott J. Cooper is an artist and entrepreneur living in Copenhagen.  With influence from his days as a printmaker, his watercolor paintings carry a theme of the human figure with a penchant for dark comedy, including shadowy characters, lyrical dancers, plant life, and ladders to nowhere.

http://kriscox.com

http://montaguearts.com

http://www.kalaniengles.com

http://scottjcooper.com/scott-cooper

http://bundybrowne.com

http://artyparty.us