The Road to Snowmass

Double Black Noodle Bar at The Wildwood Snowmass. Tasty noodles!!AspenSpin doesn't get over to Snowmass much, but when we do we like to go HUGE.  

Click 4 pix:

The Road to Snowmass

We received a special invite to try the newest eatery in the Mass...Double Black Noodle Bar at The Wildwood. Mmmmmmm mmm, dat sh*t is goooood.  Affordable by Aspen standards Black Noodle Bar offers entrees in the $10-14 range.  A wide variety of Asian offerings made to order and served up hot and fresh in a newly renovated second floor space at The Wildwood.  Everything was delish..but I especially liked the Smoking Pig Bowl (look it up) and the Singapore Shrimp Bowl. The funky Japanese / Mountain decor is super-laid back and group friendly.  The space was designed by Ski Radical founder Carlton DeWoody.  Check it out: DOUBLE BLACK  NOODLE BAR.

Once again Carmelo and I got to crash at The Westin in Snowmass.  Slope side awesome-ness is how we like to roll.   The place was jumping with Orthopedic Surgeons,  all the Docs were at The Westin Snowmass for a conference.  The lobby bar, the pool , Jacuz and spa were all active. 

I don't ski Snowmass as often as I should. Jeeeeze this place rips. Duh?  Today, nobody was here and there was plenty of good clean family fun spread out over 94 trails and 3,332 acres.  We got up early and ripped several pristine groomers and had to experience only a few long traverses and lift rides. The highlight of the day was the wind-blown freshies in Hanging Valley after a short hike.  Some nice lines in there...and very few skiers.  What a fun day.

High Society in Snowmass. 10 years strong.We stopped by the new High Society showroom on the Snowmass Mall to chill with J. Flynn a founding partner.  Money can't buy class...but it can buy High Society snowboards, skis and clothing...right here on the Mall.  Yeaaaaaaaa High Society.

Snowmass Tourism threw a little shin-dig at the Ice Age Discovery Center to un-earth a 100,000 year old Mastodon tusk that had been preserved in a field jacket for months.  Paleontologist Tom Temme from the Denver Museum of Nature and Science cracked open the plaster and burlap field dressing to reveal another awesome fossil found near the Zeigler Reservoir in Snowmass.  Temme's lecture was fascinating and the Snowmass crowd gasped when the tip of the tusk was eventually revealed.   We were the first to lay eyes on the bone in over 100,000 years.  The Ice Age Discovery Center is certainly worth a perusal anytime you're on The Mall in Snowmass.   

Late night we hit the brand new bowling alley in Snowmass.  Slopeside Lanes was a pleasant surprise.  The well appointed and totally legitimate bowling alley is the real deal.  We rolled a few lines...chowed on some very tasty pub grub and even played the silver ball.   I haven't bowled since 2007, the time I out-rolled Brady Quinn at a charity function... just after he got drafted in the first round by the NFL's Cleveland Browns.  I knew immediately...after I blasted him on the lanes...that he would be an NFL bust.  Sorry B.Q.  Slopeside Lanes was fun and is a great addition the the Snowmass social scene.

Not a bad  little stay-cation.  Wheels Up.  Back to Aspen soon.    

Click 4 pix:  THE ROAD to SNOWMASS                                                                                     

Snowmass Tourism at the Ice Age Discovery Center for the un-earthing of their latest discovery.Paleontologist Tom Temme of the Denver Museum of Nature and Science un-earths the 100,000 year old tuskSkiing in Snowmass...simply excellent.

Rock & Roll Royalty in Aspen.

Click to Buy One Way or Another on AmazonUpon first glance Chris Wright seems like just another distinguished Aspen gentleman...but delve a little deeper and the history of Rock & Roll starts to flow.  

Wright along with partner Terry Ellis formed Chrysalis Records in 1967.   Wright is a veritable encyclopedia of the Brittish Invasion.   Chrysalis is one of the most influential and successful record labels in history.   Jethro Tull, Alvin Lee and Ten Years After, Procol Harum, Blondie, and Billy Idol are just a few of the bands on the Chrysalis label, now owned by BMG.

Wright's new autobiography ONE WAY or ANOTHER: My Life in Music, Sport and Entertainment is hot off the presses.  Wright will be signing copies at Explore Booksellers in Aspen on Tuesday Feb. 18th at 5 pm.  To buy it on-line; click  ONE WAY or ANOTHER  

His fascinating tales include a who's who of the "entire music scene".  When Bill Graham inquired about the availability of Ten Years After in '67...a legend was born.  Wright explained the complicated financial transaction that allowed Ten Years After to come to America for their first American tour at the same time he was mingling funds to help get Jethro Tull a publishing deal.   Luckily for Wright and both bands...his travel insurance covered his appendix operation as well as most of their travel expenses. Wright brought Ten Years After to Woodstock in '69 where they had a breakout performance (see the vid below.)

Wright knew The Beatles, Led Zep, Cream, Pink Floyd, Janis Joplin, Paul Simon and others.  He mentioned that he enjoyed the recent CBS TV special marking the 50th anniversary of the Beatles first appearance on Ed Sullivan.  He quipped about the time he asked legendary producer George Martin if Ringo was the best drummer in the world.  Martin replied..."he's not even the best drummer in the Beatles".  Wright said it was well known back then that Paul was pretty good on the skins.

Billy Idol a Chrysalis artist.He told another story about Jimi Hendrix's last gig at Deutchland Halla when Jimi passed the guitar torch to Robin Trower.  2 weeks later Hendrix was gone..and Trower quit Procol Harum to go solo.  In the book he shares stories about Jethro Tull, Blondie, Billy Idol and more.  Blondie was "just on point of being the biggest thing in the world"  when addiction and illness sidetracked the band.   Some of the bands that got away Rod Stewart, David Bowie and Dire Straits.  

Wright and I discussed modern music.  He admitted that in the beginning he thought rap music would just be another short lived craze...like punk or disco...but he said" the kids love it and it's been around for a while and it's really evolved".  Chris feels that today's artists don't live, sleep and breathe music like they used to.  In the sixties "people didn't do music to get rich...they played music because they loved it."

When I asked Chris if there was one song...out of the thousands...that made him most nostalgic about the golden years of rock and roll.  He hesitated and thought for several moments.  "I'd have to say Whiter Shade of Pale, when that one comes on I always turn up the volume".

Meet CHRIS WRIGHT and get his book at Explore Booksellers in Aspen on Tues. Feb 18 at 5 pm.  Or just buy ONE WAY OR ANOTHER on Amazon by clicking right here.

Chris Wright, founder of Chrysalis records chilling in Aspen with A. Party.Chris Wright...founding partner of Chrysalis Records...one of the most successful record labels of all time.

Aspen: For the Love of Dumps

A.Party in his element.It's been a fantastic ski season so far in Aspen.  The best in 5 years.  We hit the mid-point of the season with over 15 feet of snow having fallen. Recently we've had some super siiiiiiiick days.  Especially yesterday...and the day before that...and the day before that.  You get the picture.

It's dumping heavily right now...and we love it.

Here's a couple pix.

Henry's...directly under the 1a lift line. My favorite run...especially when no one is riding the lift.Newly opened and marked terrain on Ajax. You have to find it to ski it.We call this the Party Line on the Back of Bell. Maybe not the steepest pitch...but I'm usually first to schralp it.

RIP Stewy. Stewart Oksenhorn (1963-2014)

Childhood friends. The Boys from Jersey loved Stewy.Aspen lost a friend...and a good man.

Stewart Oksenhorn was one of the first people I met in Aspen.  We had a real world connection through a mutual friend, someone who he had grown up with in New Jersey.   Stewart was one of the nicest, purest, most gentle and most authentic people I've met in Aspen.  He obviously loved music, film, theatre and all the arts.  And I know he loved his daughter, Olivia more than anything, because he told me that.

My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.

Stewart worked his a$$ off for The Aspen Times.  The sheer volume of his writing was utterly impressive. The quality and the passion of his narratives spoke for themselves. 

Stewy was a great cat and a mellow cruiser. He always seemed so happy.  Stewy was kind of quiet and unassuming....but you could see the wheels turning behind his smiling eyes.  Obviously there was a lot going on up top.  We often ended up together shooting pix in the front row at Belly Up or in the photo pit at Jazz Aspen.  Stewy had the 411 on every band coming to Aspen and he was always willing to share that info.

I wish I would have been there with him on that fateful morning, so sunny and clear.  I would have grabbed him by the pony tail and held him back.  I would have given him a great big bear hug and squeezed him so tight.  I would have stood up there on that bridge and hashed it out with him.  I would have picked up that gnarly looking leather back pack of his and handed it to him and said "c'mon Stewy, let's go jam".  I would not have taken no for an answer.

I can't imagine what prompted Stewart.  What was going on inside his head?   Beyond the sorrow and grief and compassion for his family and friends, I have many unanswered questions.  Why?   What pushed Stewy to make his final decision?  Aspen has a suicide rate that is 3 times the national average. Why is that?   Why can't we, Aspen, as a town figure out a better way to help people in need?  I have no idea why Stewy was hurting so badly inside.  Why he was wired to take action.  But I do know that people around here loved him and will miss him greatly, especially his daughter.   His family and friends back East loved him passionately too.  

To me,  Stewy's choice is a tragedy that defies explanation. I can't get it out of my head.  I wish I could go back in time and help my brother out.  But I can't.  I'm only left with good memories about Stewy, a kind and gentle soul.  

Condolences to his friends and family.

Rest In Peace, Stewart Oksenhorn. 

A 50 Year Storm and SIA 2014.

It was a POW Day in Denver for SIAAspen, Vail and the entire Colorado Rocky Mountain region got the biggest dump in recent memory.   3 feet of snow over a 2-day period.   AspenSpin missed it.  Yup...it's sad but true.

Timed to coincide with the 50 year storm, the Snowsports Industries of America (SIA) hosted their 60th annual Snowshow in Denver.  SIA is the biggest ski industry event in America.   Everybody in the ski & snowboard business shows up to buy, sell, trade, learn, network, party, find a new job, hit on chicks/dudes, drink heavily, pass out, and then do it again...for 4 days straight.

CLICK FOR PIX.

THE SNOW SHOW (on the floor)

SIA AFTER HOURS  (parties, music etc.)

It would have been easy for AspenSpin to skip it.  Vail Pass was closed man.  But thanks to a heads up from Ryan Boudreau at Aspen Weather we were able to plan the trip to beat the storm.  A mistake? Maybe so... but the decision was made.  AspenSpin loves the POW POW...but we also dig on swag.  SIA is always our biggest pay-day of the year.  On the first day alone, A.Party scored 18 truckers hats, 300 stickers and 8 sick tee's.   It was fun...but missing a 24" POW Day...let's just say my entire rhythm was off.

TRENDS from SIA.

BACKCOUNTRY, BACKCOUNTRY, BACKCOUNTRY.   This segment is where the growth is.  Whether it's backcounty, sidecountry, Alpine Touring/ Randonee (AT), split boarding, ski-mo, uphilling, skinning...the people have spoken.  People who identified themselves primarily as backcountry riders grew 47% over last years survey.  That's a little misleading because many of the respondents indicated they still participated in traditional alpine skiing and riding too.  According to SIA / Leisure Trends sales of AT gear were up 23% over last year.  Backcountry accessories were up 17%.

A SLIGHT UPTICK.  According to SIA/ Leisure Trends the industry set a new in-season record for sales (Aug-Dec) at $2.3 Billion, +9% over 2012. That's slightly ahead of 2010, the previous best year ever.  Equipment sales came in at $541 mil +6% over last year.  Apparel, $985 mil +7% and accessories $734 mil +15%.

GIRLS LOVE to RIDE.  Ladies junior snowboard gear grew 17% over last year, while snowboard gear itself only grew 2%.   Many of the major ski companies make skis specifically for women, a relativly new category.   

THE CHANGING of the GUARDS. It seems as if the demographics of skiing and riding are changing right before our eyes.  Newer, more youth oriented brands appear to be gaining strength on the convention floor.  Maybe they just give good trade show...but surf and skate influenced brands like Volcom, O'Neil, Roxy, Vans and Anon always draw crowds at the snow show.  The more traditional snow brands like Salomon, Scott, Rossignol, K2, Burton etc. are still formidable competitors.

LOOK at ME.  Action cameras as a category grew 19% to 81,000 units sold.  The dollars spent in this category grew 36%.  Accessories and new products for cameras and cell phones were popping up all over the convention floor.  Camera mounts, extendable selfie* poles, water-proof cases....there are a lot of new entrants in this space.  *note: AspenSpin is generally credited for inventing the "selfie".

STYLE is IMPORTANT but FUNCTION is MANDATORY.  Every season the colors change, the styling and the cuts change, but the companies that are excelling in the snowsports world combine fashion and function. Fabric technology has improved ski wear exponentially.  Not only do 2015's snow clothes look cool...but they breathe, they are waterproof, they're light and super warm.  Accessories products grew 15% over last year...so it's important to accessorize 

COMPETITION.  The snowsports world is extremely competitive.   There are a lot of companies and brands competing for the same finite dollars.   While the macro market for skiing & riding stays relatively constant the number of new entrants into the industry never stops.   The major companies maintain their dominant positions while countless numbers of "microbrew" equipment and fashion purveyors attempt to break through.  It's a barbell effect...the majors and the boutique brands.   For consumers...that's a win. More great gear to choose from.

CLICK FOR PIX.

THE SNOW SHOW (on the floor)

SIA AFTER HOURS  (parties, music etc.)

KJUS (my favorite) showing off their newest and greatest styles...and winning the Show Stopper award.Dav and Colby...ambassadors for the sport...and Kastle riders.

The Sarah Burke Foundation and Freeskier held their 2nd annual fundraiser at SIA.
Ryder's eyewear from Vancouver dressed for success at SIA.