Good Deeds and Big Deeds in Aspen.

Aspen Business Luncheon: Neal & DavToday was a great one in Aspen. TIA...This is Aspen,  the paper featured an article about ACRA complaining about locals "b*tching" about the early season conditions. Click:  ACRA (please play nice) .  Then AspenSpin skied 5 quick laps top to bottom. I love the smell of Spar Gulch in the morning.   Then around 10:30 the lighting changed on Copper. It was as if God had shined a flashlight smack down the middle.  Guess what?? No one else was there, except for the rippers I was with--- who were tooling at nearly 70 MPH.  It was hard and flat...and there were a few rocks---but it was fun.  Market that!!!  Then some really good news for AspenSpin.  We were named the #1 snow sports blogger on twitter.  Wow #1 feels good, but the comp. is tight. See the List, Click;  #1 Blogger

Mid-day we hit Todd Shaver's Aspen Business Luncheon at The Wheeler Opera House.  World Class Mountaineers Chris Davenport and Neal Beidleman presented fascinating personal insights and an epic slide show from their recent trip to the Summit of Mt. Everest.  Their most recent expedition, last Spring was compared  to Neal's fateful trip "into thin air" in 1996.  These guys crushed it on Everest, even getting a rare ski decent on the famous Lhotse Face.   Apparently the POW was pretty good at 8000 meters.   It was clear from the intimate discussion that Neal found some peace of mind on his return to Everest.  His previous trip ended badly, as lives were lost and the entire trip was documented in Jon Krakauer's best selling book.  Although Neal  was considered a hero during that first expedition, his return trip to Everest provided an emotional closure for him.  Chris and Neal did a great job, as always, and The Aspen Business Luncheon was interesting, fun and informative.

Late afternoon we hit the AVSC gear event at Gorsuch.  Over 200 AVSC scholarship kids got free ski equipment for the season courtesy of Gorsuch.   This is one of our favorite events of the season.  The beaming smiles on the faces of the kids and their parents as they got geared up for the season was incredible.  Many of these kids would not be skiing if it weren't for the generosity of Gorsuch, AVSC and Ski Co.   One thing was evident, the Gorsuch staff and the AVSC coaches were smiling just as bright as the kids.

Click 4 Pix.  Good Deeds and Big Deeds in Aspen.

Let's be honest.  Aspen probably has more non-profits per capita than any place else, so there's "a lotta love in this Valley".  What makes the AVSC /Gorsuch event so special is the "hands on nature" of it.  One on one philanthropy.  Fittting a kid with boots, handing out skis and poles, treating them to punch and cookies as well as providing a free beanie to everyone....It's all good dude.  Jeff Gorsuch is a BIG man around here...and he has a BIG heart. He and his entire family along with the Gorsuch staff were clearly thrilled to give something back to the kids.  The smiles were gigantic.   Hopefully the joy that was evident tonight at Gorsuch comes through in the photos below.

Click 4 Pix:   GOOD DEEDS and BIG DEEDS in ASPEN.

The Gorsuch Family doing good deeds for the AVSC kids. Click 4 more pix.Over 200 kids got Skis, Boots and Poles...and plenty of good vibes. Click 4 pix.This kid is ready to shred, thanks to Gorsuch, AVSC and Ski Co. Click 4 Pix.Let's do it....Let's Ski. everybody was thrilled to get geared up at Gorsuch. Click 4 Pix.

Gore-Tex is my Homie

Gore-Tex Brand is throwing a super-sweet contest.  It's fun, easy and free.

You can win a deluxe head-to-toe package of Gore-Tex gear from The North Face, Patagonia, Marmot and Arc' Teryx.  All you have to do is tell YOUR STORY.  You can enter on Facebook...just share YOUR STORY about how Gore-Tex gear delivered for you when it counted during an outdoor experience.

ENTER the GORE-TEX contest,  through Dec. 15.

CLICK HERE to enter:  YOUR STORY

AspenSpin was disqualified from the contest due to our status as a "professional writer", but we do have a story about Gore-Tex gear coming through for us.

It was a chilly August morning in San Francisco.  As most of you know Summer in SF can be quite cold and windy.  We joined in for a boat trip with an observation group from  The Oceanic Society  The 10 hour "cruise" was to the Farallon Islands National Wilderness Area, a.k.a. , the Devils Teeth, 27 miles off the Coast of San Fran.  The Farallons are a known breeding ground for Great White Sharks. 

The Devil's Teeth near San Francisco.Thinking ahead, we layered up, because as it turned out, it was freezing out on the open Ocean.  6' to 8' foot seas and gusting winds.  Suffice to say everyone on the boat got soaked and almost everyone barfed.

AspenSpin was prepared; I wore a Gore-Tex hooded shell jacket and pants made by the The North Face as my outer layer.  It was an old ski outfit I had stashed in S.F.  It was brrrrrr chilly, brrrrr to the bone (like you wouldn't believe) even despite wool layers and a down vest underneath.  My Gore-Tex outerwear kept me completely dry.  Some of my shipmates did not fare so well...they were sopping wet through and through.

As I thawed out with an Irish Coffee at the World Famous Buena Vista Cafe (where the drink was introduced to the U.S.),  I thanked my lucky stars that my outer layer was made with Gore-Tex. I was dry and warming up fast.  Gore-Tex paid off for me.

Your story is probably better than mine, so give it a try. Share it and win. Compose YOUR STORY and bring home some stylie, breathable, robust, technical clothing made with GORE-TEX. 

ENTER to WIN from GORE-TEX. Click:   YOUR STORY

SiiiiiiCK PIX from Aspen World Cup.

 AspenSpin documented all the events for Winternational 2011.  Day and Night, 24/7 we are out their snapping and rapping. 

Click the pix..u may enjoy them.

Fast Chicks in Aspen Aspen Winternational 2011

Chicks on Sticks (more from the World Cup Races)

Ski Tuner's Ball (and other Tales from the Night)

Bucket Shots:  Steps to the Gondola

Charge It : The Fastest Ladies in the World come to Aspen.

Opening Weekend in Aspen is always a blast.  Thanksgiving Dinner. Skiing on Aspen Mountain, The FIS Ladies World Cup Skiing races mixed in with plenty of events, concerts and parties....a nice little weekend.

The FIS traveling 400 showed up in Aspen for the only Ladies race scheduled on U.S. soil this year, (although  there is talk about rescheduling the Val d' Isere races in Aspen or Vail in early December due to lack of snow in Europe).  The World Cup skiers, their coaches, the handlers, the tuners, the sponsors, and the entourages came to Aspen for the Aspen Winternational Giant Slalom and Slalom competitions.  The race course on Ajax is known as the toughest on the World Cup circuit.  Steep and highly technical with several terrain changes Aspen Mountain brings out the best in The World's Fastest Women.

These ladies are FAST...and they CHARGE IT.    (more photos coming soon)

Giant Slalom Podium / Aspen. 1) Rebensburg. Ger. 2) Goergl. Aut. 3) Mancuso. USASlalom Podium Aspen 1) Schild. Aut. 2) Pietilae- Holmner. Swe 3) Riesch. GerLindsey Vonn shot us a smile despite a disappointing weekend in Aspen.Julia Mancuso shared the stoke of her podium finish in GS with the whole U.S. support team.The name of the Band is COWBOY MOUTH. The New Orleans rockers played free show at the base of Ajax.16 year old Mikaela Shiffrin / USA scored her first top 10 finish in World Cup Slalom. The Ski Tuners Ball ....is always the best party of the year. 2011 was no exception. It was OUT of CONTROL.

Aspen Winternational

The World's fastest women are back in Aspen for World Cup Skiing.

The Races  are on Saturday and Sunday on Aspen Mountain.   We are getting some siiiiiick pix.  Here's a few.  

Point and Shoot from the porch of AspenSpin's HQ. Blogging has it's privledges.Lindsey Vonn at the US Ski Team Press Conference."The Coach" Bob Beattie with U.S. racers Anna Marino, Resi StiegkerAutograph signing is serious biz for 3 year old Lasse, with his Mom Sarah Schleper and pal Julia Mancuso.