Back 2 Work (on Ajax).

People think blogging and ski bumming is easy.  It's not.  Yesterday marked the official (my head is spinning due to all the first days) opening of MY OFFICE,  Aspen Mountain, a.k.a. AJAX. 11/24/11. 

Click 4 Pix:  Back 2 Work (on Ajax)

First off the commute is hell....helllz yeah!!   3,267 vertical feet in the Gondola takes about 16 minutes, it can be torture sometimes depending on who you're riding with.  My co-workers can be difficult also. On Ajax,  I don't really worry about who moved my cheese; it's more like who poached my line?

The office politics can be fierce.  Have you ever tried getting on the Gondy with the Dogs?? They Bite.

The dress code on Ajax kills me.  I'm supposed to look good, every day, like a professional?  Even after skiing every day and partying every night?   Luckily I hooked up with KJUS whose stylie and functional outfits help me look sleek (well sleeker) every day.  My party body is not really designed to wear the Euro cut...but Kjus makes it easy for me to climb up the corporate ladder.

The Meetings?  There are plenty of conference rooms on Ajax. The warming hut at Peanut Butter Point has hosted some EPIC business discussions over the years.  Some of The Shrines can serve the purpose.  We convene at The Jerry Garcia Shrine, or the Jimi Hendrix Shrine or sometimes at the Buckaroo Shrine.

You get the picture...its a sweat shop on Ajax.  Work, Work, Work...it's crazy up there. 

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!  HAPPY NEW SKI SEASON!!

 Click 4 pix:  BACK 2 WORK (on AJAX)

StarPants is a super-hottie. Clay...not bad. Click 4 pix.

Ford and Ashley taking a work break. Click 4 pix.Super Fast German World Cup Skiers.

AVSC at 75

Little Rippers from AVSCHistory.  It's one thing that differentiates Aspen from almost every other ski town in the U.S.  Aspen has roots as a Ute Indian hunting ground, a silver mining boom town and over the past 3/4's of a century Aspen has evolved into a cultural and athletic Mecca.  Since 1937 The Aspen Valley Ski and Snowboard Club (AVSC) has been teaching winter sports and life lessons to the children of the Roaring Fork Valley.  If your math is rusty...that means 2012 marks the 75th Anniversary of AVSC.  That pre-dates the Aspen Skiing company by 10 years.  2011 was a big year in the history of AVSC as it was named USSA (U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association) "Club of the Year" and also was chosen for the "Top of the Hill" Award from the Colorado Ski Hall of Fame.

Click 4 Pix:   AVSC at 75

AVSC Executive Director Mark Cole recently spoke at The Aspen Business Luncheon hosted by Todd Shaver.  Cole and a few of AVSC's coaches shared some of the details about AVSC's 75th Aniversary Season.  Almost 2100 children will participate in AVSC's Winter programs this year, a new record. Coaching is available in Nordic, Alpine, Adaptive and Freestyle disciplines for both skiers and snowboarders  through AVSC   450 of the kids compete at the nationally ranked team level, about 650 children are on scholarship.  Almost 25% of all kids in the Valley participate with AVSC in some capacity.

AVSC has a long list of alumni who are World Class performers and Champions.  Names like  Andy Mill, Casey Puckett, Gretchen Blieler, Dave Stapleton, Jen Hudak and more.   Currently AVSC has begat top riders like Wiley Maple, Katie Ryan, Noah Hoffman and Torin Yater-Wallace.

A long standing Aspen tradition is the AVSC Ski Day.  AVAC Day is when Aspen Mountain opens up for friends of AVSC one day prior to the actual opening day.  A $40 donation ($20 for kids) gets you out on Ajax a day before the general public.  This year AVSC day was a super-beautiful bluebird day and Ajax was groomed to perfection and ready 4 shreddy.  165 acres of finely tuned white gold was skiing like it was mid January.  Some of you may recall last year's AVSC day which was a full-on POWDER Day.... going HUGE on day 1.   Either way...Bluebird or POW POW getting out there with the skiers, coaches, parents and friends of AVSC is a treat, but you better bring your A Game.  Those AVSC kids rip!!!

AVSC is to be congratulated on their 75th Aniversary.  Training World Class athletes is an important job...especially in Aspen.  Training the 2000 or so kids who are not World Class is a special task too.  Establishing core values of team work, discipline and training will help AVSC kids in any  future endeavor they choose, weather its academics or athletics.  If you've ever seen a pack of uniformed 10 year olds ripping down the mountain at mach speed, screaming with the joy of freedom and sporting huge smiles on their faces...then you know what AVSC is all about.

Congratulations to AVSC on 75 years and good luck for a great 2011/12 Ski Season in Aspen.

CLICK 4 PIX:  AVSC at 75

Todd Shaver hosted the AVSC for Aspen Business Luncheon.

LET'S RIDE. AVSC SKI DAY 11.23.11 The Tierney's, Zak and Parker.

On the Mountain in Aspen. Yeeeeeeeeah. Click 4 pix.

Thank You, Aspen T.R.E.E.

Aspen T.R.E.E. Click 4 pix.The Aspen Community is "pretty funky".  People settle into the Roaring Fork Valley from lots of different places and walks of life. It was an eclectic group who gathered at Aspen High School tonight for the 4th annual FREE Community Dinner sponsored by Aspen T.R.E.E. Together Regenerating the Environment through Education.

Click 4 pix. 

Aspen T.R.E.E. Free Community Dinner.

Up to 1000 "eaters" dined at AHS to on the totally local, totally organic totally free food.  There was a lot of love in that room.

The first shift went "very smoothly" according to Dusty, a volunteer waitress who seemed to be seeking a moment to relax.  Young people and old people, rich people and poor people, quiet people and loud people, fat people and skinny people, they all showed up for Aspen T.R.E.E.  to eat for free.  It was a unique collection of folks, who all seemed happy to be chowing down on appetizers, soup and plates heaping with good, locally grown organic food.  Some items on the plate were difficult to identify, but it all tasted good.  There was a warm and fuzzy feeling throughout the caffeteria.  A home cooked meal for 1000, in a friendly environment...always a good time.

We,  those of us who live in Aspen and the entire Valley have a lot to be thankful for.  The natural environment that surrounds us is majestic.  We are aforded personal space, public lands,  room to move about and enjoy natures gifts.  Thanksgiving is always a time of reflection and new beginnings at AspenSpin, and this year is no different.  The Aspen Community and the environment serves as our family.  Aspen has nurtured us and we are embracing an experiential life--rather than a material one.  And like we say every year on Thanksgiving...LET's RIDE!!!!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all. 

Click 4 Pix:   Aspen T.R.E.E. Free Communtiy Dinner.

The Goldens feasted thanks to Aspen T.R.E.E.Local, Organic, Sustainable food...and plenty of it. Aspen T.R.E.E.

Early Bird Special - Aspen Style

An EARLY OPENING DAY in Aspen/Snowmass??  Sounds good right?  Sign me up for that. Ski Season 2011/12 is here.  In Aspen, ummmm Snowmass the lifts fired up and the ropes dropped 5 days early.  Snowmass Mountain was primed for action.  Plenty of early season snow storms up top created an early-bird treat for the locals.  AspenSpin and many others officially kicked off the 2011/12 ski season on November 19, 2011 at Snowmass. 

Click 4 Pix:  EARLY BIRD SPECIAL - ASPEN STYLE

AspenSpin doesn't get out to Snowmass very often, but we jumped on the opportunity to click in EARLY and RIDE.  Turns out it was POW day (sort of). Super-freaky high winds on Thursday and Friday blew most of the snow off of the Big Burn...but it was still open for business. There was even some freshies. Ankle deep in spots...but we can't tell you where.   Another 3-4" fell during the day.

Our commute was extended a wee bit, but it was "all good" on Saturday.   Being "steps away" from the Gondy on Ajax spoils us. It makes the high speed 20 minute ride on Owl Creek Road, free parking (nice) and the 2 lifts to the top seem a litlle management intensive.  For the record, AspenSpin loves FREE PARKING.  Forgetting your boots in town is not a good way to kick-off, but we realized our false start before the round-about.   It was AWESOME to get out there on the mountain and do some figure 11's.  It was pretty cold and windy...that's why they call it Winter, but we were skiing... and it was fun to have the breeze and snow in your face again.  Plenty of people were ripping at high speeds on the variable early-season conditions.  We avoided any and all human-on-human collisions and we didn't eat any wood... which is always good.  The speed, the freedom, the physical activity... there's a reason people are passionate about skiing and riding.  In Aspen, ski season is officially upon us and it came 5 days early this year.

Friday Night kicked off the weekend in style at THE WHEELER OPERA HOUSE with a screening of ALL.I. CAN. from Sherpa Films and the locally shot movie,  IF YOU WANT TO FLY from Vital Films.  Both flicks were AWESOME and helped raise money and awareness for ALPINE INITIATIVES a non-profit that strives to get action-oriented people to take action against climate change.  Click their link to learn how you can help take action.  ALPINE INITIATIVES.  The Siiiiick after party at THE RED ONION went all night long.

Turns out AspenSpin is 2 legit 2 quit. We're hoarding a bunch of new equipment from KJUS, KASTLE, HESTRA and others.  GORSUCH even tuned up our rock skis (just in case) and THE ASPEN CLUB's ski-conditioning class definitely paid dividends.  

So we'll see ya out there...almost every day. We're doing the snow dance right now. Let's get it on, Aspen.   Click 4 Pix  EARLY BIRD SPECIAL-- ASPEN STYLE

V.P. of Marketing Christian Knapp samples the goods. Photo: Jeremy Swanson / ASC.Torin Yater-Walace shows his opening day form. Photo: Jeremy Swanson / ASC. click 4 pix.

Todo es Posible

The famous Hotel NacionalA. Party of AspenSpin is a stamp collector.  A passport stamp collector. In addition to blogging and ski bumming, Party has established an extensive resume of travel to exotic locales in search of adventure, culture and one-of-a-kind experiences.  One stamp that got away belongs to a 700 mile long Island  Archipelagos in the Caribbean situated just 100 miles off the coast of Florida.  Can you figure it out?  It ain't the Bahamas, baby.  I did not get the stamp...but I got the experience

Click 4 Pix:  Todo es Posible

Click 4 Pix   3rd World Spin (on Flickr)

A short connection through Mexico led us to a place filled with music, history, politics and a nation of proud, hard working and colorful people.  Traveling to a country that is forbidden by the U.S. Government is scary yet titillating.  It's one of the main reasons Cu&@ has been on my bucket list for some time.  A week on the Island (mainly in H@bana) was not enough time to fully explore this many facited country, but I did get a marvelous taste.

"Anything is possible in Havanna" wrote famed Brittish novelist Graham Greene, and based on my experience... it's true.  Havanna is a mixture of many exotic layers, cultures and ideas.   Anytime I travel into the sh*t,  to a third world location (Bolivia, Cambodia, Tanzania etc) I'm both apprehensive and excited.   In this case there would be no U.S. Embassy or a handy American Express Office or even a Marriot or Hilton Hotel to provide a safe respite from the risks of travel.  I'm not even sure if I could've made a phone call to back to America...luckily I didn't have to.

My introduction to Cu&@ was not pleasant.  I was one of the first off the plane from Cancun (Mexico...not a fan) and near the front of the line for passport control.  When I was called forward, the uniformed agent gave me the once-over.  He asked me lots of questions about why I was travelling to Cu&@, what my intentions were and how much money I had.  He held onto my passport and documents said "you wait" and then preceded to let about 200 other people pass through to customs.  He then took my passport and walked away...I ran after him, explaining in broken Spanish..."I stay with my passport".   He tersely said "uno momento senor, you wait" and went through a door that said "El Jefe" ..The Boss.  Two more agents came out and asked me more questions in Spanish and their broken English.  They went through my papers very thoroughly and spoke to each other very rapidly in Spanish.  Already nervous, I tried to remain calm, and act like it was no big deal, but I was scared sh*tless.  Finally they directed me to a travel insurance booth (which was closed) and told me to buy travel insurance...but there was no one there to buy from???  After about 20 more minutes of interrogation..they let me pass through the control area---only to hand me off to another uniformed agent who searched my luggage more diligently than you can imagine.  He un-rolled all my socks, reached inside every pocket, opened all my pills and my toothpaste etc.  He made me count out my cash...all this occurring with a language barrier, en Espanol solo.  I was getting a little freaked.  Finally with all my possessions laid out on a a stark metal table, guys in uniforms (with guns) everywhere--he said "sequir adelante and pointed to the Salida...go ahead".

Soon I was sitting shotgun in a 55 Chevy heading to my destination, The famous Hotel Nacional.  Shaken but relieved, I checked into the finest Hotel in Havana, one that used to be frequented by  American Mobsters and movie stars in the 40's and 50's.  Havana is a mysterious city that grows on you.  It's a creeper.   The Colonial Old Town, "Habana Vieja" is a mesmerizing maze of beauty, history and striking urban grit all set to a bouncing Caribbean soundtrack.

It was a great trip, a difficult trip and very worthwhile.  The photos tell the story.

CLICK 4 PIX:                      Todo Es Posible

                            and     3rd WORLD SPIN (on Flickr)