Ajax: Over and Out

Ajax Closing Day 4/10/11Aspen Mountain shut it down in style yesterday with a POW POW party second to none.   AspenSpin declared the 6 inch rule in effect...and our entire staff got the day off (with pay) to shred, to get social and to celebrate another super-siiiiiiiiiiiiiiick ski season in Aspen.  Loyal A-Spinners will recall that day #1, waaaaaay back on November 24, 2010 (AVSC Day) was a snowy POW day too.  Our last day of the season, April 10, 2011 brought icy cold winds and a fresh dumping to Ajax.  The mostly local closing day crowd was expecting sunny skies and warm temps....but old Ullr will play his tricks.  Surprise.....a thin layer of freshies on top of the coral reef ---or in some places ice-rink style concrete.  

4 pix.  WINNING and BI-WINNING

It was another great season all around in Aspen.  Our auditors are still crunching the numbers, but A-Spin , who hit every single POWDER Day this year, calculates that we had between 20 -25 legit Pow days with 8-10 Epic ones.   Ajax Mountain is always groomed meticulously for  the upscale tourists, but it was the non-groomers that really shined throughout the year.   Our favorite runs skied great from Nov to April.  Bell Mountain, The Dumps, Walsh's and Trainor's skied like it was mid-winter...allllll season long.  We did experience a heat wave  in March when sunny temps exceeded 45 degrees for 11 days straight...but that was followed by some huge Spring storms. It was no 07/08...but it was waaaaaaay better than last year.  We don't measure skier visits...we measure face shots---and there were tons for everyone. 

Click 4  closing day pix: 

WINNING (on mountain)  

Bi- WINNING (off mountain)

Speed Kills...and it chills at SchneeTag.

As always the party scene in Aspen exceeded expectations and this season did not dissapoint.  There were no bomb threats, no reality TV crews, no power failures...it was just good clean fun.   The World Cup led into Christmas led into Winterskol, led into Presidents Day, led into Spring Break led into closing day.  It was a like a huge weekend but it lasted 5 months.  Sheeeeez we're tired, but as predicted....we finished strong. Basically, by every measure we killed it, on mountain and off.

 See the closing day pix. click WINNING (on mountain). and Bi WINNING (off Mountain).

Closing Day on Ajax included the 40th Annual Bell Mountain Buck Off, The Red Bull Schnee Tag pond skim and a raging indoor /outdoor rave at The Sky Hotel.  The sh*t went out of control one more time.  Its hard to describe the energy in words--so click the pix.  WINNING.   We're not quite ready for ski-hab yet, Aspen Highlands is still open for 2 more weeks.  We gonna hydrate and get ready to rock it for Aspen Highlands closing day on April 24.   Until then, we're gonna try to keep the black side down.

Bi Winning...its what we do.

Hooters Snow Angels in Aspen.

Hooters Snow Angels in AspenThe Hooters Snow Angels Fashion Show is the biggest day of the year for AspenSpin.  Disclaimer: We don't bring the Hooters Girls to Aspen, we just shoot 'em while they're here. 

2011 marks the 3rd annual Hooters Snow Angels "swimsuit fashion show in  the snow" in Aspen.  Every year the Hooter's event supports organ donation awareness by donating $10,000 to The Chris Klug Foundation.  This year's bikini pageant took place at the luxurious pool at 39 Degrees at The Sky Hotel under sunny skies and before a packed house. The bikini bash was taped live for TV for Fox Sports.  Exposure for Aspen on National TV....what do you think?

Its been a long, cold snowy winter in Aspen.  With a ratio of 7 guys for every girl in Aspen...it can get especially chilly.  12 beautiful Hooters Girls strutting around in bikini's is always a welcome site in the Roaring Fork Valley.   So here they are...2011 Hooters Snow Angels.

Click  Hooters Girls in Aspen

 

Adam Dennis R.I.P.

The Aspen Community sadly lost another brother yesterday to avalanche. 

Adam Dennis , 38, was a skier, a biker, a photographer, a great guy and the entirety of Aspen mourns his untimely death.  Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and his friends during this time of ultimate sadness.   

Adam was the greatest.  He was quick with a smile or a joke, always friendly, happy and upbeat and a true gentleman.  One of the strongest skiers and most talented photographers in Aspen, Adam was always 100% ready to earn his turns, to drop into the POW, to help a friend or to follow Widespread Panic across the globe.   Aspen will not be the same without Adam Dennis.

R.I.P. Adam Dennis.  YOUR SPIRIT WILL LIVE FOREVER.

R.I.P. Adam Dennis. 7/11/72- 4/4/11 Photo: Zach Lentz (via FB)

Aspen: The Jam Session.

Aspen Music Scene. Aspen Spin.The Music Scene in Aspen has been on fire lately. 

7908: The Aspen Songwriters Festival (see previous post) was a tremendous success.  Also this weekend Belly Up brought in Lukas Autry Nelson (Willie's  hard-rockin' Son), Wanda Jackson, The Queen of Rockabilly,--a 2009 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, in her Aspen debut and Texas rockers Los Lonely Boys (we're to tired to go--share your pix).

Lukas Nelson has played Belly Up twice previously with his band, Promise of the Real.  Its always a full-on rock show, and the band keeps getting tighter and tighter.   This time Greg Stump and a BIG TIME film crew documented the whole concert.  Digital shooters were everywhere including a major robotic boom-cam. Go Pro 's were abundant, head cams and fret cams and amp cams.  It was a kick A$$ show and hopefuly we'll see it on the big screen in a multi-plex soon. 

Click 4 pix: ASPEN: The Jam Session

Yes we know some of our photos are blurry. We like 'em like that.  We could upgrade our equipment, get a tri -pod or some sh*t..... thats not how its done at AspenSpin.  Point and shoot baby, capture the energy...thats our thang.   Lukas is a whirling dervish of Rock and Roll, and our slow camera caught the motion.  Wanda was a little easier to shoot...but no less rowdy. We like our pix, hopefully you do too.

Wanda Jackson broke into the music biz in 1955.  She toured with and "dated" Elvis in the fifties.  She's in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  She and her band, The Dusty 45's rolled into Aspen for a flashback rock n roll show.  This is one 73 year old lady that can still rock.  Her latest album was produced by Jack White...and she's very hot right now.

Click 4 pix, ASPEN: The Jam Session.

7908: The Aspen Songwriters Festival

7908: The Aspen Songwriters FestivalA super-talented  line up of singer/songwriter musicians are hitting the stage in Aspen for four nights at the second annual 7908: Aspen Songwriters Festival. This weekend (March 30-April 2) at The Wheeler Opera House.

Musical talent is an amazing gift and plenty of BIG names are sharing their gifts on-stage in Aspen. 3-time Grammy Winner Shawn Colvin , Americana Rockers, The Band of Heathensfrom Austin, Tx, Keb Mo, the silky smooth  bluesman, mandolin wielding wild man,  Sam Bush, 2-time Grammy winner Kim Carnes and hot live act Elizabeth Cook joined host John Oates to create an amazing and diverse slate at 7908.  

7908 in Aspen. Click for Pix.7908 has 2 more nights of music scheduled at The Wheeler (Friday & Saturday).  Still to perform are bluesy songstress Ruthie Foster, Country Blues Legend, John Hammond, Glenn Tilbrook from Squeeze and festival closers Donavon Frankenreiter and Matt Nathanson.  Tickets are still available. 

Click WHEELER  4 tickets, click 7908 for photos.

So far the shows at 7908 shows have been spectacular.  The Wheeler provides an intimate and magnificant setting including superior acoustics for 7908's wide variety of musical mastery. The 7908 acts have traveled to Aspen from all over the country.  Day 1 and 2 highlights include Shawn Colvin's rendition of Crazy (Gnarls Barkley) and her jam session with Sam Bush and John Oates.   The Band of Heathens killed it and turned the front rows of the Wheeler into a mosh pit as the wild jam dancing continued for their entire set.  Kim Carnes and Elizabeth Cook had a friendly duel on-stage trading off taking the lead.  Their set culminated with Carnes heartfelt version of her huge hit, Bette Davis Eyes.  Cook seemed a little intimidated following that number, but she more than held her own with her ballad, Sometimes it takes Balls to be a Woman.  Keb Mo...that guy can pic some blues.  He sang with a smooth silky voice and ripped his steel guitar accompanied by Sam Bush and John Oates in front of a sold out audience.

2 more days of fun and music.  Can't wait to get some more 7908.

The Band of Heathens at 7908 in Aspen. Ripping set of American Rock.

 Keb Mo. Always a favorite in Aspen. Click for Pix.Kim Carnes and Elizabeth Cook dueling singers at The Wheeler in Aspen.