Sneakin' and Peakin' in Aspen

I can't make dis sh*t up.  Click 4 pix.   SNEAK-A-PEAK

The 10th Annual Sneak-A-Peak Party.  Aspen, Colorado  3/9/12

March Radness

March Radness in Aspen. click 4 pix.As we roll into March, many things change in Aspen.  Daylights savings time kicks in and the bluebird days (and hopefully more POW days) are glorious.  The party crowd arrives, the face-people take 4 hour lunches at Bonnie's, the senior citizens arrive with their deep pockets.

Bottom line is...the season is almost over.  AspenSpin is at 80 ski days and still on pace for a coveted 100 day pin from Aspen / Snowmass.  The party body is breaking down a little...hopefully nothing a little duct tape, ibuprofen and chinese herbs can't overcome.

The event season is about to peak.  Last week we went to the Cheeseburger Party, The LemonDrop Party, The SkyLab Party and tonight Sneak-a-Peak and tomorrow The 51st Wine Party and corresponding after party.  The Cougs are running wild. 

SEE PIX:  MARCH RADNESS

On tap:

ASPEN FASHION WEEK.  In it's 4th year, and AFW is on.  Bentley is now a sponsor...so I guess that's "how we roll".  KJUS and NEVE two of AspenSpin's favorite brands are on board for 2012.  They will be featured on the runway along with many other active and fashion brands.

Click 4 Info: AFW March 11-14.

7908: The ASPEN SONGWRITERS FESTIVAL, at The Wheeler Opera House.  John Oates and Gram Slayton put together a full slate of singer / songwriters for the 3rd edition of the highly popular event. 

 Click 4 Info:  7908 March 21-24

SNOW MAG's SILVER RUSH.  2 events, one ticket.   A series of in-store / restaurant events followed by an Olympic Team soiree.  Caribou Club, The Baldwin Gallery, The North Face and others are on board.

Click 4 Info :  SILVER RUSH March 22

Blogger Appreciation Day @ Aspen/Snowmass

It was a legit POW Day on Ajax. 2/28/12 Click 4 pix. I know what you think.  A. Party is just a blogger, albeit, one who takes incredible people pix and is consistently funny as sh*t.  But in reality I'm a skier.  That's what I came to Aspen to do and that's what drives me.  A.Party has not missed a POW day in Aspen in 9 years.  The chicks, the parties, all the sick perqs of  being AspenSpin, the stellar klout score and the massive swag hoarding...all that is just icing on the cake.

Today in Aspen, 2/28/12  was the best POW Day of the season so far. 

Ajax is an intimate mountain.  You always see the same faces on the POWDER days.  All of the usual suspects were out schralping today.  I was up early with anticipation, second in line at the bucket at around 8:15. Uploading began early at 8:45 and I scored the second gondola.  The first lap was siiiiiiiiick.  Untouched POW -- top to bottom, and to paraphrase Kenny Powers...I t*tty f#*ked that run.

On the second lap I spotted Aspen Ski Co.'s #ContentCrew hanging out at the base. "What are you guys waiting for?" I asked the group, not really expecting an answer.   Douche Bag Digi Dave replied "some of our athletes and models are late".  Pete from finance added "We're shooting the POW day".  Aspen Ski Co's ace photographer Jeremy Swanson said..."hey,  you're wearing a bright color...wanna come shoot with us?"   "Whaaaaaat?" My thoughts raced quickly {Andy-Party on a POW day photo shoot?...with pros?}.  "F#*K yeah, I'm in.!!!"  I responded without delay.  It was snowing hard...the line at the gondola was slowly building.  "Let's do this" shouted Dave and we were off.

It was only about 6"-8", but it kept snowing and blowing all day...maybe 12" of POW in spots where the wind had deposited it.  We ripped the Back of Bell, Ridge of Bell,  Face of Bell, Cone 2, Walsh's, Jackpot,   Walsh's again, Glade 3 and more.  We picked up some real rippers along the way.   Ryan (Aspen Weather), CarlaVT, Tony P., Packy, Gordon ( the world's most photographed human), Peter King ( Ajax Mountain Manager), Jesse (sick free-heeler) and Nelson (Apres Bike Aspen) joined in with us. 

It was a blast.  We all skied, and Jeremy shot sick powder pix.  Sure, there was a little more standing around than usual, but it felt great to be on the other side of the lens for once.  All those ski days paid off, as I was very familiar with the terrain.  I was especially elated that ski conditions were so soft and fluffy as I knew how gnarly and firm it was underneath.  I was holding my own in the ski modeling department...spraying POW as high as I could, going b@lls out for the camera.  Smilin' and free-stylin'. Ballin' and haulin'.  Charging like a Coug at Bergdorf's.  What ev's .... it was a great day.

Turns out...I'm the cover boy on the Aspen/Snowmass homepage.  How sick is that?  Who could ask for anything more?  Thanks to ULLR for the best day of the year, and to the Aspen / Snowmass #ContentCrew for documenting it on digi.   I'm a model and I know it.

Click for more pix.   SICK POW DAY  (Aspen/Snowmass pix by Jeremy Swanson)

                               The WHITE ROOM   (AspenSpin pix by A.Party)

Cover Boy on the Aspen / Snowmass homepage. Photo: Jeremy Swanson / Aspen Ski Co. Yeah, A. Party is a model.

 Tony P. Carla VT, Digi Dave, PK and "the shooter". On top of Walsh's just prior to our schralping it.Nelson Reily goes upside-down on Walsh's. He stomped it. Photo: Jeremy Swanson / Aspen Ski Co.

Shiny puffy coats and The President's Wife.

President's Weekend in Aspen. Click 4 pix.The President's Day crowd jet-setted into Aspen with a fury.  It's as if Aspen's "1% switch" had been turned on.   It's just an observation, but President's Weekend might just be the most upscale weekend of the year in Aspen.  We're basing that on condensed nature of private school vacations.  Aspen Spin has not been past the traffic circle in a while, but we've heard the line-up of private jets at the airport is quite impressive.  There is a lot of private in town...and of course the secret service.

The people from the city show up and bring all their mishegoss with them. The shiny puffy coats on Ajax more than quadrupled over night.  Please note, shiny gear often has a negative correlation to actual skill level on the mountain (sorry Jet Set and Moncler).  The sheer amount of data being exchanged on Aspen Mountain must be incredible.  Everybody is measuring their verts, clocking their speed, clicking app's, facebooking, tweeting, going pro and live blogging every run. The real players have to whip out both an I phone and a Blackberry on the Gondola  to handle all their action. The on-mountain people-watching is a pure thrill ride of entertainment.  The mob scene at lunch is out of control.  Table saving, line cutting and who has the biggest.....checkbook are all the new black.   Lots of New Yorkers and Angelinos sprinkled in with Chicagoans and a few extras from Miami, Dallas and Houston and my homies from Detroit.  There is still a formidable International presence in Aspen from Australia, Brasil, Russia and Europe.  The First lady, Michelle Obama is in town having a "girls weekend" with her daughters.  If that ain't BIG Time ...I don't know what is.  She's facebook friends with the Crown's.

Click 4 pix.     Ajax Express    and  Spinning the Ballet

So we will continue spinning #winning and #linning in Aspen. Skiing every day (almost) and partying every night (not really) is A-Spin's way of life in Aspen.  We took a few sick pix on Ajax ( Click AJAX EXPRESS 4 pix) and we experienced some of Aspen's World Class Culture at the ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET ( click Spinning the Ballet 4 pix) and then partied at a BIG daddy mansion for Mardi Gras.  

As I write this post it's dumping heavily in Aspen.  It's supposed to snow all week according to our friends at Weather Aspen.   AspenSpin is taking the night off...with pay,  to play rec. hockey, watch Kenny Powers on HBO and get ready for a POW Day......We are #tebowing for POW.

Turns out President's Day was the best POW day of the seaz.(so far). 

Click 4 pix  PRESIDENTIAL POW DAY.

Opening Night at the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet with Exec. Director Jean-Phillippe Malaty (L) and Artistic director Tom Mossbrucker (R) and others. Cllick 4 pix.Mardi Gras at The Mansion. 20,000 sq ft of fun.

Dr. Kenneth Mark crushing it on Ajax. Click the AJAX EXPRESS pix. Share 'em, like' em, copy 'em.

Panic in Aspen.

Widespread Panic invades Aspen for 3 Sold Out Shows.There's a panic in Aspen this weekend.  It's not from the lack of POW (skiing has been pretty decent). It's not the surge in demand for 7000 sq ft penthouses in the core, it's not even the high school coach sex scandal.  It's WIDESPREAD PANIC, the popular Southern Jam Band.  Widespread Panic is playing 3 nights at Aspen's Belly Up Tavern at a general admission price of $350 (per night).   Tickets for the 3-night stand sold out in like 30 seconds...so it's clear that demand is high. 

AspenSpin has never experienced a WideSpread Panic show, and we won't this time either because at $350 per ticket (scalpers are asking much higher) we're gonna take a pass.  We won't be the only one's in Aspen who reflect for a moment to remember and honor our fallen friend, Adam Dennis.  Adam was one of the most fervent Widespread Panic fans around...travelling to shows all over the place. Adam is no longer with us, but he'll be looking down on Aspen this weekend and busting a RAD move, because it feels good to see a BIG man dance.

Other entertainment options exist.

The Wheeler Opera House presents folk singer and social activist Judy Collins tonight ( Feb 17).   Judy Collins is an iconic songstress who also happens to be a graduate of  The University of Colorado.  Her 1969 classic anthem BIG YELLOW TAXI is still relevant and rings very true today.  "Don't it always seem to go.  That you don't know what you've got til it's gone.  They paved paradise and put up a parking lot."

Click 4 tickets. JUDY COLLINS at the Wheeler.

The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet (ASFB) brings their eclectic dance stylings to the District Theatre at Aspen School Campus for two nights (Feb 17 & 18).  The world famous ASFB dance troupe will perform a triple bill of dances from three separate choreographers.  OVER GLOW, LEFT UNSAID and SQUARE NONE will mix classic, contemporary and improvisational styles in an evening that is sure to please.

Click 4 tickets.  ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET at The District Theatre.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet at The district Theatre. Photo Sharon Bradfort / Courtesy AFSB