SIA Snow Show (you should go, bro.)

SIA 2012 in Denver. click 4 pix.The 2012 SIA Snow Show took place in Denver last weekend.  It's the greatest show on snow...the biggest skiing and snowboarding trade show.  All the major snow brands are there and many smaller brands and start up's represent too.   

To break it down, The SIA Snow Show is pro skiers and riders, sales execs, retail buyers, models, free food and drinks and bags and bags of swag. It's serious networking and hopefully deal making.  Unfortunately SIA's Snow Show is held at exactly the same time as the Winter X Games in Aspen...so AspenSpin was a pretty busy boy.  Carmelo and I took the quick drive down to Denver to meet up with sponsors and troll for new ones. We got to see what you'll be riding and wearing on the mountain next  Winter.

Our quick visit to Denver for SIA 2012 was fun and exciting.  We scored BIG Time.  Unofficial totals:  t-shirts (12),  hats (15), chapsticks (unlimited), sick headphones (2), awesome socks (4), stickers (325).

Sick PIX:       SIA Day 1              SIA Day 2                Spyder Party

Pow Day in Denver. 1/27/12

AspenSpin's 5 Trends for 2012/13

1) COLORS and GRAPHICS:   The brighter the better.  Both soft goods and hard goods will feature vibrant, bright with colors.  Skis and boards will incorporate even more graphical designs than they currently do.  Animal prints are here to stay...the more exotic the better (see Shaun White).  Cheetah prints, snake-skin prints and more.

2) CROSSOVER:  The bad blood between skiers and shredders is over.  It's all good as long as you can keep up.  Many companies are finally understanding that their styles might appeal to both skiers and riders.   Several brands are creating variations on a theme for both two plankers and knuckle draggers.  Alpine Touring equipment including split boarding is a segment that is growing quickly.

3) CHANGING of the GUARDS:  Some of the smaller, more boutique brands are gaining strength and influencing their HUGE corporate rivals in terms of performance, design and demand. Newer, more adventurous shapes and sick graphics are coming from the little guys. Brands that come to mind, HIGH SOCIETY, ICELANTIC, SKI LOGIC and others.  From the majors, I'm digging the new quivers from KASTLE, ROSSIGNOL and VOLKL. I can't wait to try next year's models.  *AspenSpin did not participate in the on-snow demo events

4) SILHOUETTES : Skiing is always a fashion statement:  Baggy pants are still around, but I'm seeing more and more stylish cuts coming out... even from the American brands.  The Euro-style makers continue to lead the way...but everybody is bringing out sleeker and more technical outer gear.  We are still partial to KJUS from Norway. Their collection for 2012 /13 looks awesome.  Their stuff is performance oriented and stylish.  It even makes me look "slender".

MONKEY SEE / MONKEY DO.   No new revelations here.  It is well known that the snow sports industry is an incestuous community.  Everybody knows everybody else.  Many of the execs, the reps and designers move from company to company.  It's a pretty tight network.  From my perspective as a relative outsider who lives in a small mountain town at the end of the road...I don't see very many unique ideas coming out of the inner sanctum.  The bigger they are..the more resistant they are to change and risk. It's good to see that independent start-ups are taking more risks...and succeeding.  Then everyone jumps on-board.

It was on in Denver for SIA 2012.AspenSpin's 5 TOP moments @ SIA 2012

1) BAGS of SWAG;  You don't have to be a big time blogger to get tons of free stuff. Every booth has some promotional item on their counter.  It's official, I'm a Swag-hoarder...and I love it.

2) WAFFLES on a STICK.  Thanks Vans.  It's the Breakfast of Champions.

3) MARQUES SCOTT:  The internet-famous dub step animation dancer at the Spyder party.

4) SKI LEGENDS:  Meeting and rapping with Glen Plake and Picabo Street...pretty cool.

5) The MODELS:  Like any major convention...there were a lot of "booth girls".

Wrong Gear gettin it done at SIA 2012, The Snow Show. Click for Day 1 pix.2 Legends of Skiing convine at the Snow Show. click for pix.Breakfast of Champions. Day 2 at SIA. Waffles on a Stick. Click for pix.Yeah, They let smowboarders in. SIA Day 2. Click for sick pix.

The Spyder Party went Gonzo at SIA. Click 4 Pix. 

The Ajax Cup: Aspen's Ski Race

The 2nd Annual AJAX CUP Weekend to benefit AVSC is underway.

12 highly competitive teams are ready to compete for The Ajax Cup.  The celebrities, the Olympians, the pro racers, the adaptive racers, the amateurs and the AVSC kids have all been handicapped for time and the lineups are set. The ski racing kicks off today at 10 a.m. on the Little Nell run at the base of Ajax. You can watch the pro skiers rip super fast laps on the GS course.  

AspenSpin will be snapping and posting pix from The Ajax Cup pre-party, at the race and of course at the #1 après ski event in all of skiing.

The Ajax Cup festivities began with a Welcome Party at Caribou Club where the smack talk between racers was pretty thick.  Everybody wants to get their name engraved on The Ajax Cup and take home the prestigious Ajax Cup belt buckle. Each 8 skier team is comprised of a Head Coach (a decorated racer with National Team pedigree, the Captain (organizer), 4 competitors and 2 AVSC student-athletes. Pro athletes include Chris Davenport, Chris Klug, Casey Puckett, Jake Zamansky, David Chodounsky, Wendy Fisher, Kim Reichhelm, David Stapleton, Kristina Koznick, Katie Monahan, Chris Anthony and Gella Sutro.

The Sponsor lineup is stacked too.  Aspen/Snowmass, Kjus, Gosuch, Bombardier, Fiduciary Trust Intenational, Caribou Club and Rowland + Broughton.  The Ajax Cup is a new tradition in Aspen, but it has quickly become a de rigueur event on the social scene.

AVSC will reach 2,100 children this Winter. Skiing and snowboarding helps build self-confidence and shows kids that they can overcome challenges on and off the hill.   AVSC kids  learn core values of COMMITMENT, TEAMWORK and INTEGRITY.  Click for more info: AVSC.

Click for Photo albums:

THE AJAX CUP WELCOME PARTY

THE AJAX CUP RACE  (Race Day in Aspen)

The AJAX CUP APRES SKI PARTY   (Party of the Year).

Jeff Gorsuch proudly displays The Ajax Cup, An Aspen Tradition.The Ajax Cup pro racers are ready to grab bragging rights in 2011.AVSC racers from team Casa Tua. Click for pix.The pre party for The Ajax Cup on Aspen Mountain to benefit AVSC.

 Team Go Fast with Stapes, CDY, The Bucksbaums and Coffey. Click 4 more pix.Team Caribou finished Top 10 at the 2011 Ajax Cup Race on Aspen, Mountaain to benefit AVSC Everybody was a winner at Ajax Cup. But Team Ganzi will have bragging rights for 2012.

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.

Aspen Fabulous

Aspen Fashion Week 2011. Aspen Fashion Week 2011. 

Disclaimer:  AspenSpin.com clicked over 5000 photos at Aspen Fashion Week 2011.  We present the best 170 for your enjoyment.  No Models were harmed in the creation of these photos.  If A-Spin took your money $hot and it is not presented here click the link..."like" us on Facebook( right) , tag yourself...and your photo will appear.  It's the social media.

Click 4 pix   ASPEN FABULOUS and

Aspen Fab. (part 2).

New York, London, Milan, Paris and.....Aspen.  Flawless fashion never goes out of style and it was on full display in Aspen, Colorado this week.  The 3rd Annual Aspen Fashion Week was the most fabulous event of the season.  Intimate runway shows, in-store cocktail events, glorious Bluebird Colorado weather and stunning mountain-styles from major designers along with models, models and more models.

AFW's newly designed Snowstage converted CP Burger in the center of Aspen into a sophisticated, cozy and glamorous setting for the stunning cat-walk performances.  The AFW 2011 runway line-up (in order of appearance) : Jean-Charles de Castelbajac (JCC) for Rossignol, Dannenmann Pure, Heidiskis, Authier, KJUS, Obermeyer, Neve, NUMBER:Lab and a finale at SKY HOTEL POOL. 

AspenSpin is not a fashion-blog per se, but we do have a keen eye and we realize that Aspen is a fashion show every day, not just during AFW. The Style spectrum in Aspen ranges from the G-5 set in their dead animals to the gnarliest local living in a van by the river. Aspen's singular position as the CAPITAL of SKIING gives it credibility on the runways, the red carpets and on the ski runs.  AFW has obviously had some growing pains, but Lisa Johnson and her crew including Joe Lang, Esther Pearlstone, Oliver Sharpe, BlueBird Aspen, Tommy (the fashion show guy) and all the participating brands and stores deserve credit for pulling it all together.  AspenSpin for one hopes Aspen Fashion Week is here to stay.  AFW brings a little more glamour and style to an already glamorous and stylish little place called Aspen.  AFW can open new doors for generations of visitors and Aspen lovers. Any event that brings hordes of models to town gets our vote. While A-Spin errs on the side of duct tape and gore-tex, a little fabulousness never hurt anyone. 

Here's our BEST OF Aspen Fashion Week 2011.  For More Photos Click:Aspen Fabulous.

JCC for Rossignol. Exotic Animal Prints are primal.

 JCC 4 ROSSIGNOL. Paint Spatters are siiiiick on snow.

 AFW Opening Party at Casa Tua. Even the DJ's throw the Blue Steel.

 Clay and the lovely ladies of Casa Tua. Aspen's newest private club.

Dannenmann Pure. So wearable. Sparkling like a glass of champagne.HeidiSkis. Handmade in Switzerland.KJUS always has a super-tylish silhouette, their gear is highly technical for top performance on mountain.KJUS always makes a strong statement in Aspen.B'Jewel in-store event with Katerina and her haute couture STEE-LETAS. The Dannenmann's modeling with Carmelo at the in-store event in Aspen.

 Lauren Bush from the FEED Foundation at her in-store at Ralph Lauren.

 Aspen's own Obermeyer rocked the catwalk with vibrant colors and a strong skiing pedigree   Obermeyer brought the heat in Aspen. Get well wishes to our bro Klaus.

Grrrrrrrrrr, baby. Obermeyer combines fashion and function straight from the mountains. Bad Brad strikes a pose for Neve Designs from Boulder.Number: Lab from NYC. Where athletic meets discerning. The Aspen Fashion Week 2011 Finale at the Sky Pool.

 Yeah AspenSpin parties with models. Got a problem with that?