Steamboat’s 6th Annual Wild West Fest & Labor Day Weekend Celebration

September 4-5, 2010

Labor Day Weekend in Steamboat Springs is packed with entertainment in the air, on the mountain and all over town! It’s a Labor Day celebration for the whole family. The Wild West Air Fest features a vintage and warbird static aircraft display, classic cars, radio controlled airplane shows, Wings Over the Rockies KidSpace and much more!

If you love dogs, you won’t want to miss the Steamboat Stockdog Challenge. Watch these amazing herding sheep in this great competition on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Shop ’till you drop at Steamboat’s semi-annual downtown sidewalk sale. Grab your cowboy hats and throw on your boots for the Rocky Mountain Bull Bash PBR on Sunday. This thrilling event pushes cowboys’ skills do their limit as they take on top-ranked bulls to compete for a big cash prize. The Steamboat Springs Stage Race is back! Nearly 300 road cyclists compete in a four stage race which includes a time trial, circuit race, road race, and criterium.

• “Come Sale Away” Sidewalk Sales in Downtown Steamboat 9am – 6pm (Friday, Sept. 3rd – Monday, Sept. 6th)
• Steamboat Springs Stage Races on Downtown Streets (Friday – Monday)
• Main Street Farmer’s Market in Downtown Steamboat on 6th Street 9am – 2pm (Saturday, Sept. 4th)
• Downtown Hoedown & Chuck Wagon Chili Challenge in Downtown Steamboat on 8th & Oak Street 11am – 3pm (Sunday, Sept. 5th)
• Rocky Mountain Bull Bash at Romick Arena at Howelsen Hill 5pm – gates open at 3pm (Sunday, Sept. 5th)

Many more activities and events are going on, check out Steamboat’s Summer Activities for the whole family to enjoy!

Events & Activities Going on This Weekend in Steamboat: August 20-22, 2010

Photo by Anne Lauinger, if you have a Steamboat Photo & would like to share it feel free to send it to – bestofsteamboat@gmail.com

• 2nd Annual Steamboat All Arts Festival – From August 20 – 22, 2010 “The Steamboat All Arts Festival is the newest and is one of the most collaborative events in Steamboat, this is a four-day event that highlights the amazing arts and culture in the Yampa Valley while featuring nationally-renowned artists. The festival incorporates all aspects of the arts into one cohesive event including dance, vocal, musical, vocal, visual, literary and culinary arts. There will be experiential and educational workshops available all weekend and open to all levels. Come join us and enjoy the arts, culture and beauty of the Yampa Valley Festival! For detailed information on times and dates visit Steamboat’s All Arts Festival.
• Yampa Valley River Art Stroll – From August 20 – 22, 2010 “Meander along Yampa Street among artwork from across the country in the 2nd Annual Yampa River Art Stroll. Friday through Sunday, artists will line the avenue in the highlight of the All Arts Festival. Performing arts are featured as well, at the nearby Yampa Stage.
• Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series – August 20, 2010 ” Featured Band – teh Emmit-Nershi” Part of a 5 Concert Summer Series at Howelsen Hill Amphitheater, with years of collective experience this band has under their belts, Drew Emmit and Bill Nershi exemplify the forward-thinking modern bluegrass musician. Gates Open at 5:30pm
• Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series – August 20, 2010 “Every Friday and Saturday night at 7:30pm cheer on the cowboys at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo, voted one of the best small-town outdoor rodeos in the country. There is fun for the entire family with the Ram and Calf Scramble.
• MainStreet Farmers Market – August 21, 2010 9am-2pm “Come downtown on Saturdays to the weekly farmers’ market on 6th Street next to the Routt County Courthouse. Featuring locally and regionally grown meats, produce, baked goods, cheeses, sauces, plants, handcrafted arts and crafts, live music, hot food, and more. Now in it’s 6th year, the market has become the not to be missed weekly event for locals and guests alike.
• Asleep at the Wheel at the Strings Music Pavilion – August 20, 2010 8pm “Nine Grammy Awards plus a recent Grammy nomination for Willy (Nelson) and the Wheel, 4 years and 25+ albums under their belts, they are the famed western-swing, boogie, and roots-music outfit that just keep getting better. Bring your dancing shoes!
• Golden Dragon Acrobats at Strings Music Pavilion – August 21, 2010 3:30-8:00pm “The best of a twenty-four century tradition from Hebei, China. They will dazzle all ages with award-winning acrobatics, amazing feats of balance, spectacular costumes and music.

Check out Steamboat’s Summer Activities for some great family fun!

“Steamboat Water Skiing – Summer 2010 – photo by Anne Lauinger”

If you have a Steamboat Photo & would like to share it feel free to send it to – bestofsteamboat@gmail.com

Steamboat Springs offers excellent water skiing opportunities in many surrounding areas. The lakes here are mostly spring & river fed, so they are very clean and enjoyable. Water-skiing is one of many fun activities that Steamboat has to offer to visitors and locals. A fun look into some of the activities enjoyed in Steamboat Springs. If you have any photos of you enjoying Steamboat, send them our way, we would love to feature them on our site!

Water skiing is very popular in the Yampa Valley – Steamboat Springs mountain lakes and rivers are the perfect escape for boating, fishing, relaxing, water skiing, tubing and so much more! Stagecoach and Steamboat Lake are great for boating and water skiing, but if you would like access to a private lake give me a call 970.819.6930.

What better way to commit to a great winter than ponying up for a healthy number of days or a full season pass? Isn’t one of your goals is to ski more?The Steamboat’s Season & New Pure Pass ends the early season prices on August 15th, 2010. Steamboat has always been known for its legendary Champagne Powder snow, perfectly placed trees, friendly western heritage and Ski Town, U.S.A. tradition. Year after year, Steamboat continues to be recognized as one of the best winter resorts on the continent including the #1 Family Resort in North America, so if you’ve been here before or live here full time or never been don’t miss these great deals on passes to Steamboat’s Finest Ski Resort!

Hope to see you all soon!

This year in Steamboat the All Arts Festival is August 19-22. This is the Yampa Valley’s 2nd Annual All Arts Festival, so come to Steamboat Springs to enjoy the arts, culture and beauty that this fun filled event brings! This event is one of the newest and most collaborative event in Steamboat. It is a total of four days long that highlights the amazing arts and culture in the Yampa Valley while featuring nationally-renowned artists as well. This festival includes dancing, vocalist, musicians, visual, literary and culinary arts, there even is experiential and educational classes/workshops that will be available all weekend and open to all levels.

Schedule of activities & events for this year’s 2010 All Arts Festival

Thursday, August 19th -

Noon-2pm Steamboat Writer’s Weekly Writing Group, 1-4pm Guided Yampa River Botanic Park Tours, 1-7pm Elevation Dance Studio Open House, 5-8pm ArtRush Tour (through local art galleries), 7pm Georges Bizet’s Carmen (sung by Metropolitan Opera cast members)

Friday, August 20th -

10am-6pm Yampa River Art Stroll, 5:30-7pm Noted Wyoming Author Mark Spragg-Interview and Reading of Bone Fire-followed by signing, 5:30pm Emmitt-Nershi Band Free Summer Concert Series (Howelsen Hill Amphitheater), 7pm Alamar Free Foreign Film at the Depot, 8pm Asleep at the Wheel (at the Strings Music Pavilion)

Saturday, August 21st -

10am-6pm Yampa River Art Stroll, 3pm Golden Dragon Acrobats (at the Strings Music Pavilion), 6-9pm Vino Verde (at Howelsen Place), 7:30pm Dirty Deeds at the Depot, 8pm Golden Dragon Acrobats (at the Strings Music Pavilion)

Sunday, August 22nd -

10am-3pm Yampa River Art Stroll, 10am-2pm Artists’ Studio Tours, 3pm Block Party at the Depot, 3pm Emerald City Opera presentation

For more family fun activities or events visit Summer fun things to do in Steamboat.

Steamboat’s summers are endless with options of things to do. Whether you prefer scenic hikes, tubing down the river, mountain biking, or spa treatments, Steamboat has something for everyone. As we approach another weekend in Steamboat I wonder how everyone is going to take advantage of this amazing weather.

Add these exciting summer activities to your “to do” list:

Ride the Alpine Slide

Art in Steamboat

ATV Tours

See the Yampa Valley from a Hot Air Balloon

Take a bike ride

Rent a boat & fish, swim or just enjoy the ride!

Dig this

Facials/Body Wraps/Manicures/Pedicures

Go Fly-Fishing – (Bucking Rainbow Outfitters)

Go Golfing – (Haymaker Golf Course, Rolling Stone Ranch Golf Club, Steamboat Golf Club, Yampa Valley Golf Course, also Miniature Golf at Amazin’ Maze)

Gondola Activities – (Brunch/Dinner at Hazies, Sunset Happy Hour, Sundeck Oasis Bar & Grill, Hike on Vista Nature Trails, Guided Gourmet Hike, Adventure Zone at the Gondola)

Helicopter Rides

Go for a Hike – (Hike to Fish Creek Falls, Spring Creek Trail or along the Yampa Core Trail, Hike Mount Werner, Guided Gourmet Hike on the Ski Mountain or the Yampatika Hiking)

Horseback Riding

Hot Springs – (Old Town Hot Springs & Strawberry Park Hot Springs)

Ice Skating – (Howelsen Ice Arena)

Make your own Jewelry – (Silver Lining)

Go Kayaking

Get a Massage

Get lost in the Human Maze!

Tread of Pioneers Museum

Potter’s Wheel

River Rafting

Rock Climbing

Check out the Pro Rodeo Series (June 18-August 21st, 2010)

Go Shopping

Strings in the Mountains

Go play Tennis – (Tennis Center of Steamboat, Steamboat Health & Recreation at The Old Town Hot Springs, Howelsen Hill)

Tube the Yampa River

Go on a Wagon Dinner Ride

Dine Out at many wonderful places in downtown or on mountain

Today Friday, July 23rd in Steamboat has an event for everyone.

The Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series is a great family entertainment, which is put on by our Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) – sanctioned pro rodeo series takes place every Friday and Saturday evening through Saturday, August 21st. The rodeo is held at the Brent Romick Arena (501 Howelsen Hill Parkway), across the Yampa River from the intersection at 5th and Lincoln at 7:30pm. Bull riding, team roping, steer wrestling, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, barrel racing and tie-down roping are featured disciplines. They also have amateur roping and a ram and calf scramble for the kids; a BBQ dinner is also available. Tickets are $15 for adults and $8 for children 7 through 15. Ages 6 and under are free!

The Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series is have the Rhythm Devils in a Free Concert tonight. This band has Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzman of the Grateful Dead, featuring Keller Williams and Davey Knowles of Back Door Slam. The show is at historic Howelsen Hill in downtown Steamboat Springs. Gates open at 5:00pm with an opening band followed the main act at 7:00pm. There will be food vendors, kids activities and beer sales at the concert.

The Mountain Block Party is every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night throughout summer, they join the Mountain Village Partnership (MVP) as they host a Mountain Block Party in Torian Plum Plaza. The block parties will include music, extended hours and food and drink specials at Cafe Diva, The Powder Room, The Tugboat and Slopeside Grill. And best yet, the Coca-Cola Adventure Zone in Gondola Square and Gondola Joe’s are extending their hours until 6pm on Friday & Saturday nights.

The Blue Bag Special! Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10am to 4pm. Stuff a Steamboat recycled blue bag full of items from any one of our four summer stores and get 20% all items in the bag (some restrictions apply, n/a to previously discounted items)! Good at Steamboat Ski, Sport Howelson Place,  Ride Sports in the Summer Ticket Office in One Steamboat Place, Storm Mountain Outfitters at Thunderhead and Mountain Outfitters at the Sheraton.

Summer in Steamboat has many festivals and events throughout, in two weeks we’ll be celebrating a weekend of tasting! A weekend celebration of wine, spirits, beer and food in the mountains! Throughout the festival guests can enjoy a number of wine tastings, culinary creations, educational seminars and outdoor adventures amid Steamboat’s spectacular, mountain-town setting.

Event Schedule: Thursday, August 5th – Sunday, August 8th

Thursday 5-7:30pm is the Thursday Grand Tasting, Kickoff Celebration, which is located at the Thunderhead Lodge.

Friday 8am-1pm is the Friday Seminar, Off the Hook, which is located to a “secret spot” by your fly fishing guide.

Saturday 9am-2pm is the Saturday Seminar, Tight Lines and Fine Wines, which is located at Three Forks Ranch.

Saturday 10am-1pm is the Saturday Seminar, Mud Sweat and Beers, which is located at the Gondola Square.

Saturday 11am-11:50am is the Saturday Seminar, World’s Great Wine Values, which is located in the Steamboat Grand Meeting Rooms.

Saturday 1-1:50pm is the Saturday Seminar, Mysteries of Malbec, which is located in the Steamboat Grand Meeting Rooms.

Saturday 1-1:50pm is the Saturday Seminar, Whiskey on the Water, which is located at the Olympian Building.

Saturday 2-3:30pm is the Saturday Seminar, Tasting the Master’s Way, which is located in the Steamboat Grand Meeting Rooms.

Saturday 3-3:50pm is the Saturday Seminar; If the Wine Matters, So Does the Glass, which is located in the Steamboat Grand Meeting Rooms.

Saturday 4-7pm is the Saturday Grand Tasting, Toast of Steamboat, which is located at One Steamboat Place.

Sunday 7am-8pm – Have fun in Steamboat! Enjoy hiking, biking, golfing, fishing, spa, relaxing or whatever you fancy!

The Steamboat Springs Balloon Rodeo had another successful year. Steamboat Springs Cham­ber Resort Association officials estimated that about 3,500 people went to the launch field for the 30th annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo on Saturday morning. A beautiful and fun event in town, you can enjoy the balloons with your morning coffee at your home or you can go to Bald Eagle Lake and stand among the balloons as they inflate. A cool experience, the balloons attempt to complete a few ‘tasks’ in order to get points. One of the tasks was the lake skim, pictured above, where the drivers dunked the bottom of their balloon carriage into the lake.

Afterward, many spectators stopped by the 36th annual Art in the Park, an outdoor festival of arts and crafts by artists from across the country. ‘About 5,000 people were expected to visit the artists and take in live entertainment Saturday at West Lincoln Park.’

Steamboat Springs is having their first annual Ride 4 Yellow mountain bike event, which is going to be held at the beautiful Steamboat Ski Mountain. The ride is 26 miles on a singletrack across the stunning Continental Divide Trail of the Rockies. The ride starts on Rabbit Ears Pass and ends at the top of the Gondola at Steamboat Ski Area. There also will be another ride that will be on the cross country trails within Steamboat. One of the exciting aspects is that Lance Armstrong, a cycling superstar plans to pedal the 26-miles to signature mountain bike rides! For Steamboat, Armstrong’s commitment is yet another boon in a summer that’s so far been full of good news for cyclists.

The Ride 4 Yellow is an event that was originated by a group of passionate people in Steamboat Springs who want to help make a difference in the fight against Cancer.

This event will take place on Sunday, August 8, 2010 and features 2 cycling events. The route that will take place is at the 10,000 ft Dumont Lake on Rabbit Ears Pass just outside of Steamboat and will wind along the Continental Divide with over 26-miles of single-track toward the Steamboat Ski Area. The ride will finish at the top of the Gondola.

As of today, July 8th, there are 115 spots left for this mountain bike event!

“Steamboat’s Hot Air Balloon Rodeo”

Steamboat Springs always puts on an outstanding annual Hot Air Balloon event every year in the summertime. This year is the 30th Annual Hot Air Balloon Rodeo along with the 36th Annual Art in the Park, which takes place July 10th-11th. This weekend is a very colorful and fun event filled with excitement for the entire family. You and your family are able to watch over 40 hot air balloons rise softly from the mist of the morning sunrise and drift over the beautiful Yampa Valley. Steamboat then, puts on one of the biggest arts and crafts festivals in West Lincoln Park.

On Saturday, the launch field is at Bald Eagle Lake where you are invited to join and take some great pictures. The parking there is not open to the public, but there is free transportation at the Meadows Parking lot. Take a walk, bike ride or shuttle out there to watch the beautiful morning event on Saturday, July 10th starting at 6:00am.  Thanks to Ed and June MacArthur from their generosity to donate the use of their lake.  Please respect their gesture to Steamboat by keeping it clean.

Dates & times for the Hot Air Balloon & Art in the Park are the following:

Friday, July 9th: At 7:30pm the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series at Romick Arena is in downtown Steamboat.

Saturday, July 10th: Launch Field opens at 6:00am at Bald Eagle Lake, Balloon inflation, and Take off. At 9:00am – 5:00pm head down to West Lincoln Park for the Art in the Park event. At 7:30pm the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series at Romick Arena is in downtown Steamboat.

Sunday, July 11th: Launch Field opens at 6:00am at Bald Eagle Lake, Balloon inflation, and Take off. At 9:00am – 4:00pm head down to West Lincoln Park for the Art in the Park event.

So mark your calendar for these “not to miss events” this weekend in Steamboat Springs, Colorado!

A seven-race mountain bike series is held in Steamboat Springs every summer. The bike race challenge includes both hill-climb and cross-country events. If you’re interested in registering for the races, visit Parks, Open Space & Recreational Services office Monday-Thursday 7:30am-5:30pm, except for race days at the office. At the race-sites you may also register for the races.

The following Schedule is for this year’s 2010 Town Challenge Race:

(Event has passed) June 9th – Marabou XC

(Event has passed) June 16th – Thunderhead Hill Climb

(Today’s Event) June 30th – Emerald XC Slash & Burn

July 14th – Sunshine Loop

July 28th – Emerald XC

August 11th – Storm Peak Challenge

August 20th – Mt. Werner X-Country

Pricing for the races:

Adult Season Pass – $110, Youth Season Pass – $55

Adult Division Pre-Registered – $16, Race Day – $26

Youth Division Pre-Registered – $11, Race Day – $16

If you would like to volunteer for the races, any volunteer that works a minimum of six races from start to finish will receive cool schwag and a t-shirt.

The time frame that has to be committed is the following:

Race nights from 5:15pm – 8:30pm.

The Strings Music Festival is a fun-filled summer event that goes throughout the summer with a variety of live performances. They also present a few concert series in the winter. Strings Park is located at the corner of Mt. Werner Road and Pine Grove Road.

These live performances are nationally recognized and award-winning. They present over 85 performances of music such as jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, world rhythms, and many others every summer in Steamboat. There are many Grammy winners and nominees, major competition winners and principal players from orchestras and international soloists that come to Steamboat for the Strings Music Festival concert series.

This is such a great time to be with your family and friends in Steamboat and to take in the intimate 540-seat Pavilion that overlooks breathtaking vistas of Mt. Werner, Emerald Mountain and the beautiful Yampa Valley, making these events an ideal venue to hear world-class music.

Upcoming Events in Steamboat:

Tuesday, June 29th, 2010 – Rocky Mountain Children’s Choir – Youth Concert, Time: 11:00am & 5:30pm, Adult Ticket $10 Child Ticket $1, Location: Strings Music Pavilion. This Ensemble of more than 50 children between ages 11-17 will raise their voices in popular song.

Wednesday Classical, Wed. June 30th, 2010 @ 7:00pm – Sarasate Fantasy on Themes of Carmen Kodaly Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 12 Rossini Cavatina from The Barber of Seville Schubert Piano Quintet in A Major, Op. 114, “Trout” Adult Tickets: $28, Child Tickets: $5.

Thursday, July 1st & Friday, July 2nd, 2010 - Jesse Cook returns for a two-night engagement with his incredibly guitar and unique style of world music. His latest CD, The Rumba Foundation, debuted at #1 on the iTunes charts and #5 on the Billboard World charts. His music blends rumba flamenco-style guitar with pulsating percussion, sultry violin and exotic melodies. Thursday’s Show Time: 8:00pm Friday’s Show Time: 8:00pm, Price:$48 Day of Show Price: $53.

To Purchase Tickets please feel free to visit the Strings Music Festival site.

Also, Check back and we will keep you updated on the upcoming Strings Events throughout the entire Summer in Steamboat!

Steamboat puts on a “Bike to Work Week” every year. They also have bike to work week events starting today! Steamboat is definitely unlike other places, you can actually enjoy the ride without too much traffic. Take advantage of Steamboat’s wonderful bike path, which helps the environment as well as it’s people because it allows you to just have the freedom to get some exercise and organize your day.

Honey Stinger is among many Steamboat businesses that help organize this simple pleasure of Steamboat’s Bike to Work Week. This is a great way to kick off the summer, if you haven’t quite had the time yet to do so. Steamboat puts on this week’s planned activities – in addition to cycling to and from work – start at 5:30pm. Steamboat is such a good community and holds many events through it’s four seasons. This is a bike-friendly community as well so take advantage.

Many residents say that it’s nice to leave their car at home and see how many days they can go without driving it, along with seeing how many things you can do with just your bike. Grocery shopping, seeing a friend, taking trips to downtown or to the mountain, it’s interesting to see how many people are actually capable of doing it.

This week in Steamboat Springs, we have events everyday for the “Bike to Work Week” as follows:

Monday, June 21st starting at 5:30pm, from Orange Peel Bicycle Shop off of Yampa, there is a group mountain bike ride on Emerald Mountain.

Tuesday, June 22nd starting at 5:30pm, from Orange Peel, there is a group road bike.

Wednesday, June 23rd starting at 7:00-9:00am, in downtown Steamboat, there will be free coffee and treats in front of the Routt County Courthouse.

Thursday, June 24th starting at 5:30pm, at the base of Howelsen Hill, there is a biking skills clinic.

Friday, June 25th starting at 5:00pm, at Ski Haus, there is a poker ride.

Saturday, June 26th starting at 8:00-10:00am, starting at the Routt County Courthouse, there is a bicycle rally.

For a Coffee Buzz for Bikers check out the FREE coffee all this week from Lil’ House, Starbucks, Amante, Creekside, Winona’s, Freshies and Zoom Coffee Shop.

Come out and enjoy Steamboat’s stunning mountain and valley views either on the road, mountain or bike trail along with beautiful Yampa Valley!

Top 10 Must Attend Steamboat Summer Events:

1.  Strings Music Festival – “Tuesdays-Saturdays, June 26-August 21. Strings Music Festival presents over 70 performances of chamber music, jazz, rock, country, bluegrass, world rhythms, and many other genres every summer.”

2. MainStreet Farmer’s Market - “Every Saturday from 9am-2pm. June 12-September 11. The Steamboat Springs MainStreet Farmer’s Market features locally and regionally grown meat, produce, baked goods, cheeses, sauces, plants, handcrafted arts and crafts, live music, hot food, and more.”

3. Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo Series – “Every Friday and Saturday night June 18-August 21. Cheer on the cowboys at the Steamboat Springs Pro Rodeo, voted one of the best small-town outdoor rodeos in the country.”

4. Free Summer Concert Series – “June 26, July 23 & 20. The Steamboat Springs Free Summer Concert Series is a Steamboat summer tradition with five free concerts throughout the summer.”

5.  Cowboys’ Roundup Days -  “July 2-4, You cannot go wrong with Steamboat Springs’ longest-running tradition – over 100 years of Cowboys’ Roundup Days, our Fourth of July celebration.”

6. Balloon Rodeo and Art in the Park- “July 10-11. Steamboat’s signature summer event is known as “Balloon Weekend.” For 30 years this weekend has delighted attendees as the skies above Steamboat fill with colorful hot air balloons.”
7. Steamboat Springs Stage Race – “September 3-6. Last year Steamboat Springs did something no one has been able to do for years: Bring a cycling stage race back to Colorado!

8. All Arts Festival – “August 19-22. This four day event highlights everything artistic in Steamboat Springs into one culminating cultural festival.”

9. Steamboat Wine Festival – “August 5-8. One of the most popular weekends in Steamboat Springs, the Wine Festival features tastings and seminars for serious wine buffs as well as those seeking to learn more about wine’s finer points.”

10. Wild West Air Fest Labor Day Celebration – “September 4-5. The Air Fest is a popular family affair features vintage and war-bird aircraft in a static display at Steamboat’s Bob Adams Field.”

Come on over to Steamboat Springs & enjoy some good old fashion family fun!

The eighth annual Great North Routt Chili Cook-off was from 3 to 6 p.m. Sunday at the Glen Eden Family Restaurant & Tavern in Clark.  The event “Sunday’s cook-off” drew at least 315 people, who lined Routt County Road 129 with vehicles and filled the Glen Eden Family Restaurant & Tavern to overflowing. It seemed that everybody was ready to get out and do something, with the weather pattern that we’ve had recently, especially to try delicious local variety of Chili! There ended up being 75 chili entries and about 40 dessert entries, which made a fine afternoon to sample all of these in Clark.

George Trujillo, of Yampa, continued his dominance of local chili contests by taking first place in the green chili category. It was his fourth first-place award at the North Routt event. Steamboat Springs Chris King took second place from Routt County. He has been a long time organizer of the Great North Routt Chili Cook off and a community fixture at the Clark Store. He also earned his first ribbon in the annual benefit for North Routt Community Charter School. Clark resident Lori Raper won the deliciously high-caliber dessert category with her peach crisp, beating out the second-place finisher by just one point. The highest possible score Sunday was 108 points. Nine-year-old Aden Knaus, Erick Knaus’ son, took first place in the “other” category with his Swedish meatballs. Scott Lewer, who tied for second place in the red chili category with his “Champion Broncos Chili.”  His recipe included steak, bacon and hamburger, along with cayenne, jalapeno and habanero peppers, topped off with “a few secret things. Yummy!

Wallace “Buddy” Werner

1936-1964

Buddy Werner, a native of Steamboat Springs, Colorado started out his skiing career as a ski jumper, winning his first Regional Championship at the age of 10. Buddy soon decided to focus his attention on Alpine skiing during his younger years. This decision would take Buddy Werner from a local hometown skier to an international icon, and one of the greatest skiing legends there ever was.

Buddy was a three-time member of the United States Olympic Team and a 2-time member of the United States Federation Internationale De Ski Team. Buddy made the international ski competition circuit as a member of FIS at the age of 18. Two years later, he made his first Olympic appearance at the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. He also competed in the FIS games in Austria in 1958. Although Buddy was a team member for the 1960 Olympic winter games just up the road in Squaw Valley, California, a broken leg suffered eight weeks earlier would keep him from competing. But just four years later, Buddy would again secure his place on the Olympic Team and competed in Innsbruck, Austria for the United States.

Buddy was favored to win in those 1964 Olympics, but as it would happen, he crashed during his race. At the time, the US Men’s Alpine Team had not won a medal for their country. Buddy’s hopes to become the first had been crushed during that final attempt. However, when his teammates, Billy Kidd and Jimmie Huega, who were both considered longshots to medal, clinched second and third place to capture the first two medals for the US Team, Buddy leaped into the finish arena and threw his arms around them. His enthusiasm and sportsmanship were impossible to deny. This, it is said, was typical of Buddy’s attitude.

Perhaps the most famous of Buddy’s numerous accomplishments was the stunning victory at the 1959 Hahnenkamm race in Kitsbuehel, Austria. Buddy was the first American skier to ever win the most notorious event in ski racing history. His history-making victory, on the most dangerous downhill course on the World Cup circuit, had not been repeated by a US skier for 44 years, when Daron Rahlves won the prestigious race in 2003.

On April 12, 1964, Buddy was in the Swiss Alps skiing in a television documentary when an avalanche struck. Buddy tried to outrace the thundering snow, but to no avail. Buddy did not survive and the world lost one if it’s most enigmatic, dedicated sportsman. Buddy always gave 110 percent. People said he would finish first or last because he gave it his all. Locals tell of a young man who, even at the height of his fame, would always come out to ski with the local kids.

After Buddy’s untimely death, the councilmen of Steamboat Springs unanimously voted to rename the town’s ski mountain from “Storm Mountain” to “Mt. Werner”, in honor of their beloved hero and friend. The US Department of the Interior approved of the renaming, and the dedication ceremony took place in 1965. Buddy was posthumously inducted into the National Ski Hall of Fame in 1964.

Today, you can ski Mt Vernon, just as Buddy did and you can also visit the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Steamboat Springs. Truly the best way to experience a little Buddy Werner magic is to ski your heart out and cheer on your teammates in the Buddy Werner Youth Ski League. The League encourages young skiers to emulate the values, work ethic, and sportsmanship demonstrated by the late, great Buddy Werner.

Hometown Heroes Celebration in Downtown Steamboat Springs, Colorado!

Friday, April 2nd, 2010

This event is a Welcome Home Celebration for the 2010 Steamboat Olympians! We will be having a parade that starts at 6:30pm down a snow-covered road of Lincoln Avenue followed by a ceremony at 7:00pm at 5th & Lincoln, the event will end around 8:00pm. Stop back by to see pictures of this event!

Come & enjoy this Steamboat Celebration!

Snowy Howelsen Hill where the Steamboat Olympians trained

Steamboat rocks this winter with an incredible lineup of concerts at various locations, including the Steamboat Music Tent, the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel, the Steamboat Grand Resort Hotel and Gondola Square! The Steamboat Music Tent is an 80′X180′ heated tent providing more than 14,000 square feet of indoor concert space.

Check out the upcoming concerts: (Bud Light Rocks the Boat Concert Series) Easy Star All Stars -Saturday, March 13th, at 3:00pm at the Gondola Square. Lyrics Born -Saturday, March 20th, at 3:00pm at the Gondola Square. Pimps of Joytime -Saturday, March 27th, at 3:00pm at the Gondola Square. Dirty Head -Saturday, April 3rd, at 3:00pm at the Gondola Square. Donavon Frankenreiter -Saturday, April 11th, at 3:00pm at the Gondola Square.

Come check out these FREE Concerts here at the ‘Boat!

If you would like to know more about what is going on in Steamboat give me a call at 970.819.6930.

 Cheers!

While describing Nordic Combined as an ‘Oddball Event,’ it was exciting to see Todd Lodwick, Johnny Spillane and Billy Demong featured in the Wall Street Journal yesterday. Hailing the Nordic Combined team as an integral part of the chance for the comeback of the US Winter Olympians, the author Matthew Futterman, presents a compelling story on why non-traditional events could be the turning point in US international competitiveness. The story focuses on Tom Steitz and his strong influence and determination to change the traditional solitude many distance athletes were accustomed to, to creating a ‘system of constant oversight and accountability that was uncompromising and almost Orwellian in its outlook.’ Emphasizing a team atmosphere Steitz made everyone move to Steamboat Springs to continue training throughout the year instead of periodic training camps. This switch can be credited as one of the main components in helping many of the members of the current Olympic team improve key aspects of Nordic Combined For the complete account, check out the story below -

Let’s Win the Oddball Events, Too

Cowboy Slalom

Cowboy Downhill

The 36th annual cowboy downhill stampede was a success this year and finished as the snow began to fall. The cowboy downhill is comprised of 2 races. ‘The first, participants race through a dual slalom course on skis or a snowboard, hit a jump, lasso a Steamboat Ambassador and saddle a horse before crossing the finish line. The second is an all-out, every-man-for-himself race to the bottom of Stampede…The Cowboy Downhill began 36 years ago when Billy Kidd and Larry Mahan, a six-time All-Around World Champion cowboy, decided to put a few pro rodeo stars on skis.’

With some crazy falls, awesome cowboy garb and lots of yelling and screaming, the atmosphere was awesome. The base area was packed with people making it difficult to move, but fun to be a part of. With the concert beginning as the snow began to fall, it added to the atmosphere, livening everyone up just a bit more. Reckless Kelly played a great show, bringing the crowd together and getting everyone excited, concluding a great Tuesday night! Hope to see everyone just as excited for the upcoming Winter Carnival in Steamboat!