November 2006

Breckenridge, GENUINE ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS

A new big time snow event will debut this season and Breckenridge will be its second stop on the tour. The Ski Tour will feature boardercross, skiercross and superpipe competitions. Additionally a top name band will headline each stop of the tour. The organizers say they want to create an event not just another competition and the money will be huge to draw the biggest names in the business. The tour will be in Breckenridge February 1-4, 2007.

The latest Ski Magazine poll is out and for the 14 th time in 19 years Vail is ranked as the #1 ski resort in North America. All four of Vail’s Colorado resorts made the top 15. Breckenridge came in at #6, Beaver Creek #9 and Keystone #14.

The new gondola is making serious headway. It now has a name: The BreckConnect lift. Over 250 people submitted entries to name the lift and five came up with the winner. The new gondola will seat 8 people per cabin with 121 cabins transporting 2800 people per hour from town to the base of Peaks 7 and 8. The $17 million gondola was a joint venture with the town putting up almost $7 million of the cost of construction. The lift will make stops at Shock Hill and Peak 7 before terminating at the base of 8. It is on schedule at this time to open for Christmas but it may be just after the new year, it’s too early to tell for sure.

Breckenridge Ski Resort is looking at opening more extreme terrain off the new Imperial lift. West of the summit of Peak 8, past the Lake Chutes are seven ultra steep chutes that comprise 150 acres. The new terrain is still waiting on Forest Service approval.

Breckenridge and Keystone once again were noted as top ten snowboarding resorts according to readers of TransWorld SnowBoarding magazine. Breckenridge moved up from number 8 to number 3 while Keystone made its first appearance in the top ten.

More good info can be found at: http://www.BestoftheRockies.com

ALL THE GOOD NEWS…

Young, limited income mothers now have help in Summit County. The local chapter of the Intermountain Nurse-Family Partnership provides regular visits by registered nurses for first time mothers. They provide critical care for those who may otherwise not be able to afford medical advice. The visits begin during pregnancy and often continue through the first year of childcare. Funding in part is due to the state tobacco lawsuits. The Partnership will be able to assist 125 families this year. The advice from the nurses is not just medical but also includes mentoring for the mom in personal issues and behavioral issues with the child.

Another top of the world organization is the Advocates for Victims of Assault. This local organization runs on three full time, two part-time employees and 30-40 volunteers. With this limited resource they have fielded over 5000 calls so far this year. Eighty to ninety percent of these are domestic violence, mostly committed by an intimate partner of the caller. Domestic violence crosses all socio-economic lines. On average it takes eight tries before a person successfully leaves an abusive relationship so persistence and an open door are all that save many victims. The Advocates run a safe house and interim housing until the person can find a permanent housing solution. The safe house has already housed over 400 nights for men, women and children. Additionally they have free legal services, counseling and support groups and life planning to make the positive changes necessary to create a new future. If you would like to learn more or want to volunteer: www.summitadvocates.org .

The High Country Conservation Center issued a challenge to the community to have 100 new subscribers to renewable energy credits by the first of the year. So far the Town of Firsco, Grand Timber Lodge and over thirty residents have joined. The purchase is easy as you still get your regular utility bill but you will have a small additional charge added in to cover the slightly higher cost of energy from renewable energy sources. The energy credits are purchased through the Renewable Choice Energy company and you can sign up by simply going to their website: www.renewablechoice.com and when signing up type Wind 100 Challenge in the address 2 line so they know you are responding to the challenge. To learn more about renewable energy go to: www.highcountryconservation.org .

Every year a group of locals devotes a chunk of their time to one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere, Honduras. A country not far away geographically, just south of Belize, but a world away economically. Their goal is to set up a functioning year round medical clinic in the small town of Sula. Right now the clinic is limited to being open one week a year but it’s a start. The volunteers take down about $15,000 in medical supplies and one of our local doctors. Dr. PJ actually spends an additional three weeks touring to other villages giving medical assistance.

Ian's corner, views of a native

My Average Week

By: Ian Bennett

   I have been living in Breckenridge for the last seven months. I have been learning the Real Estate business working as an assistant for Tom Driemeyer who happens to be a really good friend of mine. Starting last month I began taking Real Estate classes at Colorado Mountain College in Dillon. It has been a very good experience so far. A little strange at times considering that the last time I was in school was my senior year in high school back in 2000. Not to mention I have never taken a single credit hour of a college level course. Difficult? A little, but nothing I can’t handle. On top of the four days of school a week, I also work the other three. It’s not too bad. It’s actually not too bad at all. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday I work my normal hours and Thursday-Sunday I go to school. The fact that it’s two totally different things, school and work, even though they are on the same subject, makes it very bearable. The six weeks of classes is hardly breaking a sweat anyway. I am so grateful to have the opportunity to get into such a demanding business at this point in my life. I realize, however, that this is not an easy business by any means. Getting your Real Estate License is the easy part. I am well aware that out of the seven hundred and fifty or so agents in Summit County right now, only a handful of them are true, hardcore ones. It takes a lot of hard work, dedication and most important of all, patience. But I don’t need to think about that yet, I’m still a student. And believe it or not, I’m enjoying myself tremendously. I told myself after high school that I wasn’t the college type and I still believe that. College isn’t for everyone, but a six-week trade school thrown in there that I’m going to benefit from for the rest of my life is well worth it. I feel that four year colleges are great for some people but not for everyone. I’m sure you learn a lot of life skills on top of all your studies, but I bet those kids in college don’t have near the experience I have of living on my own, taking care of myself and paying bills. It’s cool, though, they’ll have lots of time to practice. Anyway, I enjoy immensely what I am doing and looking forward to skiing fifty days this year on top of everything else. I must also take this time to let everyone know that my teacher and my classmates are all great people and I feel blessed that I get to learn with them everyday and that I can now call all of them my friends. In closing, I would like to say that I hope everything is going extremely well in your lives and I wish you nothing but the best.

A new partnership has begun between Keystone and the US Ski and Snowboard Association. The resort will crank up its snowmaking on North Peak early to accommodate early season train for the World Cup ski team. The snowmaking has been upgraded with high efficiency guns and training will begin November 5 th .

This is actually melted snow news but in case you are already looking forward to spring you may be interested to know that the Avon Eagle River Whitewater Park is ready to go for next season. The park has three big features and a spectator terrace. The park will feature a whitewater rodeo series. Vail Resort donated the land for the park and Eagle County, Beaver Creek and East West Partners put up the funds. The park will attract visitors at a usually dead time of year.

Team Summit, one of the more successful ski clubs in the country in terms of creating world class snowriders, has a new director. Allie Bruni was a professional snowboarder for years, worked in Hollywood with MTV and other movie and television productions and brings a Hollywood approach to building the team 30-40% over the next three years. Her first project is to add a fashion show to the annual “Ski Ball” fundraiser. She is also trying to get a story done in Cosmo Girl about the team’s female snowboarders. Other ideas to grow the team are to recruit nationally with either a dormitory or host families so athletes can live here while training. She also wants to grow the snowboard portion of the team from the current 20% of the total membership.

Other scheduled opening dates:

Aspen Mountain Nov 23

Aspen Highlands Dec 9

Beaver Creek Nov 22

Buttermilk Dec 9

Snowmass Nov 23

Telluride Nov 17

Vail Nov 17

Think snow, always!

Contact Tom if you need tips on where to stay, eat or play.

* SCHOOL NEWS *

The Summit High football team has achieved the impossible; they are the first team in school history to go undefeated through the entire regular season. 10-0! With a sophomore quarterback and fullback as well as three sophomore starters on the offensive line this not only makes the feat all the more amazing but also bodes well for the future of the program. Defense was key for the Tigers all season as they shut down three of the highest producing offenses in the state. They held D’evelyn, Battle Mountain and Rock Canyon, all averaging 30+ points per game coming in, to less than three touchdowns each. They also get the second ever home playoff game for the football team. They play Moffett County on the 11 th . The will be a standing room only crowd for this game.

Overall the Summit athletic program enjoyed a stellar fall season. The soccer team made the playoffs with a second place league finish went down to a disappointing first round playoff lose. It was long time coach Peter Shaffroth’s final game at Summit. The gymnastics team made the state tournament and finished fifth. The volleyball team was undefeated at home all season and confident going in as the first round hosts. The first game began way too early in the morning and they lost to a lower seeded team. The result was a match up with a state powerhouse and a first round exit from the playoffs. Finally the girls’ rugby team has advanced to the state finals.

The arts are alive and well at Summit High. A third of the students are enrolled in at least one of the sixteen visual arts classes. The music program is full and last summer the jazz band toured Europe. The school is looking into expanding the art department with upper level classes and more painting and drawing offerings.