Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/601986
photography by NathaNiel Wilder (uphill); billy rood (skadroN); aspeN historical society (ski); c2 photography (fatbikiNg) aspenpeak-magazine.com 151 From the frst FIS World Ski Championships in 1950—an event that cemented Aspen's reputation as an interna- tional skiing nexus—to the impending 2017 FIS Alpine World Cup Finals, Aspen has been a leader in the winter sports industry. But its position at the forefront now extends well beyond just downhill skiing. In 2015, town hosted the frst Aspen Uphill Festival, the brainchild of Mayor Steve Skadron, in celebration of the nearly four decades of uphill ski and ski mountaineering races that have resulted in a burgeoning uphill ski gear and apparel industry in town. And that innovation continues with winter mountain biking, also known as fat biking, a niche sport embraced on many of the mountains. Aspen has redefned itself again: It's no longer just a ski town—it's a winter sports town. And if downhill skiing was the begin- ning, the end is far from sight! Fat bikes, or shock-less winter mountain bikes with wider tires able to grip snow, have been around for years. But only recently has the sport really taken off in the Roaring Fork Valley. Fat bike enthusiasts are able to ascend and descend many of the same trails used by summer bikers—such as jaunts up to the Maroon Bells or more technical rides in the Hunter Creek valley. And now they can boast the Aspen Chamber Resort Association as an unofficial sponsor—this year, the Chamber added fat biking races to town's annual Wintersköl celebration (see page 20) in January. "This event will pave the way for a fat-bike revolution in Aspen," says Julie Hardman, the Chamber's former senior event manager. "The sport is gaining popu- larity and is really blowing up." Aspen is also among the first ski areas in the country to allow fat bikes on its cross-country trail system—one of the largest Nordic networks in North America. Side-to-side or up-and- down, fat bikes are coming to town! AP it's called uphilling. skiers use special gear to essentially ski up the mountain, in what would seem to be exactly the wrong direction. But the last few years have seen it take aspen by storm. Mayor Steve Skadron ( right) is hoping the sport can bring both fun and money to aspen, an initiative he launched last year with the inaugural aspen Uphill Festival. He has an ally in aspen skiing company— while most ski areas have banned uphilling, thinking it takes away from lift-ticket sales, skico has offered free, specially marked uphill trails on each of aspen's four mountains. as plans solidify for the second Uphill Festival this winter, the mayor expounds on the initiative, one he hopes will be a major achievement of his aspen legacy. What is your goal with the festival? my vision for this really has to do with the preservation of mountain-town culture and making aspen the epicenter of this growing niche [of uphilling]. How does that vision play out? Long-term, we would like to see aspen as the north american epicenter of uphilling. We'd like to see R&D happening here. We'd love to see product testing happening here. We have incredible high- end retailers here, but i want to ensure that our downtown mix isn't simply like every other high-end shopping mall. Aspen rips its beloved mountain biking trails—even through the snow. mayor: Get Uphill! Sk iing On the edge 2017 The frst time the World Cup Finals will be held outside of Europe since 1997 1950 The last year Aspen hosted the Finals, and the frst time the event had ever been held outside of Europe In the Aspen wonderland of winter sports, downhill skiing is just the beginning. Q+A Fat Biking in Fat City Going the wrong way! Uphill skiing is the latest thigh- burning sport taking hold in Aspen. below right: Aspen hasn't hosted the FIS World Cup Finals since 1950. + By The NumBers: sports