A Guide to tHe 102nd
Winter CArnivAl 2015 FeB. 4 to 8 Inside: SSWSC executive director message 4 Howelsen Hill’s 100th anniversary
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The Howelsen-SSWSC connection
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Street events take over Lincoln
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Huge fireworks display planned
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Grand marshals named
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Schedule of events
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Carrigan is Carnival queen
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Student is button artist
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SSWSC update
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SSWSC marketing director column
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Bike slalom returns
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Sculpting snow
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Celebrating Howelsen Hill’s 100th Anniversary Special supplement to the Steamboat Today
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A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
A guide to Winter Carnival
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A guide to Winter Carnival
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Celebrating Winter Carnival and 100 years at Howelsen Hill
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elcome to the 102nd Winter Carnival — our town’s unique celebration of winter and mountain living. With more than a century behind it as the official organizer of the Winter Carnival, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is proud to host this historic event that has been listed as one of the Top 10 Winter Carnivals in the world by National Geographic. For more than 100 years, Winter Carnival has served our valley and visitors as a celebration that builds community and highlights our Western and ski heritage. When the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival was first established, it was a celebration born out of the residents’ need to forget the hardships of winter, chase away the shorter days and bring happiness back to a valley plagued by snow. Today, this five-day carnival no longer represents a need to forget the long winters; it highlights the community-wide acclaim of snow that has earned the town of Steamboat Springs the moniker, Ski Town USA. Our Winter Carnival events are unique. We cover our main street with snow, saddle up the horses and tow young athletes on skis behind horses, wild with excitement. The athletes maneuver around cones, fly off jumps and best one another in friendly sport. Throughout the week, athletes will celebrate our Olympic heritage by soaring off Nordic jumps, practicing spins and aerials onto an airbag and racing down the slopes of Howelsen Hill. The Winter Carnival Night Extravaganza entertains and amazes nearly 8,000 people in attendance as they watch the famous Lighted Man in his pyrotechnic suit shooting fireworks from his body, athletes jumping through the fiery hoop and the spectacle of a barrage of fireworks that culminates in the explosion of one of the largest firework shells in the world. This year marks an important and third consecutive centennial landmark — the 100th year of Howelsen Hill, which follows the 100th anniversary of Winter Carnival in 2013 and the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club’s 100th anniversary in 2014. The SSWSC was established in 1914 as an organizing committee for the first Winter Carnival, and the club has grown into an important athletic and youth development organization supporting the youths of our community. The club’s ability to call the 100-yearold Howelsen Hill “home” has allowed us to proudly host the Winter Carnival for 102 years, and to become one of the
John f. ruSSell/file
Jim Boyne is the executive director of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
leading clubs in North America, having produced more Winter Olympians than any other town (and more than most small countries) with 88 Olympians and 151 Olympic appearances. Just as importantly, the club has mentored tens of thousands of athletes who have gone on to become an important part of our community and nation’s educational, cultural and economic future. We strive to create champions, both on and off the mountain. Winter Carnival would not be possible without the wide breadth of support from our community. Our deep appreciation goes out to all of our sponsors, including our presenting sponsors Yampa Valley Bank, the city of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp., SmartWool and Colorado Event Rentals. We also would like to thank the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, whose staff is instrumental in assisting us with street events. Our deepest gratitude goes out to the hundreds of volunteers who selflessly give their time and energy to help us to organize all of the Winter Carnival events. Most importantly, thank you to all of you in our community for bringing Winter Carnival to life through your enthusiasm, participation, smiles, laughter and joy. We are privileged to celebrate our history and heritage in this idyllic mountain town with the largesse of a world-class Winter Carnival. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the unique heritage and community of the one, the only, Ski Town USA. Welcome to the 102nd annual Winter Carnival. — Jim Boyne, executive director of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
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A guide to Winter Carnival
HoWelSen Hill
turns
February 2015
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A ski jumper soars off Howelsen Hill with Woodchuck Mountain, where the first Winter Carnival was held, in the background. Note that the photograph pre-dates the construction of Colorado Mountain College, meaning that it was taken prior to at least 1966, but likely even earlier. Tom Ross
Steamboat today PhotoS from Steamboat Pilot archiveS
B
efore Norwegian ski jumping champion Carl Howelsen arrived in Steamboat Springs in 1913, the bottom land across the Yampa River from the town was used as a casual wildlife refuge for a small herd of elk. But Howelsen had other plans for the steep hill that rose abruptly from the south end of the park. He already had established a ski club in Denver early that year and organized a Winter Carnival in Hot Sulphur Springs in 1912. So it was natural that by early 1914, he was organizing competitive ski practices for local youths. People in the Yampa Valley were not new to skis — intrepid rural mail carriers used them to make their rounds. But, as ski historian Sureva Towler
noted in her book, “The History of Skiing at Steamboat Springs,” it was Howelsen who introduced skiing as a sport with skis that were grooved so they would track in a straight line. In February 1914, Howelsen organized townsfolk to build a modest ski jump on Woodchuck Hill, where Colorado Mountain College stands today, and the first Winter Carnival was held with jumping competitions and cross country ski races. Howelsen had been to the top of the ski jumping mountain in his native country, where he would ultimately win 14 prizes at the famed Holmenkollen venue outside Oslo, Norway. In Steamboat, he saw the potential for a jumping venue capable of producing records if a larger ski jump could be built on the steep north face across the river. See Howelsen, page 6
Marv Crawford, far right, 1956 Nordic combined Olympian and member of the Colorado ski and sports halls of fame, conducts opening ceremonies for a major ski jumping competition (probably sometime in the 1960s) at Howelsen Hill. He was also general manager of the Storm Mountain Ski Area (later to become Steamboat Ski Area) from 1964 to 1967.
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Hill history Howelsen continued from page 5
Local ski historian Bill Fetcher reports that trees and brush were cleared from the hill in fall 1914 in time to host Winter Carnival jumping in February 1915. Fetcher wrote that the 440-foottall hill was named after Howelsen by 1917. It remained a Nordic venue through the 1920s when an Alpine slalom hill was cut on the east flank of the hill and the first of a series of early ski lifts were built, including a “boat tow” in which skiers rode to the top of the hill while seated with their skis in racks. “The boat tow was originally just a sled used to haul supplies up to maintain the ski jumps. But it was found that skiers could ride it too, and it was re-built to go to the top of Howelsen,” Fetcher said. “It served until 1970, primarily during Winter Carnival.” The wooden landing platform (no longer used) for the ski jumps mysteriously burned in 1972 — some theorized that people opposed to the 1976 Winter Olympics coming to Colorado did the deed — and a modernized jumping hill was finally dedicated in 1978. The community could have chosen to let it go, Fetcher observed, and there were residents who objected to the expense of rebuilding the jumps, but the project even overcame a mudslide in the middle of the construction process, and the tradition of ski jumping endures in Steamboat Springs. Howelsen likely could not have envisioned how the modest beginning he gave to Howelsen Hill would come to define the identity of Steamboat Springs. More than 70 Olympic athletes have trained on its slopes — many of them local youngsters who rose to national and international prominence and others who were attracted to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club by the topnotch coaching available at Howelsen Hill. The early success of those athletes gave rise to Steamboat’s other name — Ski Town USA. The hill has hosted NCAA college championships and Nordic combined World Cups attracting Olympians from Europe to Asia. The city of Steamboat Springs assumed ownership of the 40-acre park that is Howelsen Hill in 1937, the same year that night skiing made its debut, expanding training opportunities for local youths. The city also facilitated snowmaking capabilities and expanded the lodge to make it a community gathering place. Through the years, community members have rallied to modernize the ski jumps, rebuild the slalom hill after spring mudslides, install a modern chairlift and even build a summer ski jumping surface to allow year-round training. The modern city park that is Howelsen Hill offers a winter tubing hill enjoyed by vacationers, an indoor ice skating rink and a mountain slide in summer.
In the early 1990s, bobsledding enthusiasts operated a milder version of an Olympic bobsled run at Howelsen Hill using soft foam bobsleds to give visitors a vicarious thrill.
Expansion of the Howelsen Hill Lodge underway in September 1981. The original lodge was completed in 1946. The first attempt at the expansion collapsed and the addition had to be rebuilt.
Flag bearers from Steamboat Ski Area participate in opening ceremonies for an international competition at Howelsen Hill in March 1981.
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Photo courtesy of Jeff Hall
Enjoy the traditions of the 102nd Winter Carnival!
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A close connection
Howelsen Hill and Winter Sports Club are tightly bound John Russell
Steamboat Today
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or generations the history of Howelsen Hill and the legacy of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club have been joined in a lengthy partnership that has resulted in Olympic celebrations and has long been a source of pride for town residents. “I’m not sure how long the offices of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club have been at Howelsen Hill,” said lifelong local and former ski racer Pete Wither. “But it’s been the home of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club for as long as I can remember.” Wither’s father, Bob, first joined the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club in 1921 at age 6. He was a lifelong member and supported the club in many roles long after his skiing days had ended. While some things have changed since then, Pete Wither said the basic idea to provide a place where children in Steamboat Springs can learn the basics of winter sports has never wavered. He said children gathered at Howelsen when his dad was young, they gathered at Howelsen Hill when he was a child, and they still gather there today. “I can still remember walking over to Howelsen Hill to ski after school when I was a kid,” Wither said. “The area where the parking lot and ball fields are now was a swamp, but it froze over in the winter, and we could just walk across it. We would ski from after school until 5:30 p.m. or 6 p.m. and then we would go home, have dinner and then go to bed.” According to Wither, dry land training included gathering willow sticks from the swamp area that surrounded Howelsen in the fall, so that they could be used as race gates in the winter. “I could never get used to the new break-a-day poles they use today,” Wither said. “Back then, you normally made a pretty wide turn around those sticks. If one hit you in the head, and we didn’t wear helmets back then, it would knock you out.” The roots of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club reach back to the start of the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival. According to Sureva Towler’s book, “The History of Skiing in Steamboat Springs,” the club was formed in 1914 for the sole purpose of planning and promoting the first winter carnival on Woodchuck Hill. It was a group of local businessmen in the commercial club who agreed to put up prize money for the 1914 carnival and to assume any responsible expense in getting the course in shape for the 1915 carnival. An executive committee was formed in February 1915 in order to create a permanent club associated with the
Steamboat Pilot Archives
Ansten Samuelston, a native Norwegian who became a U.S. citizen in 1957 and competed well for the U.S. at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley, California, shows his jumping style with arms thrust forward to extend over his skis and form an air foil. Samuelston first came to Steamboat and joined the Winter Sports Club in 1951 while serving in the Norwegian Air Force and studying at Fort Warren in Cheyenne, Wyoming. That same year he landed a record jump of 316 feet at Howelsen Hill that stood for 11 years.
National Ski Association in order to host the National Jumping Distance Championships in 1916, to build a municipal skating rink and to seek a tax levy to fund Winter Carnival. In March 1917, a group of loyal boosters set up the Steamboat Springs Ski Club to create the biggest ski club in the country. The women followed suit with the creation of The S.K.I. Club, a ladies auxiliary to the all-male Steamboat Ski Club. In 1927, the two groups merged forming the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. But long before then, young children were busy training and racing at Howelsen Hill. Throughout the years, the club’s
administration has grown and adjusted to meet the community’s needs, but the group’s goal of promoting skiing, especially with the children of the community, has remained consistent. The club, at one level or another, has also always been anchored at Howelsen Hill. “I can still remember the mothers and other volunteers setting up long registration tables in the fireplace room at Howelsen,” Wither said. “I think there were a few offices upstairs, but it was still pretty laid back.” Things have changed a bit these days. Upstairs, you will find the offices that house the Winter Sports Club adjacent to Olympian Hall. The Alpine coaches offices are also upstairs, the Nordic
coaches offices are downstairs, and the many other disciplines the club now offers are spread throughout the building. Today’s membership also has grown with more than 1,000 young skiers and snowboarders taking part in the club each winter. Howelsen hosts hundreds of events and skiers from the club travel around the world to national and international competitions. There is no question that the facilities have changed over the years, but Howelsen’s connection with the Winter Sports Club remains strong thanks to the legacy left behind by skiers like Wither, and their memories of the hill where they learned to ski.
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Snow-covered Lincoln Avenue is site of street events
Teresa Ristow Steamboat Today
W
hether Mother Nature chooses to participate or not, it won’t affect the 20-some street activities taking place on a snow-covered Lincoln Avenue during the 2015 Winter Carnival weekend. Snow is carted in to cover the town’s main street, and spectators line the road to see events beginning at 8:15 a.m. Saturday. A 100-meter Nordic dash for all ages kicks off the day’s events, with racers racing between Sixth to Eighth streets downtown. More than three hours of activities follow on Saturday, including threelegged races, 25-, 50- and 75-yard dashes and the donkey jump, where contestants ages 6 to 14 attempt to jump off of a 2-foot ramp while being pulled on skis by a horse. The participant who jumps the longest distance while maintaining a standing position wins. An adult shovel race for those 18 and older rounds out Saturday’s street activities just before noon. Contestants will position themselves onto any type See Street events, page 12
Ben Ingersoll/file
Members of the U.S. Telemark National Team made their way down Lincoln Avenue during the 101st Winter Carnival’s Diamond Hitch Parade in 2014.
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Street activities provide entertainment for all ages Street events continued from page 11
Ben Ingersoll/file
Parents switched roles with the horses for the Dad Dash as EB Kuhn pulled Elisa Cosby during the 101st Winter Carnival in 2014.
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of shovel and then get pulled by a horse. The shovel racer who crosses the finish line fastest without falling is deemed the winner. Street events on Sunday begin at 9 a.m. with a ring and spear contest, where children ages 6 to 9 will ski behind a horse with a spear in their hand, attempting to collect each of five rings positioned on stands on Lincoln Avenue in the fastest time. Crowds will be howling for the next duo of activities, which include the dog and dad dashes taking place at 10:20 and 10:25 a.m. First is the dog dash, where children 5 and younger are pulled on sleds by the family dog, followed by the dad dash, where dads swap out dogs and pull the kids on all fours. Early morning events on Sunday lead into the Diamond Hitch Parade, which begins at 11:30 a.m. The parade features skiers, pulled down Lincoln Avenue by animals, people or vehicles, who take the shape of the “diamond hitch,” meaning at least four skiers will hold onto the points of a rope tied into the shape of one or more diamonds. Diamond hitch skiers and snowboarders are judged on costumes and decorations representing the Winter
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Street events ■ Ring and Box (ages 6 to 9): Horses pull skiers who must drop rings in washtub. ■ Ring and Spear (ages 6 to 9): Horses pull skiers who are holding a spear and trying to collect five rings suspended from stands. ■ Skijoring (ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 14): Horse pulls skiers through flat course down the street. ■ Street slalom (ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 14): Horse pulls skiers through slalom course of cones. ■ Donkey jump (ages 6 to 9 and 10 to 14): Horse pulls skiers as they jump a 2-foot ramp. ■ Shovel race (ages 18 and older): Adults sit in any type of shovel and are pulled by galloping horses. ■ 25-yard Dog Dash (ages 5 and younger): Children are pulled by the family dog to the finish line. A parent or dog owner leads the dog. This race is followed by the: ■ Dad Dash, in which dads pull the sled on all fours (the sleds cannot have metal runners). ■ Children’s Dash (25-yard dash ages 3 to 5, 75-yard dash ages 9 to 11, 150-yard dash ages 11 to 14). ■ Three-legged race (ages 5 to 8 and 9 to 11): Two people on skis tie their legs together (ties provided) and race to the finish line. ■ Obstacle course (ages 4 to 6, 7 to 10 and 11 to 14): Skiers maneuver around obstacles and race to the finish line.
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Honoring 102 years of Winter Carnival and the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
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FireWorKS Will liGHt up tHe SKy Hours of work leads up to night extravaganza at Howelsen Hill
Scott Franz
Steamboat today
W
hen you’re “oohing” and “ahhing” while the fireworks are exploding and the skiers are jumping through a flaming hoop at the base of Howelsen Hill on Feb. 7, remember the following: ■ Jon Banks, also known as The Lighted Man, traveled from his home in Utah to a museum in Denver to pick up his suit before he skied down Howelsen with fireworks shooting out of his back. ■ Local philanthropist Tim Borden had to get approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to clear the airspace above Emerald Mountain for an hour between 8 to 9 p.m so that 36-inch, 500-pound firework could be fired threequarters of a mile into the air. ■ Steamboat Springs Police Sgt. Scott Middleton and others are in the tower at Howelsen overseeing the deployment of fireworks being launched out of 20 different mortars. ■ There are also the firefighters, police officers and other volunteers who help to make sure the show retains its wow factor.
A lot of work goes into making the Winter Carnival’s Night Extravaganza so unique. “We’re all volunteering because everyone is so excited to make a great show,” Borden said the week he got the FAA clearance for the fireworks. “It’s the most unique show for pyrotechnic display in the country, if not the world.” He said so many people volunteer for the show, they don’t have enough sleds and equipment to accommodate everyone. Borden also takes pride in the fact that the show doesn’t cost the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club anything to put on because of all the help from community volunteers. The fireworks are donated, and Borden said this year the 30 skiers who will pull some in sleds during the show have volunteered to purchase their shares, with the proceeds going to the club. In addition to the fireworks, the Night Extravaganza showcases Winter Sports Club athletes skiing down Howelsen with lights, and jumpers going through the fiery hoop. The events start at 7 p.m.
Gary E. Fresques
matt StenSland/file
The Lighted Man comes down Howelsen Hill during the 2013 Winter Carnival Night Extravaganza.
Lighted Man tradition Claudius banks started the tradition of the Lighted man in 1936 when he glided down Howelsen with a 100-pound suit covered with 200 lights. today, the tradition has been carried on by his son, Jon banks, who skis down with a custom backpack that fires off 32 roman candles and 12 sky rockets.
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Chris and Eileen Diamond serve as grand marshals in the 2015 Winter Carnival parade.
Diamonds lead the parade Ski industry lifers to serve as grand marshals
Ben Ingersoll Steamboat Springs
C
hris Diamond may be retiring from his post as Steamboat Ski and Resort Corp. president and chief operating officer, but that doesn’t mean he and his wife, Eileen, are going anywhere. Chris Diamond’s corner office overlooking Gondola Square and the runs spilling toward Steamboat Ski Area’s base will be vacated after June 30, but he and Eileen are sticking around with a new wide open schedule that is sure to equal plenty more turns on the slopes he has helped look after for the past 16 years. “If anything, we’ll just be here and skiing even more,” Chris said. “No excuses now.” “We won’t be watching the Weather Channel as often for the trends,” Eileen chimed in.
Chris is entering the home stretch of his ski industry career, a victory march of sorts that will include serving as the 102nd Winter Carnival’s grand marshal alongside his wife of 36 years. Chris and Eileen will be honored as part of the Feb. 4 opening ceremonies at Howelsen Hill’s Olympian Hall, a prelude to what Chris calls the premier social event in town. “I’d say it’s the most fun thing that happens on the winter calendar,” Chris said, noting that the couple hasn’t missed a single carnival during their time in town. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Executive Director Jim Boyne praised the Diamonds’ deep involvement in community activities and their strong ties to the club. Chris admits that he believes no one outside the Ski Corp. senior team and
his family had any idea of his upcoming retirement prior to his announcement Jan. 16, but still it was Boyne on the other line earlier in the month asking the Diamonds to serve as grand marshals. “It’s a wonderful honor,” Chris said. “It’s always great to see the competitors and coaches because we see them here all the time.” The Diamonds represent the true sense of a family built around the rise of the ski industry. Both their children, Keenen and Elizabeth, now in their 30s, grew up in it with Chris starting his career at Vermont’s Killington Ski Resort and Mount Snow. When Chris accepted an offer to be Steamboat’s managing director in 1999, he and Eileen said things were quite different. The Diamonds didn’t feel accepted at first, they said, and breaking the ice with resort personnel
and locals proved tough at first. “It was a tough time,” Chris said. “It really took a while to get to be known.” Eventually, Steamboat became home, and Eileen laments that Keenen and Elizabeth didn’t get to spend their entire childhoods as native Steamboaters. “Our kids love to come back to Steamboat to visit,” Eileen said. “I’m not sure they would have felt that way about Southern Vermont. It’s just a great, real town.” And it’s a town they aren’t in a hurry to leave, at least for now. The honor of serving as Winter Carnival grand marshals is sure to be just one of many departing gifts that the Diamonds will receive over the next five months or so. “We are flattered and honored,” Chris said. “You never think about stuff like (being named grand marshals). It just happened, and it’s great.”
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2015 Winter Car
For more information, call the Winter Sports Club at 970-879
Wednesday, Feb. 4 ■ 5:30 p.m. Opening Ceremonies
(Olympian Hall, Howelsen Hill Lodge, downtown off Fifth Street) A celebration honoring the Winter Carnival queen and her court of attendants, little princesses and grand marshals.
■ 6 to 8 p.m. Speed and Flight Night Ski Jumping
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Learn to ski jump (on Alpine or Telemark equipment) under the lights on the historic ski jumps of Howelsen Hill. For ages 12 and older. Register the night of the event from 5:145 to 5:45 p.m. in the Fireplace Room at Howelsen Hill Lodge. The cost is $15. Call Pat Anone at 970-734-8966.
Thursday, Feb. 5
■ 4:30 p.m. Cross-country obstacle race
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) A fun and entertaining obstacle race for young cross-country skiers ages 5 to 12. Spectators are welcome. Preregistration is not required, but a release form must be signed or already on file with the Winter Sports Club in order to participate.
■ 5 to 6 p.m. Air Bag Jam Session
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth street) Located under the lights of the Howelsen Hill Terrain Park, this event is open to the public. Watch athletes of the Winter Sports Club launch into the air onto a 15-foot tall, 50-foot wide air bag.
■ 5 to 6 p.m. PowderTools Mid-Winter Terrain Park Jam Session (Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth street)
Located under the lights of the Howelsen Hill Terrain Park, this event is open to the public. Preregistration is required at 4 p.m., and a release form must be signed or already be on file with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club in order to participate. Sponsored by Aces High-Royal Flush Industries, Christy Sports, Classic Air Medical, Ecos Environmental & Disaster Restoration, Steamboat Orthopedic Associates P.C., and Wells Fargo Advisors.
■ 6 to 9 p.m. Winter Carnival Dual GS Ski Race and Party
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth street) Come race head-to-head and show your GS technique on Howelsen Hill. Single elimination format for ages 15 and older. Registration will be in the Fireplace Room beginning at 6 p.m., inspection at 6:30 p.m. and racing starts at 7 p.m.
Friday, Feb. 6 ■ 10 a.m. Soda Pop Slalom
■ 6 to 7 p.m. Amateur Ski Jumping
■ 1:30 to 3 p.m. Ski Jumping Jamboree
■ 6 to 8 p.m. Wheels Bike Shop Dual Slalom Bicycle Race
(Stampede run at Steamboat Ski Area) This is a fun race open to any skier or snowboarder ages 10 and younger who is not an age-class racer with the Winter Sports Club. Preregistration required at the Winter Sports Club office by 6 p.m. Feb. 4. Sponsored by Aces High-Royal Flush Industries, Christy Sports, Classic Air Medical, Ecos Environmental & Disaster Restoration, Steamboat Orthopedic Associates P.C., and Wells Fargo Advisors. (Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) An enjoyable time for children ages 4 to 11 to take to the Bump Jump and 20-meter jump at the Nordic jumping complex of Howelsen Hill for some “flying fun” on Alpine equipment. Registration deadline is at noon Feb. 5. Check-in is from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m. on event day. Open to the public.
■ 4:30 to 6 p.m. Nordic Jumping Exhibition
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Winter Sports Club Nordic combined athletes jumping the 20, 30, 45 and 75 hills.
■ 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. SmartWool Community Tubing Party (Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Come experience Howelsen Hill’s Tubing Hill. FREE fun for the whole family with Winter Carnival button. Tubes are provided, but a waiver must be signed with the Winter Sports Club.
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Ski jumping (on Alpine equipment) under the lights on the historic ski jumps of Howelsen Hill. Prizes, jumping and high-flying fun for ages 15 and older. Registration costs $25 and is the night of the event from 5 to 5:45 p.m. in the Fireplace Room at Howelsen Hill Lodge. For more information, call Pat Arnone at 970-734-8966.
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) An exciting on-snow, mountain bike event down the face of Howelsen Hill. The event includes practice, qualifying and final competition rounds for ages 12 and older. Register the night of the event at 5:30 p.m. in the Fireplace Room at Howelsen Hill Lodge. For more information, call Chris Johns with Wheels Bike Shop at 970-846-7433.
■ 7 p.m. to midnight Sorel Soiree
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street in the Tent at Vanatta Field) Hosted by SSWSC Alumni Club. For ages 21 and older. Celebrate the 102nd Winter Carnival in a true Winter Wonderland. Dress to the nines but wear your Sorels to an evening of libations, food, live music with Missed the Boat, a bonfire and more. Tickets must be purchased in advance at 970-879-0695, ext. 100.
Saturday, Feb. 7 ■ 8 to 11 a.m. Knights of Columbus Pancake Breakfast
(Holy Name Catholic Church, 524 Oak St.) Hosted annually by the Knights of Columbus, this function is the perfect way to fuel up for all of the day’s activities. In addition to a Winter Carnival button, donations are accepted.
■ 8 a.m. 100-Meter Nordic Sprint
(Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat) The Steamboat Springs Nordic Council is looking for the fastest skate skiers in the ‘Boat! They are hosting a 100-meter Nordic Sprint on Lincoln Avenue between Seventh and Eighth streets prior to the Street Events. The race will have male
A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
rnival Schedule
9-0695, ext. 100, or visit www.wintercarnivalsteamboat.com.
and female divisions as well as 13 and older and 12 and younger categories. Anyone interested can register for this free event at the Steamboat Springs Touring Center by calling 970-879-8180.
■ 9 a.m. to noon Street Events
(Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat) Presented by Yampa Valley Bank. A wildly popular and entertaining show featuring children on skis and snowboards being pulled behind horses along snow covered Lincoln Avenue. Races include street slalom, ski joring, ring and spear, donkey jump and the adult shovel race. The horse events are for children ages 6 to 14. Nonhorse events for ages 1 to 14. Pre-registration is required at www.wintercarnivalsteamboat.com.
■ 1 p.m. Pro Alpine Ski Jumping Qualifications
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) This
is a must-see ski jumping event with participants launching off of the HS127 jump on Alpine skis and boots, rather than usual ski jumping equipment. For more information, call Pat Arnone at 970-734-8966. There is a $100 entry fee.
■ 6:15 to 6:45 p.m. SSWSC Athlete Exhibition
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Winter Sports Club athletes demonstrate their skills.
■ 7 p.m. Night Extravaganza
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Presented by Yampa Valley Bank. A must-see evening of entertainment at historic Howelsen Hill. The evening features a winter sports exhibition, the Lighted Man, torchlight parades, fiery hoop jumpers and an over-the-top fireworks. Remember to wear your Winter Carnival button.
Sunday, Feb. 8 ■ 9 to 11 a.m. Street Events
(Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat) Sponsored by Yampa Valley Bank. See above description.
■ 11:30 a.m. or later Diamond Hitch Parade
(Lincoln Avenue in downtown Steamboat) The diamond hitch consists of at least four skiers as they hold on to points of a rope tied in the shape of one or more diamonds. Animals, people or vehicles may pull the skiers down the snow-filled street. Anyone is welcome to enter the parade. Preregistration is required by 6 p.m. Jan. 30. Call the Winter Sports Club at 970-879-0695, ext. 100 for a parade entry form or visit www.wintercarnivalsteamboat.com.
■ 1 p.m. Pro Alpine ski jumping finals
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) This is a must-see ski jumping event with participants launching off of the HS127 “Big Hill” on Alpine skis and boots, rather than the usual ski jumping equipment. For more information, call Pat Arnone at 970-734-8966. There is a $100 entry fee.
■ 1 to 2 p.m. Parent-Child Downhill
(Howelsen Hill, downtown off Fifth Street) Everyone is a winner in this noncompetitive, fun event. An adult and child ski together through Howelsen Hill’s terrain. Each child is given a participant ribbon and is provided an opportunity to have a professional photograph taken on the podium. Preregistration is not required, but a release form must be signed or already be on file with Winter Sports Club. A lift ticket will be included for competitors.
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20 | February 2015
A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
Carnival Royalty Carrigan tapped as 2015 queen
Lisa Schlichtman Steamboat Today
M
aggie Rose Carrigan loves to go fast. Her fearlessness and need for speed have propelled her to the top of the sport of Alpine snowboarding. Carrigan credits her Involvement with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and inspiration from her older siblings, twins Tori and Lex Koski, who were members of the U.S. Snowboarding Team, as key contributors to her success. After training with the Winter Sports Club since age 5 or 6, Maggie, a Steamboat Springs High School senior, will be reigning over the 2015 Winter Carnival as its queen. “When I was 6 or 7, I was one of the princesses and my sister Tori was an attendant,” Maggie said in a telephone interview from Holiday Valley where she had just competed in the FIS NorAm Cup, New York. “Now, it’s really great to be queen and represent the club.” Part of what Maggie said she loves about the Winter Sports Club is getting to train on the snow every day and traveling.
“It’s a great thing; you can train every day and meet great people,” Maggie explained. “I also enjoy the places we go and the adventures we go on. I’ve gone to so many places in Europe. Being only 18, it’s kind of crazy that I’ve traveled that much.” Early on in her snowboarding career, Maggie competed in boarder cross. Diagnosed with scoliosis at age 11, Maggie underwent surgery and had 14-inch rods placed in her back. She had to take a year off, and when she got back on the snow, she made the decision to switch to Alpine snowboarding, which doesn’t require the jumps that boarder cross does. “I needed to protect my back,” Maggie said. “I also always had a big interest in it. I love the carving and how fast it is. It’s kind of my lifestyle.” She excelled at her new sport and is now competing on the NorAm tour with an eye toward the 2018 Winter Olympics. After she graduates in June, Maggie plans to take a gap year to compete in the Europe Cups and World Cups. When asked if she has a shot at making the Olympic team in three years, Maggie is optimistic. “I believe so if I work hard and train every day. I want to go into the real
Maggie Rose Carrigan
world and figure it out.” Maggie’s role models are her parents, Tammy and Marty Carrigan, and her big brother and sister. “I love my parents so much, and they have done so much with my snowboarding and rooting for me,” Maggie said. “And my brother and sister, as
well — looking up to them and getting coached by them.” She also gives a shout out to her coaches Thedo Remmilink and Dave Winter for their support. Maggie will be joined on the royal court by attendants Ellese Lupori and Esther Rose DelliQuadri.
A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
Ellese Lupori
Esther Rose DelliQuadri
Ellese is a junior at Steamboat Springs High School and has been involved in the Winter Sports Club for 12 to 13 years. She competes in Alpine skiing and loves the thrill of going fast. She said she has learned a lot from her involvement with the club. “In the Winter Sports Club you learn a lot about responsibility,” Ellese said. “You’re a part of something that’s such a big part of Steamboat, you want to represent it well.” Esther, a sophomore at Steamboat Springs Club, competes in ski jumping and Nordic combined skier and has been involved in Winter Sports Club since she was a toddler. “My time at the club has taught me a lot,” Esther said. “It has taught me things like teamwork and sportsmanship, as well as determination and hard work. It has taught me a lot about over-
coming my fears and trying new things.” Following in the footsteps of family members, Esther said she is honored to be a member of this year’s Winter Carnival royal court. Her aunt was a Winter Carnival queen and her grandmother was a Winter Carnival grand marshal. “Growing up in Steamboat, Winter Carnival was one of my favorite times of the year, and being involved in an event that is such a big part of the community is an amazing opportunity,” Esther said. The Winter Carnival queen will be crowned, and the court, including the princesses who are yet unnamed, will be recognized during Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 4 at Olympian Hall. The Royal Court also will preside over many of the Winter Carnival festivities throughout the event’s five-day run.
February 2015
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22 | February 2015
A guide to Winter Carnival
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BEST VIEWS OF THE NIGHT SHOW IN TOWN
Caroline Gilchrist with her carnival artwork selected for the 2015 buttons.
Audrey dwyer/Staff
Button Art Fiery hoop provides inspiration Audrey Dwyer
Steamboat Today
U
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sing her dad and her favorite event of the Winter Carnival as inspiration, 10-year-old Caroline Gilchrist created this year’s Winter Carnival button using a combination of materials. Made with pieces of black construction paper as the night sky, the backdrop of the button includes rooftops of houses in Steamboat outlined in white construction paper. Caroline’s image is a re-creation of a ski jumper — her father, Dan Gilchrist — in glitter jumping through the fire hoop with fireworks lighting up sky. The theme for the 2015 Winter Carnival button is Fire and Ice, commemorating the tradition of ski jumpers who go through the fire hoop during the winter celebration. Each year the button serves as a piece of memorabilia as well as an admission ticket to the festivities. In early December, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club staff sent an email to all schools in Routt County asking for artwork created by the kids for this year’s button. The deadline for submissions was Dec. 19. They were asked to re-create a memory or source of inspiration from their favorite Winter Carnival event. “What inspired me was my dad because he goes through the fiery hoop every year and I wanted to base it on that,” Caroline said. The kids had no restrains on creativity, which is why Caroline’s button was made with different materials. Usually the buttons depict a drawing of some
kind or a picture to represent the historical event. After the deadline, the staff at the Winter Sports Club got together to select the button out of about 15 submissions for this year’s Winter Carnival based on a vote. “This button was selected because it really stood out compared to the other submissions,” said Rory Clow, marketing director for the Winter Sports Club. “It was creative and had a different look compared to the other buttons that we’ve seen.” As an avid skier herself racing with the Winter Sports Club, Caroline said it’s exciting to be part of the carnival because of her button and the opportunity to ski in the torchlight parade. “It will be awesome to see everyone wearing my button and to see all the posters and fliers around town,” Caroline said. “The carnival is always fun to go to and watch.” The $10 button can be purchased at the following venues: All That, Allen’s Clothing, the Bud Werner Memorial Library, the Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association office, City Market, Safeway, city offices, F.M. Light & Sons, Lyon’s Drug, Off the Beaten Path Bookstore, Paws ‘N” Claws ‘N’ Things, Ski Haus, Steamboat Springs Ski and Resort Corp., STARS, Steamboat Sotheby’s International Realty, Yampa Valley Bank, Yampa Valley Medical Center and the Winter Sports Club. All events that will take place at Howelsen Hill can be found on the www.wintercarnivalsteamboat.com website.
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A guide to Winter Carnival
February 2015
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A guide to Winter Carnival
24 | February 2015
READING: Steamboat Springs’ other winter tradition.
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A guide to Winter Carnival
February 2015
| 25
new faces lead next era Exciting changes on tap for Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
Joel Reichenberger Steamboat Today
T
his winter offers a fine reminder. Steamboat Springs may be celebrating 100 years of skiing on its legendary downtown slope, Howelsen Hill, but nothing seems to remain static for long except that hill. As it celebrates its 100th year, changes have defined life for its most regular skiers, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. The changes started at the top one winter ago, when Jim Boyne came in as the new executive director for the Winter Sports Club. This year, the Jim Boyne changes have filtered down into the ranks with several major changes to club staff. Three of the club’s major programs have had changes in leadership in the See Leadership, page 27
Courtesy photo
A new trail at Steamboat Ski Area will serve as a venue for Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Alpine ski racers. Organizers hope the dedicated space and specialized snow surface can be a boost for the club’s Alpine program. The club is hoping to raise a total of $2.35 million for the project. The new trail is shown in the rendering, all the way to the right side and lit by lights.
26 | February 2015
A guide to Winter Carnival
A CARNIVAL OF FLAVORS
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
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A guide to Winter Carnival
February 2015
| 27
STEAMBOAT
HARDWARE Joel Reichenberger/file
Programs for young skiers with the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club will change heading into this winter, intent on building better all-around skiers.
Alpine program expands Leadership continued from page 25
last two years. Tori Koski took over the snowboard program heading into the 2013-14 winter season. This winter, there also were new faces guiding both the club’s Tori Koski Alpine skiing program, its largest, and the freestyle skiing program, one of its most successful. Those now at the top have had plenty of success. Leading the Alpine ski program is one of the most accomplished skiers Steamboat has helped produce, Caroline Lalive Carmichael. She comes onboard with the Caroline Lalive Carmichael Winter Sports Club as the Alpine director after coaching intermittently for the club for several years. She wrapped up a 13-year career on the U.S. Ski Team, was four times a member of a World Championship team and three times a skier in the Olympics. She retired from that life in 2009 and began to spend time coaching in Steamboat. “It’s been a really successful, growing, stable program, and I’m really lucky,” she said after accepting the position. “I don’t have to step in and re-create anything, but just continue the improvement. “I love ski racing, and it’s been my life and passion for so long,” Lalive Carmichael said. “This seems like the culmination of everything I’ve done and loved.”
Bobby Aldighieri, meanwhile, brings plenty of credentials of his own to the top of the freestyle skiing story. He skied moguls in the 1992 Winter Olympics and spent the years between competing and taking over in Bobby Aldighieri Steamboat coaching moguls. Many of those years were in Canada, but five came as the head moguls coach in Steamboat. He was eager to return. “I’m super excited,” he said in the summer. “My wife and I are super psyched to get back into our house. We are certainly looking forward to getting home and working with the club again.” Finally, the venues where many of those athletes train will be receiving a major new upgrade soon. The Winter Sports Club and Steamboat Ski Area last summer announced a $2.35 million plan for a new Alpine ski training venue on the lower slopes of Mount Werner. The project will include a new trail, cut alongside and including much of the already existing See Ya trail. It will be lit, so skiers can work into the dark after school, and include snowmaking equipment. It also will feature heavier snow than what is used for the rest of the resort, more ideal for going fast. The training venue is expected to be ready by the 2015-16 season. “It will continue to attract more and more people who are going to move their families somewhere for a strong program, like my family did,” Lalive Carmichael said. “We want to make sure we are in that top echelon of programs and are able to provide with this opportunity.”
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A guide to Winter Carnival
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February 2015
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Button serves as vital part of Carnival tradition Rory Clow
Special to the Steamboat Today
I
Rory Clow
am 8 years old, and it’s the night before my favorite holiday. Snow is gently falling, and my small body is wiggling with excitement. I don’t think I can possibly sleep tonight; tomorrow, my parents are going to take me to see “The Man.” He only comes once a year, on this special night … The Lighted Man. I’m squeezing my eyes shut, but I’m still seeing bright lights flash and fireworks dance in my brain. Snow sculptures parade through my thoughts as horses pull lucky children through the streets. It all seems like a dream; waking up to see Steamboat’s streets filled with snow, and kids careening down the main street behind those stunning, beautiful horses. I’m 8 years old, and I don’t know that the calendar doesn’t designate this week as a holiday. For me, the Winter Carnival has more excitement, tradition and magic than anything I’ve ever experienced. Someday, I’m going to be one of those lucky children who are brave enough to hold onto that rope behind the horse. Or maybe a cowgirl pulling the athletes along the streets. Perhaps someday, I’ll be the proud young winner of the annual Winter
Carnival button contest, and I will see my artwork appear on thousands of programs and posters across town, announcing the arrival of our unique mountain celebration. More importantly, thousands of people will buy a button hosting my artwork; supporting my favorite holiday. I’m almost 30 now, and I have returned to Steamboat Springs. I’m a grown adult who works for the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and finds that one of the best parts of my job is helping to ensure that this “holiday” happens. I think 8-year-old Rory would be proud; I found my glory in those street events by becoming a shovel racer (If I apply for jobs in Steamboat, I put that on my resume, because they know how high an achievement it is). I pursued being a cowgirl, and I even became a button artist. It didn’t happen until I was in high school, but it helped solidify my decision that I was going to pursue my passions and go to art school. My 8-year-old self would be so proud, because for one week, I was small-town famous, and the love and encouragement from the community helped to push me along the life-path I have chosen. What’s behind that $10 Winter Carnival Button that is required to
spectate or participate in all of the events? I have heard the naysayers commenting, “Why should we purchase a button to walk down the street, or to watch the Night Extravaganza from across the valley?” But 8-year-old Rory would roll her eyes. They are missing the point of the Winter Carnival button, which, in addition to being your admission ticket to five days of exciting outdoor events with like-minded, winter-loving people, is about tradition. Forty-five years of button-tradition, to be exact. How else would this carnival happen without our support? If $10 helps to ensure that our community has this unique celebration, and more importantly, that someday our children will grow up to experience the same “holiday,” then it is $10 well spent. It also supports the very athletes who put on the amazing shows of athleticism — not everyone can soar off of the historic Nordic jumps through a blazing fiery hoop. Most importantly, the button is about hometown pride. I live, breathe and work for the season called “winter.” I have a pair of downhill skis, cross country skis, Telemark skis and a snowboard in my truck at all times. The Winter Carnival is “my” See Clow, page 34
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A guide to Winter Carnival
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Jayden Haghebangh crashes during a practice run before the 2014 Winter Carnival dual slalom bike race at Howelsen Hill.
February 2015
| 31
John F. Russell/file
SlAlom on wheels Bike race offers thrills and spills
Matt Stensland Steamboat Today
O
ver the years, a few dozen local cyclists have perfected the art of riding the Poma lift at Howelsen Hill with a bike in tow. “It takes some skill just to get to the top of the course,” said Chris Johns, who again is organizing this year’s Wheels Bike Shop Dual Slalom Bicycle Race. The race stays true to the quirky nature of Winter Carnival events, and it has grown very popular throughout the years. Last year, there were an estimated 200 spectators at the Friday night event. “It’s an honor in this town to do well in the event,” Johns said. About 40 to 50 cyclists compete each year. That is if they are able to make it to the top of the course. Two cyclists race at a time through the gates, and experienced riders typically use caution. “The first five or six turns are really steep,” Johns said. “You have to get through the top of the course to get to the bottom of the course.” Oftentimes, the crew at Howelsen
will build a jump into the course, which guarantees some good spills. “You see people going over something that’s hardly rideable,” Johns said. The competitor who crosses the finish line first gets to head back up the Poma lift and race again. The race culminates with the two most successful riders competing in the championship run. “It’s usually the guys that like doing downhill racing,” Johns said. “Aggressive downhillers.” Competitors have tried to race with fat tire bikes, but they typically do not do well on the course. The key, Johns said, is to use studded bike tires. Most are handmade with screws. There is no cost to compete in the event, but participants need to have a Winter Carnival button. People can register Feb. 6, the night of the event, at 5:30 p.m. at Howelsen Hill Lodge. Racing starts at 6 p.m. People who want to volunteer should show up a couple of hours early. For more information, contact Johns with Wheels Bike Shop at 970-846-7433.
John F. Russell/file
Trevyn Newpher clears a gate during qualifying for the 2014 Winter Carnival dual bike race at Howelsen Hill.
32 | February 2015
A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
Snowy characters Students turn snow into sculptures
Teresa Ristow Steamboat Today
D
on’t be alarmed at the sight of a larger-than-life penguin or walrus taking shape on the Lincoln Avenue sidewalk this week. Part of downtown’s transformation into a snow sports event arena during the annual Winter Carnival includes the creation of large snow sculptures outside participating businesses. Students from Steamboat Springs High School, Heritage Christian School and Steamboat Mountain School sign up and submit proposals for creatures and creations they hope to sculpt. “We try to go by what the theme of the Winter Carnival is each year,” said Ann Brenner, secretary to the athletic director at Steamboat Springs High School and one of the contest coordinators. Brenner said between 55 and 60 students sign up for the snow sculpture event and are divided into about 14 small teams. Each is assigned a block of packed snow placed in front of participating businesses.
Participating students are able to skip class Feb. 5 to work on their creations, many of which include animals and have been inventive in the past, Brenner said. “We had a fox one year that was absolutely adorable, and they made it so you could sit on it,” Brenner said. Other past sculptures include penguins, a walrus, a large wagon and a snow jail that people could climb inside for a photo opportunity. Sometimes students plan a sculpture to look like one thing and change course mid-way through the build, Brenner said. Interactive sculptures that you can get on or inside of are encouraged, she said. Students spend from about 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. creating the sculptures, which remain on display on Lincoln Avenue throughout the Winter Carnival weekend. A secret team of judges evaluates students as they are building as well as the finished product, and prizes are awarded to the top three sculptures.
John F. Russell/file
Steamboat Springs High School students, from left, Summer Dorr, Madi Owen, Payton Wendler and Casey Kirkendall work on a sculpture on Lincoln Avenue.
John F. Russell/file
Steamboat Springs High School student Amber Finch uses a shovel to work on a snow sculpture on Lincoln Avenue for the 2014 Winter Carnival.
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Celebrate it Clow, continued from page 29
event, just as much as it belongs to every resident, visitor and spectator who can say they love the winter and wear the button. This year, I am proud to see 10-yearold button contest winner Caroline Gilchrist’s artwork across town in windows and on lapels, let alone be displayed on the official Winter Carnival website (www.WinterCarnivalSteamboat.com). Her design features the fiery hoop, cut out of construction paper, and an athlete in the Night Extravaganza silhouetted in glitter soaring above the houses in town. In Steamboat, Winter Carnival buttons embody the excitement of the celebration and are collected like stamps and rare currency — a reminder of the amazing heritage our town has. For me, it celebrates a childhood that I was lucky to live. It reminds me of the snow sculptures we carved on the streets in high school that took weeks of drawing, preparation and planning, only to find it takes seconds to lop the head off of the giant turtle you were trying to carve. It reminds me of the mix of fear and guts it takes that first time you hitch up to be pulled by a wild horse in front of a cheering crowd. The button brings
Rory Clow participates in the shovel races in the Winter Carnival street events as a youngster.
back the excitement of bundling up, heading to Howelsen Hill and watching the Lighted Man and his crazy entourage of ski patrollers and youths who think skiing with flares is a good idea. (Let’s be honest, I was jealous of those kids, too.) I encourage all of you — residents,
visitors, children and athletes — to come celebrate with us. Build the excitement for your children so they may have memories as wonderful as mine. Purchase your buttons before the carnival starts and wear them proudly. When you see her, smile at button designer Caroline Gilchrist; she is rep-
courteSy Photo
resenting all of the future button artists, athletes, cowgirls and cowboys out there who someday will be cheered for in the Winter Carnival. Let the festivities begin! (And save me a place on one of those shovels!) — Rory Clow, marketing director Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today
A guide to Winter Carnival
February 2015
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36 | February 2015
A guide to Winter Carnival
A Supplement to the Steamboat Today