Loveland triumphs as first Colorado ski area to open for the season
- Details
- Created on Sunday, 24 October 2010 21:59
- Written by Carmen Boles
By Matt Steiner, The Gazette
“Happy first day!”
That joyous sentiment echoed through the mountains just east of the Continental Divide on Sunday as Loveland Ski Area became the first in Colorado to open for the 2010-11 ski season.
The event brought what Loveland spokesman John Sellers called a “strong opening-day crowd.” Sellers attributed eight inches of fresh snow and the weekend opener as factors that led to a hearty lift line and crowded slopes all day.
The parking lot had more than 100 cars in it at 8 a.m. and the eager skiers and riders created a raucous noise while waiting for the countdown to open the season.
Many gave great importance to Sunday’s event after unusually warm temperatures and dry conditions set many records through late September and early October. Two of the skiers wore suits and one, who called himself Stephen R., waxed his mustache claiming “you have to wax it for special occasions.”
Mike Sinclair, 27, and Matt Vermeern, 26, of Fort Collins got all dressed up, each wearing brown suits and ties as they took advantage of the combination of natural and man made snow. Loveland and rival Arapahoe Basin each had their snow guns fired up for the season two weeks ago. A-Basin opens its season on Monday.
“It’s just another day at the office for us,” Sinclair said, trying to look business-like despite wearing a hat that looked like a stuffed bear’s head. “We decided to sport our suits and come out and rip it.”
Most were at Loveland to “rip it.” But Nate Dogggg, who calls himself a “fun bum,” felt a responsibility to continue his running streak of 16-straight years on colorado’s first chair of the season.
“We’ve been here just posting up and getting ready for first chair,” said Dogggg, who’s been waiting at Loveland since about noon on Wednesday. “ We’ve been camping out in the parking lot for days on end to make it our chair.”
Dogggg brought along two friends to fill the three-man lift. Jeff Meyer was sharing the first chair with Dogggg for the fifth time while Meesh Hytner made her very first run on the first chair of the season.
Others turned opening day into a family outing.
Tawna Coose and her husband Austin brought three-year-old daughter Sophie for her first time ever on a snowboard. The Coose’s daughter Lexi, 12, and son Cody Bulaga, 15, were also there. The family moved to Colorado from Florida two years ago and Lexi and Cody just began riding in March.
“We were really excited,” said Tawna Coose, who won a VIP opening-day pass from Loveland via Facebook. “We’ve been watching the news every single day and following the resorts to see who’s going to open first.”
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