Snow Skiing Channel: Ski, Snow, Resorts Guide, Area Guides, Weather Reports, Photos, Blogs, Reviews, and Videos » breckenridge

Breckenridge

Editor — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 11:50:00 +0000

With an awesome 155 trails spanned over 2 358 acres of land, Breckenridge Ski Resort is the largest ski are in Summit County. This impressive ski resort features a variety of terrain, ski trails for most levels of skiers and great terrain parks. Combine this with the nearby town of Breckenridge and you’ll find a thriving nightlife, extreme skiing competitions and an interesting history to keep you entertained on non-skiing days.

Breckenridge’s key to success is the four peaks which make up the Breckenridge Ski Area. Peak 7 is for intermediate level skiers and it features a number of groomed runs as well as a bowl. Peak 8 has the impressive Freeway Terrain Park which hosts a number of competitions each year. Next door you will find Park Lane, an intermediate park, as well as Trygve’s, a beginner park with everything the beginner could ever want. Peak 9 is a beginner and intermediate slope where you will find a variety of trails and another great terrain park. Peak 10 is for advanced skiers and snowboarders only and features blue-black runs like the Crystal, Doublejack and Centennial.

Breckenridge offers great alpine skiing and snowboarding conditions and features 23 km of cross-country skiing and a pass and shuttle service to the neighbouring Keystone Resort. The Freeway Terrain Park has one of the best superpipes in North America while the Gold King Terrain Park is a great place to go if you have a lot to improve. The mountain has a summit elevation of 12 998 ft and a vertical drop of 4 337 ft. Its longest run is 18 480 ft and it enjoys 305 inches of annual snowfall. There are 30 lifts available to help you reach the top of the runs quickly and easily and 25% of the runs feature snowmaking machines to ensure that there is always something to ride. The runs are rated as follows: 15% beginner, 33% intermediate, 52% advanced. This means that even if you’re a top-notch skier, you will still be able to bring family and friends for a great skiing holiday.

When you’re done skiing for the day, you might also try your hand at snowmobiling, ice-skating or dogsledding. Historic tours and live theatre performances are two more great options. Once the sun sets you can spend your hours dancing in a raging nightclub, relaxing in an oxygen lounge or enjoying a drink at one of the great bars. There are a number of great restaurants to choose from and a handful of cosy bistros.

Breckenridge also has plenty to offer in the summer months such as the Peak 8 Fun Park, hiking, golfing, jeep tours, biking, skateboarding, horseback riding, paddling, fly fishing, white water rafting and hot air balloon rides, to name just a few. They also make for a great wedding location. Clearly Breckenridge Ski Resort offers an unbeatable variety and value. Book now and enjoy the holiday of a lifetime.

Round Off the Season at the Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival

Editor — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 11:49:02 +0000

The eighth annual Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival is set to take place from 1 to 20 April 2008 in Breckenridge, Colorado. Spring snow skiing conditions in Breckenridge are legendary and festival-goers are in for a treat with this end of season event that features competitions, entertainment, family fun, comedy nights, nightlife, exhibitions, a beer festival, food, special snow skiing and snowboarding events, film shoots, and the biggest concert line up in the history of Breckenridge Spring Massive Festivals.

From 3 to 8 April, the International Ski Federation’s Rocky Mountain Trophy Series will feature the Men’s and Women’s Giant Slalom and Slalom at Peak 10. This late season event features high ranking national, as well as international, competitors. Breckenridge Ski Resort invites all 65+ skiers and snowboarders to celebrate Spring Chicken’s Day on 9 April with qualifying visitors receiving a free lunch voucher and free parking at the base of peak 8.

On 11 April, skiers and boarders are invited to participate in the Massive Rail Jam: Benefit for Matt Wyffels, a competitive snowboarder who is now paralyzed. The proceeds of this event will go towards the ongoing intensive physical therapy that Matt requires. Along with the excitement of the competition, there will be prizes, giveaways and live music. With prize money as an added incentive, the competitive spirit is sure to run high and the rails that have been expertly designed will offer an exciting challenge to competitors.

The Massive Slopestyle Competition on 12 April will see skiers and riders showcasing their talent in a progressive freestyle competition to be held in the Freeway Terrain Park. A substantial cash prize is up for grabs and each rider/skier will be judged on technical difficulty, creativity and overall style. This promises to be a thrilling event – for both competitors and spectators. Also on 12 April, the Massive Beerfest featuring taste-testing of 17 microbrews and craft beers, accompanied by the music of Tony Furtado, The Rail Benders and Subdudes, can be enjoyed at Main Street Station. The day ends with a huge pyrotechnic display from Peak 9.

World-class riders and local amateurs will be competing for a cash prize in the Massive Superpipe Competition on 13 April. Spectators can expect to be astonished at the tricks and stunts that skiers and riders perform in Colorado’s top rated Superpipe.

The 12th annual Imperial Challenge on 19 April sees competitors warming up with 6.2 miles by mountain bike from Breckenridge town across Peak 7 to Peak 8. Then a 2,500 foot ascent to the top of the Imperial Bowl leads to the ultimate thrill of the descent to the base of Peak 8 on snow skis or snowboard. Competitors need to aim to complete this challenge within two hours.

The final weekend of the Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival features the Ridge Street Massive Music Weekend. Grace Potter and the Nocturnals will be entertaining party-goers on Friday 18 April, with Robert Randolph and the Family Band keeping the party spirit going on Saturday. Clearly, there can be no better way for snow skiing and snowboarding fans to finish off a great season than to join in the Breckenridge Spring Massive Festival.

The Fun-Filled Ullr Fest in Breckenridge

Editor — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 15:15:37 +0000

According to Norse mythology, Thor, the god of thunder, has a stepson named Ullr. Ullr became the winter god and had a passion of the cold. Because of his love for the earth, he would cover the ground in a blanket of snow to protect it against the cold winter months. With his good intentions came the joy of skiing around the country and Ullr would use any excuse or opportunity to glide across the snow. He became the master of the snow, traveling at speeds that no one could match. His travels brought him to Breckenridge in Colorado, and this is where he chose to live.

Every year Ullr would bless the slopes of Breckenridge with the best snow found anywhere in the world, attracting skiing enthusiasts from all over the world. To pay respect to the Norse winter god, Breckenridge has been hosting the Ullr Fest for the last forty-three years. Between the 6th of January and the 11th of January 2008, the town will once again come alive with a spectacular festival line-up and entertainment for the entire family. The Ullr Fest has become just as much of an attraction as the slopes are every year.

Visitors to the Ullr Fest can look forward to a weekend filled with traditional fun, such as the snow sculpture championships, the Ullr bonfire, the Budweiser Ullr Fest Bar Series and the parade. Approximately thirty floats take part in the parade each year with participants dressed in magnificent costumes, and thousands of spectators come to see the fun. Another Ullr Fest tradition is a game called pig bowling, and before animal lovers get worried, a frozen ham is tossed around. The skiing event is also a ton of laughs, as team members try to keep their balance on giant skis. Turkey Toss and frying-pan tossing is all part of the Ullympics and is jam-packed with fun events. The crowning of the Ullr Fest king and queen rounds up a weekend of excitement entertainment, great parties, good food and more than enough to drink.

From parades to parties, games and competitions, the Ullr Fest is a crazy, entertaining and fun event that should not me missed. It is a weekend of skiing festivities and celebration. Saying thank you to the Phat Man of Winter, as he is popularly called, has never been so much fun. For non-stop action, fun and enjoyment, head down to the Ullr Fest in 2008, and find out first-hand what the festival hype is all about.

The Ski Tour Countdown

Editor — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:39:05 +0000

The world’s best skiers are getting set for The Ski Tour (TST) which will take place at four premier ski vacation resorts in America – Sun Valley in Idaho, Breckenridge and Aspen/Snowmass in Colorado and Squaw Valley in California. The prize money for the skier cross or skier half pipe competitions is $500,000. The competition will be televised nationally and a simultaneous super concert will include some of the country’s biggest music performances in the mountains.

Athletes confirmed for the tour include Olympians Daron Rahlves, Eric Schlopy, and Reggie Crist and X Games medalists Tanner Hall, CR Johnson, Simon Dumont, and Zach Crist. These world class skiers stand an equal chance of winning $125,000 each weekend. The Ski Tour is an opportunity for them to showcase the radical change and progression in skiing to the masses In addition to the skiing competition the vacation resorts will play host to the BaseCamp Music Experience which will be the focal point of off slope entertainment at each of the four ski resorts. BaseCamp will feature over 30 bands and DJs, including Michael Franti & Spearhead, Blackalicious, Hinder, Donavon Frankenreiter, The Wailers, DJ Logic, DJ Jillian Ann, Swollen Members, Kamphire Collective and many more.

Three thousand people are expected to witness these top class shows that will be staged in centrally located, 14,000-square-foot heated pavilions at each vacation resort. The pavilion will be erected in the center of each skiing vacation resort and will be the hub for all of the festivities throughout the weekend. The program planned includes street party bonfires, the Limelight Film Festival, rail jams, parties and fashion shows celebrating mountain culture.

Participants and audience are looking forward to this thrilling combination of competition and entertainment in the mountains. The inaugural ski tour weekend will be hosted by Sun Valley, America’s original ski resort, between January 11th and15th 2007. During February 1st and 4th it ascends to Breckinridge, Summit County Colorado’s fabled resort. It then moves to the legendary Aspen between 22nd and 25th February 2007. The grand finale will be from March 8th to 11th at Squaw Valley, venue of the1960 Winter Olympics.