Beaver Creek Oktoberfest

Labor Day Weekend not only signifies the unofficial end of summer, but it also kicks off Oktoberfest season in the Vail Valley. Beaver Creek’s three-day event ushers in two more weekends of Oktoberfest, with Lionshead hosting on Sept. 9-11 and Vail Village hosting on Sept. 16-18. Each are different and equally as fun, so don that dirndl and put on the lederhosen and get ready to say “prost” this time of year.  

Beaver Creek will tap the keg and start the music at 4 p.m. in Beaver Creek Village on Friday. Beaver Creek is happy to welcome back its sister city’s band, Trachtenkapelle of Lech Zurs, Austria. For over two decades the two towns have hosted each other and music has been the connection despite any language barriers. In addition to coming out each year for Oktoberfest, Trachtenkapelle has made it out for World Cup alpine ski races as well.

Helmut Fricker and his band will be taking turns on the stage with Tratchenkapelle throughout the three-day festival. Capping off the weekend days will be Philadelphia Freedom: A Tribute to Elton John on Saturday and Brothers Revival: A Tribute for the Allman Brothers on Sunday. The music and the event goes from 4:30 to 8 p.m. on Friday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

There will be plenty of beer on tap and this year’s commemorative stein will be available for purchase. Food booths will be placed along the plaza level of Beaver Creek with traditional Bavarian eats like brats and sauerkraut, schnitzel, pretzels, German-style potato pancakes and more.

If you are looking for a free lunch, enter to compete in the bratwurst eating competition at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. If you’ve been working on your 12-ounce curls, maybe the stein holding competition is more your speed, held at 6 p.m. on Friday and 3:45 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Or, if you think you are looking pretty authentic, try out for the best-dressed competition at 5:45 p.m. on Friday and 2:45 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

The Kids Zone will be hopping with all sorts of activities, which will be up near Centennial Express (No. 6) at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain. Complimentary games and bouncy castles, face painting and inflatable axe throwing will entertain the little ones while the adults can try their hand at Hammerschlagen and axe throwing on the lawn as well at the Haus of Games.

Entry to the event is free and you can pay for food and drinks as you go. For more information and a full schedule, go to BeaverCreek.com.

Vail Jazz Party

A summer full of jazz culminates with the Vail Jazz Party this Labor Day Weekend. The music started on Thursday and winds down on Monday afternoon, equaling 35 hours of music throughout the festival. After 28 years, this event turns into more of a reunion than just a jazz fest. Some of these stars and patrons have been coming year after year.

The venues shuffle between the jazz tent at Vail Square and The Hythe in Lionshead (formerly the Vail Marriott). Special performances include Wycliffe Gordon’s Nu Funk Dance Party IV on Friday, Ken Peplowski’s In the Moment on Saturday and Niki Haris’ Gospel Prayer Meetin’ on Sunday morning. The Vail Jazz Orchestra will celebrate the life and contributions of Jeff Clayton. Clayton was not only a bright light in the jazz world, but he also was a founding faculty member at the Vail Jazz Workshop, which brings in the most promising students of jazz from high schools around the country.

In addition to the event to honor Jeff Clayton, who passed away in December of 2020, the Vail Jazz family will no doubt pay tribute to the founder of the Vail Jazz Festival, Howard Stone, who passed away in early August. The valley also lost musician Tony Gulizia, who would have been celebrating 25 years of the Vail Jazz Goes to School Program. Tony G, as he was known around town, passed away in July.

Check out the website for an all-access pass or get individual session tickets at VailJazz.org.

Summer’s End in Avon

Nottingham Park has been the place to be this summer. With the lake activities like paddle boating and SUP’ing, volleyball, fishing and tons of playground equipment, people of all ages flock to this centrally located park in Avon and Eagle County. To celebrate cummer, the town of Avon is bringing back Summer’s End for Labor Day Weekend.

On Friday, check out the last Lakeside Cinema featuring the children’s animated film, “Up.” The movie screen will be on the lawn, so bring a blanket or a low-profile lawn chair and some snacks and sit back and enjoy the show, which starts around dusk.

On Saturday, relax and enjoy the amenities of the park and then get ready for Sunday and Monday. The Paddle Battle is back on Sunday, offering up cash prizes for the top performers. There will be an individual SUP race, a SUP-Squatch race where you can fit eight people on one huge standup paddle board and try to work together to navigate the board.

The Cardboard Regatta Race will be equally as fun to watch. This is just like it sounds – you are making a boat out of cardboard and trying to float across water. The rules require that your boat’s hull can only be made out of corrugated cardboard and sealed with duct tape, caulk, glue, latex paint or varnish. These boats will then be propelled by the use of cardboard paddles by those in the boat. First boat to cross the finish line wins, but in addition to being the fastest, there will be an award for most dramatic sinking and most creative boat. Costumes are encouraged for this, so get creative!

After the races, there will be a doubleheader of concerts for SunsetLIVE! At 3 p.m. Rocket Parade will take the stage on the Terrace of the Performance Pavilion in Nottingham Park. Listen to sounds of rock and soul from this group based out of Nederland, near Boulder. At 5:30 p.m. Jen Mack will take the stage and bring on the sunset with her acoustic, soulful originals and cover tunes done her own way.

On Labor Day, the park will be filled with family activities like inflatable bouncy castles, jugglers, balloon artists and more. There will also be food vendors and drinks available at the Hahnewald Bar.

The musical lineup will feature Arlo McKinley, who is touring with his latest release, “The Mess We’re In” and Jeremy Pinnell, playing a little country with a honky tonk flair. Big Richard will headline with its all-female band who play cello, mandolin, bass and guitar and fiddle. This supergroup has performed with countless stars but when they come together they become a festival supergroup.

For more information, how to register for the SUP races and showtimes, visit Avon.org.

Vail Duck Race

Head to Gore Creek in Vail Village on Sunday for the Vail Duck Race. This fundraiser has been going on for 25 years and benefits the Rotary Clubs of the Vail Valley. You can still adopt a duck for a chance to win $5,000 and other prizes. The Rotary Club folks will have four tents with ducks for adoption on Sunday., Two tents will be at the Vail Farmer’s Market and Art Show, one tent at the International Bridge and one tent at the Covered Bridge near Russell’s. The Vail Duck Race will start at the Covered Bridge and end at the International Bridge.

Organizers expect to send between 8,000 and 10,000 ducks downstream. Local Boy Scout troops will help with unloading the ducks at the start and gathering them after the race in Gore Creek.

To enter the Vail Duck race, you simply adopt a duck or several ducks if you want to increase your chances of winning. The ducks have numbers on the bottom and those numbers correspond with who purchased them. If your duck is the first one across the finish line, you win $5,000. There are other prizes that have been donated from area businesses, so there is still a chance to win something even if your duck didn’t come in first.

For over 50 years the Rotary Clubs of Vail have been giving back and much of the money raised stays in Eagle County. During the pandemic, the Vail Rotary Club donated money to the local food pantry called the Community Market, the Vail Valley Salvation Army and SpeakUp ReachOut for suicide prevention. They also work to help Rotary International Youth Exchange send local high school juniors for a year overseas, help many other local nonprofits and help with other international needs.

The cost to purchase a duck is $10, or get three for $20, five for $30 and so on. Any number of ducks can be adopted. If you can’t make it to the Vail Market or the other booths to purchase your duck, you can do so online at VailDuckRace.com. They will be selling ducks until 2 p.m. and the Vail Duck Race starts at 3 p.m.

Minturn Market

The last Minturn Market of the summer is Saturday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The valley’s first market is celebrating 25 years and some of the vendors have been there the whole time, like Carol Colletti, better known as Grammy from Grammy’s Jam. Minturn’s quaint small town feel and the beauty that surrounds it provide a perfect backdrop for not only the produce vendors, but for the artisans and shopkeepers selling their wares.

Fashions, pet items, housewares, hats and more hats, jewelry, even wine samples from Wild Mountain Cellars can be found at the Minturn Market. There will also be live music and kids activities like the Climbing Wall brought in each week by Eagle Climbing + Fitness.

Come for the shopping but stay for lunch. Quench your thirst with Inner Light Juice, serving up everything from super-food smoothies to detoxifying lemonades. Grab a chicken and mushroom empanada from Flavor Stop and add a side of Elote Mexican corn from the roasted corn truck. Cap it off with something sweet from the ColoraDough Bakery truck.

Make a day of it and enjoy a hike just outside of town like Lionshead Rock or a bike ride on the Everkrisp Trail before or after the market. Stick around and do some more dining and shopping throughout Minturn as well. For more information and information about the vendors, go to Minturn.org. Don’t forget this is the last Minturn Market of the season, so pencil it into your holiday weekend plans.

Meet your friends and create new connections at the Agora in Minturn. The name comes from an old Greek term that is defined as a “community gathering place,” and Minturn businessman Larry Stone decided to make this outdoor space a hub for this quaint mountain town.

“In most old-world villages, there would be an agora which just meant a place where social activities, political conversations, sports dialogue, any topic that people would come together for, and we decided to create that here,” Stone said.

The Agora is located on what was a driveway to the adjacent property, which Stone and his wife Jane Rohr own, called Helen’s House, a beautifully restored home that is available for short term rentals right on Main Street in Minturn.

“Jane and I knew that having this space available for the community would be more beneficial to Minturn. The pandemic was a catalyst that gave us a reason to open it up as a community space because the restaurants needed a place for outdoor dining for their guests. So now we’ve set it up to continue that process,” Stone said.

“We’ve had senior citizens in here playing bingo, we’ve had live music and karaoke, the art guild meets here, we’ve had hat painting projects and all types of community projects here,” Stone said.

The public has taken advantage of this new space that opened last year but Stone and some Minturn locals and even a chef from California decided to take it one step further this year. Like many good ideas, it started over a couple of cocktails at Agora the night of June 12. Matt Deem, of Wild Mountain Cellars had been talking to Lauren Ridout of Slapped Woodfired Pizza about some collaborations. Ridout’s pizza company is out of San Diego, but she is at the Agora for the summer doing pizzas out of the new woodfired pizza oven.

“We were talking about doing some collaborations with my wines and her plant-based menu. Then some others at the table started talking about where you could get a good glass of wine and we looked at the barn and the end of the old driveway and thought, ‘we could put a tasting room right there,’ and Larry overheard the conversation and we all started talking about how to make it work,” Deem said.

In addition to the Agora being a place where you can bring in your food and drink from other restaurants, it could also be a place to get Wild Mountain Cellars’ wine. The location also has easy access to the Eagle River where there are some seating areas along the banks.  

“One of the nice things about Minturn is that we have an open container law and with Gov. Polis allowing people to order drinks to-go for the next four years, you can get your drink and have it open and come down, then enjoy spirits from whatever establishment you want,” Stone said.

The next day, Deem set things in motion getting the paperwork ready to turn that barn into a tasting room. Deem has been a winemaker for 17 years and currently makes his wine under the roof of Continental Divide Winery in Fairplay. Deem’s license allows him to sell other Colorado wineries’ wines, too.

“I make reds and I make a rose, I have five different varietals and five or six blends, so I’ll have around 12 of my own wines then and will pour certain bottles certain nights. I also want to get a hold of my winemaking buddies and get their white wines in here, too” Deem said.

Pair that wine with a slice of pizza from the specialty woodfired pizza oven Stone bought for the property.

“A stone oven is so amazing because you have the heat from the stone, the air, like a convection oven, and then the heat coming directly from the flame so it doesn’t take very long to make anything. The aromas are amazing, too. We use peach wood and cherry wood from the Western Slope and it gets everyone’s senses going,” Ridout said.

In addition to the woodfired pizza, Ridout’s menu is fresh and healthy. They also serve breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays.

“I strive for 100% non-GMO and organic every chance we get, and we have just been positively surprised at everyone’s reactions,” Ridout said.

 Everything on the menu is plant-based but Ridout doesn’t let that take center stage.

“Putting it in a category of vegan or plant-based beforehand can put a different connotation on the customer’s experience. I just want them to try the food, love the food and then talk to me about it. I’ll even say, ‘if you don’t like it, I’ll buy it’ and not one time have I had someone say that they don’t like it,” Ridout said.

Rounding out the team at Agora is Rob Kelly-Goss, a friend of Stone’s since they were 15 years old back in Little Rock, Arkansas. The pair came out to the Vail Valley in 1988 and stayed for the Alpine World Ski Championships in 1989 and Stone never left.

“Larry called me and asked if I wanted to help out at Agora and I didn’t blink an eye,” Kelly-Goss said.

Kelly-Goss is the artist in residence and in addition to the artwork he does for the marketing materials and the art projects at Agora he helps out where he can.

“I’m kinda the front of the house guy who rounds out the team,” he said.  

Kelly-Goss did all of the artwork on the sign when you enter the Agora that lets you know about all of the other restaurants in town, and there are QR codes allowing you to order your food and drinks and bring them into Agora if you want something different than the Slapped Woodfired Pizza or the Wild Mountain Cellars wine.

“I felt like the Agora really brought an opportunity for us to come together and be good stewards of our environment and our community,” said Stone, who has been a part of the Minturn business community since 1989. He and Rohr own the Scarab in downtown Minturn.

“There’s nothing like this in all of Eagle County,” Stone said.

Name of business: Vail Mountain Coffee & Tea – Roastery Cafe

Physical address: Meadow Mountain Business Park, 23698 US Hwy 24 Minturn, CO 81645        

Phone number: 970-827-4008

Email: sales@vailcoffee.com

Website: vailcoffee.com

What goods or services are you offering at this time?

We are offering all coffee and tea drinks to go along with our freshly baked sweet and savory treats. We are still offering all seven brewing options along with a full flight of espresso drinks. All of our coffees are available in our standard retail package and 5-pound bulk bags start at $39.95. For the tea drinker, we are offering a 20% discount on all loose-leaf teas.

How have you adjusted to serve your customers during these unprecedented times?

We are offering pick up of our bulk items in a drop box outside the front door and the opportunity to pre-order drinks for take-out. We have hand sanitizing stations at the front door and adjacent to the espresso bar. We are also following all social distancing protocols laid out by Eagle County Health.

We just started offering free delivery on all retail orders placed online at vailcoffee.com from Edwards to East Vail. We have 65 whole-leaf teas and 35 coffees to bring to your doorstep. Place your order each week for Thursday delivery.

How can the community support you?

The community has been amazing by purchasing 5-pound bags of freshly roasted coffee directly from us. We had a parent from Red Sandstone Elementary School order coffee to be shipped as gifts to all 29 teachers as a thank you for their extra efforts. Also, we offer free shipping on our website and many people have been placing orders to ship home to friends and family as a “stay-at-home gift”. This has helped us maintain our staff for the past six weeks.

What’s the best source to keep up to date with your offerings?

Our website, vailcoffee.com, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

What’s the response been? What comments have you heard from the public or from your employees? 

Our customers are very happy that we have stayed open. People, in general, are concerned about our local economy and what recovery will look like but on the whole, there is a fair amount of optimism. I believe that our employees are very happy that we have created a situation that we are still able to do business and they have been able to stay employed.

What are your plans going forward as the “new normal” evolves?

We will continue to build on our bulk sales for people to enjoy our coffee and tea brewed in their homes. When we move to dining in, we have a big area that we will be able to create a welcoming environment with great social distancing. Also, as our restaurant and lodging community reopens its doors, we will be ready to service all of their wholesale needs.

Editor’s note: This is part five of a seven-part series on the latest and greatest finds at the Outdoor Retailer and Snowsports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show held in Denver earlier this year. This trade show represents suppliers of consumer outdoor sports with constituents in the retailer, rep and resort communities.

After walking around the Denver Convention Center for hours after what feels like miles and miles of exhibitor booths, it was fun to see a familiar brand near the far corner of the exhibit hall. Weston Backcountry had their “tiny home” showroom as their backdrop with all of the boards for the 2019-20 season on display. Leading the tour of the new gear was Weston Backcountry founder and owner, Leo Tsuo.

Tsuo took me over to the splitboards and chatted up the features of this season’s Backwoods Carbon Splitboard. “We aren’t compromising much anymore going from a solid board to a split board. Especially when you use carbon,” Tsuo said. “Carbon boards and the ultra-light binding options are very close if not at the same weight as a regular board.”

For being as small as they are, Weston is really excited about the growth and overall feedback from the community and riders.

“We used to show up and people would be like, ‘who are you guys?’ and now they see us and want to try the boards,” Tsuo said.

From using materials that are eco-friendly to opting to not have a permanent storefront and instead traveling in their “tiny home” showroom, Weston has been making a big impact.

“We were on a dealer visit in Minnesota and one of their employees summed it up nicely by saying we’re ‘snowboarding’s best secret,’” Tsuo said.

The secret is out and Weston has been receiving awards and accolades from “Outside Magazine”, “Transworld Snowboarding” and “Backcountry Magazine” for their products.

What started out as a snowboard company in 2012, Weston has dipped into the backcountry ski market as well. Learn what people are saying about the new Great White and Black Belt skis in today’s video.  

What does Tsuo think of all this success?

“I can barely believe it, but we have such a solid crew. Everybody is so passionate about getting people involved in riding, giving back to the community, being sustainable, that it’s more than selling boards and skis. The market is seeing what we are doing and supporting all that we do.”

For more information, go to www.westonbackcountry.com or follow them on their Facebook page.

Vail Snow Days

Vail Snow Days is the official kickoff to winter with free live music, fun après-ski and after-dark parties, gear demos and more. Here’s a look at the weekend’s events and activities:

Friday

Festival Village (Mountain Plaza, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Ski demos from Liberty Skis, gear demos from Oakley, samplings from Nature Valley, Pepsi, Ripple Foods and Kicking Horse Coffee and partner integrations from Audi, Helly Hansen and GoPro

Block Party (International Bridge, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• This will be the place to gather swag and try products like Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and Babe Wine among other brands.

Snow Days Live (4 p.m.)

• Live music around town and on the mountain

Free Concert (Ford Park parking lot concert venue, 6 p.m.)

• 5:30 p.m. gates open, 6 p.m. music starts
• Opening band: The Rad Trads
• Headliner: Modest Mouse

Snow Days Live (10 p.m.)

• Live music around town

Saturday

Festival Village (Mountain Plaza, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Ski demos from Liberty Skis, gear demos from Oakley, samplings from Nature Valley, Pepsi, Ripple Foods and Kicking Horse Coffee and partner integrations from Audi, Helly Hansen and GoPro

Block Party (International Bridge, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• This will be the place to gather swag and try products like Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and try Babe Wine among other brands.

Snow Days Live (4 p.m.)

• Live music around town and on the mountain

Free Concert (Ford Park parking lot concert venue, 6 p.m.)

• 5:30 p.m. gates open, 6 p.m. music starts
• Opening band: Rob Drabkin
• Headliner: The Head and The Heart

Snow Days Live (10 p.m.)

• Live music around town

Sunday

Bluegrass and Bloodies (The Tavern at Arrabelle, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.)

• Music by the Runaway Grooms

Festival Village (Mountain Plaza, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.)

• Ski demos from Liberty Skis, gear demos from Oakley, samplings from Nature Valley, Pepsi, Ripple Foods and Kicking Horse Coffee and partner integrations from Helly Hansen and GoPro

Block Party (International Bridge, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• This will be the place to gather swag and try products like Jack Link’s Beef Jerky and try Babe Wine among other brands.

Snow Days Live (4 p.m.)

• Live music around town and on the mountain

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.vailsnowdays.com.

Vail Holidays

Vail Holidays will ring in the season with a two-week celebration including ice skating shows, kids activities, cookie decorating, a lantern walk, tree lighting ceremony and New Year’s Eve fireworks. Here’s a look at what’s happening this weekend:

Friday

Santa and the Babies (Vail Public Library, 11 a.m.)

• Little tots ages 3 years old and under are invited to join Santa in a calm and casual setting during the daytime (and hopefully not during their nap time). Toys and snacks will be offered to make waiting for your turn with friends and family a playful experience.

Saturday

Vail Holiday Sweater Run (Bart and Yeti’s, 8 a.m.)

• Here’s one more chance to wear that ugly holiday sweater during this 5K fun run.
• Entry is free with a donation of toys or food to benefit Toys for Tots and the Eagle Valley Community Foundation’s Community Market.
• The run starts and finishes at Bart and Yeti’s in Lionshead.
• Pre-registration is required at sports@vailrec.com.

Sunday

Vail Après Ski Ceremonial Bell Ringing (El Sabor, 2:45-5 p.m.)

• Join Vail dignitaries, guests and locals for the new bell-ringing tradition that kicks off après ski each day.
• Complimentary tacos and beverages

Vail Village Tree Lighting Ceremony (Slifer Square in Vail Village, 5 p.m.)

• Come hear holiday music from local entertainers like the Eagle Valley High School Jazz band, the Dickens Carolers. There will also be a visit from the town of Vail mayor and St. Nick.
• The Faessler family of the Sonnenalp Hotel Vail will be honored. The Sonnenalp Hotel Vail is celebrating its 40th anniversary in the valley.
• Free hot chocolate and cookies.

For a complete list of events, visit www.vailholidays.com.

15 Days of Minturn

The town of Minturn is recognizing its 115th anniversary by having a celebration that lasts for 15 days. Take part in the tail end of the event this weekend by enjoying an outdoor holiday market, a free concert, a community potluck dinner and more:

Friday

Revival Photographic is hosting a Tintype Portrait Party, 5:30 to 10 p.m.

• Bring your best 1900s-inspired gear like top hats, snap caps, feather caps, think Prohibition era.

Saturday

Winter Holiday Market (10 a.m. to 2 p.m.)

• Shop for unique and hand-crafted gifts, carolers, visits with Santa, food vendors, s’mores and more.

Historical walking tour (tours start at 10 a.m., last tour departs at 1 p.m.)

• Hosted by the Eagle County Historical Society
• Learn about this town that was incorporated on Nov. 15, 1904.

Self-care Saturdays

• Two opportunities to practice self-care on your mat: 9 a.m. Solar Flow Yoga and 11 a.m. Lunar Flow Yoga.
• All levels welcome at Anahata Yoga.

Free outdoor concert (3 to 5 p.m.)

• Featuring The Blue Canyon Boys playing bluegrass
• Beer from Crazy Mountain Brewery, wine from Monkshood Cellars, food by Baked and Loaded

Sunday

Send It Sundays (3 p.m. every Sunday at the Minturn Saloon)

• Presented by Crazy Mountain Brewery and sponsored by Weston Snowboards
• Raffle prizes each week including ski and snowboard giveaways each month

Community Potluck Dinner (5:30 to 7 p.m.)

• Guests should bring their favorite holiday appetizer, salad, side dish or dessert to the Minturn Town Hall.
• Entrée sponsored by Sunrise Minturn.

For a full list of events, visit www.minturn.org.

Holiday performances

The ‘Nutcracker’

The Vail Youth Ballet Co. will host the “Nutcracker” this weekend at the Vilar Performing Arts Center in Beaver Creek. The Vail Youth Ballet Co. will be joined by guest artists from the Vail Valley Academy of Dance and community members.

Listen to the music of Tchaikovsky while watching the Sugar Plum Fairy, the Mouse King and other characters dance across the stage. This holiday favorite is sure to be a crowd-pleaser for all ages.

The show is produced by Vail Friends of Dance and presented in part by the Vilar Center for the Performing Arts Community Fund.

Performances will be held Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 2 and 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets are $38 and can be purchased online at www.vilarpac.org, at the box office or via phone by calling 970-845-8497.

‘Shrek the Musical, Jr.!’

It may not be holiday-themed, but check out the Homestake Peak School students in “Shrek the Musical, Jr.!” this weekend. Students in grades three through eight have been working hard practicing their lines, songs and stage presence to get ready for this weekend’s shows.

Follow the cast as they make their way across sunflower fields and dragon keeps and see familiar characters like Donkey and Shrek himself. “Shrek the Musical, Jr.!” is full of fun, laughter and surprises along with songs, dance and even a little bit of romance.

Head to the Homestake Peak School in EagleVail at 6:30 p.m. for performances on Friday and Saturday night. Tickets are $8 and can be purchased online at www.showtix4u.com/events/16006 or at the door. For more information, visit www.hpsdrama.org. 

Free women’s ski demo day in Vail

Ladies, if it’s been a while since you’ve stepped into a new pair of skis, take advantage of the latest technology at the free women’s ski demo day in Vail on Saturday.

Lionshead will be the headquarters for new women’s specific equipment where you can try a variety of makes and models to see which pair of skis works best for you. Take them out for a lap off of the Born Free Express lift and then grab another pair. Need a bit longer to see what the ski has to offer? Go east over to Mid Vail or Northwoods and see how they zip around on that terrain. The best way to see if a ski feels right is to try before you buy.

Brands that are slated to be offered for test drives include Elan, Kastle, Head, Blizzard, Volkl, Black Crow and more. Outdoor Divas, a women’s specific sports shop in Lionshead, has teamed up with Vail Sports to offer hand-selected skis designed for women.

Take advantage of this free demo between 9 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. If you miss this demo day, don’t worry, there will be one each month for the next three months. For more information, visit www.outdoordivas.com.