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Colorado Snowsports Museum shares stories of the past

Expand your knowledge of winter sports through interactive displays

For the second year, Vail Legacy Days took place this Presidents Day weekend, which also marks the 75th Anniversary of the Battle of Riva Ridge, a pivotal battle for the Allied Forces during World War II. With everything from a torchlight ski-down on Vail Mountain and a parade down Bridge Street honoring the 10th Mountain Division to a Blackhawk helicopter landing on Eagle’s Nest Ridge and the Colorado National Guard demonstrating some of their winter survivorship skills, it’s a good time to look back and honor Vail’s heritage.

A focal point of Vail’s history and the 10th Mountain Division is the Colorado Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame, which has been in Vail since 1976.

There are six main exhibits in the recently remodeled Colorado Snowsports Museum. These range from a section on the 10th Mountain Division, the famed winter warfare unit that trained just south of Vail at Camp Hale and contains artifacts from the training site and World War II memorabilia, to an interactive table display, an idea that came from the Smithsonian Institute, that shows the history of ski resorts throughout Colorado.



The Colorado Snowsports Museum is only around 3,000 square feet in size, so when rethinking how to showcase a vast amount of information, state-of-the-art technology was used, including an interactive wall display that covers all the Winter Olympic Games from 11 different decades from the 1920s to the 2000s.

In addition to the Colorado Snowsports Museum housing artifacts, it also aims to continue to teach and share stories with the public through various speakers, rotating exhibits and films.

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The “Through the Lens” speaker series allows those curious about a variety of topics a front-row seat to learn more about many facets of winter sports and culture. This week’s speaker is Chris Anthony, a long time local and professional skier and filmmaker who has contributed to the “Climb to Glory” documentary about the 10th Mountain Division.

Anthony is currently working on a new documentary called “Mount Mangart,” which follows the men of the 10th Mountain Division after the battles on Mount Belvedere and Riva Ridge in Italy during World War II. Chris is also a member of the museum’s Hall of Fame and leads the Chris Anthony Youth Initiative Project, which introduces youth to educational enrichment opportunities.

The Colorado Snowsports Museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and admission is free, although a $5 donation is suggested. The “Through the Lens” series is $15 for members and $20 for non-members. Chris Anthony will be speaking and giving attendees a sneak peek of “Mount Mangart” during the event that takes place from 5:30-7:00 p.m. on Wednesday. Call for more information: 970.476-1876 or visit the website: http://www.snowsportsmuseum.org.


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