EpicMix Racing at Beaver Creek puts your time against Lindsey Vonn’s

BEAVER CREEK — There’s the heart of a champion in us all, and EpicMix Racing at Beaver Creek allows skiers and snowboarders to speed down the course and put their times against Olympian Lindsey Vonn, as well as friends and family.

For skiers and boarders cruising the mountain, the racecourse provides a change of pace and a fun way to earn bragging rights with friends.

“Guests have been racing the EpicMix course here at Beaver Creek for four years now,” said Joe Santalla, EpicMix supervisor. “We find people love to challenge themselves on the EpicMix Race course. EpicMix Racing welcomes beginners, intermediates and experts. The course is challenging enough for experts, yet not so intimidating for an entry-level racing experience — all World Cup champions started somewhere!”

It’s official, so there’s no excuses. A start gate triggers your time, and sensors at the finish gate end it, as announcers at the top count you down and the speakers at the bottom project your name, time and how close the racer is to a medal.

“[The key is] keeping your speed on the flats up top and then carrying it through to transition,” said Ryan Erts, of New York, sounding like a real pro, “and just building speed down to the bottom — and not hitting those gates on your boot.”

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Erts, who normally skis in Vermont, finished with a time just over 32 seconds, about two seconds behind Vonn’s time.

“Not bad for a pair of twin tips that haven’t been waxed in over a month,” he said.

The course is located off the Centennial Express Lift and allows for head-to-head races, and times are automatically compared to Vonn with gold, silver and bronze medals awarded based on times.

Jeremy Gillman-Wells and Joanna Priest, of Canberra, Australia, are enjoying their first ski trip to Colorado with their children, Reuben, 8, and Lilla, 6.

The family had already hit the Breckenridge and Keystone EpicMix Racing courses before coming to Beaver Creek on Wednesday, Feb. 15. They’re collecting the different EpicMix medals as they go.

“I got a silver,” Reuben said.

So did Lilla. Mom, on the other hand, had some trouble with the last few gates as the rest of the family waited in the finish area.

“I missed it because I was filming the finish!” Jeremy said of the wipeout.

EpicMix Finals

EpicMix Racing costs $7 per run, or $50 for 10 runs, but don’t put a price on bragging rights amongst friends. Also, the EpicMix Finals continue this season, in which all skiers and riders will be ranked on their best 10 races of the season, and the top racers from across nine resorts will be invited to a grand finale event at the end of the season. Vonn normally attends that event, and sometimes races the course.

Race times, digital medals, overall leaderboards and leaderboards with just family and friends is available on the EpicMix website and app, which also tracks days on mountain, vertical feet as well as provides maps and other useful information.

“It’s something different,” Joanna said. “The guys at the top are great. They were really friendly and nice.”

EpicMix Racing is open from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily, depending on conditions. For more information, call 970-754-6229 or visit http://www.beavercreek.com.

“Last season, we opened the EpicMix Racing 2 course, which allows us to keep a course open even when there are groups or special development teams using the main course,” Santalla said.

Reporter Ross Leonhart can be reached at 970-748-2915 and rleonhart@vaildaily.com. Follow him on Instagram at colorado_livin_on_the_hill.