TeamAVSC Blog

Between the natural snowfall and the snowguns on the Stapleton Training Center, the training venue is in fantastic shape! We are preparing to open freeskiing lanes for all athletes, training lanes for alpine, a jump and airbag for freestyle and snowboard, and are exploring options for our nordic skiers. 

We're on track for our earliest opening yet; if conditions continue the way they have been we are hoping to open in the next week. The Stapleton training center has been an invaluable resource for our local Quick read more or view full article athletes and invited guests for 5 years, we're excited to kick off another season soon! 

Big thanks go out to Aspen Skiing Company for their continued support of AVSC athletes and training venues as well as to Cody Oates, AVSC Venue Manager, and Erin McDuffey, AVSC Snowcat Operator, for all of their hard work in getting things up and running. 

We'll keep you updated as things unfold, but for now: think snow! Read Less

Conditions are better some days than others - it's not always bluebird skies or blower powder. It's a good thing the AVSC Big Mountain team knows how to make the most of every day on skis in their favorite training ground, Highland Bowl. 

This crew skis with equal parts focus and soul. They ski for the love of the sport and the freedom it provides, but are avid competitors and students of the game. 

Watch the video for a glimpse of life as an AVSC Big Mountain Quick read more or view full article skier!

More from Clubhouse Characters: 
Episode 1: Hailey Swirbul 
Episode 2: Mariel Gorsuch
Episode 3: Spring Gulch Skiers 
Episode 4: Tabatha Galicia Read Less

Congratulations to Gretchen Bleiler and Jeff Gorsuch who are being inducted into the Colorado Snowsports Hall of Fame on Saturday!

Gretchen is an AVSC and US Snowboard Team alumna who went on to accomplish great things in snowboarding and beyond between her many, many top-level (Olympics, X Games, World Superpipe Championships, Vans Triple Crown) medals and her entrepreneurial and advocacy efforts.

Jeff, also a US Ski Team Alum, is an AVSC supporter (and parent to alums Brooks, Elli, and Mariel!) who has been instrumental in Quick read more or view full article carrying out our mission of giving every child in the Roaring Fork Valley the opportunity to excel as a person and athlete through winter sports. Jeff and his team at @gorsuch give hundreds of sets of equipment to kids in AVSC’s Aspen Supports Kids program and in turn, give them the opportunity to enjoy and explore the mountains!!

Congratulations Gretchen + Jeff! We are so proud to have you as part of the fabric of our community. Thanks for all that you do for the snowsports word in Colorado and beyond!  Read Less

AVSC NORDIC ANGELS BENEFIT

When: Sunday, Oct. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m.
Where: Mountain Chalet Aspen
Cost: Free
Why: Come support AVSC Nordic senior athletes in their rise to the top! Enjoy community, food and drinks, and bid in the silent auction for valuable items and U.S. Ski Team gear. AVSC alumna and U.S. Ski Team member Hailey Swirbul and AVSC Elite Team member Scott Lacy will be present to share their stories, celebrate the start of the season and thank the community for their support.
 

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Clubhouse Chronicles: Coming Home to go Beyond 
This article was originally published by Scott Lacy in the Aspen Times. 

Nordic skiing has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. Maybe it was riding in the snuggy on my dad’s chest as he skied the Aspen trails nearly 30 years ago, or maybe it was the hot chocolate driven, after-school programming in elementary school. Somewhere along the line, I got hooked.

Then I entered my first Nordic race Quick read more or view full article with Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club (AVSC) at 11 years old. The actual race is blurred with time, but I will never forget the scene: Steamboat Springs, 2-kilometer course, lining up with strangers from around the state, half tripping over my skis and poles, and winning. Maybe this win was also fueled by a fresh sugar rush from the ever-present hot chocolate in my early ski career. Nonetheless, it became the first race of many.

Racing with AVSC that first season led me to winning top Colorado Cup points, best in my age class within the Rocky Mountain Division, a feat I repeated the next six seasons. By eighth grade, I was skiing up in age class to attend Junior National Championships early. Sophomore year, I skied to my first top-five finish at Junior Nationals. Junior year brought my first qualification to race for the United States in Europe on the U18 international trip.

I attended this trip again during senior year, when I raced to a top 20 in the world for my age class. While racing for Dartmouth College, I earned NCAA All-American results, co-captained the ski team, developed a love for marathon ski racing and learned how to wax beyond Extra Blue kick.

Through it all, including the last five years coaching Nordic for the Jackson Hole Ski Club in Wyoming, I learned technique, training plans, ski waxing and all the necessary parts to high-level skiing. I am proud to have earned some great results and learned some valuable skills. But those are not the things that have kept me Nordic skiing. It is the pure love of the sport and community AVSC fostered throughout my entire junior ski career. Training is training, but training around Aspen on your favorite trails, with your best friends, with a coach who teaches you about the rocks, clouds, life and skiing, fuels a passion for being the best human I can possibly be. That is what AVSC Nordic is.

Now, 10 years after leaving AVSC, I’m returning to the place and people where it all started, with the goal of being top 10 in the nation’s overall rankings by the end of this season. I will be representing my home town racing on the national circuit and hope to represent our country in North America’s World Cup races this spring. I have big goals and a lot of hard work to do, but home is the place I know will push me farther than I have ever gone, to train harder, to focus more, to rest, to give back, to challenge myself, and to ski race!
 

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AVSC NORDIC ANGELS BENEFIT

When: Sunday, Oct. 20 from 4 to 6 p.m.

Where: Mountain Chalet Aspen

Cost: Free

Why: Come support AVSC Nordic senior athletes in their rise to the top! Enjoy community, food and drinks, and bid in the silent auction for valuable items and U.S. Ski Team gear. AVSC alumna and U.S. Ski Team member Hailey Swirbul and AVSC Elite Team member Scott Lacy will be present to share their stories, celebrate the start of the season and thank the community for their support.

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Tabby Takes Flight in Snowmass.

In this episode of Clubhouse Characters, join 13-year-old Tabatha and her coach Kris for a day on her favorite training ground: Snowmass! Whether slashing powder or getting "dangerous" air, her gratitude, passion, and excitement is contagious. 

Growing up in the Roaring Fork Valley and being able to train on world-class venues, rub elbows with women at the top of her sport, and watch events like X Games from the sidelines have sparked some big goals for this young athlete. 

Learn what Quick read more or view full article snowboarding is all about to Tabatha - why she does it, how she feels with the snow underneath her, and who influences her to aim higher! 

More from Clubhouse Characters: 
Episode 1: AVSC Nordic alumna and US Ski Team member Hailey Swirbul
Episode 2: AVSC Alpine alumna Mariel Gorsuch 
Episode 3: AVSC Spring Gulch Skiers Read Less

What you will find at the AVSC Ski Swap on Saturday! 

This was originally published in our Aspen Times column, Clubhouse Chronicles.

The high peaks have seen their first snow, the leaves have turned yellow and the calendar has flipped to October. Ready or not, winter is coming! At Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club, we’ve been preparing for winter for a while now between dryland training, professional development and training trips.

In celebration and preparation of winter, we’re Quick read more or view full article excited to host our annual Ski Swap on Market Street this Saturday, Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Willits.

Not sure what to expect? Here are five things you’ll find at the Ski Swap:

1) VENDORS FROM ALL OVER THE VALLEY
We have an incredible lineup of local vendors including Aspen Bikes, Basalt Bike & Ski, Casual Culture, Corbeaux Clothing, CP Sports NA, Foot Foundation, Hamilton Sports, Incline Ski & Board Shops, Ro + Fern, Performance Ski, Sidewinder Sports, Ski Butlers, Snowmass Sports, Strafe, and Summit Canyon Mountaineering. There will be great deals on winter goods for kids and adults, and for the first time we’ll have bike gear, too!

2) INDIVIDUALS SELLING AWESOME GEAR
In addition to the commercial vendors, many individuals and families will be selling their new or lightly-used gear! This is not your average ski swap — not only will you have the opportunity to meet professional athletes, but you could end up with an amazing top-of-the-line setup that they’re offloading! Whether you’re looking for resort or backcountry gear, accessories or soft goods, our individual vendors have a lot to offer.

3) FRIENDS OLD AND NEW!
In a lot of ways, the ski swap feels like homecoming. Friends who travel for the offseason have returned with the winter weather moving in and our minds are on the lifts starting to spin. AVSC athletes, alumni, coaches, parents and more will be gathering on Market Street celebrating the start of winter together. Thankfully, the location makes it easy to grab lunch or a drink to catch up — once you’ve had a chance to shop, check out one of the local businesses for some food and drinks!

4) ASK REGISTRATION
Have a little one in your life that wants to learn how to ski or snowboard or has already learned and wants to continue developing their skills in a recreational group setting? Meredith Elwell, director of AVSC’s Aspen Supports Kids program, will have a table set up and be available to answer questions and get kids signed up for Aspen Supports Kids. ASK serves 1,600 athletes in ski and snowboard programs and runs out of Buttermilk, Highlands and Snowmass.

5) FUN!
Aside from the shopping, there’s a lot of fun to be had! There will be a DJ, a bounce house and a bouncy jousting and boxing arena, giveaways every 30 minutes (including gear, gift cards and hotel stays), KSPN will be on air, and Lift-Up will be collecting dry and canned food donations.
Every purchase made at the ski swap benefits AVSC’s scholarship program. Last year, the club gave over $1.8 million in scholarships and subsidies to our 2,300 athletes. Your support makes it possible for us to do everything in our power to make mountain sports accessible to all youth in the Roaring Fork Valley. So whether you’re selling gear, buying gear, or just swinging by to say hello, we hope to see you on Saturday and thank you for your support as we head into winter!
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