Vail Resorts : Breckenridge

Breckenridge is more town-style than village-style, but still has the feel of any great ski/ snowboard village. Between the town and the mountains are the condos- endless numbers of condos and houses- all in VERY good taste and they give the place a unique feel. We stayed at Wedgewood, which has a nice covered, outdoor hot tub, a huge main room in the lobby with comfy furniture and a fireplace, and the rooms were nice. In Breckenridge it is not uncommon to see ski lifts running through the middle of the neighborhoods. For those who don't have the pleasure of walking outside their condo or home to catch a ski lift, there are busses that run from town (free parking) to the different peaks.

Breckenridge had some of the best snow in Colorado. We got a fresh foot the first night we stayed there and it lasted well throughout the week. Towards the end of the week there were still patches of untracked powder (you had to know where to look though :-). If the town has an energetic feeling, the mountain has twice as much. With the Chevy Grand Prix going on, there was a lot to see and do. We did not explore as much of the resort as we would have liked to because of all the Grand Prix activity. However, it is no bad thing that we were contented to ride in the same spots while we were there. I had so much fun where we did ride, that I don't know if I would want to explore anywhere else- maybe if I stayed there for a month I would venture out to see the rest of what I was missing. The size of the resort is a benefit- not only adventure and option, but also it spreads out the crowds. Even over the weekend there were people and crowds, but it did not feel congested.

 The Grand Prix was an incredible series of events to witness. The half pipe was massive, and the big air jump was huge. Another thing that makes Breck the place it is: the potential to run into lots of local and non-local pros. By the end of the trip, we had met a LOT of people (all, of course because of the Grand Prix, but even when competitions aren?t going on there is a lot of professional activity)- Bjorn Lines, Kier Dillon, Shawn White, Todd Richards, Barret Christy, Cara-Beth Burnside, and Tommy Czeschin. Running into them was not just at the site of the Grand Prix. Chris almost ran over Todd Richards in the parking lot. I met Barrett in the parking lot and talked to her for about ten minutes- she rocks. We ran into Shawn White at the Red Orchid. And Tommy Czeschin was just standing outside the Beaver Run Hotel. Pretty amazing to be around the guys (girls too!) that are so revered and are such incredible athletes!!! They were all really down to earth too.
 Whetheror not you go to Breckenridge during something as exciting as the Grand Prix, or if you just go for a quiet family vacation, you will not be disappointed with all it has to offer.

Explaining Breckenridge to someone who has never been there is almost impossible. It is among the biggest resorts in the US, has a great town at the base, and super friendly residents. I've ridden at some amazing resorts over the years, and Breck sits right up at the top of the list. We received about a foot of snow overnight, which was cool for us, but sucked for the pipe crew working on the Grand Prix. One of the most amazing events of the week was making a run by the terrain park early on in the morning and noticing a patroller headed towards the closed sign, after raking all of the launches. I ended up making first tracks down the park; it was a ride I will never forget. It was like being in the backcountry except someone had dropped perfectly shaped tabletops and rails in the middle of it. Huge thirty foot airs off massive table launches, and landing in a foot of untracked snow. Looking up at my tracks, long drawn-out S-carves interspersed with 30-40 foot gaps where my tracks disappeared. The park stayed good all day and by the end of the afternoon there was a good sized crowd, but the park is so big that it can handle the traffic.

We spent a lot of time at the Grand Prix events, which are a story in and of themselves. Hanging out with Todd Richards at the 411 Snow video premier was definitely a highlight. Throughout the week, the time we spent riding at Breck was amazing and there was never a dull moment.