Big Air Fridays at Snowmass! Get Your Fill of Ski and Snowboard Tricks.

Big Air Fridays are here again! Head to Snowmass Mountain to Fanny Hill to watch the best snowboarders and skiers in Colorado take on some huge air off a 40-foot jump. That’s right it gets crazy watching how big these skiers and riders are willing to go.

Every Friday these contestants show up with their best tricks to impress the judges. Judges end up choosing four skiers and four boarders to continue to the finals where they get one jump to win a cash prize purse. This year watch the competition from Sneaky’s Tavern with free hot chocolate and great crowd giveaways.

If you think you have the skills and can get the air needed for this event, sign-up is every Friday from 12-1:45 pm on Fanny Hill next to the jump and it is $20. Practice goes from 1:00-1:45 and competition is from 2-3pm. See the Big Air Schedule.

Big Air Fridays is in it’s 7th year of bringing great entertainment and big air challenges to Aspen and Snowmass. If you are coming to Aspen don’t miss a chance to have a luxury vacation for cheap. The Inn at Aspen based at Buttermilk Mountain with ski-in ski-out access has rates as low as $159 a night!

The Snowmass Freeride Championships are just days away! Feb.26-28, 2010

Get ready to see some of the craziest, biggest, most dangerous runs you could possibly ever see during the Snowmass Freeride Championships sponsored by Helly Hansen. Some of the best riders and skiers come out for this adrenaline pumping event for a cash purse of $6,800 divided between men and women’s skiing and snowboarding top winners. But for some, the dangers out-weight the cash.

The cliff-riddled runs in Snowmass’s High Alpine and Big Burn areas are the stage for this event as these crazy men and women ski, jump and sometimes fall their way down the course.

Check out this video:

Schedule: Both Friday Feb. 26 and Saturday Feb.27 have start times of 10a.m.

Friday’s course is on the Hanging Valley Headwall, and Saturday’s runs will be on Burn Side Cliffs. Sunday is an optional day if there are weather delays during Fri. and Sat.

Stay at the Inn at Aspen during the Freeride Champs and have ski-in ski-out access to Buttermilk after you are inspired to get some air!

Debra wins $1/day Aspen Vacation!

For Debra O. of Broken Arrow, Okla., persistence paid off in a big way. After four weeks of die-hard devotion to winning ResortQuest's online Vacation Treasure Hunt, on Tuesday, Feb. 16, she won a five-night stay for $1 a day in Royal King Suite at The Inn at Aspen in Aspen, Colo. a prize valued at $2,200.

"My family and I are very excited about traveling to Aspen, especially my son," said Debra. "I've been participating in the contest every Tuesday since the first week back in January, so my son knew his time on the computer was limited on those days. He prayed to God that I would finally win, so he could get his computer playtime back."

Although Debra says she has never won a contest, after playing this game for five weeks and becoming familiar with ResortQuest‚s Web sites and properties, she says it took her just 30 minutes to locate the hidden treasure map icon and call to claim her prize.

"Initially my husband and I planned on using this vacation as a romantic getaway, but since we can‚t find a babysitter for the five days, this trip will be a nice family getaway."

Check-out the Royal King Suite at the Inn at Aspen Hotel

Tuesday's contest was the fifth of 11 weekly promotions, each featuring a different ResortQuest vacation rental property ˜ a condo, vacation home or hotel suite ˜ at a ski destination in Aspen, Breckenridge/Keystone or Steamboat, Colo.; Park City, Utah, or Sun Valley, Idaho.

ResortQuest Vacation Treasure Hunt  is held every week until March 30. The next contest -- featuring a five-night stay March 27- April 1 -- starts Tuesday, Feb. 23, at 8 p.m. EST.

"We expect the change in contest time from noon to 8 p.m. to enable many more people to participate in the Treasure Hunt,‰ said Cheryl Spezia, vice president of marketing for ResortQuest. „Now those who were unable to participate during working hours will have a chance to win.‰

The Inn at Aspen is the only ski-in/ski-out hotel located at the base of the Buttermilk Ski Resort ˜ home to the ESPN X Games and the Aspen Ski Company's ski school. The Royal King Suite features an antique king-size sleigh bed and a granite-tiled master bath with  whirlpool tub. Additional amenities at The Inn include an Olympic-size heated outdoor pool, outdoor hot tub, fitness center and the Elkhorn Bar & Grill Restaurant.

To participate, treasure hunters navigate through ResortQuest‚s ski-destination websites to locate a hidden treasure map icon. The treasure map reveals the toll-free number and promotion code needed to call and claim the prize. The Web site offers clues to help treasure hunters find the location of the map. New clues are continually added until someone finds the map and calls to claim the treasure.

To learn more about contest rules and how to participate in ResortQuest's Vacation Treasure Hunt, visit www.VacationTreasureHunt .

SPECIAL NOTE:  Beginning Feb. 23 through March 9, ResortQuest‚s Vacation Treasure Hunt will start at 8 p.m. EST, a change from noon EST, that will allow more individuals the opportunity to participate in the contest.

The 2010 Aspen Snowmass Ski and Snowboard Open Starts Tomorrow.

If you didn’t get enough big air, speed and tricks from watching the Winter X Games and you can’t wait for the Olympics to start on Friday, then get to Buttermilk for the Aspen Snowmass Ski and Snowboard Open presented by Audi.

These guys and gals will be throwing down some big tricks on the world famous X Games courses on Buttermilk for a chance to win a $50,000 pot for the top winners in the Slopestyle and Superpipe. Expect to see over 350 athletes ready to play in the 22-foot superpipe course and slopestyle courses.

Mini Schedule: For full schedule check out our Event Calendar.

Friday: Feb. 12th
Ski Superpipe (men and women) – Finals
Snowboard Slopestyle (men and women) – Finals

Saturday: Feb.13th
Ski Slopestyle (men) – Qualifying
Snowboard Superpipe (men) – Qualifying

Sunday: Feb. 14th
Ski Slopestyle (men and women) – Finals
Snowboard Superpipe (men and women) – Finals

Prize $$$ money is divided as follows to the top 5 men's events: 1st $5,000, 2nd $2500, 3rd $1500, 4th $700, and 5th $250; and the top 3 Women's events: 1st $1500, 2nd: $750 and 3rd $300.

The Inn at Aspen is conviently located at the base of Buttermilk Mountain so if you are headed to Aspen for the Open, the Inn has some serious discounts on lodging! Don't miss a good deal and the perfect location!

2010 Aspen Olympian Send-off Party a Success!

Seven U.S. Olympic Athletes are directly associated with Aspen, CO and the town threw a huge send off party to get these athletes to the Olympics in style. Hometown pride filled the air as hundreds gathered in the Gondola Square with the goal of "inspiring and celebrating athletic achievement," according to the Aspen Times.

Gretchen Bleiler, Casey Puckett, Alice McKennis and Chris Klug were there in person for the event, while parents of Simi Hamilton, Jake Zamansky and Jeremy Abbott represented them. All of the athletes either reside in the valley, or in Abbott’s case, grew up here.

Aspen Skiing Co. CEO Mike Caplan presented the athletes with a Silver Aspen belt buckle with an aspen leaf made by Ross Andrews Jewelry Design. This is a classic piece of Aspen, and it is said that if you are anyone in Aspen you will have one of these belt buckles. Photo courtesy of Aspen Times, Heather Rousseau

So off the Olympians go, knowing they have the support of the town of Aspen and the rest of the country to support them.

Get to know the Olympic side of Aspen and get cheap lodging deals when you stay at the Inn at Aspen based at the bottom of Buttermilk Mountain, home of the ESPN X Games and training grounds of Aspen's Olympians!