Ski season officially begins in Colorado with first chair at Arapahoe Basin

Arapahoe Basin — Two minutes after the first sunbeams cleared the 13,000-foot ridge that forms the spectacular eastern boundary of the Arapahoe Basin ski area Friday, snowboarder Nate Dogggg and three buddies from Breckenridge laid claim to the first chairlift of the Colorado ski season.

Dogggg, who doesn’t give his real name to the annual flock of media covering Colorado opening days and puts his age at “under the 40 mark,” got to the mountain Wednesday night with his crew. They spent two nights in sleeping bags for the privilege of being the first snowriders in Colorado — the 22^nd year in a row for Dogggg.

He wouldn’t be here long, though. His opening-day plan was one run and done.

“It gets pretty dangerous up there,” he said moments before the chair ride that opened Arapahoe Basin’s 71^st year of operation. “First chair is nice, there’s nobody in front of you, you don’t have to look out for a lot of people. But look at that line behind me.”

Indeed, a line of hundreds filled the base area and snaked up onto the High Noon trail.

Justin Smith of Breckenridge shared the first chair with Dogggg, Mark Nenninger and “Trailer Tom” Miller. Apparently spending two nights in a sleeping bag was worth it.

“Just to keep the legacy going for Nate Dogggg and Trailer Tom,” Smith said. “Gotta help represent. I’m lucky enough to be friends with them, to be on the first chair with them.”

Smith, 40, said his goal is to get in 30 days this season.

“It’s a great sport,” Smith said.” It’s fun, it’s good exercise, but more important: Go fast, take chances.”

The first man down the mountain was John Gengel of Arvada. He arrived Thursday night and slept in his Volkswagen van, which earned him third chair.

“Because A-Basin is amazing,” Gengel, 41, said. “And I love skiing.”

Gengel said conditions were fine.

“The ‘white ribbon of death,’ as they call it, but it’s fantastic,” Gengel said. “It’s a little icy, a little choppy right now, but the sun is just popping up so it’s going to get great. This line is a little crazy.”

It was more than skiing that brought Gengel here, it was the special ambiance of Arapahoe Basin.

“I love that it’s like a locals’ mountain,” Gengel said. “Most people here know what they’re doing, skiing or boarding. There’s a community here, unlike most mountains nowadays. Love it here.”

Jennifer Natbony of Vail was the first woman to finish a run. She was ahead of Gengel until he took a more aggressive line at the bottom.

“I would have been the first one down, but I saw the ‘slow’ sign and I didn’t want to get my pass pulled for coming in so hot,” said Natbony, 33. “I slowed down, and that’s when he passed me.”

Natbony found the snow to be “perfect for opening day,” but conceded she’s not a “snow snob.” She just loves skiing, whatever the conditions.

“I’m going to come back and do it all over again, every day this season,” Natbony said. “I ski A-Basin every day until Keystone opens, then Keystone every day until Vail opens, then Vail every day. I’m obsessed with skiing. I come from Atlanta. We don’t have skiing there, that’s why I moved here. I try to get 100 days a year and I haven’t failed yet — for the pure love of the sport.”

[Read More …]