Breckenridge Ski Resort Turns 50!

Colorado’s popular ski resort is looking pretty spry for a 50-year-old. The official birthday date is Friday, December 16, 2011, but the celebration will last all year long. Over the last 50 years, Breck has become one of the world’s most popular ski destinations for people from all over the globe. The combination of our charming Victorian town, welcoming atmosphere and great runs has proved irresistible.

As part of the celebration, Breck has a new updated logo, as well as a brand new commemorative 50th Anniversary logo. “We felt that it was time to update and modernize our look to coincide with this historic season,” said Kieran Cain, Breckenridge’s Director of Marketing. The town has also instituted a “50 Wishes” campaign in which guests can submit any wish they’d like to see fulfilled at the resort. Breck staff will compile 50 of these wishes and make them come true during the year. More details are available at www.facebook.com/Breckenridge

Some notable events and numbers from Breck’s 50 year history include

• Measuring approximately 17,500 inches of snow (1,416 feet) since the resort opened in 1961
• Hosting approximately 39 million skiers and snowboarders since 1961
• Installing the first high speed quad chairlift in North America in 1981
• Being the first ski resort to allow snowboarding in Colorado in 1984
• Operating the first and only double loading chairlift in the USA in 1996
• Receiving a record snowfall of 519 inches in the 2010-2011 season.

The idea of locating a ski resort in Breckenridge began during the late 1950s, when Bill Rounds of the Porter and Rounds Lumber Company became interested in bringing skiing to the valley. The Peak 8 Ski Area (as it was first known) opened on December 16, 1961 with one Heron double chair and a midway unloading station in addition to one short learner’s T-bar. Compare that with today’s current stats:

Total Ski/Ride Terrain: 2358 acres / 954 hectares
Groomed Daily: 600 acres / 241 hectares (29% of total terrain)
Bowls: 772 acres / 312 hectares
Terrain Parks: 25 acres / 10 hectares
Snowmaking: 565 acres / 228 hectares
Number of Trails: 155
Longest Trail: Four O’Clock – 3.5 miles / 5.6 kilometers

If you’d like to spend more time on the mountain and less on I-70, now is a great time to look for properties in Breckenridge, Silverthorne, Dillon and Frisco. Feel free to contact me (email) the next time you come into town.

I wish you all a fantastic season in the snow.

Kelli