YOUR AD HERE »

Letter: The power behind the Power of Four

This past weekend’s Power of Four Ski Mountaineering Race and Uphilling Festival was a huge success with fresh snow and record-breaking attendance numbers. A race of this size, 27 miles and more than 12,000 vertical feet of climbing, plus a festival could not have be accomplished without major help from local partners and businesses, volunteers and skiers. Specifically, Daragh Kneeshaw, Aspen Snowmass’ marketing and event coordinator, and his dedicated team managed the registration, timing, start and finish-line coordination, and award ceremony at the Limelight Hotel; Dirk Bockelmann, chief operating officer of Aspen Expeditions based at Aspen Highlands, plus his team, managed backcountry protocol and course marshaling for racers as they made their journey from Snowmass to Buttermilk while traversing across Burnt Mountain’s infamous terrain traps; Max Taam, Aspen Mountain ski patroller, local ski-mountaineering racer and winner of the Power of Four, spent countless hours setting the great course from Midnight Mine Road to the top of Aspen Mountain and its entire downhill to Gondola Plaza; Randy Young, owner of Cripple Creek Backcountry, took several days off to set a unique skin track up Aspen Highlands; Jamie Starr of Dynafit USA, Sam Killgore of SCARPA North America, Everett Russell of LaSportiva and the mayor of Aspen, Steve Skandron, organized the uphill manufacturer demo. Lastly, to the ski patrols at Snowmass, Buttermilk, Aspen Highlands and Aspen Mountain, which offered their support and assistance during this race to all who participated and volunteered, we truly could not have pulled off this event without you.

Thanks, and see you next year!

Joe Risi



Director, Cosmic Colorado Ski Mountaineering Series