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Legends & Legacies: Magnifico Moment

from the Aspen Historical Society
One b/w photograph of Devereaux Jennings, Mike Magnifico, Gene Gillis, Steve Knowlton, and Barney McLean tuning skis in the Magnifico Sport Shop, 1947-.

“Mike Magnifico is one of the fathers of skiing in Aspen, and his store has always been the focal point for much of Aspen’s outdoor activity,” asserted The Aspen Times on Nov. 22, 1951. “Mike has invented a ski wax particularly suited to Aspen snow conditions, and the secrets of which are known only to himself, and I suspect Zeno Colo, the Italian world’s champion who spent a good deal of his time behind locked doors in Mike’s basement concocting the witch’s brew that gave him uniformly faster skis than any other racer. Mike carries a complete line of ski equipment from Duo-fold red ‘long handles’ to Marjorie Benedikter sweaters and pants. His ski line is perhaps the most complete in town, encompassing such famous names as Attenhofer, Spalding, Groswold, and the new Holley ski which has a glass plastic bottom and edges which have no screws on the running surface. To head the selection of ski boots he has the Zeno Colo model made by Nordica of Italy. It would be well to add that Mike has a complete rental department of boots, skis and poles.” The image below shows Devereaux Jennings, Mike Magnifico, Gene Gillis, Steve Knowlton, and Barney McLean tuning skis in the Magnifico Sport Shop, circa 1947.

This photo and more can be found in the Aspen Historical Society archives at aspenhistory.org.

Aspen Times Weekly

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sway opened its Aspen doors at the beginning of February with nine cocktails on the menu including some options not offered in Austin, such as a Thai coffee martini, fitting in with this mountain town’s espresso martini infatuation.



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