Political propaganda overshadows Aspen history

The weekend before last, I was enticed to buy a $46 ticket to attend what was promoted as “a night of storytelling and more as we celebrate 75 years of ski town passion” at the Wheeler. During this post-pandemic season when we’re all digesting so many changes and Aspen itself seems a bit off balance, a celebration of the 75th anniversary of skiing here seemed like the perfect way to recapture the magic.

A video of Klaus Obermeyer yodeling opened the show, and we settled in for an entertaining night of history, nostalgia and memories, or so we thought. In short order it became clear this was not to be. With all the incredible stories and documented history from the Aspen Historical Society and Aspen Skiing Co. alone, it could and should have been wonderful. Instead, we were regaled with strange vignettes about drinking, race, gender, sexuality, immigration and climate change, none of which even mentioned “Aspen.” Yes, the 24 Hours of Aspen race and some Highland Bowl footage were interspersed, but these seemed like awkward afterthoughts.

I am not sure how the program ended because we left; however, this was a terrible missed opportunity to unite the community around our shared history. While Skico now intends to divide us by “diamonds” and “duct tape,” perhaps the substitution of political propaganda for history is the new normal. I certainly hope not.

Caffrey Favrot

New Orleans