{"id":34907,"date":"2019-11-08T18:12:35","date_gmt":"2019-11-09T01:12:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.summitdaily.com\/?p=374224"},"modified":"2019-11-11T08:09:36","modified_gmt":"2019-11-11T15:09:36","slug":"as-copper-breckenridge-ski-resorts-open-skiers-and-riders-look-for-repeat-of-last-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kift\/local-news\/as-copper-breckenridge-ski-resorts-open-skiers-and-riders-look-for-repeat-of-last-season\/","title":{"rendered":"As Copper, Breckenridge ski resorts open, skiers and riders look for repeat of last season"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A skier rides Duke’s Run on opening day at Breckenridge Ski Resort on Friday, Nov. 8.<\/strong>
Liz Copan \/ ecopan@summitdaily.com<\/em><\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

FRISCO \u2014 Fresh off a 2018-19 season that provided plenty of powder, opening day skiers and snowboarders at Breckenridge Ski Resort and Copper Mountain Resort on Friday all craved the same thing.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want a repeat season of last year at Breckenridge because it was awesome,\u201d Breck local Jason Pressler said. \u201cWe haven\u2019t had a double-dip, back-to-back, awesome snow seasons in a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Riding high on a thrilling Oakland Raiders victory Thursday night, Raiders fan Pressler sported his finest black and silver Howie Long Raiders jersey at Breckenridge on Friday. On a scale of zero to 10, Pressler graded Friday\u2019s opening conditions a \u201c9.0.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like legendary Raiders owner Al Davis\u2019 simple phrase, \u201cJust win, baby,\u201d most every skier and snowboarder at Breckenridge and Copper on Friday exuded a similar saying: \u201cJust snow, baby.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday, despite recent warming conditions, Breckenridge opened nearly 200 acres of skiable terrain out of its recently renovated Peak 8 base area. On the other side of Tenmile Canyon, Copper opened 90 acres of top-to-bottom terrain, including a Woodward Copper pop-up terrain park.<\/p>\n

After Keystone Resort, Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and Loveland Ski Area opened during last month\u2019s record-breaking October snowfall<\/a>, Copper and Breckenridge\u2019s openings rounded out the celebratory first-chair festivities in Summit County.<\/p>\n

At Copper, the resort\u2019s new terrain-park zones and Three Bears lift on Tucker Mountain<\/a> had skier after skier excited for the new season. With the new Red\u2019s Backyard hike-to-jib terrain park zone (inspired by Olympic gold medalist Red Gerard, of Summit County<\/a>) and the new Woodward Peace Park<\/a> (inspired by snowboarding icon Danny Davis) the resort and Woodward Copper are progressing their terrain parks even further this winter.<\/p>\n

The new terrain park zones, scheduled to open in late December, are part of Copper\u2019s new Woodward Mountain Park concept<\/a>. Woodward Mountain Park, which has zones littered throughout Copper\u2019s front side, draws Woodward Copper even closer to the heartbeat of Copper\u2019s overall skiing and riding ethos.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so sick,\u201d Ben Kottcamp, of Glenwood Springs, said. \u201cI\u2019m so excited to ride it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just want to get in as skiers,\u201d Kottcamp\u2019s friend Chris Abel said with a laugh.<\/p>\n

The Three Bears lift on Tucker is the other new addition to Copper that opening-day folk buzzed about Friday. Copper Mountain spokeswoman Taylor Prather said the new lift, which will rise more than 1,100 feet from the base of Copper Bowl and up to 12,337 feet, is completed. With the cable spliced, the resort is just waiting on Mother Nature to cooperate in order to open lift-serviced skiing to the double-black diamond, expert glade and chute skiing.<\/p>\n

When Mother Nature does cooperate \u2014 and when Three Bears, Red\u2019s Backyard and Peace Park open \u2014 Copper is ready for the resort\u2019s next era.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is another year of transformation for Copper,\u201d Prather said. \u201cWe\u2019re putting $100 million into the resort. I\u2019m most excited for Three Bears at Tucker Mountain. That\u2019s a huge transformation that is two decades in the making, so we\u2019re really excited to bring that to life this winter. The people that have skied back there off the (snow)cat or have hiked back there really know that it\u2019s something very special for Colorado.\u201d<\/p>\n

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LIVE: Opening Day first chair runs at Copper Mountain Resort with Adaptive Action Sports Para-snowboarders Joe Pleban, Garrett Geros and Adaptive Action Sports Executive Director Daniel Gale\u2026<\/p>\n

Posted by Summit Daily News<\/a> on Friday, November 8, 2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Steve Warner, of Dillon, knows all too well how good the skiing is on Tucker.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s a blast, but don\u2019t go there,\u201d Warner said sarcastically. \u201cNobody should go there.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those opening day skiers and snowboarders not specifically stoked on Copper\u2019s new lift and parks, the simple pleasures of opening day sufficed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe most exciting thing is getting to the top and seeing the view again,\u201d Terry Rauschenberder, of Silverthorne, said. \u201cReally, it\u2019s so gorgeous up there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Back at Breck, Summit County local James Warren skied his own personal gorgeous view. Living up in Illinois Gulch, Warren\u2019s balcony looks out over Breckenridge Ski Resort. Wearing a poncho and a sombrero with constellations drawn artistically on the attire, Warren\u2019s fiesta theme made the most of Friday\u2019s warm temperatures.<\/p>\n

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LIVE: Stop No. 2 on our Opening Day marathon, Summit Daily Arts & Entertainment editor Jefferson Geiger takes us through opening day skiing conditions at Breckenridge Ski Resort off the Rocky Mountain SuperChair\u2026<\/p>\n

Posted by Summit Daily News<\/a> on Friday, November 8, 2019<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Despite the sun, Warren\u2019s seven runs on the opening day snow \u2014 which soon turned to spring-like conditions \u2014 made the sombrero-ed skier smile. Soon enough, he said, he\u2019ll be skiing off the highest lift in North America, the Imperial Express SuperChair near the summit of Breckenridge\u2019s Peak 8, into blissful high-Alpine terrain. Last season, an extended winter took Breck\u2019s season into June, when skiers like Warren were able to ride Imperial until the resort\u2019s latest-ever closing day, June 9<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The resort again plans to keep lifts spinning to Memorial Day weekend 2020, weather and conditions permitting. For now, Friday\u2019s conditions were all an early-season skier like Warren could hope for.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou can\u2019t complain. It\u2019s bluebird, man,\u201d Warren said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice up there. A little windy up top, but that\u2019s Breck.\u201d<\/p>\n

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