VAIL — The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum was a buzz of activity and anticipation recently as a pair of sold-out audiences experienced the new ski documentary “Abandoned.”
A part of the organization’s new Through the Lens winter presentation series, moviegoers not only learned about the fate of three of Colorado’s lost resorts, but also discovered Vail’s newest presentation venue, surrounded by 180 years of the state’s ski and snowboard history.
Through the Lens marks the first major public undertaking for the museum since its $2.5 million transformation. The renovated facility now features a main presentation area, along with a small theater.
“One of our primary goals following the transformation was to provide unique opportunities and ways for the public to experience the new museum,” museum Executive Director Jen Mason said. “Through the Lens is just our first effort but it is only the beginning. There is a great deal that can be learned at the museum, both through the exhibits and our programming.”
The primary role of museums is to help people remember and learn. They are in a place to help broaden the scope of knowledge of other peoples and cultures. The screenings of “Abandoned” were both sentimental for those who had skied one or more of the areas, and informative — there are over 140 ski areas in Colorado that no longer are in operation.
Interactive components
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The museum is able to complement the movie’s message through one of its new interactive components, the Ski Resort Table, which provides information on all 26 of Colorado’s current active resorts, along with a selection of 30 of the state’s lost resorts.
In addition, the inaugural presentation of Through the Lens featured Vail local Chris Anthony’s presentation on the exploits of the 10th Mountain Division following the end of World War II. The Colorado Ski & Snowboard Museum also features the most comprehensive 10th Mountain exhibit in the nation. Learning opportunities can indeed go hand-in-hand.
We encourage you to continue to visit the museum, continue to remain curious and allow yourself to wonder. Only by valuing and preserving the historical remnants of where we have come from will we be able to chart a course for where we are going.
Through the Lens features presentations by notable scientists, athletes and historians as they share stories and experiences that have helped shape Colorado’s ski heritage. Tickets are currently available for the remaining Through the Lens individual programs, which are hosted in the museum from 5 to 7 p.m. the third Wednesday of each month from December through March.
Anthony will hold an encore presentation on the 10th Mountain Division Feb. 16. For more information on the new program series, go to http://www.snowsportsmuseum.org or call 970-476-1876.
