Skiing

Hear from ��ֱ�� Boulder Alum Alejandro Brown, the Founder of I-70 Things

Anonymous — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 17:26:28 +0000

Hear from ��ֱ�� Boulder Alum Alejandro Brown, the Founder of I-70 Things Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 03/19/2024 - 11:26

Jessica Sachs

Alejandro Brown (IntlAf’18) is the founder of I-70 Things, an outdoor media brand that started on Instagram (@i70things), and which now has more than 400,000 followers. The account serves as entertainment — showcasing the funny, unusual or sometimes wacky things people see while traveling along ��ֱ��’s I-70 highway — in addition to providing safety-oriented content regarding the conditions of the road in real time. Brown also has been working on a passion project he co-founded called Slide Thru Sessions (@slidethrusessions), which aims to introduce people to winter sports who may not have had the opportunity otherwise.

How did the idea for I-70 Things begin? When did you realize it had such huge potential?

I was stuck on I-70 with a buddy in 2019. It was like a lightbulb moment. I was taking pictures of things that I had seen like trucks jackknifing on the highway, cars stuck on the side of the road — and it hit me like, ‘Hey, I’m already taking these photos and sending them to my friends. I bet other people are seeing other things too.’

In the summer of 2020, COVID hit, so I had some free time. That’s when I really started putting effort into growing it [I-70 Things]. During the summer of 2020, when we had a bunch of wildfires here in ��ֱ��, I started covering those too because I thought that since people were going up to the mountains, they should know about these types of happenings.

What are some of the strangest things you’ve seen on I-70 this year?

After doing this for many years, nothing surprises me anymore. I’d have to say some of the stranger ‘things’ that make you do a double take are the motorcycles being driven during a snowstorm and how people spend time during highway closures. After a while, closures can get to people’s sanity and seeing their creative ways to pass the time is always interesting.

What are the top things you think people need to know before traveling on the highway?

The main thing is understanding and abiding by the traction law. Driving through the Rocky Mountains, especially during the winter months, is no joke. Nature doesn’t discriminate, so being prepared and traveling safely are key. When we think of preparedness, it’s similar to insurance — you hope you never have to use it, but you’ll be glad you have it if you need it. Packing extra warm clothes, water or snacks can make spending time stuck on the highway more manageable. Lastly, pack your patience because nobody likes to be parked on a highway.

When you entered college in 2014, social media was very different than it is now. How do you feel now that you work full time in online content creation?

Just thinking about it makes me sound old, but it wasn’t really a thing that people sought out as much as they do now. There’s a pretty clear path nowadays if you want to start a business or become a content creator, but back then it never even crossed my mind.

“When you’re dealing with many cultures and people in an international sense, empathy is really big.”

How has your background in international affairs helped you in your current work with social media?

When you’re dealing with many cultures and people in an international sense, empathy is really big. You have to be understanding and know that there are a lot of differences among people. People do business differently, and communicate differently. All these things are very present on social media and in business. People also say some pretty bad stuff sometimes on social media, and being understanding and empathetic is pretty important.

What does your day-to-day life look like now?

In the winter, it’s pretty packed with doing a bunch of mountain content for the page. So we’re either with brand partners or traveling to different resorts and covering events. My day-to-day consists of either being on the snow and shooting, creating content or answering a lot of emails. During the summer, we cover and work a lot of festivals and food and beverage events.

Also, I spend a lot of time in the winter working on my passion project called “Slide Thru Sessions,” which I co-founded with my friend Quincy “Q” Shannon. It’s been really cool because by having such a big platform here in ��ֱ��, I was able to utilize it for good. I love to snowboard and want other people to experience that as well.

The program’s mission is to diversify the mountains by breaking the barriers to entry for expensive winter sports, like skiing or snowboarding. We allow those who have never tried the sport to try with us in a comfortable BIPOC setting as an adult. People sign up and we take our own full Bustang bus up to that month’s partner resort. We have our own gear space here in Denver where we let people rent everything they need for free. The goal is not to just have people slide on snow, but to educate them about the sport as well. The program is free, and anyone who joins can pay what they can if they’d like, but there’s no expectation of payment.

How does I-70 Things make money?

We have three revenue streams: advertising for other brands and events, hosting events and selling merchandise. Most partners reach out to me directly because they know about I-70 Things and are interested in working together. The capacity in which we collaborate depends on the partner but, for example, for a hotel partner in the mountains, we may stay up there and then create some content to use on a campaign on our own account and our partners’ social accounts.

What is your favorite place off I-70?

Glenwood Canyon is really pretty. I also spend a lot of time at Copper Mountain as they’re a great partner and they host a lot of events at that mountain. So I would probably say Copper is my favorite.

Interview condensed and edited.

Photo courtesy Alejandro Brown

Read what it's like to run the wildly popular Instagram page that boasts the good, and the bad, that comes with traveling along ��ֱ��'s famous I-70 highway.

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Feedback: Spring 2024

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Feedback: Spring 2024 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

Casa Bonita Musings

$40 million? We could build a new health clinic for outpatient care, with a welcoming building, a diagnostic testing laboratory, an X-ray department, a pharmacy, plenty of examination rooms with bright lights for the doctors, physicians assistants, nurses and patients, conference rooms and staff offices, a comfortable sunshine-filled waiting room, plus all of the equipment needed, large and small, down to the last bottle of rubbing alcohol and canister of fluffy white cotton balls, for $40 million. Just sayin’.

Nancy McCurdy (Mktg’90)
Denver

The current edition of the Coloradan features an article about Trey Parker (DistSt’18) and Matt Stone’s (FilmSt, Math’93) acquisition, renovation and relaunch of Casa Bonita. The article states Mr. Stone as having earned degrees in math and art. This is not accurate: Mr. Stone earned degrees in math (BA) and a BFA in film studies (currently “cinema studies & moving image arts”). We proudly list Mr. Stone as one of our alumni, and would really like to see a correction in your online issue and in your next print issue. The readers of the Coloradan should have accurate news and information about the institution that they so much love and support, and the individual departments should be acknowledged properly.

Ernesto R Acevedo-Muñoz
Professor, Chair, ��ֱ�� Boulder Department of Cinema Studies & Moving Image Arts Boulder

[Editor’s Note: We have updated Matt Stone’s degree information to reflect his film studies degree.]

Our readers also sounded off on social media about the 2023 Casa Bonita renovation:

They did a really great job with the restoration. The food is worth the price, and the entertainment is top-notch.

Eric Anhold (PolSci’00)
Via Facebook

Yay for Matt and Trey and saving Casa Bonita! Always enjoyed it as a kid.

Susan Schlatter (Psych’93)
Via Facebook

Fantastic alumni story.

Chris Rockne (MechEngr’07; MS’07)
Via Facebook

During my four years at ��ֱ�� (1990–94), I recall on several occasions walking past the fine arts building on the way to the UMC from my dorm at Cheyenne Arapaho. I’d see the students on the grass, and I arrogantly thought to myself — “what a bunch of suckers studying art.” Not long after graduating, I learned that two of those actual “suckers” were the geniuses behind the show I was then obsessed with: South Park. I got such a kick out of realizing how stupid I was back then, and I still tell that story to anyone who foolishly tries to reduce someone’s path. Shout out to ��ֱ�� fine arts. And shout out to Matt and Trey for repping the Buffs as good as anyone ever did.

@themiket
Via Instagram

This is so awesome for me — a reminder of fond trips to Casa as a family when I was young, and then even sweetened as I remember reading Matt and Trey’s cartoons when I was at Boulder during the same time.

@carterasc5
Via Instagram

A Gift from Betty Woodman

I worked for Betty Woodman [Origins, Fall 2023], and she gave me a very large teapot at my wedding reception that she attended. I have a photo of her at my reception which would have been about 1970.

Marie McCreery (A&S’67)
Niwot, ��ֱ��

From Casa Bonita to Star Trek

Lovely job — thank you. I really enjoyed your stories on the remodeling and new ownership of Casa Bonita, and on the science advisor for Star Trek.

Sabrina Sideris (Engl, Hist’00)
Niwot, ��ֱ��

The Tiny Hill Diner

It was with something of a shock I opened the fall issue of the Coloradan and saw the photograph of the little diner that sat just across Pennsylvania Street opposite The Sink. For years I have interrogated friends and acquaintances, even Boulder history writers, in search of someone else who remembers this diner. At some point, it simply vanished. I had begun to think of it as a will o’ the wisp.

But here is the Twilight Zone part: Contrary to the account in the Coloradan, I could not have eaten there prior to the summer of ’63, which was when I came to Boulder, and I remember it being the Buff Top Hat Diner.

Now if I can only find someone else who remembers Bennet’s Brick Oven.

Earl Noe (Jour’66)
Boulder

Are We Ready for Self-Driving Cars?

In reference to the Fall 2023 article “Is the World Ready for Self-Driving Cars?,” an image by Sam Gross from page 21 of Everyone’s a Critic: The Ultimate Cartoon Book edited by Bon Eckstein.

Ernst Anton Kemper (ChemEngr’59)
Lakewood, ��ֱ��

Coloradan Shenanigans

I’d like to share my recent experience regarding the alumni magazine. My son Page (CivEngr’05; MS’15) and I are both ��ֱ�� graduates, so we’re both on your list to receive the Coloradan. However, for many years his copy has come to my address. I asked him to notify you of this but he couldn’t be bothered. So, every time it comes, I hand off his copy, usually in a batch of articles I’ve curated for him from magazines and newspapers. When I hand him one of these envelopes, he goes through it, surreptitiously or blatantly, and when he finds the Coloradan he sneaks it back into my stuff, under the windshield wiper or slipped through a cracked-open window of my car. We’ve played this game a looong time.

But this Christmas he took it to the next level. When I visited, he told me to sit down and close my eyes. When he said I could look, there was the cover of the Fall 2023 Coloradan on a shower curtain. Of course, it was his copy, with his name and my address. We laughed and laughed, after which I was left wondering, “How do I top this?”

Clearly, the only way to go one better is to have you print the shower curtain pic in your next issue, and to update his listing to his address!

Without silliness, we are all doomed.

Nancy Ball Weil (Russ’77)
Denver

��ֱ��’s First Female Olympians

I’d like to offer a fact check and possible correction on page 65 of the Fall Coloradan.

According to my research, ��ֱ�� ski coach Bob Beattie took over the U.S. ski team in 1962. He created a de facto national training center at ��ֱ�� and most of the men and women lived in Boulder and went to ��ֱ��. Some were down the road at DU and some not in college, and at least one was too young and went to high school in Boulder. ��ֱ�� this time of year they would take “incompletes” in their classes and head to Europe to race, then come back and continue classes in the spring. They also trained at Eldora and on St. Mary’s Glacier. In the spring of 1963, that ��ֱ��/U.S. program became the core of the 1964 Olympic team. Again Boulder was the epicenter, and most of the team that went to the Innsbruck Games were full or part-time ��ֱ�� students. So, this leads me to believe the note in the Coloradan about Sandy Hildner (A&S’67) [“THEN,” Fall 2023] might not be accurate.

I was on the B team in 1976, did some pro skiing, then helped with the ��ֱ�� skiing program working for then-head coach Tim Hinderman. Later I worked for filmmaker Warren Miller and have been involved in the ski industry in various ways ever since. This includes occasional writing gigs.

David Butterfield (Hum’81)
Ketchum, Idaho

[Editor’s Note: Further research shows that while Sandy Hildner was among ��ֱ��’s first female Olympians, she was not necessarily the first. We regret the reporting error.]

Submit feedback to the editor

Photos courtesy Nancy Ball Weil (shower curtain); Marie McCreery (Woodman photo); Casa Bonita
Illustration by Sam Gross from Everyone's a Critic by Bob Eckstein © 2019; Used with permission from Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco.

Casa Bonita, automatic cars and nostalgic memories.

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Segging Her Own Way

Anonymous — Mon, 04 Mar 2024 07:00:00 +0000

Segging Her Own Way Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 03/04/2024 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

Nordic skier Hanna Abrahamsson (EnvEngr’25) entered this season as a three-time 1st Team All-American and a 2nd Team Academic All-American. Originally from Eksjö, Sweden, here she discusses endurance training, why she came to ��ֱ�� and ski culture back home.

You finished 2nd in classic and 5th in freestyle at the 2023 NCAA Championships. What was key to your success?

I was struggling with injuries during the training season, so my expectations weren’t super high. But when the season came, I performed better than ever before. I’ve trained since I was young in Sweden and on the national team for a couple of years. Sometimes when you train a lot, you’re not getting better at the time, but if you allow your body to rest, you get payback later.

How do you approach a race?

We start individually or in a mass. I prefer individuals because you set your own pace. With the mass start, it’s more tactics. You have to run out at the top to get some meters on the others. It’s a mental game as well. My best skill is to keep a pretty high speed for a very long time. We have a word for it in Swedish — to be really “seg.”

What is offseason training like?

Summer is when we get in the greatest volume of training. You can do different sports and still improve your skiing. It’s all about getting your heartbeat up. I do a lot of roller skiing, plus running and the SkiErg machine. During the summer, I do 18 to 25 hours of conditioning and two sessions of strength training each week. As it gets closer to ski season, volume decreases and intensity increases.

Do you still race for Sweden’s National Team?

Sweden’s Nordic team is the best in the world. It’s hard to get a spot. There’s also this assumption that you’re retiring when you go to the U.S. I really don’t like that! I wanted to continue skiing but do it in another way than everyone at home. I get to see a new country, get an education and get so much more out of my skiing. But that said, when you choose to go here, you’re not really included in the skiing community at home. I’m pretty sure I could have beaten Swedes who qualified for the U23 [ages 21–23] World Championships last year, but I was not taken.

Why did you choose ��ֱ��?

I wanted to get something else out of skiing. Several people suggested that college skiing might suit me. I contacted a Swede, Hedda Baangman (IntPhys’20), who was skiing for ��ֱ�� a couple years ago. She was like, “You have to do it!” I got coach Jana’s [Weinberger] information and contacted her. Then I quickly decided on ��ֱ��.

Can you share something you’ve learned from Jana Weinberger, skiing director and Nordic head coach?

She is very good at looking at your entire life, including your school schedule. Then we build in training that’s well suited to everything going on.

What do you love most about skiing?

I like to race, but the part I like most is training and being outside. Here in ��ֱ�� and everywhere we travel to, the surroundings are gorgeous. I’m so thankful for that. When it comes to skiing itself, it’s all about pushing myself and challenging my body.

Do you prefer to ski classic or freestyle?

Classic. Even though I practice skate [freestyle] more, I am always better in classic. Skate or freestyle is like ice skating. With classic, you have your skis in a groomed track. You have ski wax under your skis so you’re running, or striding, on your skis.

Does ��ֱ�� hosting the 2024 NCAA Championships at Steamboat Springs in March add pressure to this season?

Yes, but we can handle it.

What’s something readers would be surprised to learn about you?

We don’t have snow where I'm from in Sweden. Also, I live for training days when I do six hours of running. Or three hours on the SkiErg with intervals.

What do you want to do after you graduate?

I want to show people at home that you can go to the U.S. and become better. Skiing is an old tradition and culture in Sweden. It can [feel like being in] a box, even if it’s starting to change. I want to do the national team again and ski races to qualify for the World Cup, but in my way. I’ve learned a lot about myself since I came here. I would also love to do longer races. Nordic skiing has distance teams like with cycling and the Tour de France. Long-distance skiing suits me.

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Photos courtesy ��ֱ�� Athletics

Nordic skier Hanna Abrahamsson entered this season as a three-time 1st Team All-American and a 2nd Team Academic All-American.

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Spring 2024

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THEN: 1967–68

Anonymous — Mon, 06 Nov 2023 07:00:00 +0000

THEN: 1967–68 Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/06/2023 - 00:00

In 1968, Sandy Hildner (A&S’67) was among ��ֱ��’s first woman Olympians after training with the men’s ski team under coach Bob Beattie. In 1967, she won the Roch Cup downhill in Aspen, ��ֱ�� (pictured), and was the U.S. National Giant Slalom Champion before racing in the Olympic women’s downhill event in Grenoble, France, the next year.

Hildner died in January 2019. On Aug. 27, 2023, she was inducted into the ��ֱ�� Snowsports Museum and Hall of Fame in Vail, ��ֱ��.

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Photo courtesy Hildner family

In 1968, Sandy Hildner became ��ֱ��’s first woman Olympian after training with the men’s ski team under coach Bob Beattie.

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Former Olympian Andy LeRoy Enters Second Season as ��ֱ�� Ski Coach

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Former Olympian Andy LeRoy Enters Second Season as ��ֱ�� Ski Coach Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/07/2022 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

Andy LeRoy (Fin’03) became ��ֱ��’s 18th head ski coach in March 2021, replacing Richard Rokos, who retired after more than three decades with the Buffs. The former Olympian discusses leading ��ֱ��’s only coed athletic team, what inspired him to coach and ways to help generate revenue for collegiate skiing.

After high school, you skied six seasons on the U.S. National Team. What was the experience like?

It was an opportunity of a lifetime! Although I didn’t reach the goals I had dreamt about as a kid, I got to compete with and learn from some of the best in the business — like my roommate at that time, Bode Miller. I am fortunate to have worked with coaching icons like Aldo Radamus and Jesse Hunt. Both have had a huge impact on the type of coach I want to be.

You joined the Buffs for the 2000 season, won the NCAA slalom competition and stayed on as a volunteer coach. What stood out to you about the program?

The 2000 season was my one and only season of collegiate competition, but I still needed another year and a half of school to earn my undergraduate degree. Thankfully, Richard Rokos advocated strongly for me to receive fifth-year aid, and I graduated in 2003. Rokos also gave my coaching career a kickstart like no other, allowing me to be his volunteer assistant in 2002. During my time at ��ֱ��, I truly fell in love with the sport.

I got to compete with and learn from some of the best in the business — like my roommate at that time, Bode Miller.

You became the University of Denver’s head ski coach before the 2007 season after coaching the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club for three years. How did you adapt to leading a Division-1 program?

My father passed away a few days before my second birthday, so I was kind of raised by ski coaches. Coaching in Steamboat Springs from 2003 to 2006 felt like a way for me to give back to the sport. Then the opportunity came to coach at the University of Denver. I was unprepared for sure, trying my best to learn on the fly about alumni outreach, recruiting, NCAA rules and 100 other facets of the job. The easiest part was the ski coaching. To step on the snow and help an athlete improve always seemed so natural. It’s still my happy place.

There were six NCAA team titles in your 15 seasons at DU. What factors contributed to this success?

A fantastic program built by icons in our sport like Otto Tschudi, Kurt Smitz and the Nystad brothers. When I took the job at DU, I joked that all I needed to do was to keep the van on the road and we would win again. I was also thankful to have been hired to coach DU’s Alpine program at the same time David Stewart was hired to coach DU’s Nordic program. We learned a lot from each other, and I will always cherish the time we spent together there as coaches.

How has Richard Rokos helped you transition into becoming ��ֱ��’s head ski coach?

After 31 years, Richie knows everything about this program and he has been available and eager to share his knowledge whenever requested. He’s still out on the hill helping with training as our volunteer assistant coach. He was inducted into our ��ֱ�� Athletics Hall of Fame last year, but our athletes still get him on the hill every day as their volunteer coach! I can't imagine ski racing here at ��ֱ�� without him.

NCAA Skiing is a coed sport. How does team scoring work?

It’s different from all other NCAA sports in this regard. For our championship, each school can take a maximum of three men and three women for Alpine, three men and three women for Nordic, with 12 athletes maximum. Alpine athletes compete in a giant slalom and slalom race. Nordic athletes compete in a freestyle and classic race. A total of 24 scores can be counted, assuming we qualify as a full team.

To step on the snow and help an athlete improve always seemed so natural. It’s still my happy place.

How does recruiting work in such an international sport?

Our ranking system makes it pretty easy to identify the fastest skiers from across the country and around the world, but finding which one is the best fit for our program is key. They need to be academically prepared and committed to our sport. The best prospects are usually on their national team by the time they graduate high school, and the question becomes whether they should stay with their national team and forgo an education or try to develop their skiing at the same rate while dragging their textbooks from place to place. I applaud (and desperately search for) those prospects who are hungry for the extra work.

How can skiing become a revenue-generating collegiate sport?

It’s a revenue-generating sport in Europe. But in the United States, it’s not on TV. There are no tickets being sold to our big races. If we get our collegiate races webcasted, people across the world will watch. We can sell sponsorships if we showcase it properly. Adding the parallel event for Alpine and the sprint discipline for Nordic would also be a huge step in the right direction. Both are exciting to watch and exhilarating to participate in. In March 2024, ��ֱ�� will host the NCAA Skiing Championship in Steamboat, and I hope by then both events will be included in the competition.

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Working with the athletes. And I’m pretty sure I will give the same answer every year.

If you had free time, what would you do?

Take my wife golfing. I met her on a golf course 14 years ago. Neither of us are very good, but we have a lot of fun out there together.

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Photo by Glenn Asakawa

Andy LeRoy became ��ֱ��’s 18th head ski coach in March 2021. The former Olympian discusses leading ��ֱ��’s only coed athletic team, what inspired him to coach and ways to help generate revenue for collegiate skiing.

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Protecting ��ֱ��’s Declining Snowpack

Anonymous — Mon, 07 Nov 2022 07:00:00 +0000

Protecting ��ֱ��’s Declining Snowpack Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 11/07/2022 - 00:00

Helen Olsson

Mother Nature’s water storage tank — aka the snowpack — is a massive frozen reservoir that parses out water in the spring as snow melts. It is also, literally, the foundation of the snowsports recreation industry. Researchers are increasingly sounding the alarm that climate change is negatively impacting snowpack in ��ֱ�� and nationwide.

Two-time Olympic freestyle skier and a former wide receiver for the Buffs, Jeremy Bloom (A&S ex’06) was one of the first celebrities to be featured in a public service announcement (PSA) for Water ’22. Spearheaded by the nonprofit Water Education ��ֱ�� (and launched in partnership with ��ֱ�� Gov. Jared Polis), the year-long initiative is designed to educate Coloradans about water as an important natural resource.

“Water conservation in the context of climate change is central to the mission of Water ’22,” said Jayla Poppleton, executive director of Water Education ��ֱ��. “Jeremy is a skier born and raised in ��ֱ��; we knew he would get it right away.”

“I grew up learning to ski in ��ֱ�� and water-skiing on Boyd Lake,” Bloom said. “When the governor’s office approached me to be the face of Water ’22, I knew this was a really important thing to do.”

In the PSA, Bloom encourages Coloradans to do their part. “It’s shortening your shower, doing full loads of laundry and watering your lawn at night,” he said.

These simple actions can add up to saving 22 gallons of water a day — and a whopping 48 billion gallons across ��ֱ�� a year. ��ֱ�� is a headwater state that supplies water not only to the 6 million people who live here, but to tens of millions more people in the 18 states downstream.

“Water is fundamental to everything that makes life possible,” Poppleton said.

A declining snowpack affects the water supply for drinking, sanitation, agriculture and hydropower production. A shrinking snowpack also affects winter recreation.

In a 2017 study on climate change and winter recreation published in the journal Global Environmental Change, researchers — including Eric E. Small, ��ֱ�� professor of geological sciences — projected that by 2050, the ski season will be cut in half for most U.S. winter recreation destinations, resulting in an annual loss of hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue.

“If people who care about skiing and snowboarding are committed to preserving our snowpack, that’s not only going to benefit the ski industry but ultimately help preserve the most fundamental source of our water supply — snow,” Poppleton said.

Snow-covered ski trails, from black diamond chutes to meandering green circles, are an immense natural water storage system.

��ֱ�� is a headwater state that supplies water not only to the 6 million people who live here, but to tens of millions more people in the 18 states downstream.

“The snowpack acts as a reservoir; it banks water,” said W.T. “Tad” Pfeffer, professor of civil engineering at ��ֱ�� Boulder and a fellow of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR), whose area of specialty is glaciology. “If all that snow fell as rain, it would just run off into the rivers.”

Pfeffer points to the 2021 Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change assessment, which predicts that ��ֱ�� and the West will be hotter and drier. That means more wildfires and less water.

“Intensified droughts and earlier runoff from diminished snowpack will increase water scarcity during the summer peak water demand period,” the report warned.

“For the ski industry, climate change is no longer an intangible future issue,” Pfeffer said.

Snowpack declines are already happening. From 1955 to 2022, the April snowpack in the Western U.S. declined by 23%, with declines at 93% of sites measured, according to a recent trend analysis by the EPA. The report described snowpack decreases as “large and consistent.”

“The snowpack is responding to climate warming in a relatively dramatic way,” said Noah Molotch (EnvSt’97), associate professor of geography and an INSTAAR fellow who specializes in snow hydrology. “We’re seeing more storms fall as rain instead of snow, and we’re seeing more melt occur in the middle of winter between storm cycles.”

In 2021, Molotch co-authored a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change that focused on snowmelt trends as a critical indicator of hydrological change. Researchers analyzed data from 1,065 remote snowpack monitoring stations in western North America. They found that the “snowmelt signal” is widespread across the West, including in ��ֱ��. The research showed the annual melt that occurs before April 1 is increasing by 3.5% per decade.

“Climate sensitivity is greatest around the freezing point. When temperatures are hovering around 32 degrees Fahrenheit, we’ll see more snowmelt, particularly between storm periods,” Molotch said.

As the snowpack decreases due to climate change, ski resorts need to use more water for snowmaking.

“The water issue is a double whammy,” said Molotch, but he says access to water is not the primary stressor. “The big issue is that climate warming is causing a change in the snow conditions that resorts rely on. There are very sound first principles in science that would lead us to hypothesize that climate warming would diminish the quality of skiing.”

Snow has multiple climate sensitivities. As temperatures get warmer, the density of new snow becomes higher. It becomes less fluffy.

“Powder hounds beware, right?” he said. And those increasing levels of snowmelt identified in Molotch’s study mean the quality of the snow in the shoulder seasons is also in peril.

In ��ֱ��, snow-related recreation contributes $1.2 billion to the state’s economy; at the national level, it’s a $4.7 billion economic driver, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis. A shrinking snowpack means shorter seasons, which will impact a ski area’s revenue but also the livelihood of workers, from the dishwashers to the lift operators. A 2012 study by the Natural Resources Defense Council and Protect Our Winters (POW) — a nonprofit that works with ��ֱ�� scientists — found that changes to the winter season driven by climate change cost the ski resort industry approximately $1.07 billion in aggregated revenue over the last decade. The research also showed that a low snow year can cost the industry 17,400 jobs compared to an average season.

“I think we’ve all been seeing the seasons getting shorter. Now, we’re lucky if we have a couple good trails by Thanksgiving,” said Bloom, who lives in Boulder with his wife, Mariah Buzolin. They have a toddler, a baby on the way and a place in Keystone, so protecting water for future generations is top of mind.

As soon as they’re old enough, he’ll teach his kids to ski — and to conserve water.

Jeremy Bloom PSA:

[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_I4GUrF6ZbE]

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Illustrations by Curt Merlo

A deep snowpack isn’t just a boon for skiers and snowboarders. It’s a critical resource for all of humanity.

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Olympian and Buff Magnus Boee Is National Nordic Skier of the Year

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Olympian and Buff Magnus Boee Is National Nordic Skier of the Year Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/02/2021 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

When Magnus Boee was named National Men’s Nordic Skier of the Year in April, it was anything but unexpected. Boee won 10 of 12 races in 2021, including sweeping the regional and NCAA Nordic championships.

A dual citizen of Korea and Norway, Magnus Boee (CivEngr’23) eclipsed an incredible freshman season (highlighted by three wins and 10 top-10 finishes) with one of ��ֱ��’s most dominant men’s Nordic ski seasons.

Boee was nearly unbeatable in 2021, winning 10 of 12 races. In the only two races he didn't win, he finished third and fourth. By March, he was the top seed in classic and freestyle disciplines at NCAAs, winning both events.

“I’ve improved a lot this year with technique and freestyle, plus my overall shape, endurance and aerobic capacity have gotten better,” Boee said.

Prior to ��ֱ��, Boee skied for Korea at the 2018 PyeongChang Olympics when he was just 19 years old. In July 2011, Boee settled in Norway and began skiing competitively — the same month PyeongChang was announced as the 2018 Winter Games host.

Despite his newness to Nordic, he and his mom thought, “Why don’t we aim for those Olympics?” Boee’s “hunger to get there” got him to PyeongChang. Two years later, he was winning races for ��ֱ��.

When not skiing, Boee cross-trains by running, swimming and cycling. He credits his success to staying in Boulder last summer and training uninterrupted at altitude.

Even despite a major pre-season bike accident, which left him with a titanium plate to repair his broken jaw, Boee was undeterred. His attitude inspires teammates and coaches alike.

“He pushes everybody on the team to become better. He leads by example; the quality of the workout is most important, not quantity,” said Jana Weinberger, ��ֱ��’s Nordic head coach.

Boee hopes to bring home a 2022 NCAA team championship: “Beating [host and rival] Utah on their home ground. That would be the ultimate.”

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Photo by ��ֱ�� Athletics

Magnus Boee won 10 of 12 races in 2021, including sweeping the regional and NCAA Nordic championships.

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Sports News Summer 2021

Anonymous — Fri, 02 Jul 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Sports News Summer 2021 Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/02/2021 - 00:00

Andrew Daigle

Stats

1st

Time a goalkeeper won lacrosse Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year when Julia Lisella (SLHSci’21) took home the award May 5.

1,2,3,4,5,6

Singles positions played and won during the 2021 season by tennis’ Maria Campos (IntlAf’23), the first Buff to win at every singles position in one season.

Third

Men’s golf overall finish at April’s Wyoming Cowboy Classic, the team’s best performance of the season.

3:38.09

Eduardo Herrera’s (Soc’21) time when he broke the school record in the 1,500-meter run at the April 30 West Coast Relays in Fresno, CA.

9/3

Football opens the 2021 season against Northern ��ֱ�� at Folsom Field.

197th

Overall pick used by the New England Patriots to select Buffs offensive tackle William Sherman (Comm’21) in the 2021 NFL Draft.

Baker Named Associate Athletic Director

DaWon Baker began work as ��ֱ��’s first associate athletic director for diversity, equity and inclusion in May 2021. A past participant in ��ֱ��’s Inclusive Sports Summit, Baker is charged with aligning ��ֱ�� Athletics with ongoing inclusivity efforts. Athletic Director Rick George said Baker will be “present at our practices, games and in our facilities” as an accessible and welcoming leader.

A St. Louis native, Baker believes the 2014 shooting of Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson was a turning point in his career.

“I saw how the tragic event of Michael’s death affected the world and my own campus,” he said.“For the first time, I saw that there was a strategy to creating inclusive cultures, and that drove me to learn about diversity and inclusion in sport.”

Buffs Bits

Two-time Olympian and long-distance runner Kara Goucher (Psych’01) [pictured above] was named to the NBC Olympics broadcasting team in May for the U.S. Track and Field Olympic Trials and the Olympic Games in Tokyo.

Skiing’s Cassidy Gray (IntPhys’24) won the 2021 individual NCAA Championship in the women’s giant slalom. Gray was joined on the podium by Stef Fleckenstein (Comm’22), who finished second at March’s championships in New Hampshire.

Mya Hollingshed (Comm’22) was selected honorable mention All America by the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association April 3. Hollingshed will return for a fifth season in 2021–22.

Buffs soccer (9-6-2) reached the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season before being eliminated 1-0 by South Alabama in an April 27 first-round match.

Despite a career-high six goals from Sadie Grozier (Mktg’21), ��ֱ�� lacrosse (8-7) lost to No.13 Stanford 17-10 in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game May 8.

Skier Magnus Boee (CivEngr’23), football’s Jerek Broussard (Ethn’23) and basketball’s McKinley Wright IV (Ethn’21) tied for male athlete of the year, while track and field’s Sage Hurta (ChemBioEngr’21) unanimously won female athlete of the year at the 21st annual ��ֱ�� Sports Performers of the Year (��ֱ��SPY) Awards in May.

Coach Talk

I can’t wait to get my hands dirty and to raise the level of college ski racing to heights never seen before.”

— Head ski coach Andy LeRoy (Fin’03), who previously led the University of Denver to six NCAA championships over 15 seasons.

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A spring recap of all things Buffaloes.

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Summer 2021

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Sports Briefs Fall 2020

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2020 07:00:00 +0000

Sports Briefs Fall 2020 Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 11/10/2020 - 00:00

Stats

Two

twins born in May to ��ֱ�� lacrosse head coach Ann Elliot Whidden

3.491

average Spring 2020 GPA for all 338 student-athletes, a new single-semester high

Four

returning senior men's golfers for 2020-21 who had their original final season cut short last year

500+

��ֱ�� student-athletes, staff and community participants in June's Buffs March to protest racial injustice

909

days from when Andre Roberson (Comm ex'14) ruptured his left patellar tendon and returned to play for the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder this July

Buffs Bits

Women’s Basketball Hall of Famer Ceal Barry retired July 1 after 43 years in college athletics. At ��ֱ��, she coached women’s basketball for 22 years before serving in administration the last 15 years. ... Richard Rokos, head ski coach for the past 30 seasons, announced 2021 will be his last year. Since his hiring, the Buffs have qualified for every NCAA championship and won eight of them. ... Track stars Dani Jones (Psych, SLHSci’20), Joe Klecker (BioChem’20) and Makena Morley (Anth, Engl’20) announced they are forgoing remaining seasons of eligibility to pursue pro careers. ... With the departure of John Graves (Mgmt’09), Taylor Stratton (EBio, EnvSt, Geog’13) was named manager of the Ralphie Live Mascot Program. She served as assistant coach for the last four years. ... Senior women’s golfer Kirsty Hodgkins (MechEngr’21) reached the Round of 64 at the 120th U.S. Women’s Amateur in August. ... ��ֱ�� men’s basketball star point guard McKinley Wright IV (Ethn’21) will return to play with the Buffs for the 2021 season. ... The Pac-12 announced Aug. 11 that no fall sports would be played in 2020. In late September, however, the conference released a shortened football schedule with games beginning Nov. 7. ... On Sept. 16, the NCAA granted a Nov. 25 start date for men’s and women’s basketball.

Betty Hoover of the "��ֱ�� Twins" dies at 95

The Buffs lost legendary fan Betty Fitzgerald Hoover (A&S’46), twin sister to Peggy Fitzgerald Coppom (A&S’46), to pancreatic cancer Aug. 5, 2020. As ��ֱ�� athletic director Rick George said, “If you know ��ֱ�� Athletics you know Betty and Peggy.” Hoover held season tickets for football since 1958 and basketball since 1979 when the ��ֱ�� Events Center opened. The “��ֱ�� Twins” grew up on ��ֱ��’s eastern plains before moving to Longmont in 1939 and then to Boulder a year later. Attendance at Boulder High and ��ֱ�� followed, as did husbands and seven children between their two families. For the last 30 years, Betty and Peggy were inseparable. They garnered national attention and local affection for their matching outfits, pompoms and enthusiasm. Women’s basketball head coach JR Payne said, “Betty and Peggy have blessed so many with their unwavering spirit and love for everyone.” Hoover connected with numerous student-athletes as well: Men’s basketball’s Evan Battey (Jour’22) wrote of Hoover, “Thank you for giving me a shoulder to lean on.”

Photo courtesy ��ֱ�� Althetics

The Buffs lost legendary fan Betty Fitzgerald Hoover, one of the "��ֱ�� Twins."

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10 Things You Can Learn at The Rec

Anonymous — Mon, 21 Oct 2019 21:54:42 +0000

10 Things You Can Learn at The Rec Anonymous (not verified) Mon, 10/21/2019 - 15:54

Joshua Nelson

Need a new hobby? The ��ֱ�� Rec has you covered.

Learn to roast more than hot dogs and smores with the backcountry cooking clinic.
Beginning fly fishing includes classroom lessons, practice and a trip to the river.
Ever dreamed of being a ballerina? Now is your chance — take ballet technique.
Try women’s self-defense, it’ll help your dad stop worrying about you.
Beginner Olympic weightlifting, for those who want to take their gains to the next level.
S��ֱ��BA lessons are offered at all levels. ... Lesson No. 1: Self Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus.
Eskrima is the martial art of the Philippines, and it's primarily weapons based. Be careful!
For those who spend more time in nature than at home, consider getting your wilderness medicine certificate.
If you’ve never gone before, or want to master a triple-Lutz, the rec center has ice skating lessons.
Invented 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, snowshoeing is a great way to explore ��ֱ��’s winter scenes.

Head over to the Recreation Services website to learn more.

Photo courtesy of ��ֱ�� Boulder Recreation Services

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Hear from ����ֱ�� Boulder Alum Alejandro Brown, the Founder of I-70 Things

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Segging Her Own Way

You finished 2nd in classic and 5th in freestyle at the 2023 NCAA Championships. What was key to your success?

How do you approach a race?

What is offseason training like?

Do you still race for Sweden’s National Team?

Why did you choose ����ֱ��?

Can you share something you’ve learned from Jana Weinberger, skiing director and Nordic head coach?

What do you love most about skiing?

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Does ����ֱ�� hosting the 2024 NCAA Championships at Steamboat Springs in March add pressure to this season?

What’s something readers would be surprised to learn about you?

What do you want to do after you graduate?

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THEN: 1967–68

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Former Olympian Andy LeRoy Enters Second Season as ����ֱ�� Ski Coach

After high school, you skied six seasons on the U.S. National Team. What was the experience like?

You joined the Buffs for the 2000 season, won the NCAA slalom competition and stayed on as a volunteer coach. What stood out to you about the program?

You became the University of Denver’s head ski coach before the 2007 season after coaching the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club for three years. How did you adapt to leading a Division-1 program?

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What are you most looking forward to this year?

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